Chapter 81 Clash of Conqueror's Haki: A Shocking Sight Appears in NannanTrebol quickly pulled back Doflamingo, who was on the verge of exploding, and whispered, "Doflamingo, calm down. Don't forget we still have to attend the mandatory summons meeting for the Seven Warlords of the Sea."
Doflamingo stiffened, took a deep breath, and forcibly suppressed his anger.
"Furfurfur, very good. As expected of the grandson of the legendary Marine hero Garp. We'll have a long road ahead, please take care of me."
Luffy sneered, showing no mercy: "Coincidentally, I also have high hopes for your 'Joker' identity. The underground arms trade is a highly profitable industry; I hope you can hold onto this juicy piece of meat."
Doflamingo's face turned as black as the bottom of a pot. He snorted coldly and turned to leave without looking back.
He had originally planned to teach this so-called newcomer a lesson, but he hadn't expected this supposedly well-connected individual to be as tough as iron!
Although he was still confident of victory, it was clearly impossible to eliminate his opponent without anyone noticing.
If Luffy knew what Doflamingo was thinking right now, he'd probably laugh his head off.
"Does he really think my Rumble Balls are candy?"
"Snake Man, Bounce Man, Giant—I can switch between these three forms at will. Even if I can't beat Fire Fist Ace, I can still take care of a nobody like you who was defeated by Gear Fourth!"
Watching Doflamingo's figure disappear into the depths of the jungle, Zoro and the others finally breathed a sigh of relief.
"Also a Shichibukai, the oppressive aura this guy exudes is on a completely different level compared to Crocodile."
"Ah—I'm alive again."
Nami collapsed to the ground, panting heavily.
"We've only been at sea a short while, and I've already faced two Shichibukai head-on. I feel like my fragile little heart is about to overload."
"Oh no!!"
Suddenly, a thunderous shout rang out.
Everyone jumped in fright.
Turning around, they saw Kurik, sweating profusely, anxiously shouting to Luffy:
"I was so busy with the banquet that I forgot to tell you! Before we go up to the sky, we need to catch a special bird called a 'South-Viewing Bird' in the southern forest!"
"South-Viewing Bird?"
The group exchanged bewildered glances. "What's that?"
"The next upwelling current will occur directly south of the last appearance of the Zephyr Cloud."
"But in this godforsaken place like the Grand Line, once you leave the coastal waters, a regular compass is useless."
"That's why we need this South-Viewing Bird for navigation. Its head will always point south, no matter when or where."
Kurik explained rapidly.
Nami and Usopp exchanged a look, secretly overjoyed.
That means if they can't catch the bird, they won't have to risk their lives to go up to the sky!
"That's great... cough cough, I mean, it's such a shame." Nami and Usopp pretended to wipe away tears.
"You mean this thing?"
Just then, Zoro suddenly picked up a large-mouthed, strange bird that was still rolling its eyes from behind, and asked with a blank expression.
Nami, Usopp: ╯‵□)╯︵┻━┻!
"..."
"Where did you get this thing!?"
"Just now, when Luffy was gazing deeply into that bowlegged, sunglasses-wearing guy's eyes, this stupid bird fell from the sky and hit me on the head."
Zoro pointed to the ceiling, looking completely innocent.
Luffy's lips twitched violently at the mention of it.
"Bowl-legs my ass! Deeply affectionate gaze my ass!
That was a dangerous clash of Conqueror's Haki! Don't use such weird adjectives!"
"Really? Your luck is off the charts." Crick exclaimed in amazement.
"Lucky my ass!!" Nami and Usopp screamed in despair, clutching their heads.
Finally, the two gave up their futile struggle.
As dawn broke, the group, piloting the Going Merry—covered in patches of metal like a broken-down iron rooster—tragically headed south.
Meanwhile, at the center of the world—the Holy Land Mary Geoise.
The Five Elders, symbols of the world's highest power, sat solemnly in that magnificent golden hall, striking a deep pose.
The long-haired Five Elder, dressed in a dark blue suit, frowned as he looked at the official kneeling on the ground reporting. "What did you say? That Red-Haired Shanks…"
"Yes, that man is starting to stir. The latest intelligence indicates he's already encamped on the edge of Kaido's territory."
The government official, forehead to the ground, reported respectfully, "Given his previous private contact with Whitebeard, I believe this is extremely dangerous."
"Hmm, that is indeed a potential threat."
The curly-haired Five Elder, wearing a flat cap and leaning on a cane, nodded, but his tone lacked panic.
"However, I know that Shanks man well. While he's a troublesome fellow once he gets serious, he's not the kind of ambitious man who would overthrow the world for his own selfish desires."
"But…" The official tried to add more, but was abruptly interrupted.
"Don't act rashly. Let's observe and see for now."
"Yes!"
The bald, bespectacled Five Elder, clutching the first generation Kitetsu, rested his chin on his hand, his tone chilling:
"The most urgent matter right now is the vacancy of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. We must appoint a successor to Crocodile as soon as possible."
"A thousand-mile dike can be destroyed by an ant hole. Once the balance of power among the three major forces collapses, it will have a devastating impact on the world. This delicate balance must be maintained."
His words implied that he didn't consider the Navy, who upheld justice, as one of his own, but rather as pawns being manipulated.
The officials below nodded repeatedly: "Yes, I have already urgently summoned the Seven Warlords to headquarters for a meeting on this matter, but these pirates are always undisciplined, so it's hard to say how many will actually attend."
The blond Five Elder snorted coldly: "That wretched Crocodile, he's always causing us trouble!"
He picked up a newspaper from the table, the photo of Luffy receiving his medal prominently displayed.
"Luckily, the Navy stepped in and cleaned up the mess. If the Alabasta royal family had exposed this scandal themselves, where would the World Government's face be!"
"Monkey D. Luffy? Another grandson of that old man Garp?"
"I never thought that family, full of traitors, would produce a slightly more normal Navy member. It's outrageous."
"This time, Shanks really lost everything. Haha, it seems that our inability to grasp that Devil Fruit for eight hundred years might just be a coincidence."
"That's right, after all, no one has truly awakened that fruit in the last eight hundred years."
"Pass down the order: instruct CP0 to focus on gathering intelligence on him. Publicize any achievements he makes extensively, whether it's flattery or attempts to win him over, find a way to push him to the position of Admiral candidate."
"Heh heh, that old stubborn Garp doesn't want to be an Admiral, then let his grandson be the watchdog."