"Tsk, tsk, tsk. As expected of old man Rowan... he actually dared to kill Doflamingo right in the heart of Mariejois."
On the Red Force, Shanks couldn't help but marvel as he stared at the front-page headlines. However, a hint of confusion crossed his face. Why didn't the Five Elders explode in rage? Shanks knew better than most about Doflamingo's secret lineage as a former Celestial Dragon and his complex, symbiotic relationship with the World Government's highest powers. For Rowan to walk into their home and execute their "broker" was a move of unfathomable boldness.
But as Shanks flipped to the second page, his casual demeanor vanished. "This is..."
A heavy gravity settled over his features. After finishing the report, he grabbed the paper and strode toward the inner cabins.
"Hey, Mihawk. You need to take a look at today's news."
Shanks held out the paper to Dracule Mihawk, who was currently deep in meditation. Mihawk's body was still wrapped in bandages, but the wounds he had received a month ago from Rowan had healed significantly.
Mihawk didn't even open his eyes. his mind was still replaying that singular, world-shattering strike Rowan had used to claim the title—a blade that seemed to sever heaven from earth. "Not interested," he said curtly.
Shanks sighed. "It's about Mr. Rowan. You're really not going to look?"
Swish! Mihawk's eyes snapped open at the mention of the name. Without a word, he snatched the paper from Shanks' hand and began to read with singular focus.
Shanks shook his head, a small smile playing on his lips. "You stubborn hawk..."
"So, Doflamingo fell to Mr. Rowan's hand..." Mihawk's expression remained unchanged at the first page. To him, Doflamingo's death was a logical conclusion if he dared to cross the Godfather's path.
But when he flipped to the second page, even the Great Swordsman's hawk-like pupils constricted. "This is..."
Mihawk wasn't the only one. Across the vast blue, the titans of the era were all staring at the same ink.
Whitebeard's Territory: Edward Newgate narrowed his eyes, his voice a low rumble. "Mr. Rowan... what exactly are you planning now?"
Beast Territory: Kaido's surroundings were already a wasteland of wreckage, his subordinates cowering in distant corners. But as he read the second page, his destructive rampage ceased. His expression was uncharacteristically stunned.
Totto Land, Thriller Bark, Alabasta, Amazon Lily, Fishman Island...
From the Emperors to the Warlords, every powerhouse reacted differently, but every single one of them shared two emotions: shock and apprehension.
Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
"These guys really know how to fan the flames," Rowan remarked, looking at the second page with a look of genuine surprise.
He wasn't surprised that the news of Doflamingo's death had leaked. Even the way the press was deifying him and blowing his "heroic deeds" out of proportion was par for the course.
But the second page was a bombshell: It claimed that Rowan, in direct defiance of the Five Elders, was demanding the absolute abolition of the Shichibukai system.
If this had been a small footnote, it might have been ignored. But paired with the headline of Rowan executing a Warlord on the floor of Pangea Castle, the implication was staggering.
To the common people, Rowan was a saint risking his career to purge the world of state-sponsored evil. But to the players on the board, the meaning was entirely different.
To Warlords like Moria, Crocodile, Hancock, Kuma, and Jinbe, the message was clear: Rowan believed the Navy no longer needed them to balance the Four Emperors. He believed the Navy—under his leadership—was enough.
Kaido, after a moment of eerie silence, stepped out of his cave and glared toward the horizon. "Marine Godfather, Rowan?! I'll be right here waiting for you. If you've got the guts, come and try it!"
Big Mom cackled, tossing a handful of sweets into her mouth. "Tsk, tsk, tsk... I didn't realize your ambitions were even bigger than mine, old man. Truly a man worth my interest."
The Holy Land, Mariejois.
The Five Elders were in a state of absolute volcanic fury. They were convinced that Rowan had leaked the details of the meeting to the press himself. How else could a journalist get a scoop on a closed-door session inside the "Domain of the Gods"? This was their territory, yet they looked like fools in the eyes of the world.
While the Elders raged, a giant albatross-man sat in a newsroom in the New World, playing with a roll of film. On that film was the crystal-clear image of Rowan's hand clamped around Doflamingo's throat.
Big News Morgans watched his news-coos flying out in swarms, a grin of manic delight on his face. "I knew this Levely would be special, but this?! The Navy vs. the World Government? How delicious! Hahahahaha!"
Morgans lived for the chaos. "I'd give anything to see the look on the Five Elders' faces right now..."
Back on his wicker chair, Rowan set the paper down. His expression returned to its usual calm.
The report actually suited his purposes perfectly. It had accomplished through public opinion what he couldn't quite force through diplomacy at the summit.
The "Royal Shichibukai" was now a title in name only. In the hearts of the Warlords, and certainly in the eyes of the Marines, those pirates were no longer "allies." They were targets.
Doflamingo, rotting in a morgue beneath the Holy Land, was the proof.