North Blue, Annacy.
Inside a lavish banquet hall, figures moved in and out beneath the glow of chandeliers. The clinking of wine glasses and bursts of cheerful laughter rose one after another.
Several familiar faces could be seen there.
Trebol, user of the Sticky-Sticky Fruit.
Diamante, user of the Float-Float Fruit.
Pica, user of the Stone-Stone Fruit.
The three top executives sat together with the other Donquixote Family members, while at the head of the hall lounged a tall figure overflowing with arrogance.
Heavenly Yaksha — Donquixote Doflamingo.
A half-finished smile hung on his face as he said lazily, "And just so happens… Corazon hasn't been on the ship for the past six months."
"In all that time, the Marines never showed up again," Trebol said, wiping at his nose with a strange smile. "Even that Vice Admiral Tsuru who used to somehow find us every single time and chase us all over the sea."
"You mean to say that brat was the one leaking our information to the Marines?" Pica asked, setting down his knife and fork, clearly unconvinced.
"Hahaha, come on now. That can't be it, right? Corazon is the young master's own little brother," Diamante said with a hearty laugh. His injuries from years ago had long since healed.
"Who knows?" Trebol replied, his grin deepening.
"Fufufufu… I certainly hope not," Doflamingo said as he lifted his wine glass, the smile beneath his tinted glasses impossible to read. "After all… he is my dear little brother."
"Young Master, when do we move?" Diamante asked greedily. "This time, with the intel Vergo provided, we'll definitely get our hands on the Op-Op Fruit before the Marines do. That thing is worth five billion Berries!"
"I'm determined to get the Op-Op Fruit," Doflamingo said, setting his glass down. A chilling killing intent flashed beneath his sunglasses. "Anyone who dares take it from me…"
His voice trailed off, but the meaning was obvious.
At the edge of the North Blue and the Calm Belt
"Well now, that took a bit of effort, but we finally crossed the Calm Belt. Compared to the unpredictable weather of the New World, this place feels like paradise," Gin Ichimaru said, smiling as usual, though even he clearly didn't believe his own words.
For the Shinigami Pirates, crossing the Calm Belt had never been much of a problem.
After leaving Cosma Island, they had passed through the deadly sea with surprising ease.
At this moment, there were still three days left before the deal.
"Ren Kuro, what's the plan this time?" Yoruichi asked, once again in black cat form, lightly leaping onto his shoulder.
"The plan?" Ren Kuro shook his head. "We don't need one. Whether it's the Donquixote Family or the Marines, all we have to do is crush them with absolute power."
With five Admiral-level fighters on his side, there was no need for schemes.
Any one of his captains could tilt the entire battle.
"Doflamingo…" Ren Kuro gazed across the open sea, killing intent flashing in his eyes. "Do you still remember what you said two years ago?"
"This time…"
"You won't get another chance."
Three days later — Minion Island
The agreed day of the transaction between Diez Barrels and the Marines had finally arrived.
And the place of the exchange—
was Minion Island.
"Ren Kuro, we're here. That's Minion Island ahead," Yoruichi called from the bow.
Following her gaze, Ren Kuro saw the island looming in the distance. Several ships were already hidden nearby.
"So the Marines and the Donquixote Family are both here already," Ren Kuro said, the corner of his mouth lifting slightly. "Perfect timing."
"Ren Kuro, look over there!" Yachiru pointed into the distance. "One of the buildings on the island is on fire!"
Sure enough, smoke was rising into the sky.
A building on the island had caught fire.
"Fire, huh? Looks like the struggle over the Op-Op Fruit has already begun." Ren Kuro snapped his fingers. "Then let's move as well. We have to seize the Op-Op Fruit before anyone else!"
"Yes!"
At Ren Kuro's command, the Soul Society ship accelerated toward Minion Island.
Not long after — Outside the burning building
Diez Barrels and his men were frantically searching the area.
Not long ago, his treasure vault had gone up in flames without warning. In the chaos, the Op-Op Fruit had been stolen.
That meant Barrels' dream of becoming rich beyond measure had collapsed.
A former Marine officer turned pirate—
he was now about to lose everything.
"Boss, what do we do now? It looks like the thief already escaped!" one of his subordinates asked nervously.
"Find him! No matter what, find that bastard and get the Op-Op Fruit back!" Barrels roared, bloodshot rage filling his eyes. His fantasy of instant wealth had shattered, and he was on the verge of madness.
Not long after that subordinate ran off, another group appeared in the distance.
They advanced side by side.
The Donquixote Family.
"What the hell? The Op-Op Fruit's already been taken?" Doflamingo's face darkened. He had originally intended to seize the fruit before the Marines could act, but Corazon had beaten him to it.
"Then die."
To vent his fury, Doflamingo raised his pistol and fired at Barrels without hesitation.
Bang! Bang!
Several shots rang out.
Barrels dropped dead on the spot.
The former Marine officer became the first meaningless casualty of this deal.
Within moments, Barrels' pirate crew was butchered without mercy.
"Young Master, Vergo just sent word," Trebol said, holding a Den Den Mushi. "Corazon still seems to be somewhere on this island. We still have a chance to recover the Op-Op Fruit!"
"Is that so? What wonderful news." Doflamingo's face twisted into a cruel smile. "Fufufufu… as long as Corazon and Law are still on this island, they'll never escape my grasp."
As he spoke, he spread his hands and slowly closed his eyes.
Then—
his fingers moved.
From his palms, countless white threads burst outward, shooting into the air and spreading farther and farther until they began to wrap around the entire island.
From a distance, it looked like an enormous birdcage descending over Minion Island.
The Birdcage had appeared.
The island's fate was sealed.
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