"That was a great nap! How long was I out this time? I'm starving."
A voice, belonging only to the Sea Kings, echoed through the ocean depths.
"Mmm... smells delicious."
Licking the blood mixed with seawater, the Bullhead Electric Eel stirred. It hadn't expected to wake up to such a feast. Sniffing for the source of the scent, its massive form—starting at twenty thousand meters in length—burst from its nest, churning up an immense dark current as it surged upward.
...
Aboard the Numancia Flamingo Mini.
Doflamingo gazed at the calm, windless sea, deep in thought.
"It seems that as long as we don't touch the surface, the Sea Kings lurking in the Calm Belt remain unaware of changes above. Perhaps Judge's research on airships could be useful here. Even if we can't get our hands on Seastone-coated warships for now, this could be an alternative to fully connecting the four seas."
Despite the Calm Belt's threats—both from the Sea Kings and the absence of wind—it wasn't without its advantages. The lack of wind also meant no storms.
However, even with the ability to fly, even the highly advanced planes of his previous life's 21st century had to avoid storms. The same would apply to airships.
Still, in this case, they were a perfect fit.
BOOM!!
A massive splash erupted from the sea.
A colossal green dinosaur-like head emerged, but instead of the relief of breathing fresh air, its eyes reflected utter despair.
Doflamingo had already noticed the even larger shadow beneath it.
"A Super Sea King?"
The sea churned into a vortex, the result of powerful undercurrents below.
"ROAAARR!!!"
The green dinosaur's face contorted in pure terror, its four limbs—fins merged with claws—frantically thrashing in the water. Yet no matter how it struggled, it couldn't escape its fate.
Blood surged to the surface in thick waves.
"So this is a Super Sea King?"
Doflamingo had encountered and even eaten plenty of ordinary Sea Kings before, but this was the first time he had seen a Super Sea King up close. After all, he had never ventured into the deep sea himself, nor did he intend to.
"Fufufufufu... Stop eating for a second. Let me see how strong the Sea King's underlings really are."
Excited by the hunt, Doflamingo lowered the Numancia Flamingo Mini closer to the surface, raising his arm as he formed an enormous spiked meteor hammer.
From above, it descended like a rocket re-entering the Earth's atmosphere, flames licking at its surface.
BOOM!
The fiery projectile crashed into the sea, sending a towering wave skyward.
"ROAAARR!!!" (Damn bastard! Who did that?!)
A furious roar shook the ocean as an enormous figure surged from the depths—a massive bull-headed creature with horns measuring over a hundred meters.
(For reference, Shirahoshi is 11.87 meters tall. Just how big are these Sea Kings?)
The swelling lump on its forehead and its bloodshot eyes left no doubt about its rage.
"Imposing, but damn ugly."
Doflamingo gave his first impression of the Super Sea King he had just encountered.
"ROAAARR!!!" (You hit me and insulted me? DIE!)
Fixating on the contemptuous voice above, the Bullhead Electric Eel let out an enraged hiss before diving back into the depths.
Although Doflamingo couldn't hear the voice of all things, the creature's wrath was unmistakable—it had no intention of fleeing.
He leisurely awaited its next move.
ZZZZZT!
A monstrous, electricity-clad tail—ten thousand meters long and shaped like a trident—shot out from below.
"Good! But seriously, is lightning this common in the sea?!"
Doflamingo hurled the Numancia Flamingo Mini higher into the sky, using his Sky Path as leverage before launching himself downward like a missile.
His Haki-infused fist crashed into the incoming tail.
BOOM!
The impact sent both of them flying backward.
"Nice! Feels like a proper punching bag!"
Doflamingo steadied himself midair, the force of his Sky Path curving into a wide arc.
A glint of excitement flashed in his eyes. Dispelling the Haki from his hands, he let himself rebound from his Sky Path and shot downward again.
A good punching bag shouldn't break too soon.
"ROAAARR!!!" (Damn human! That hurt!)
The Electric Eel licked the blood seeping from its tail, eyes gleaming with vicious intent.
Raising its massive, scythe-like horns, lightning crackled along their edges as its sinuous form twisted with unnatural agility.
Then, in a shocking burst of speed, it lunged toward the sky.
...
Midnight.
New World – G5 Base, Training Grounds.
"Vergo! Call it a night. I've got some top-quality stuff from your homeland. One hit, and you'll be floating."
"Yeah, Commander Vergo, it's already past one in the morning. I just got off my shift. Come on, let's have some fun! Otherwise, you won't have any energy for tomorrow's mission."
Vergo, hailing from the North Blue, knew exactly what they meant by "fun."
Drugs and prostitutes.
Both were among the deadliest weapons against discipline and combat readiness.
Doffy had once said:
A heart free from women strikes the hardest.
No indulgence in vice...
"I'd prefer if you called me Mr. Vergo."
Without looking up, Vergo continued to flex his biceps and triceps, focusing on coating his hands with Armament Haki.
"Come on, let's go. The guy's been personally recognized by Fleet Admiral Sengoku and is Black Arm's prized student."
"Yeah, he's on a whole different level from us."
"Right, right. Anyway, I've got some fresh stock tonight—top-tier quality!"
With sarcastic jabs and laughter, Vergo's fellow officers slung their arms over each other's shoulders and left, heading toward their usual entertainment.
Vergo remained silent, his attention fixed on his hands.
His fingertips were slowly turning a deep, polished shade of purple.
Even with his composure, a flicker of excitement shone in his eyes.
"Finally, another step forward."
Leaving the training grounds, Vergo expertly avoided the G5 base's coastal patrols.
He arrived at a towering, hundred-meter-high cliff—a natural defensive barrier.
Most pirates wouldn't attempt to land here, and with G5's notorious lack of discipline, it was rarely patrolled.
Confirming he was alone, Vergo adjusted his square-framed sunglasses and retrieved a long-unused Den Den Mushi.
Gurururu...
"Oh, Stella, your golden hair is enchanting. Moshi moshi, who's this?"
In Sabaody, Tesoro was reviewing his debut album when he picked up an unfamiliar call from within the family.
"It's Vergo."
"Ah, Mr. Vergo! How can I assist you?"
Hearing the name Doflamingo had personally instructed him to remember, Tesoro's expression turned serious as he set aside his music sheets.
"G5 Base. One vice admiral, three rear admirals, six commodores. My current rank is commander. The brigadier in charge is Mecinet."
"Understood. The first batch of special medicine will reach Sabaody within seven days. Charlotte's people will start full distribution in fifteen. By then, the bounty posters will carry his name."
"Send some North Blue specialties, too. The officers here love them."
"Got it."
...
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+220 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg