[Cover Story · Donquixote Arc: "You brought this on yourself, Doffy."]
[On the Thunder Hawk, Rosinante personally locked the shackled Doflamingo into the brig. Looking at his unconscious brother, Rosinante's expression was complicated. He stared through the iron bars for a long time, his thoughts seemingly returning to that winter over a decade ago. Finally, he let out a long sigh, lit a cigarette, shook his head, and strode away...]
...
"So he didn't come himself?"
Upon hearing this, Judge looked up, his face slightly stunned.
What is the Donquixote Family doing?
He was a king of a World Government member nation, a sovereign ruler, personally coming to their turf to finalize a deal.
And Doflamingo dared to snub him—sending only his subordinates instead of appearing in person?
"This transaction was their request in the first place. How bold of him to put on airs," Judge's face darkened with anger. Slapping the armrest of the sofa, he ordered:
"Go. Stop those executives. Tell them to get lost. This king will only negotiate when Doflamingo himself shows up. Do they think they're worthy of bargaining with me?"
"This… may not be wise, Your Majesty…"
The captain of the guard hesitated. "After all, this is their territory. It's possible Doflamingo had an urgent—"
Before he could finish, he caught sight of Judge's stormy expression and immediately stiffened. Swallowing the rest of his words, he bowed quickly:
"Yes, Your Majesty. I'll do as you command."
The guard captain turned and left.
The anger on Judge's face instantly vanished, replaced by calm. He picked up a cup of tea and spoke lightly:
"Did you see that, Reiju? This too is a lesson you must learn. A leader must project authority and boldness. If you appear meek, others will look down on you. And if the head of Germa 66 is spineless, we will never achieve revival. Do you understand?"
"I understand, Father," Reiju answered at once, nodding seriously.
She actually understood little of it, but growing up under Judge's strict, high-pressure training, she had long since learned how to hide her true feelings and avoid angering him.
Sure enough, seeing her take his words to heart, Judge nodded in satisfaction. Crossing one leg over the other, he sipped his tea leisurely as his guard captain went off to intercept the Donquixote executives.
The tea was of excellent quality.
But just as Judge took his first sip, an accompanying official nervously approached him, leaned in, and whispered a few words into his ear, startling Judge so much he nearly spilled his tea.
"What did you just say?"
He abruptly turned his head, his face full of disbelief. "That White Dragon Nao… actually came to the North Blue? And killed Doflamingo? He's on his way here right now?"
"This news came directly from the World Government," the official said in a hushed voice. "It happened just last night. By now, the warship is probably about to arrive at Patton Island's port. What should we do, Your Majesty? Do we still stay here?"
Judge's expression shifted rapidly. Hearing the question, he snapped back to reality and glared at the official.
"Stay for what? The transaction? The Donquixote Family is finished. We should… no, we must leave immediately! Pass on my orders—inform everyone to pack up all goods immediately and evacuate swiftly. We cannot linger on this island any longer!"
So urgent? The official froze, but Judge had already scooped Reiju into his arms, striding off with his guards in tow. The official had no choice but to hurry after him.
At the same time, the guard captain who had gone to confront the Donquixote executives was equally stunned.
Diamante, Pica, and the others had arrived together, exuding confidence and swagger. The captain had been preparing to couch Judge's dismissal in polite words—but then, out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of Judge's retreating figure.
Startled, and without understanding the reason, he immediately turned on his heel and rushed after his king.
"Father…"
Carried in her father's arms, Reiju held back her curiosity for as long as she could. Only once they were out the gates did she finally whisper cautiously:
"Father, aren't you the king of a World Government member nation? If it's just the Marine that's come, why are we in such a hurry to run?"
"You don't understand."
Judge glanced down at her, his expression dark. "That man, Natsuya Nao, is nothing like the other marines. He's a monster who doesn't follow rules. Someone we cannot afford to provoke…"
Reiju's question had struck a nerve. Just moments ago, Judge had still been sitting calmly in the lavish reception hall, sipping fine tea. The instant he heard the news, however, he bolted to leave, his exit rushed and undignified.
