When Lucci finally opened his eyes, he found himself lying in a bed at the branch hospital.
The realization brought him an immediate sense of relief. The fact that he was lying here was proof enough of the battle's outcome.
It was only natural. Even without Sean, Lucci had been confident that they could take down the four executives of the Diamond Division. While Diamante had managed to stand his ground for a while, Lucci knew that his secret techniques of Rokushiki had left the man severely wounded. For Sean to finish him off should have been effortless.
"Yo, awake already? I thought you'd be out for another two or three days!"
The door opened, and Sean walked in.
"Commodore..."
"Enough. Just stay put."
Seeing Lucci attempt to sit up, Sean pushed him right back down. While Lucci's injuries weren't fatal, they were far from light. According to the medics, he had suffered over a hundred external wounds.
Because Lucci had utilized Tekkai at the time, the cuts weren't deep, but they were numerous, covering nearly his entire body. Furthermore, the puncture wound in his left shoulder from Diamante and several internal injuries were quite serious. An ordinary person would have been bedridden for months, but thanks to Lucci's physical constitution and the recovery capabilities of his Zoan-type Devil Fruit, he should have been back on his feet in three to five days.
"Commodore, what happened afterward...?"
"Afterward? Well, Diamante was already heavily wounded, so cleaning him up didn't take much effort. As for the four Diamond Division executives, Ace's successful sneak attack took out Dellinger instantly. Almost simultaneously, Jabra took down Machvise."
Lucci nodded. With Dellinger out of the picture, the remaining four members of CP9, bolstered by Ace, had ganged up on Senior Pink. The result was inevitable. Similarly, once Machvise was down, Jabra was free to join Kaku in dealing with Lao G.
The outcome had been a foregone conclusion. Everything had gone exactly according to plan.
"Alright, just get some rest here. I have to go handle the aftermath."
"Yes, Commodore!"
'''
After leaving the hospital, Sean returned to his office. After a moment of contemplation, he picked up the Den Den Mushi.
'Purupurupurupuru...'
"This is Sengoku!"
"Old man Sengoku, it's Sean."
"Sean... what do you want from me this time?"
"No, no, no. I'm calling to report on my duties!"
"What? You? Actually reporting for duty? Fine, go ahead. I'm listening."
Sengoku didn't believe a word of it. The Vice Admiral in charge of coordinating the four seas' branches had already informed him that the 16th Branch had failed to submit its periodic reports for several months. Besides, why would a routine report go directly to him? He was the Fleet Admiral!
Still, Sengoku was curious to see what the boy had to say. However, the moment Sean spoke, Sengoku's expression turned grim.
"Around 11 PM last night, Diamante—one of Doflamingo's top officers—led the Diamond Division and four executives in a surprise attack on the 16th Branch. They disguised themselves as a merchant ship being pursued by pirates to get inside."
"What?! What are the casualties at the branch?"
"Three injured, zero dead," Sean answered directly.
There were indeed three injuries. Two of them were recruits on the defensive wall who had panicked during their first real combat experience and tripped over themselves, according to old man Sanders. The third, of course, was Lucci.
To Sengoku, however, this sounded bizarre. A top executive, four ordinary executives, and Doflamingo's fighting force had infiltrated a fortress under a disguise, and only three people were injured?
"And what about Diamante and the others?"
"During the engagement, Diamante was killed. The others—Lao G, Machvise, Dellinger, and Senior Pink—were severely wounded and captured. Out of 352 pirates, 277 were killed and the rest captured."
"You killed Diamante?" Sengoku's eyes widened.
Good grief... First Gladius, and now Diamante.
"Old man Sengoku, be reasonable. If someone attacks my front door, am I supposed to just stand there and offer my neck for the blade?"
"No, that's not what I meant. It's just that Doflamingo is likely to go completely insane now. But I can't move against him directly because he is..."
"Old man, I've got to say, being Fleet Admiral seems like a pretty suffocating job for you."
Suffocating? Was it not?
It was incredibly suffocating, but there was no other way. The subordinates had no idea how much pressure the man in the Fleet Admiral's seat had to endure. Even if Akainu took the position, he would still have to play the same game.
Sengoku sighed softly. He had been right. Even in the future, as the Fleet Admiral, Akainu would find himself in a frustrating position, sometimes having to tolerate the tone of subordinates like Lucci. Despite his hardness, he would eventually have to cooperate. The reality was simple: the World Government held the Marine's lifeline firmly in its grip.
"Old man, I need to warn you about something."
"What is it?"
"Why do you think Doflamingo was able to send Diamante and the Diamond Division to the East Blue right under the Marine's strict surveillance?"
"This..."
"I received intelligence previously that Vergo is one of Doflamingo's four top executives—the Heart suit—and has been an undercover mole in the Marine for over a decade!"
"What?! Are you certain?"
Sengoku could no longer remain calm. It wasn't strange for the Marine to have moles from pirates or other factions, but Vergo was different. He was a Vice Admiral; his position gave him access to numerous core secrets. Most critically, he was the head of the G5 Branch in the New World. With him providing cover there, Doflamingo...
"I don't know the full extent, and I had no evidence, so I didn't report it when I first heard. But after this incident..."
"I understand. I will investigate Vergo. As for Doflamingo, I will report this to the World Government. While it's unlikely they will strip him of his Warlord status, there should be some form of punishment for repeatedly attacking a Marine branch."
The World Government's Order
"Old man, I really think you're better suited as an Admiral. Being the Fleet Admiral... 'sigh'!"
"Sean, shut your mouth!!"
'''
Two days later.
A document from the World Government was delivered into Sengoku's hands. As he read through the contents, a strange expression crossed his face.
'This doesn't seem like the Five Elders' style...'
On that same day, a new edition of the World Economic Journal was released, its headline immediately capturing the attention of countless people.
[The World Government orders the official stripping of Doflamingo's Warlord status]
Inside the royal palace of Dressrosa.
"Fuffuffuffuffu... stripping me of my Warlord status?"
"Do those five old fogies want to completely drop the act?"
Despite the laughter, Doflamingo's voice was cold and ominous.