Inside the office, the atmosphere was somewhat eerie. Lucci, in particular, wore an incredibly unnatural expression.
Sean could only offer a helpless smile. Had the intelligence he provided dealt a blow to Lucci's pride?
"Alright, stop making such a sour face. They are Warlords, after all; naturally, Headquarters keeps detailed files on every one of them. I saw them back when I was at Headquarters; I'm simply writing them down from memory."
Upon hearing this, Lucci's expression softened significantly.
'So that's how it is...'
It made sense. It was only logical for Marine Headquarters to possess comprehensive data on every Warlord. As for why the information was so detailed, Headquarters had its own intelligence departments, and Lucci recalled that the Marines had clashed with Doflamingo numerous times in the past.
While it still felt a bit... off, it was a plausible explanation. He could accept that.
"Go and prepare. Also, notify old man Sanders to transfer Ace over for this battle. Consider it some early combat training for him."
"Understood!" Lucci nodded.
Ace's strength was impressive. Word was that his Doriki had already surpassed 400. Although he hadn't reached the "superhuman" level defined by CP9, he was a Logia ability user. Even those who had barely hit the superhuman threshold, like Kalifa, might not necessarily be able to defeat him.
In the 16th Branch, Ace could be considered a vital combat asset.
'''
Within the Calm Belt, a large merchant ship was advancing slowly, relying on auxiliary power rotors.
However, while the vessel appeared commercial on the surface, its interior was packed with pirates—over three hundred of them. Even among Doflamingo's subordinates, these pirates were undoubtedly the elite.
They were the Diamond Division.
They were also known by another the Fighting Group.
Their highest-ranking officer was Diamante, and beneath him were four regular officers: Lao G, Machvise, Dellinger, and Senior Pink. Every single one of them was a powerhouse in combat.
It wasn't just the officers; the three hundred pirates under their command were equally formidable. Most of them could easily take on two or three ordinary Marines—referring to the types from Headquarters with a Doriki of 10 to 12.
"Once we cross the Calm Belt, we'll arrive at the place where Gladius was attacked in seven days. That's the 16th Branch of the East Blue."
"Hmph. To dare lay a hand on someone from the Donquixote Family... if Gladius is fine, then whatever. But if not... that man, Sean Campbell, will suffer a truly miserable death!"
However, a voice interrupted. "No. You are not to kill Sean Campbell!"
The men on the deck paused, startled, and turned around. Diamante was slowly walking toward them.
"Why? He's just a Marine Commodore, isn't he?"
"Before we set out, the Young Master spoke with the Five Elders. He demanded they order the Marine to release the prisoners and hand over Retes and the others we are hunting."
"Huh? Then why are we even going to the East Blue?" the four officers asked, bewildered.
They didn't know exactly what "leverage" their Young Master held, but they knew it was significant. Even after the Heavenly Gold incident, the Young Master had used his secrets to threaten the World Government. In the end, far from being punished, he was granted the position of a Warlord.
The World Government was clearly terrified of what he possessed. If so, simply demanding the Marine release the prisoners and hand over Retes should have been easy. If the matter was already resolved, why send them to the East Blue? Were they just going there to beat Sean up to vent some anger?
"We are coming here precisely because it 'didn't' work!" Diamante replied. "Not only did it fail, but those people actually threatened the Young Master, forbidding him from causing trouble for Sean in the East Blue."
The four officers were even more confused now. Sean was just an East Blue noble, not a Celestial Dragon. Why was the World Government being so stubborn this time? Why weren't they afraid of the Young Master's secrets?
"Stop guessing. The Young Master has already begun investigating Sean's background. Regardless, the World Government's reaction is highly abnormal. Therefore, until we have results, it's best not to kill him, lest we bring immense trouble upon the Young Master and the entire family."
Diamante's eyes glinted. "However, the Young Master said that as long as you don't kill him, crippling him or breaking him is perfectly fine. As for everyone else besides Sean, you can slaughter them all. Of course, if Retes and the others aren't at the branch, leave a few survivors for interrogation!"
The four officers nodded in agreement.
"By the way, is everything ready in the East Blue?"
"It is!"
"Hmm. Who did we hire?"
"The Buggy Pirates. The captain's nickname is Buggy the Clown. The fee was one million Belly. He'll cooperate with us and play his part in the act!"
'Good grief, only one million Belly?'
The pirates in the East Blue really were... incredibly cheap. Diamante felt a surge of speechless disdain.
'''
At the same time, on a deserted island in the East Blue.
Dozens of pirates had essentially become excavators, using tools to dig holes all over the place. Beside them, Buggy held a tattered map, barking orders from time to time.
"Captain! The deal is settled. We meet in seven days. They're willing to pay one million Belly."
"But... we've always kept a low profile. Is it really a good idea to go stir up trouble at a Marine base?" one pirate asked, jogging over with a worried look.
"What's there to be afraid of? We aren't actually participating in the fight; we're just putting on a show to let the employers charge straight in," Buggy replied. "Besides, these are pirates from the New World. Do you even understand what the New World is? Forget it, you probably don't... just know that after this play is over, no one at that branch will be left alive. No one will ever know we were there, so don't worry!"
In Buggy's eyes, this million Belly was basically free money. He didn't have to do anything substantial—just pretend to chase the merchant ship for a bit.
As for why those New World pirates wanted to attack a Marine branch?
'What the hell does that have to do with me?!'
"Captain! We found it! We found it!!!"
A sudden shout jolted Buggy. He immediately yelled back, "Quick! Bring it here!"
Soon, two dirt-covered pirates lugged over a heavy chest.
"Hahaha! I knew it! I knew it!!!"
"This treasure map is the real deal!"
"Hurry up! Pry this chest open right now!"
Perhaps because it had been buried for so long, the lock had already decayed, and the chest was smashed open with ease. However, the moment the lid flew open, everyone froze in sheer disbelief.
The chest was filled to the brim with stones!
There was nothing inside but rocks!
Wait—there was one more thing: a sealed piece of paper.
Buggy snatched it up and tore through the sealing bag. The note read:
[Surprised? Shocked?]
[You worked so hard searching for this for so long, but unfortunately, there is no treasure!]
[This... was just a joke.]
"YOU BASTARD!!!"