Following Doflamingo's ruthless orders, the atmosphere in Dressrosa became even more intense. The king's army, supported by the elite cadres of the Donquixote Family, immediately surrounded and executed anyone caught rioting or looting. This display of brutal force successfully intimidated the common criminals, but there were many powerful figures currently in the country who were far beyond Doflamingo's control.
In a quiet corner of a local restaurant, three men sat eating in silence. One had hair shaped like a pineapple, another had a face dusted with freckles, and the third wore a stylish, curved mustache. The other patrons were visibly terrified, keeping a wide distance from their table. Everyone in the New World recognized the symbol tattooed on the freckled man's back: the mark of the Whitebeard Pirates, the crew of the strongest man in the world.
The three men were Marco, Ace, and Vista.
Ace shifted in his seat, his impatience growing. "Marco, Vista, what is Doflamingo trying to prove with this? Does he think he can warn everyone? He acts like he's the World Government or the Pirate King himself."
Vista leaned back, a thoughtful look on his face. "Doflamingo isn't that strong compared to the real monsters of the sea, but he certainly has courage. Though, I suspect his brain isn't working quite right."
"Why do you say that?" Ace asked.
"Think about it," Vista explained. "The More-More Fruit is an incredibly powerful ability. Instead of giving it to one of his own officers to strengthen his crew, he's offering it as a trophy for a tournament. It doesn't seem very smart."
Ace nodded slowly. "When you put it that way, you're right."
Marco, listening to their banter, felt a headache coming on. He quickly interrupted before they could dive deeper into questioning the Warlord's intelligence. "Stop the nonsense. I told you to pay attention to the intel, but you weren't listening. I just received word that the true purpose of this tournament is to lure in the Straw Hat Pirates. Since they haven't arrived yet, Doflamingo has no choice but to delay the event."
"The Straw Hats? You mean Luffy's crew?" Ace's eyes narrowed dangerously, his protective brotherly instincts flaring. "What is Doflamingo planning? Doesn't he know that Luffy is my brother? "
Marco held up his hands to calm him. "Ace, it's not that he wants to attack your brother; it's that he's terrified of him. Your brother is one of the Five Emperors now. Doflamingo set this whole stage up just to keep from being crushed by them."
Ace relaxed slightly and scratched his head. "Oh, I see. I guess I blamed him for the wrong reason."
Marco and Vista both rolled their eyes. However, Ace's expression soon turned serious again. "Even so, someone is trying to trap my little brother. As his older brother, I can't just sit here and do nothing."
"Ace, don't act rashly," Marco warned. "Blackbeard's crew is here in Dressrosa, along with the Marines and agents of the World Government. We have to be careful. If you get captured again, the Whitebeard Pirates will be dragged into another war. And remember the condition of the Old Man's health... "
At the mention of Whitebeard, Ace calmed down immediately. He wanted to protect Luffy, but he knew he had to consider the safety of his own crew first.
Vista offered a comforting smile. "Don't worry, Ace. The Straw Hat Pirates are powerful enough to be called Emperors. With Carl and Luffy together, they might even be a match for Kaido. They can handle Doflamingo. Let's just enjoy the show for now."
"Fine," Ace muttered. "We'll wait until Luffy gets here."
Meanwhile, Sabo was also waiting. After communicating with Carl, he had arrived in Dressrosa with other members of the Revolutionary Army. Their goal was clear: they wanted the More-More Fruit. With such a strategic power, the Revolutionary Army could create weapons capable of directly threatening Mariejois and the World Government.
The delay of the tournament worked in their favor, giving them more time to investigate the strange atmosphere of the country. Sabo was convinced that Doflamingo was hiding dark secrets and ordered his comrades to dig deeper.
"Sabo, we've discovered that the Donquixote Family is involved in massive arms deals with various pirate groups and warring nations," reported Koala, a young woman with goggles and a red cap. She was accompanied by Hack, a Fish-man fighter. "We also found a mysterious factory, though we aren't sure of its purpose yet."
Sabo adjusted his top hat with a grin. "Good work. Exposing those weapons deals would put Doflamingo in a very difficult position with the World Government. We need to find out what's happening in that factory. Of course, if we could just steal the More-More Fruit now, we wouldn't even need to bother with the tournament."
Koala sighed and rolled her eyes. "It's not that easy to steal a Devil Fruit of that importance. It's likely under heavy guard or in Doflamingo's personal possession."
Sabo knew she was right. With the Blackbeard, Big Mom, Beast, and Whitebeard pirates all represented on the island, plus the Marines and the World Government, Dressrosa had become the most dangerous battlefield in the world.
"You're right," Sabo admitted with an awkward laugh. "The Straw Hats are the ones who will truly break this stalemate. Let's wait for Luffy."