Wipe out the North Blue Fleet?
At that moment, as Doflamingo stared at the Five Elders, each with a different expression yet all equally grim and cold, his eyes involuntarily flickered, and he froze in place.
Had these five old men lost their minds? Or were they on some kind of drug?
Me? Wipe out the North Blue Fleet?
The defiant face of Rogers Daren and the stiff, stern expression of Momonga continued to swirl in Doflamingo's mind.
At the same time, he recalled the horrifying scenes he'd witnessed before. One after another, massive airborne warships tore through the Sea Clouds above, emerging into view. Inside the heavy, imposing silver-black barrels, suffocating heat rapidly gathered. Then, a torrent of golden laser flashes and furious cannon fire poured down like a storm, obliterating everything in their path—an invincible fleet that destroyed all enemies…
Suddenly, Doflamingo couldn't help but want to burst out laughing.
"Fufufufu, are you sure this is my mission?" His lips parted as he asked, a smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"Is there a problem with that?" Nusjuro, who was wiping his purple-black Cursed Sword, replied coldly.
"The primary duty of the God's Knights is to uphold the authority of the Celestial Dragons. With the right to judge and punish, they also bear the responsibility of eradicating any threats to the Celestial Dragons' safety."
Doflamingo sneered. "I thought that was the Marines' job?"
Warcury picked up his teacup, took a slow sip, and spoke in his usual calm manner. "The Marines have too many internal problems. Garp doesn't obey government orders; Zephyr defected and openly defies us. Many of the younger generation, including Rogers and Daren, have connections with him—some deeper than others. Sengoku still tries to hold onto his principles, but with just his strength, what he can do is extremely limited."
Doflamingo, however, quickly sensed the hidden meaning behind Warcury's words and smirked. "In the end, it's because you no longer trust the Marines, isn't it?"
Saint Saturn's voice was as cold as ever. "You could say that. Trust can collapse in an instant, but rebuilding it takes a long, long time."
"Doflamingo, we appointed you as Vice Commander of the God's Knights under specific conditions."
"The core of governmental power carries immense responsibility. And don't forget—you yourself are a Celestial Dragon."
Is that so?
But back then, you five old fools didn't speak that way at all.
Doflamingo chuckled darkly. "Fufufufu, that's perfectly fine… But if you think I alone can wipe out the North Blue Fleet, you're seriously underestimating them, aren't you?"
Saint Saturn responded with a calm voice. "Your abilities give you a natural advantage in aerial combat. While the North Blue Fleet poses a considerable threat, their mobility has a glaring weakness."
As he spoke, his gaze lifted to a specific spot in the Hall of Power.
"Stussy."
The words had barely left his lips when a graceful, seductive figure slowly emerged from the shadows.
Dark, bat-like wings folded behind her as her golden hair and crimson lips seemed to glow eerily in the darkness, adding to her otherworldly presence.
"Honorable Lords."
Stussy stepped forward in her high heels, her gaze casually meeting Doflamingo's for a brief moment.
"Hm. Has the handover with the Marines been completed?" Saint Saturn asked, his voice still as composed as ever.
"Yes, sir."
Stussy gave a slight smile.
"Admiral Sengoku respects your orders, and the Navy will firmly comply with the government's decisions."
Saint Saturn let out a cold chuckle.
"Sengoku is probably struggling with military funding by now, isn't he? We've been far too lenient with the Navy over the years. They've grown too arrogant, even producing scum like Rogers Darren and Dragon."
"After all, back in the day, when faced with the same situation, neither Zephyr, Sengoku, nor even Garp dared to voice any opposition or rebellion."
Stussy's eyes flickered for a moment, then she bowed her head and asked,
"So, Your Excellencies' intention is to continue withholding the military funding, regarding the Navy's recent request for aid from the government..."
Warcury calmly sipped his hot tea, a faint smile curling on his lips.
"Of course, we will continue to withhold it."
"Our current task is to teach the Navy a lesson—to make them understand that without our trust and the government's support, their so-called justice... means nothing."
He waved his hand confidently.
"Let Sengoku wait a while longer. We don't have any military tasks for the Navy at the moment anyway... Delaying the funding a little longer won't cause any problems."
"The Navy is merely the government's facade... When the dog you've raised disobeys, you starve it for a while to teach it a lesson. Only when it's really hungry will it remember who its master is."
At these words, Stussy and Doflamingo fell silent. For some reason, their minds involuntarily conjured up images of the Marines' gleaming new equipment, polished cannon barrels, and their high spirits aboard Sengoku's flagship. It seemed the esteemed Five Elders had been mistaken. The Navy's situation wasn't as dire as they had assumed. If this was the lesson they planned to teach them, it seemed like a rather comfortable one.
"You gentlemen truly live up to your reputation as the highest leaders of the government—deeply strategic and immensely clever," Stussy said, her voice respectful as she lowered her head.
Saint Saturn chuckled and said,
"Now, let's return to the matter of the North Blue Fleet..."
He pulled out a document from a drawer in the nearby coffee table and placed it in front of him.
Stussy hesitated briefly, then stepped forward, picking up the file and scanning it quickly. Her eyes shifted slightly.
"Doflamingo-sama, please take a look..." She handed the file to Doflamingo.
He took the file, flipping through the pages. His eyes, hidden behind his sunglasses, narrowed slowly.
"Fufufufu, I see... Seems like you old geezers are pretty wary of that North Blue Fleet after all."
"To quietly launch such extensive intelligence gathering and data analysis..."
A sinister smile began to creep across Doflamingo's lips.
For before him lay a series of intelligence reports on the North Blue Fleet's combat capabilities!
«Report on the North Blue Fleet's Maneuverability»!
«Study of the North Blue Fleet's Military Structure and Command Chain»!
«Research on the Endurance and Energy Systems of the North Blue Fleet's Kong Battleships»!
All were detailed analysis reports concerning the North Blue Fleet's various military aspects!