[Operation Thunder at the East Blue 16th Branch: 85 Pirate Crews Wiped Out in One Month]
[Data indicates that the number of wanted pirates in the East Blue has plummeted to less than thirty percent]
[Following the aggressive crackdown by the 16th Branch, a massive wave of pirates has begun fleeing the East Blue; Loguetown stands ready and waiting]
[A "Pirate-Free Zone" is about to emerge in the East Blue]
[Ignoring penalties from Headquarters, Sean Campbell maintains his iron-fisted approach]
[According to internal Marine sources, several Vice Admirals have once again demanded that Sean Campbell be expelled from the Marines]
...
As Operation Thunder drew to a close, Morgans published a summary report of the campaign in the latest edition of the World Economic Journal.
The news brought cheers from countless people.
It was simple... the civilians of this world had suffered under the tyranny of pirates for far too long!
However, one particular report—despite occupying only a small section of the page—caused a significant stir.
In the report, Morgans explicitly listed the names of nearly ten Marine Vice Admirals, claiming they had demanded that Fleet Admiral Sengoku expel Sean from the Marines.
Their reasoning? Sean had privately executed pirates, even those whose hands were drenched in the blood of both Marines and civilians.
Almost instantly, voices condemning these Vice Admirals erupted across the globe, with the outrage only intensifying as time passed.
'Are they joking? Aren't those pirates deserving of death?'
'And they want to punish Sean for it?'
'This is absolute madness. No wonder the Marines have been declining year after year; these Vice Admirals spend all their time picking fights internally instead of doing their actual jobs.'
'If anyone needs to be kicked out of the Marines, it isn't Sean—it's those Vice Admirals!'
Seeing this trend, the mentioned Vice Admirals were completely blindsided.
Sean was the one being cruel, so why were the civilians supporting him while condemning them?
In that moment, they felt as if the entire world was radiating malice toward them.
As the controversy escalated, Sengoku was forced to release an official statement to the public.
The statement declared that these reports were nothing more than baseless rumors.
It claimed that Headquarters had not only never discussed expelling Sean from the Marines, but was in fact currently discussing his promotion to Rear Admiral.
Simultaneously, the statement expressed indignation toward Morgans for publishing unfounded information.
This managed to quiet the storm, at least for a while.
In reality, Sean's military achievements hadn't yet reached the requirements for Rear Admiral. After all, no matter how many pirates he wiped out in the East Blue, the merit points were negligible.
Who could blame that? It was the weakest of the seas; the vast majority of pirates there didn't even have bounties exceeding one million Belly.
However, to suppress the situation, Sengoku held a meeting with the core high-ranking officials and ultimately decided on this course of action.
Simply denying the rumors wouldn't have been enough.
But promoting Sean changed the narrative entirely.
'Look, you say we're targeting Sean, but look at the facts: not only are we not targeting him, we're promoting him.'
'What does that prove?'
'It proves that Morgans' news was a lie!'
Sure enough, after the official Marine statement, the situation gradually calmed down. As a result, Sean effortlessly scored a promotion to Rear Admiral well ahead of schedule.
'''
Half a month later.
New World, Dressrosa.
For the past few months, Doflamingo had been obsessed with one thing: digging into Sean's background.
It was simply too strange.
The World Government had actually stripped him of his Warlord status because of Sean.
Furthermore, while the Five Elders hadn't gone so far as to leave him completely vulnerable—the Marines were still forbidden from attacking him—they had issued a severe warning. They told him not to lay a finger on Sean, or else no one would be able to save him.
Doflamingo was an incredibly intelligent man, and the attitude of the Five Elders spoke volumes.
So, who exactly was Sean?
To uncover the truth, Doflamingo utilized every channel at his disposal.
But after months of searching, the results remained the same as before.
A high noble from the Zumeida Kingdom in the East Blue, the only son of the Campbell Family.
Years ago, he and his family had been framed in a joint conspiracy involving World Government officials, certain East Blue nobles, and elements of the Marines, led by Spandine.
Aside from Sean, the entire family was confirmed dead.
Sean had miraculously escaped and drifted on a deserted island for three full years. It wasn't until a year ago, when Garp happened to pass by, that he was rescued and eventually brought to Marine Headquarters.
This was everything Doflamingo could find. It didn't contradict any of the intelligence he had previously received.
There were only two possibilities.
First: he was completely overthinking it.
Second: Sean possessed another identity—one known only to a select few.
As for the Campbell Family, it was likely just a cover.
Doflamingo believed the first option was impossible. The reaction of the World Government, especially those five old men, was far too bizarre.
But if the second option was true, it wasn't something that could be uncovered through conventional means...
'Hm?'
Suddenly, Doflamingo sensed strangers entering the palace.
Though his strength might not put him in the absolute top tier of the world, his mastery of Haki was exceptional.
'Three people... who could they be?'
'Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!'
A moment later, three white figures suddenly appeared before Doflamingo, causing his pupils to contract.
Most people in the world wouldn't recognize these individuals, but Doflamingo was different.
White suits, white masks... and those strange patterns on the masks...
They traveled in a trio, and Doflamingo could feel the strength of each one. None of them were weak.
"Fuffuffuffu... for CP0 to come to my doorstep, this is truly a rare sight!"
"Doflamingo, the mission we are currently executing requires you to provide us with certain items!"
The lead masked man spoke as he flicked a piece of paper.
Before the paper left his hand, it was enveloped in a black metallic luster, spinning rapidly like a boomerang.
With a sharp 'thwack', it embedded itself deeply into the stone pillar beside Doflamingo!
Armament Haki—and it had reached at least the second stage, the emission phase.
This display, combined with the use of Soru to appear, confirmed Doflamingo's suspicions.
They were indeed members of CP0.
While there were many Devil Fruit users within CP0, the Six Powers and Haki were their fundamental skills.
To utilize both to this extent, combined with that attire... their identity was easy to guess.
Doflamingo took the paper from the stone pillar and began to read. It was a list, detailing a wide variety of items.
"What do you need these for?"
"Don't forget your current status. Do not ask things you have no business asking!" the lead masked man replied coldly.
The implication was clear: 'Did you still think you were a Celestial Dragon?' In your current position, what right did you have to question the mission? His voice remained completely devoid of emotion.
"I can prepare these items for you—I'll even do it for free—but I want an answer."
"What answer?"
"Sean Campbell! Just who is he?"
"That is none of your concern!"
"Fufufufu... none of my concern, is it?"
Though Doflamingo was smiling on the surface, the anger in his voice was unmistakable. After all, the masked man's tone had been entirely condescending and commanding, which irritated him to the extreme.
However, despite his irritation, Doflamingo suppressed the urge to lash out. He knew that the leader, even if slightly weaker than himself, was still formidable. Not to mention the two subordinates behind him; if a fight broke out, he certainly wouldn't come out on top. Most importantly, if he acted now, there would be no turning back.
"I don't have some of these items on hand and will need to source them from elsewhere. Everything will be ready in three days."
"We will return in three days. We expect everything to be prepared by then."
As the words faded, the three men vanished from the palace as if they had never been there at all.