After all, he bore the title of a king of a World Government affiliate nation.
Even if this transaction with the Donquixote Pirates couldn't be made public, and the list of goods he brought contained many contraband items, so what if the Marines stumbled upon them? Even a Marine Admiral couldn't do anything to him.
But this time, of all people, the one who came was that man with a notorious, fearsome reputation…
Just thinking about that monster's various past "notorious misdeeds" made Judge's heart waver. He knew better than anyone the danger of being caught by Nao. Otherwise, the World Government wouldn't have bothered to give him a direct warning.
"Someone we cannot provoke…"
Reiju only half-understood, tilting her head up to look at her father's grim face, finding it strangely unusual.
In her memory, Judge was always the embodiment of iron will and domineering authority—calm and unshakable upon his throne. Never had she seen him flustered and nervous like this.
In that moment, the man called White Dragon Nao sparked a faint curiosity in her heart.
Someone whose name alone could frighten her father into such panic… someone called a monster… just how terrifying was he?
Little Reiju frowned. In that moment, an image of a ferocious, fanged Marine with a blue face and a terrifying expression suddenly appeared in her mind...
———
Meanwhile, in the luxurious reception hall—
"What's the meaning of this Germa lot?"
Diamante and the others stood there, baffled. "Why storm off with those sour faces, without even a word of farewell?"
"They probably felt disrespected since Doffy didn't come," Pica folded his arms and snorted coldly. "A bunch of fallen nobles, that's all they are. Where do they get such arrogance? If not for Doffy's orders that this isn't the time to pick a fight…"
Cracking his knuckles with explosive pops, he bared his teeth in a feral grin. "Daring to look down on us like that—today I oughta beat those bastards until their faces are swollen like pig heads!"
"Na… nah, forget it, Pica," Trebol said carelessly, sniffling as usual.
"In any case, we'd better report this to Doffy. This transaction concerns the family's development for years to come—it's not something we can abandon lightly. If Germa won't negotiate with us, we'll need him to show up in person to keep up appearances…"
BOOM!
A cannon blast suddenly split the silence of the snowy night outside, cutting Trebol off mid-sentence.
What was that?
"It came from the port," Diamante frowned as he spoke.
The men exchanged grave looks, then turned quickly toward the hotel's back exit. There, the cliffside gave a direct view of the port below.
Snow drifted down from the sky, but even through the flurries, they could clearly see what was happening at the docks.
"That is…"
Staring at the massive black silhouette emerging from the sea mist, Trebol's eyes widened.
"A Marine warship???"
The location of their transaction was top secret. Even if the North Blue Marines had the guts to intervene, their attention should have been misled toward Cartier Island by the decoy.
How could a Marine warship have found this place?
The moment the men recognized the black shadow, the approaching warship fired again. The firepower was astonishing. Dazzling flames pierced the thick mist, and the continuous cannon blasts roared deafeningly across the entire island.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In an instant, all the Donquixote Pirates' ships docked at the port were blown to pieces. The entire port erupted into flames, screams of agony piercing the air.
"Looking for death!" Pica, hot-tempered as always, roared in fury at the sight. He vaulted high into the air, charging straight toward the port.
"Damn Marines—stop right there!"
He didn't know which North Blue branch this was, or if they had joined forces to muster the courage to come cause trouble for their Donquixote Family.
But since they'd dared show themselves under his nose, there'd be no leaving alive. The whole crew could prepare to be buried here!
"What a reckless fool."
Trebol shook his head as he watched Pica charge off, then turned to Diamante.
"Nyah… I'd say this is something Pica alone can handle. We should head back to the hotel, try contacting Doffy, and maybe send someone to explain things to Germa—"
Thud!
Trebol hadn't even finished the word "explain" before something shot past overhead. An instant later, a deafening crash resounded behind them.
Startled, the two turned around—only to see the hotel's outer wall collapsing into rubble.
And there, amidst the debris, lay Pica. He'd barely leapt off the cliff before being struck down, his body bloodied, one hand clutching his chest, the other trembling as he pointed skyward with sheer terror on his face:
"T-the sky…"
"The sky?"
