"This is something I picked up from my colleagues. Whether it's fully reliable or not, we'll have to see.
But one thing I can confirm—this brat's war machine, the Seraphim, is terrifyingly powerful. Otherwise, the Navy wouldn't mobilize this heavily, stationing four Vice Admirals every single day to guard him!"
War machine… Seraphim?
Doflamingo narrowed his eyes, a flicker of curiosity flashing across his face.
If the Navy had really developed a weapon surpassing the Pacifistas, then the balance of the entire world could be shaken.
"How strong is this machine? Do you know?" Doflamingo sat up straighter, his tone edged with severity.
"The new war machine carries the traits of the Lunarian clan, the appearance of Kuma in his youth, and all the abilities of a Pacifista."
"That's not even the most frightening part. The most frightening thing is… this machine wields Haki, and even the power of the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi." Vergo gave a bitter smile.
"What?!"
A machine… with Haki?
Even a warlord like Doflamingo gaped, his expression utterly incredulous.
Giant experiments, artificial Devil Fruits, poison gas weapons—he'd heard all of that before without so much as a twitch of his brows.
But this? A robot that could use both Haki and Devil Fruit powers? That was something beyond imagination!
And the Nikyu Nikyu no Mi—how was that even possible?
Doflamingo knew the artificial fruit trade inside and out. After all, his SMILE factory had made him a fortune. Producing low-grade Zoan fruits was one thing. But top-tier fruits? That was like reaching for the heavens.
The Nikyu Nikyu no Mi wasn't just top-tier—it was a once-in-a-generation masterpiece among Paramecia. And now… it had been replicated?
If they could recreate something of that caliber, then mass-producing ordinary Zoan fruits would be child's play.
This… this could cripple his entire business!
The machine, from Doflamingo's perspective, was far too unnerving.
"You saw these abilities with your own eyes?" he asked sharply after a long silence.
"Eh… not directly," Vergo admitted. "But according to my intel, this weapon underwent trials. Marshal Sengoku himself concluded its power was on par with the Seven Warlords."
"That's why the Navy assigned four Vice Admirals to guard Natsuha—and why they allocated him fifty billion in funding!"
"Right! Other intel might be questionable, but the fifty billion is no lie! The Navy even postponed construction of its newest fleet just to make sure the first batch of Seraphim could be completed in three days!" Vergo spoke with mounting excitement.
Even Doflamingo swallowed hard.
Fifty billion…
That was ten years' worth of profits from his SMILE factory!
If the Navy could throw down that much cash, then this machine had to be something extraordinary.
Even if it wasn't quite Warlord-level, it wouldn't be far off.
And that meant one thing: the Seven Warlords were at risk of being replaced.
Uncontrollable pirates versus obedient killing machines—it wasn't hard to guess which one the World Government would choose.
And the one who had created these things… was an eight-year-old child.
This information was too shocking, even for him. It was hard to digest.
Doflamingo furrowed his brows deeply before finally speaking.
"Listen carefully, Vergo. This information is critical. No matter the cost, keep a close watch on the Seraphim—and on that so-called genius, Natsuha. Any new development, you report to me immediately."
Vergo understood the gravity of the situation. He gave no further words, only a crisp:
"Understood!"
The line went dead.
Doflamingo sat frozen on his throne, his mind heavy.
The tide of a new era was coming.
But he hadn't expected the first casualties would be the Warlords themselves.
These machines were already threatening their dominion.
And worse—they endangered his own empire, built upon artificial Devil Fruits.
Think about it. If one had the choice between buying a loyal killing machine, one that wielded Devil Fruit powers and Haki, versus gambling on a defective artificial fruit with high risks… who in their right mind would choose the latter?
"Damn it…"
Veins bulged across Doflamingo's forehead. In a fit of rage, he hurled his fine wine to the ground, shattering glass across the marble floor.
"Natsuha… that's your name, isn't it?"
"You're nothing but trouble!" he roared.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
The day of delivery had come.
Marshal Sengoku, Garp, Tsuru, and the three Admirals all gathered eagerly outside Natsuha's laboratory.
Creak… creak…
At last, the heavy doors opened.
Sengoku immediately stepped forward, his face lit with both nervousness and hope.
He had wagered everything—fifty billion in Navy funds. If Natsuha failed, his reputation would crumble overnight.
"Well, Natsuha? Did everything go smoothly?" Sengoku asked, breathless.
"Little brother, how's the research going? Where are the Seraphim?" Kizaru added with uncharacteristic curiosity.
The boy raised his small hand and spoke calmly:
"They're complete. Follow me—I'll show you now."
Relief washed over Sengoku's stern features as he hurried to follow.
One by one, the others filed in, anticipation written across their faces.
They soon arrived at the center of the lab, before ten massive capsules.
Natsuha pulled out a remote. With a press of a button, the capsules hissed open, and the Seraphim emerged one after another.
Children in form—ashen skin, black wings, and the Lunarian flame.
Sengoku's eyes widened with exhilaration.
"These are… Hancock… Mihawk… Moria… Crocodile… Doflamingo… Kuma…"
"And even Aokiji, Kizaru, and Akainu among them!"
Though in childlike form, their identities were unmistakable.
Kizaru blinked at the miniature version of himself and whistled.
"Little brother, how did you manage this? It's exactly like me when I was a kid!"
Aokiji and Akainu also stared in astonishment.
"Yeah… they really do look like us as children. Natsuha, you've outdone yourself."
The three Admirals chuckled despite their shock.
"Hahaha, since the Navy had your lineage factors, I thought I might as well put them to use. I hope you don't mind," Natsuha said casually.
Garp and Tsuru exchanged looks of exhilaration.
"Mind? Not at all. They'll be thrilled," Tsuru said warmly.
"But… what about their combat ability?" Garp asked curiously.
At that, Sengoku leaned forward, eyes full of expectation.
"Yes, Natsuha. Appearance means nothing. What matters is whether they can truly match the Seven Warlords."
After all, they were war machines. As Marshal, Sengoku's focus was entirely on combat power. Only if they reached that level could he justify the funds before the Five Elders.
Natsuha's smile was faint.
"Oh, that's no problem. Who wants to try?"
"Let me."
Akainu stepped forward, licking his lips with excitement.
Ever since seeing the power of the Kuma-model Seraphim, his interest had only grown.
These machines could break the balance of the Three Great Powers.
And now was the perfect chance for Sakazuki himself to test just how strong they really were.