"Hahahahahahaha! Did you see that? Hahahaha — did you see it?!"
At the eastern port of Artemis, watching through the Den Den Mushi broadcast, everyone standing behind Grimm burst into laughter.
Mattheus — the man with the ever‑stoic expression — was laughing so hard he could barely catch his breath. Slapping Indigo on the shoulder, he wheezed:
"Donquixote ran off with his tail between his legs, just like a clown who messed up his act on stage! It's hilarious… hahaha… absolutely hilarious!"
The others did not laugh quite so loudly, but all wore mocking smiles.
It was true — the Donquixote Family's plan to seize the kingdom had been brilliantly conceived, and could have turned Doflamingo into a savior… if it had succeeded.
But now that it had fallen apart, instead of a hero, he looked nothing more than a fool. There was no other way to describe it.
Bruuu‑bruuu‑bruuu…
Suddenly, the ringing of a Den Den Mushi cut through the noise. Someone quickly picked it up and answered: "Moshi‑moshi… Lord Grimm."
The casual atmosphere vanished instantly; hundreds of people fell silent, and the only sound left was the faint chirping of insects.
Once Grimm had given his orders and ended the call, the room slowly relaxed again.
"Fass Island?"
Planck blinked in confusion. Grimm had just instructed him:
"Send Ul'dah and a few of his best stealth and reconnaissance specialists to Fass Island. They are to monitor the Marine scientists there and gather all available information on one man."
That man's name was Vegapunk.
"Vegapunk… who is that?" Planck asked, unfamiliar with the name.
To most of the crew, it meant nothing. But Indigo — being a scientist himself — widened his eyes in surprise. After a few seconds, he spoke:
"This is what Vegapunk looks like."
He pulled a sheet of paper from the pocket of his white lab coat, sketched quickly, and soon a clear portrait took shape before them.
"Surprisingly young," Planck and the others remarked. Indigo's drawing was remarkably accurate.
"This is how he looked twenty years ago. I have no idea what he looks like now," Indigo explained.
"But in the world of science, there is no one who does not know his name."
A cold sweat broke out on Indigo's forehead as he added in a low, uneasy murmur: "Captain… what exactly do you want with him?"
Meanwhile, Grimm gazed out at the fleet anchored in the harbor and said simply: "It's time to upgrade our ships."
---
Fass Island — this was the place Grimm had kept an eye on for the past two weeks.
He knew it was one of only three locations in the world where Weapon Rock was being researched — a substance as dangerous and destructive as the Ancient Weapons themselves.
So far, there had been no mention of it in the news, which confirmed it was still in the experimental stage.
That meant Vegapunk was likely still working here, and there was a good chance to track him down.
Grimm's forces were growing, and he needed more and stronger warships.
Ordinary vessels were no longer enough — if he could get his hands on the technology to build ships reinforced with Sea‑Prism Stone, his fleet would become unstoppable.
He could have gone himself, of course — but waiting and watching was far too tedious. Besides, with so many capable subordinates, why not put them to work?
After a heated discussion, the crew decided that Ul'dah — the most skilled in stealth and surveillance — would lead a small team of his best scouts to Fass Island.
Grimm returned to watching the broadcast.
Since only a handful of men were sent, and their ships sailed without any flags, the operation went unnoticed by the Marines.
---
Meanwhile, in Sius, the nearest Marine base in the New World — G‑5 — received an emergency call from Dressrosa.
The post of Base Commander was normally held by a Vice Admiral.
Commodore Vergo had only been assigned to G‑5 two years earlier, but his exceptional performance had earned him the trust of the current commander, Rear Admiral Gilbert.
With the World Summit held every four years approaching, all base commanders were being recalled to Marine Headquarters for consultation.
That was why Vergo was now acting as temporary commander.
He had expected this call — in fact, it was part of the plan agreed upon with Doflamingo. But what he heard was nothing like what he had anticipated.
He had been prepared for reports of "the king has gone mad" or "we have lost control and need reinforcements." Instead, the message stated:
"The king was being controlled, the pirates have retreated — please send Marines to restore order."
Vergo's expression turned grave.
Has the plan been exposed?
Without wasting another moment, he gathered over five hundred Marines from G‑5 and ordered them to set sail immediately.
"Commodore Vergo — a new mission? Great! We've been stuck here for ages, ready to go crazy!"
"Let's move out!"
"We'll round up those pirates and have a feast!"
The men of G‑5 looked more like roughnecks than proper Marines, but in the New World, strength mattered far more than discipline — and the Marines turned a blind eye as long as they got results.
Vergo usually kept up a calm, friendly front around his men, but the failure of the carefully laid scheme was too much even for him to hide.
He slammed the cabin door shut and locked himself inside.
Out on deck, the Marines exchanged confused glances. Their usually gentle and approachable commander was acting strangely.
"What on earth is happening in Sius?"
"Whatever it is, it must be serious to make Commodore Vergo this angry."
---
Back in his room, Grimm watched the images from Sius.
The city was in chaos, and with the battle having moved to the outskirts, he could no longer see how the fight between Doflamingo and Zephyr was going.
He could not say for certain who was stronger, but one thing was clear: Doflamingo would not defeat Zephyr.
And if he lost, his plan to seize the kingdom would be completely ruined.
Grimm closed his eyes and fell asleep. When he woke again, it was already noon the next day, with bright sunlight streaming through the window.
He turned back to the screen. There, King Riku — supported by Commander Tond — had finally regained consciousness.
Overcome with grief and shame, he knelt in the middle of the main street alongside his officers, begging the people for forgiveness.
__________________
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