Dressrosa, nestled in the waters of the New World, was a vibrant tropical island steeped in resort leisure, widely celebrated as the land of love, passion, and toys.
The scent of blooming flowers drifted across the entire island, complemented by its reputation for exquisite culinary delicacies.
Beyond the rhythm of music and fine dining, the island's premier attraction was its passionate young women and their sultry, fiery dancing—closely resembling real-world Flamenco, a direct reflection of its title as the Island of Love and Passion.
Yet an obsessive devotion to love fostered intense jealousy among the local women. Any betrayal by a partner was met with swift, lethal retaliation; the more striking the beauty, the more merciless the blade.
With clear lines between love and hate, romantic feuds escalating into physical violence were a regular sight.
The local populace lived alongside living dolls. Certain toy soldiers patrolled the streets to maintain public order, most notably the Thunder Soldier unit guarding the capital, which forcefully expelled anyone attempting to trespass into restricted zones after repeated warnings.
For over seven hundred years, the citizens had maintained an enduring belief in the existence and legends of fairies. Revering them as guardian deities, the locals paid little mind to the fairies' occasional mischievous pranks.
Donquixote Doflamingo reclined lazily across his seat. Beside his throne rested several specially coded Den Den Mushi, one of which bore the personal frequency of Emperor Aoki Shiraishi.
The ringing of the receiver signaled that negotiations between Shiraishi and Kaido had entered a decisive phase. Though accustomed to playing both sides, Doflamingo was drenched in cold sweat.
Shiraishi and Kaido were both colossal titans capable of wiping his entire empire off the map with ease.
Moreover, many of his illicit production lines were housed up on Sky Island. Although he had transferred several assets to Dressrosa over the years, his core clandestine processing plants remained in the sky.
After all, Sky Island offered the single greatest concealment in the world...
"Joker... what about Aoki Shiraishi?"
"If he's calling, it means the matter is settled."
Doflamingo's expression grew tense. The Four Emperors summit had concluded, yet confirmation regarding whether Shiraishi and Kaido had reached a formal pact remained unknown.
As the receiver rang again, Doflamingo composed himself and picked up the line linked to Shiraishi.
"Shh..."
From the other end came Shiraishi's warm, pleasant chuckle—a sound that sent an icy dread straight down Doflamingo's spine.
"Mr. Joker of the Birds of Paradise... I hear you've been quite prominent lately. Even Hundred Beasts Kaido is seeking you out for partnerships?"
"That's not—"
"It seems the hospitality of Dressrosa has made you a bit restless. Then again, if you have the nerve to hijack the Celestial Dragons' Heavenly Tribute, my affairs must seem trivial by comparison."
Before becoming the ruler of Dressrosa, Doflamingo had been a Celestial Dragon. As a pirate, he hijacked the transport ships carrying the Heavenly Tribute from World Government member nations, using the stolen wealth to blackmail the World Government itself.
Terrified of his noble heritage, the World Government could neither execute him nor halt the tribute cycle.
Driven to their wits' end, the authorities conceded to his demands, appointing him to the Seven Warlords of the Sea (Shichibukai)—an event widely publicized across the global press.
Years prior, Doflamingo had appeared before King Riku Dold III, demanding a ransom of 10 billion Beli within a single day under threat of military invasion.
Desperate to protect his people, King Riku begged his citizens to surrender all their personal savings. Taking advantage of the king's desperation, Doflamingo used his String-String Fruit powers to manipulate Riku like a puppet, forcing him to slaughter his own soldiers and citizens while staging acts of arson across the capital. The orchestrated massacre ruined the king's reputation, leaving the populace disgusted by his apparent madness.
Doflamingo seized the opportunity to overthrow the regime, claiming the throne while the Riku royal family was ousted and reviled by the public.
Though Shiraishi spoke with calm restraint, the weight behind his words doubled the pressure bearing down on Doflamingo. Facing the most formidable sovereign among the Four Emperors, he dared not overstep.
"Kaido requires Artificial Devil Fruits, and we hold the foundational technology. Under those circumstances, why not capitalize on the cooperation...?"
"If that is your reasoning, I must ask you to travel to Birka on Sky Island in person to explain the details to me directly."
Doflamingo began to speak hurriedly, but Shiraishi gave him no opportunity to offer further excuses over the line, hanging up immediately.
As the short call went dead, Doflamingo's face turned pale...
If he refused to visit Sky Island, Caesar Clown's laboratory and the entire SMILE production pipeline would be purged by Shiraishi, offending two Emperors simultaneously.
Yet if he went, he had no way of predicting how Shiraishi intended to handle him.
While Doflamingo wrestled with his dilemma, a Marine battleship glided silently through a remote sector of the New World.
"Admiral Kuzan, Admiral Sakazuki... we have officially crossed into the New World."
Having crossed the Red Line via Mary Geoise to reach Marine Base G-1, the two Admirals were sailing covertly toward the waters surrounding Tan Island.
This operation was of paramount importance to Marine Headquarters, representing the key strategic breakthrough needed to neutralize the Sunagakure Pirates—the most elusive of the Four Emperor factions.
The task force took no chances. Alongside the two Admirals sailed four Headquarters Vice Admirals, including Admiral Candidate Gion (Momousagi).
Resting her hand on her meito Konpira, Momousagi gazed at the distant horizon, her expression shifting in surprise: "Why is a massive tsunami forming ahead?"
A tsunami?
The two Admirals looked up just as the surrounding ocean began to churn violently. Amidst rumbling storm clouds, Aoki Shiraishi—clad in his silver-white captain's coat—descended across the sky, wielding his silver blade to unleash a torrential storm of absolute frost.
The moment he touched the water's surface, the sea flash-froze into an endless expanse of solid ice. Even Aokiji, a master of the Ice-Ice Fruit, recognized that freezing such a massive perimeter in a split second was a feat he could barely replicate.
"Aoki Shiraishi!"
Sakazuki's face darkened, his fists igniting with churning magma: "Why are you here?!"
Shiraishi tilted his head with an innocent shrug: "My... I assumed you were setting out to cause trouble for me, so I decided to seize the initiative and appear before you directly."
Before Sakazuki or Kuzan could respond, a nervous Marine soldier leveled his rifle straight at Shiraishi: "That's right! Our two Admirals are under orders to exterminate the Sunagakure Pirates!"
BANG!
The bullet tore through the air. Gathering a concentrated current of freezing mist with one hand, Shiraishi frozen the projectile mid-flight. Behind him, countless crystalline ice bullets materialized, locking onto the naval task force from every direction.
Sub-zero frost blanketed the frozen sea. Four Emperor Aoki Shiraishi took the offensive against Admirals Aokiji and Akainu, setting the stage for a brutal collision.