Not far away, Blackbeard Teach watched as Gecko Moria was dealt with so quickly.
A chill ran down his spine.
Even before Doflamingo made his move, Teach had already sensed something was wrong.
A sharp gaze had been locked onto him—like a hunter observing prey.
The presence wasn't obvious, but the hostility behind it was unmistakable.
At first, Teach thought the gaze came from some pirate powerhouse.
But the moment Doflamingo attacked—
the killing intent surrounding him suddenly surged.
Teach immediately realized something terrifying.
He didn't hesitate for even a second.
Without looking back, he retreated quickly and moved toward the Marine high command, deliberately distancing himself from the Warlords.
Right after that—
Edward Weevil, the so-called Whitebeard Jr., was blasted away by Bartholomew Kuma.
"So four of the Seven Warlords were hiding their own schemes all along…"
"Looks like the Marines have completely miscalculated."
Teach muttered while staring at the four figures standing together in the distance.
Cold sweat ran down his back.
If he had hesitated even one second earlier—
he might have been cut down on the spot.
Forget about his grand ambitions for the future.
He might have died right here at Marineford.
On the other side, Sengoku saw Moria being instantly subdued by Doflamingo.
He trembled with fury.
This was nothing less than a public provocation against the Marines.
And it wasn't just one traitor.
Dracule Mihawk.
Bartholomew Kuma.
Boa Hancock.
Donquixote Doflamingo.
All four stood together.
None of them attacked one another.
That alone proved they were on the same side.
"Donquixote Doflamingo!"
"Dracule Mihawk!"
"Bartholomew Kuma!"
"Boa Hancock!"
Sengoku glared at them with murderous fury.
"From this moment on—"
"You four will be hunted by the World Government as top-priority criminals!"
"This is the price for your betrayal!"
His teeth were clenched so tightly they almost cracked.
The situation had already spiraled out of control.
The Seven Warlords could no longer be relied upon.
Their decisive actions made it obvious—
this had been planned long in advance.
Sengoku had no choice but to send a message to the entire world.
Betrayal was possible—
but it would come with a bloody price.
Otherwise, Marine morale would collapse completely.
The viewers watching the broadcast were equally stunned.
"Why would they do something like this?"
"The battle between pirates and the Navy hasn't even been decided yet!"
"And they're already turning against the World Government?"
"That's insane!"
"The Five Elders haven't even made their move yet!"
"They're basically digging their own graves!"
"Look! Sengoku just declared them criminals!"
"The World Government's forces just took a huge hit!"
"Wait… could this have something to do with Rōmu?"
"Ever since he appeared, everything has changed…"
The spectators were overwhelmed.
The situation had shifted far too quickly.
They simply couldn't understand what was happening.
For decades, the Seven Warlords of the Sea had been one of the three great powers of the ocean—standing alongside the Marines and the Four Emperors.
They were pirates protected by the Navy.
But now—
not only had that alliance collapsed—
it seemed they had become enemies instead.
Everyone began asking the same question.
Why?
Even the Five Elders were frowning.
They had always looked down on the Warlords.
But a mass betrayal like this—
was something they had never expected.
If this had happened at any other time, they would have personally eliminated them without hesitation.
"The Warlord system was never just a simple alliance."
The white-haired elder spoke coldly.
"These insects were carefully screened before being allowed into the system."
"For four of them to rebel at once… someone must be behind it."
The blond elder nodded.
"This wasn't spontaneous."
"It was planned."
Another elder stroked his long beard thoughtfully.
"Perhaps their purpose for joining the Warlords in the first place…"
"…was this very moment."
The five elders exchanged glances.
Suddenly—
their pupils shrank.
They all thought of the same name.
"Rōmu."
"He's the one orchestrating everything."
For a brief moment, their minds went blank—as if struck by lightning.
"Could it be…"
"Has Rōmu been secretly building power all these years?"
The kimono-clad elder murmured in disbelief.
As he spoke, he looked toward the crimson flower where Rōmu stood.
Rōmu showed no surprise whatsoever at the Warlords' rebellion.
His expression remained calm.
Composed.
As if everything was unfolding exactly as he had expected.
Only now did the elder understand why Rōmu had looked so relaxed earlier—almost as if he were enjoying a show.
Because all of this…
had been part of his plan.
"Terrifying…"
"That man is truly terrifying."
The kimono elder whispered.
He had always held Rōmu in high regard.
But now he realized—
he had still underestimated him.
The other elders were equally shaken.
"His influence may extend far beyond these four."
"He may have infiltrated far more people than we realize."
"For all we know…"
"he's been quietly preparing for decades to seize control of the world."
Meanwhile, the four Warlords showed completely different reactions to Sengoku's fury.
"Top-priority criminals?"
Doflamingo chuckled.
"That sounds pretty scary."
"But so what?"
"Can that even compare to our leader?"
"I doubt the World Government is worthy of even carrying his shoes."
Doflamingo spoke with absolute disdain.
To him, the World Government's threat meant nothing.
Compared to their leader—
it was insignificant.
Mihawk said nothing.
He simply looked at Sengoku with faint amusement.
But the message in his eyes was clear.
Contempt.
Kuma remained expressionless, as silent as ever.
And Boa Hancock—
the moment she heard the word leader, her thoughts had already drifted far away.
But the pirates, Marines, and viewers watching the broadcast were completely stunned.
"Leader?"
"What does that mean?"
They stared at the four Warlords in disbelief.
A terrifying possibility slowly began forming in their minds.
If the four Warlords had the same leader…
Then just who could possibly command monsters like them?
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