Nightfall · G-5 Branch
The moon was dark, the wind high and the clouds hung low.
The entire G-5 base was enveloped in an eerie, suffocating silence.
The harbor lighthouse was extinguished and the distant waves murmured like the gasps of the dying man.
The members of the Absolute Justice Fleet had already melted into the darkness, while the corrupt... remained unaware that death had come.
****
Temporary Command Hall
Guts stood before the sand table, his expression cold and composed.
"Tonight's purge will proceed on three fronts."
His gaze swept over the group, his tone as sharp as a drawn blade.
"Puck, take the eastern underground passage. Seal the smuggling routes and eliminate all those hiding in the secret warehouses."
"Enel, assault the main logistics depot. Target the arms bribery network and the disguised merchants. Leave one who can talk—the rest—"
His voice dropped abruptly.
"Show no mercy."
Puck clenched his fists with a metallic click, his smile sinister.
"About time I got to stretch."
Enel raised a hand, his earring buzzing with electricity, responding with a cold laugh.
"Relax, this god will only strike once tonight."
Guts' final gaze fell on Scarface John's dossier, his voice was cold.
"Him—I'll handle personally."
"As for Vergo—"
"Leave him."
"I'm fishing for... a bigger catch."
The group nodded silently.
*****
Eastern Underground Passage · Secret Warehouse
The night was as dark as ink as Puck led the assault team stealthily to the tunnel entrance.
Behind a rusted ventilation panel, three smugglers disguised as maintenance workers frantically moved crates of weapons, their faces panicked.
"Hurry! We're running out of time! Stash the firearms in the ship's hold—"
BOOM!!!
Puck's fist shattered the iron gate, sending metal fragments flying!
The entire door flew off like paper, slamming into one of the men.
"You son of a—"
"Shut up."
Puck stepped forward, brass knuckles gleaming, his punch exploding like thunder.
CRACK!!
The second man was struck in the chest, the sound of shattering bones piercing the air as he was sent flying meters away, blood spraying!
The third scrambled to flee, only to be kicked down by Puck, who then drove a fist into his skull, shattering it!
Blood stained the shelves as Puck stood amidst the corpses, his voice low and cold:
"Smuggling, collusion, betrayal of justice—"
"You got what you deserved."
*****
Main Logistics Depot · Night Raid
Enel descended soundlessly onto the warehouse roof, his Mantra already spreading to sense the entire area.
Four mid-ranking officers were directing over twenty soldiers to move crates of weapons to the back door, planning to smuggle them out by ship under cover of darkness.
"Confirm the account books are burned?"
"They're ashes! The ship docks in five minutes—"
ZAP!!
Lightning struck without warning!
Lightning gathered in the air in an instant, spreading like a spiderweb to seal off the entire warehouse district.
Enel descended slowly from the sky, draped in crackling electricity as a cold smile played on his lips.
"Sneaking around like rats—I despise that the most."
He raised his hand, and the lightning coiled like a dragon around him.
BOOM——!!!
A pillar of thunder descended from the skies, flames erupting as the furious bolts tore through the earth!
The entire warehouse was instantly transformed into an electric inferno.
Over twenty men turned to charred husks in an instant, with only two lucky enough to collapse twitching, their agonized screams echoing.
Enel strode leisurely through the scorched wreckage, the lightning at his fingertips slowly receding.
He spoke softly.
"Leave one who can still talk. The rest—well, they won't be speaking anymore."
Silent judgment, delivered with the weight of a tidal wave of killing intent.
The G-5 base in the dead of night was torn open by thunder and fire, a gaping wound of blood—
And this, was only the beginning.
*****
Main Office Building · Scarface John's Hideout
BANG—!
The heavy blast door was kicked open, a frigid wind rushing in as the lanterns flickered violently.
Scarface John jerked his head up, his brutish face trembling under the candlelight.
"You—you dare barge into an officer's quarters!? I was appointed by headquarters—"
His words froze in his throat as his gaze locked onto the cold gaze.
Guts stepped inside, his silhouette cast over the half-burned ledgers, the scattered ammunition crates left uncovered and the still-fresh bloodstains in the corner.
