This was the location of the Marine base. By sheer good fortune, it had survived the devastating blow of the Hand That Veils the Sky.
However, the shockwave had still swept across the area, reducing the entire facility to a flattened ruin.
Amidst the rubble, Sengoku and the others stood, their expressions filled with shock and disbelief…
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
The Great Demon of Fear burst into loud, unrestrained laughter.
"The time has come! Phantom's time has come! Sengoku the Buddha… the Marines… the Pacifistas… our future stretches long and far. We shall meet again! Hahaha!"
Amidst his wild, arrogant laughter, the Great Demon's body suddenly began to disintegrate.
Starting from his legs, he vanished little by little, turning into fine particles like crystal dust that scattered and disappeared with the wind.
"'The time has come'…?"
Vice Admiral Tsuru, covered in injuries, murmured weakly. "'Phantom's time has come'…? What was that terrifying giant hand earlier?"
"Based on our earlier deductions… is Phantom about to vanish?" Sengoku's eyes were clouded with confusion. Standing amidst the ruins, he had no idea what to do next.
"What exactly did the Great Demon mean?"
They each had their own guesses and suspicions in their hearts, yet none could say for certain.
"We must go and see for ourselves first!"
Immediately, they split up. Vice Admiral Tsuru began organizing aid for the wounded soldiers, while the others headed toward the battlefield where the massive clash had taken place.
But when they finally arrived, all they saw was the sunken wreckage of the Sabaody Archipelago.
The land was covered with corpses; the casualties were beyond counting.
...
Within the Shadow World.
Vladimir sat upon his throne. Below him stood Shadow Spirit and Doflamingo, carefully tallying the spoils of their victory.
Fruits currently in hand: 52.
Fruits owed by Whitebeard: 50.
Fruits sunken beneath the sea: several hundred more, soon to be retrieved.
Vladimir glanced briefly at the numbers, then spoke.
"Doflamingo… our time here in this world is drawing to a close. From now on, you will be in charge of daily operations and affairs. However, Robin will be your superior. Do you understand?"
"Lord Vladimir… what do you mean our time is drawing to a close?" Doflamingo asked, confused.
"You are not yet qualified to know that," Vladimir replied, too lazy to explain further. He gave his orders directly. "Shadow Spirit… take him and leave."
"As you command!"
Shadow Spirit immediately led Doflamingo away.
Once the two were gone, Vladimir let out a soft breath and stood up, walking toward the large pile of fruits.
"A portion of these will be used to upgrade Gilgamesh… pushing him to Five Stars. Once that is done, my main body will advance to Four Stars."
He spoke softly to himself, then suddenly remembered something important.
"By the way… Illusion."
"What is it?" The voice of the Illusion Gene answered mechanically and without emotion.
"Yggdrasil, the Sunlight Tree… can I absorb it now?"
"With a Four-Star Phantom God form… absorption should be possible."
Hearing this, Vladimir nodded, and his decision was made.
First, I will raise Gilgamesh to Five Stars. Then my Phantom God form will advance to Four Stars. After that… I shall go to Fish-Man Island and absorb the Sunlight Tree Yggdrasil.
"Let's begin the advancement."
Having made up his mind, Vladimir immediately set things in motion.
His Twelfth Transformation — Gilgamesh — was currently in a state of forced manifestation and could not be recalled from a distance.
He simply had to wait for the avatar to return on its own.
Outside the Shadow World.
Just off the coast of the remaining fragments of Sabaody Archipelago, a single ship floated on the sea.
Suddenly, space tore open, and two figures stepped out one after another.
They were Shadow Spirit and Doflamingo.
The moment they exited the Shadow World, Doflamingo couldn't help but ask.
"Shadow Spirit… what did Lord Vladimir mean? Why is Phantom's time running out?"
"You are currently only a reserve member. You are not qualified to know classified information. Ask too many questions… and Lord Aizen will come to warn you," Shadow Spirit replied calmly.
"In short… for the coming period, we will vanish from the world. However, we will maintain contact with you to a certain degree."
Doflamingo could only nod in understanding. Unlike others in the outside world, he had deep interactions with Phantom and clearly understood his own position.
His own strength had skyrocketed suddenly only because Aizen had casually enhanced him using the Hōgyoku.
It was clear that combat power at his level was considered expendable — of little importance or consequence to Phantom.
Compared to raw power, his true value to them lay in his influence and control over territories and factions.
Shadow Spirit continued speaking.
"Now, I have several matters to instruct you on."
"Please, go ahead."
"First: You will take over all affairs on the Island of the Dead. Continue the experiments on Artificial Zoan Devil Fruits until they are successfully mass-produced. For details and procedures, consult with Robin. She is a full member of Phantom and holds a higher rank than you. Even though she appears to only handle odd jobs and miscellaneous tasks, she is our primary point of contact. Her authority takes priority. Do you understand?"
"I understand."
Doflamingo felt very aggrieved. Just a woman… what gave her the right to stand above him?
However, such thoughts could only remain deep in his heart. He dared not voice even a word of complaint.
It didn't matter if it was Robin or even a pig — if Phantom declared it was a full member, Doflamingo had no choice but to accept it.
"Good. Second: Dressrosa has already paid its protection fee. Therefore, you are strictly forbidden from making any moves against that kingdom."
"Understood."
He agreed readily. Although Dressrosa had a special connection to his Donquixote family, since Phantom had given such an order, he had no objections.
"Third: Continue your role as a Warlord of the Sea. As long as you do not resign voluntarily, the Marines will not dare to remove you. Manage and expand your influence and territory well. If you obtain any special or important intelligence, report it to Robin, and she will relay it to us."
Robin again?!
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