The two followed his finger upward. What they saw made their bodies jolt, their eyes nearly bulging from their sockets.
"Wh-White…"
"White Dragon Nao???"
None of them had ever met Nao, but this figure, this face, was too familiar—to the point where they could recognize him from a mere silhouette.
Th-this... How is this possible?
That warship fiercely bombarding the port—it didn't belong to any North Blue Branch, but was brought here personally by this Marine Headquarters Admiral Candidate?
"N-no… no, this is bad…"
Diamante was already stammering, whipping his head toward Trebol.
"Hurry! Contact Doffy and Vergo right now—tell them what's happening here, have them—"
"Doffy, Vergo?"
From high above, Nao looked down coldly at the three top executives. His voice was calm, almost indifferent.
"Are you talking about this? If so, I don't think a call will be necessary."
Whoosh!
Something spherical dropped from his hand, landing with a heavy thud beside Trebol.
"Th-this is…"
Trebol jumped in fright. He glanced down—then froze. When he realized the blood-soaked, mangled head at his feet, his mind went blank. He screamed, snot flying as his voice cracked:
"V-Vergo!!!"
Vergo was dead?
But he had gone to Cartier Island… he was supposed to be with Doffy this whole time. And yet, if his head was here now—then Doffy…
All three top executives stared up in horror, realizing at the same time a truth so terrifying they almost couldn't accept it.
Meanwhile, Nao turned his gaze toward the port. The Thunder Hawk had finished its bombardment. After docking, waves of Marines poured ashore, surging like a flood. They fanned out across the highlands, storming the Donquixote Family's base.
His men—every single one—were elite even by Marine Headquarters standards. Against North Blue's underworld and pirates?
It was a slaughter. Wolves thrown into a flock of sheep. Warlike titans cutting through with ease. He didn't need to lift a finger.
"Looks like you finally understand."
Drawing his gaze back, Nao looked at the terror-stricken faces below. He lazily raised his fingertip.
"You look almost numb from the shock. Don't worry—you'll be joining him soon enough."
Buzz!
In the next instant, a dazzling bolt of lightning burst from his fingertip. Like a roaring dragon, it swept down toward the three figures on the cliff.
"Damn it!"
"Don't just stand there dazed, Trebol, attack quickly, block it together!"
As the thunder-dragon roared toward them, Diamante's face turned deathly pale. Trembling with fury and fear, he roared and drew his blade with the fastest strike of his life, slashing up toward the sky!
"Half Moon Glaive!"
As one of the Donquixote Family's four top executives, Diamante was nearly unmatched as a swordsman in the entire North Blue. His slash split the air, unleashing a sweeping arc of azure sword-energy straight at the thunder-dragon. Its sheer might was terrifying, as though the beast would be cleaved in half the very next second.
Beside him, Trebol—mind frozen from shock—snapped back to awareness. He took a sharp, forceful inhale, sucking all the long, dangling snot back in. When he spat it out again, it had transformed into massive, cannonball-like mucus, shooting straight into the sky.
Pica, even more enraged, roared. He struggled to his feet from the rubble, transforming into a dozens-of-meters-tall rock giant. He threw punches with both fists simultaneously, smashing towards the thunder dragon!
At the brink of life and death, the three of them fought beyond their limits, unleashing their most powerful techniques without reserve.
But it was all meaningless.
Rumble!!
With a world-shaking explosion, half the cliff collapsed in ruin. The thunder-dragon howled as it crashed downward, utterly ignoring their desperate counterattacks. It crushed through their combined strikes, obliterating their efforts, and engulfed them all in blinding lightning.
Thud!
Thud!
Thud!
Three dull impacts resounded in quick succession.
Pica's stone colossus shattered, his real body flung into the cracks of the broken cliffside, lying mangled and lifeless.
Trebol and Diamante were thrown to opposite sides of a boulder, their heads twisted at unnatural angles, faces frozen in the final moment of despair and terror.
With just a single casual strike—
The three top executives of the Donquixote Family were instantly annihilated, slain on the spot.
PS: Reiju is 6 years old at this point.