With a single sweep of his frigid eyes, his voice dropped like iron.
"Embezzling military funds, destroying official records, dealing with the black market…"
"Scarface John."
"You're the kind that deserves to die the most."
John roared as he drew his sidearm, his voice shredding through his own fear.
"Don't think just because you're Admiral Sakazuki nephew that you can—"
CRACK!
The air suddenly warped!
Guts raised his right hand slightly, an invisible current swirling around his palm.
"—Air Extraction · Stranglehold."
Hiss—!
The oxygen in the room was instantly siphoned away, forming a compressed vacuum.
Scarface John's pupils shrank violently, his mouth gaping soundlessly as he collapsed like a dog with its throat crushed, thrashing in silent agony!
Thirty seconds—his face, swollen and purple, twisted beyond recognition.
One minute—he lay motionless, his death was grotesque.
Guts bent down, picking up a half-burned scrap of a smuggling ledger from beside the brazier.
He stared at it coldly for a moment—
"Trash like you—G-5 doesn't need it."
*****
Simultaneously · G-5 Base · Underground Passage
The stench of gunpowder still lingered and smells of blood creeping through the ventilation shafts.
Vergo stood alone at the end of the abandoned underground passage, his gloved fingers scraping against the stone wall as his cold gaze pierced through the vent slits, fixed unblinkingly on the main building.
Scarface John was dead.
That violent, cruel mad dog hadn't even had time for last words before becoming another cold corpse under Guts' hand.
Vergo slowly closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.
In that moment, he had never understood something so clearly.
'This man—is the true madman.'
He reached into his uniform, retrieving a peculiar black Den Den Mushi coated in seastone—completely impervious to signal detection.
Click.
The Den Den Mushi's eyes opened, its gaze carrying a hint of lazy amusement.
As always, that raspy, mocking voice oozed out.
"Fufufufu… Still alive, Vergo?"
No suspicion—just amusement, as if teasing an old friend.
Vergo's lips curled into a weary smile as he replied in a low voice.
"Obviously. I'm not one of those useless idiots under you who can't even run away after blowing up a warehouse."
"That Guts guy... a three-pronged assault and he wiped them all out."
"East District, main warehouse, and—Scarface John."
"Clean and efficient. For a moment there, I almost thought I'd been exposed."
"But he... deliberately left me untouched."
The other end of the Den Den Mushi fell silent for a beat before a low chuckle echoed through.
"Fufufufu... Guts, that's 'Akainu's blood relative' we're talking about."
"Tell me, was he baiting you?"
Vergo responded quietly.
"Probably. But I have no choice but to play along."
"That 'thing'... I still have it hidden."
"I can take it straight out of G-5."
The line went silent for several breaths before the voice softened:
"Vergo, you know I'd never let you die meaninglessly."
"Ever since that year in North Blue, you've been my most trusted man."
"This time... I'm not sending you to your death."
"I'm having you bait that guy—let's see if he's even fit to play this game."
Vergo let out a quiet laugh.
"I'll leave, but I won't run."
"I'll carry the 'evidence' right under his nose as I go."
"What you want—I'll bring it back."
The Den Den Mushi slowly closed its eyes, ending the call.
The passageway plunged into silence.
Vergo stood motionless for several seconds before calmly tucking the snail back into his sleeve.
Then, he raised his left hand and slowly drew a colorless, poison-coated combat dagger from his sleeve.
His heartbeat spiked.
His gaze turned cold.
Since the young master wants me to leave, let's see if you can stop me.
*****
On the other end of the ventilation shaft.
A thread of lightning, clung imperceptibly to the gaps in the metal mesh.
Enel mantra surveillance was active
The blond-haired Thunder God leaned against the tower's rear edge with indifferent expression.
Currents of electricity slithered like serpents between his fingers as his earlobe rings pulsed silently.
"...Donquixote Doflamingo."
"...What are you hiding?"
A cold smirk curled Enel's lips as he murmured.
"Seems this God ought to inform him—the fish has taken the bait."
He turned, lightning flashing as his figure melted into the night.