Chapter 40: The Fourth Party
As events unfolded, the situation grew increasingly convoluted.
More players entered the game.
Initially, they'd assumed the provocateur was just a common arms dealer, profiteering from conflict.
But Dalton's arrival, and the evidence he provided, revealed the so-called "arms dealer" to be a member of the Donquixote Family.
...
Who were the Donquixote Family?
At this stage, they were a pirate crew operating primarily in the North Blue. Their captain, the future "Heavenly Yaksha," was the infamous Donquixote Doflamingo.
Across the seas, oddities were plentiful, but a true "aberration" like Doflamingo was rare.
Born a Celestial Dragon, his father had renounced their status, leading to the family's persecution and his mother's death. In a rage, Doflamingo shot his own father, took the head to Mary Geoise to beg for reinstatement, and was violently rejected.
Surrounded by loyal cadres like Trebol, he chose a dark path, forming the Donquixote Pirates.
In the near future, he would orchestrate the theft of "Celestial Dragon Tribute," using it as leverage to seize a Warlord of the Sea title. Later would come the coup in Dressrosa.
But for now, the Family had two primary identities:
One: Pirates relentlessly pursued by the Marine strategist, Tsuru.
Two: Doflamingo's alter-ego in the underworld: [JOKER].
...
Doflamingo was both an outcast and a king. While leading his pirates, he built a vast criminal empire under the JOKER moniker. By the time he became a Warlord, JOKER was already an underworld "Emperor."
Currently, while not yet supreme, JOKER was a renowned arms dealer and war broker, his shadow visible behind many New World conflicts.
It was also worth noting: Doflamingo had long admired Crocodile's power and had made several overtures, all rebuffed.
...
"[JOKER], that bastard…" Crocodile's face was a mask of cold fury. "He's deliberately revealing his hand to me."
It made sense. He'd likely been monitoring Crocodile. The moment Crocodile left Alabasta, he'd moved.
But the chilling question was: Did Doflamingo know about the Poneglyph?
Probably. Rumors traveled.
Yet, Crocodile's years of groundwork in Alabasta weren't wasted. His cultivated trust with Cobra and the royal family was the only reason he could even mention "Poneglyph" openly. Alabasta was a World Government member. If Doflamingo had come instead, he'd have faced a joint Marine and Government assault.
"What is his goal?" Crocodile paced the room, ignoring the others. If Doflamingo leaked the Poneglyph's existence, all his plans would crumble. He wouldn't allow anyone to block his path.
"He wants the Poneglyph? But with just the Drum Kingdom as a pawn? Waiting for an opening? Possible, but unlikely… too vague. Tch!" He growled in frustration. A common arms dealer could be scared off by force. But dealing with a lunatic like JOKER would only worsen things.
Informing the World Government? Even worse! A Poneglyph leak wouldn't destroy Alabasta, but the stone would be confiscated, lost to him forever.
"…" A thought struck him. The World Government…
"Of course," he muttered, eyes narrowing. "Doflamingo is using Drum to confirm the Poneglyph intel. Then he'll use that as a bargaining chip with the Government. The Poneglyph is his ticket. What he really wants… is a Warlord title."
His deduction was sharp. Doflamingo did indeed covet the Warlord position—legal immunity for his future coup in Dressrosa.
To deduce this with limited information proved Crocodile's strategic viciousness.
"Heh heh heh… Does he really have the nerve?" Crocodile's sneer was icy, a counter-plan already forming.
"…"
Meanwhile, Vergil had taken a marked map from Dalton. "You're sure?" he asked. Dalton nodded.
Vergil overlaid it with another map from the Alabastans and handed both to Crocodile.
"What's this?"
"Locations of the attacks," Vergil explained. "One set from Drum's perspective. The other from ours."
"…"
Crocodile studied them. The marked points differed significantly. Beyond a few overlaps, each side had several attack sites the other didn't know about.
"What in the world…?" he murmured. Even if the Donquixotes were stirring trouble, the data should match.
The only logical conclusion…
"There's a third… no. A fourth party involved."
...
Drum Kingdom, Vergo's Quarters.
As a top Donquixote executive, Vergo had resources. To investigate the mysterious "fourth party," he'd sent agents to the unexplained attack sites.
A report finally arrived.
His men had recovered debris from one of the waters. Soaked but still telling.
Vergo examined a palm-sized wood fragment. Burn marks scarred its surface, but the edges were cut with razor-like precision.
Slash and burn?
The perpetrator was clearly not Crocodile. And Alvin Vergil hadn't displayed "fire" attributes.
"Hm. We'll proceed with the Young Master's plan to test Alabasta."
"…"
Vergo destroyed the evidence, then went to Wapol.
"Your Majesty," he stated calmly to the king, who was chewing on a chair leg. "Our deterrence against Alabasta is sufficient. It is time to consider the next phase."
Wapol swallowed. "Oh? And what's that?"
"…"
Vergo paused, then uttered two deliberate words:
"Peace talks."
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