Grand Line, Marine G5 Branch.
Inside the base commander's office sat a tall man with short hair and lightning-shaped sideburns lining both sides of his face.
This was Vergo, also known by his epithet, "Demon Bamboo."
A Marine Vice Admiral, and the commanding officer of G5 Branch.
Of course, that was just his public identity.
In truth, he was one of the highest-ranking officers in the Donquixote Family, the original Corazon, who had infiltrated the Marines as a spy and climbed the ranks step by step to become Vice Admiral and eventually took control of the G5 Branch.
At this moment, his usual gentle and easygoing demeanor had vanished, replaced by a grim expression as he stared at the transponder snail on his desk, which kept ringing with a "buru buru" sound.
After three rings, he finally picked it up and said in a deep voice, "Who is it?"
"Vergo, it's me."
A cold, calm female voice came through the transponder snail. "This is Doll, Base Commander of Marine G14 Branch."
"Oh, Vice Admiral Doll~" Vergo instantly resumed his polite tone, smiling. "What can I do for you?"
"Did you receive the document signed by Fleet Admiral Sengoku? The one regarding Elio's temporary command over Marine Headquarters? What's your take on it?"
Inside the office of Marine G14's commander, a tall woman who looked to be in her thirties leaned against the desk. Her dark, short hair with bangs framed a pair of serious eyes, filled with unease about the future.
"I just got word that many branches across the Four Seas have undergone major personnel changes. Several of the newly appointed branch colonels are known to be Elio's close confidants. If nothing goes wrong, a new Vice Admiral might be parachuted into my branch soon. After all, I don't share any deep ties with Elio."
"Doll, are you implying something?" Vergo's voice remained calm. "From what you're saying, am I to understand that you believe Elio has staged a coup and seized control of HQ, and is now purging dissenters?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Doll's voice rose slightly with emotion. "For Elio to seize control of HQ so swiftly and implement sweeping personnel changes across the seas and Grand Line, it's clear that at least half of the officers, possibly even the three Admirals, are supporting him!"
"It might be worse than we think. In such a situation, no matter which side we choose, we could end up being purged!"
"Why choose at all?" Vergo shook his head. "This is nothing more than an internal power struggle. As long as the Holy Land remains unchanged, there's no need for us to pick a side just yet. Let's focus on the tasks at hand."
After a brief pause, Vergo added, "Vice Admiral Doll, our conversation ends here. Goodbye."
With that, he promptly ended the call. Then he opened a secret compartment in his drawer and pulled out a small, encrypted transponder snail, barely the size of a baby's fist, and dialed a number.
"Vergo!"
The moment the call connected, a familiar voice burst from the transponder snail. "Contacting me at a time like this isn't the smartest move!"
Vergo's face turned serious. "Doffy. Remember what I told you before? That I might be purged by the Marines? At the time, it was just a hunch, but now I want to stay and see how things play out."
"What are you talking about? What did you tell me?!" the voice from the snail grew frantic. "Vergo, is your memory loss acting up again?!"
"Then I'll tell you now." Vergo didn't hesitate. He briefly explained what had occurred within Marine Headquarters.
When he finished, silence fell over the office. The transponder snail seemed to go dead silent too.
After a few seconds, a distinct laugh finally echoed from the snail.
"Fufufufufu~ I know this Elio. Met him once during the Warlord Summit at Marine HQ. Back then, he didn't seem particularly remarkable. Who would've thought that in just over two years, he'd stir up something this big?"
"A coup, seizing command of HQ? Fufufu, I really underestimated him."
"Now those old geezers in Mary Geoise are going to have their hands full, fufufufu-"
New World, Dressrosa Kingdom.
Under the bright sun in an open-air courtyard at the highest point of the royal palace, a flamboyant man dressed in a pink-feathered coat and cropped pants sipped leisurely from a drink under a parasol. He wore sunglasses and grinned wildly at the transponder snail in front of him.
Donquixote Doflamingo...
Leader of the Donquixote Family, King of Dressrosa, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and wielder of the String-String Fruit.
After his laughter died down, Doflamingo suddenly grabbed the snail and said with a serious tone, "Vergo, with your strength, getting out won't be a problem. All you need to do is wait and observe. If they really plan to replace you, use the opportunity to offer your 'justice' to the Holy Land. You might be rewarded in unexpected ways. But if HQ doesn't plan to touch you, that means they still trust you. Keep your cover. I need to know if Elio only wants control over HQ, or if he has even greater ambitions."
With that, Doflamingo ended the call without wasting another word and quickly dialed another number.
"Worororo~"
The moment it connected, a wild, deep laugh came through.
"Doffy, long time no see!"
At the same time.
On a nameless island somewhere in the New World, a thunderous laugh echoed from within a massive crater.
A towering, oppressive figure emerged from its depths.
"What did you say? Doffy!"
The savage head barely rose above the pit before a voice boomed into the sky. "A coup in Marine HQ? Worororo~ This Elio guy really knows how to make a scene!"
Before the voice even faded, the figure leapt from the crater.
Over seven meters tall, his overwhelming presence needed no disguise. The air rippled with pressure as he landed.
Kaido.
Governor of the Beasts Pirates, one of the Four Emperors ruling the New World. Known as the world's strongest creature, whether by land, sea, or air.
Bounty: 4,611,000,000 Berries.
"This boring world would be better off destroyed!"
"Hurry up, Doffy. Start preparing for war!"
As the Revolutionary Army, Doflamingo, and the Four Emperors, Kaido included, all received news of the Marine HQ coup in the first wave, the rest of the Grand Line powers quickly followed.
Before long, every major news agency across the Grand Line picked up the story. A world-shaking event like this couldn't be ignored, and they scrambled to print and distribute the news globally.
But the busiest place of all, was the Sabaody Archipelago.
As the gateway to the Holy Land atop the Red Line and the final checkpoint before entering the New World, Sabaody had always been a melting pot of the world's most diverse figures.
Slave traders, pirate crews, adventurers, World Nobles, news reporters from every corner of the globe, and, of course, former powerhouses of the seas, all mingled here.
At Area 13 of the Sabaody Archipelago, inside a bar called Shakky's Rip-Off Bar, a tall, short-haired woman who looked ageless stood at the counter. A cigarette clamped between her lips, she held a fresh intelligence report in one hand.
After reading it through, she casually looked up at the only other person in the bar, seated quietly in the corner.
"You're not even curious about what's in this report, Rayleigh?"