Next Bonus, 100!!
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Jin's gaze sharpened.
G-5 was his most important foothold in the New World.
Its location was perfect.
To the west was Kaido's territory. To the southeast, Elbaf and a part of Red-Haired's territory.
To the south, Big Mom's and Whitebeard's.
To the north, Punk Hazard, Dressrosa, Hachinosu...
To the east, G-1, G-14, Egghead...
Jin was even planning on using it as a springboard to take over a part of Whitebeard's territory after the Summit War.
He couldn't let Doffy and Kaido's little scheme succeed.
He knocked Caesar out and left the lab.
"Doflamingo," he muttered, a cold glint in his eyes, "there's a saying: 'Three strikes and you're out.' I've let you off twice. You've crossed the line. Don't blame me for what happens next."
He found a secluded spot, opened a "portal," and locked onto Reiju.
The glow of the magic circle faded.
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Dressrosa.
"Doffy, it's ready," Trebol said, sidling up to him.
"Fuffuffuffuffu... good," Doflamingo laughed.
Ever since his defeat at Mock Town, he had been keeping a close eye on Jin and the Winter Blossom Kingdom, plotting his revenge.
He never would have imagined that Jin would rise so quickly.
In just two or three years, he had become a power on par with the Yonko.
And so, his plans for revenge had come to nothing.
Doflamingo knew that on his own, he had little chance of getting even.
Jin had made a name for himself through one battle after another. And after taking control of Gran Tesoro, he had spread his network across the New World.
The things Jin was doing, Doflamingo had done them all before. When he had taken Dressrosa, he had made deals with various powers to secure his footing in the New World.
Even a mighty dragon can't crush a local snake.
The Emperors of the New World were the mighty dragons.
People like him, like Tesoro... they were just snakes, larger creatures that lived in the cracks between the giants.
Of course, every year, plenty of fools rushed into the New World, thinking they were the biggest fish in the sea.
But Jin had done the same things, and his rise had been so much smoother than his own. And that pissed Doflamingo off.
Envy.
Jealousy.
Hate.
Why him?
It wasn't fair.
But more importantly, it was a conflict of interest. In some ways, Jin was too much like him. He was a threat.
And that was why Doflamingo had come up with this plan.
It would solve his transportation problem, and it would stir up trouble between Kaido and Jin. He could just sit back and watch the show.
Purupurupuru...
A Den Den Mushi rang.
"Yes?"
"Doffy."
The Den Den Mushi's face contorted into a cold, emotionless expression.
"Vergo? Is it something urgent?" Doflamingo asked.
On the other end of the line, Vergo, wearing a plaid coat and sunglasses, stood in an alley. A piece of a french fry was stuck to his cheek. "Yes," he said. "The CIU has locked onto the Revolutionary Army's headquarters. They'll be making their move soon."
"Excellent," Doflamingo said with a grin. His dark mood had lifted slightly.
He stood at his window, looking out over the kingdom of Dressrosa. As far as the eye could see, it was a prosperous, peaceful land.
"Fuffuffuffu..." he laughed. "Beneath the calm surface of the sea, the World Government, the Four Emperors, the Seven Warlords, the Revolutionary Army... they're all stirring. What is justice? Justice is defined by the victor. And that is why justice will always prevail."
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The sky was a clear, brilliant blue. The sun shone brightly, and the sea was calm. Sea horses flew through the air.
Afternoon at the G-5 base.
On the training grounds, a group of Marine soldiers were hard at work, including Smoker, who was shirtless and pushing himself to the limit.
The soldiers Gion had chosen were either from other branch bases or young, new recruits. They weren't as jaded as the old G-5 veterans.
In addition to her own trusted subordinates, there were also a number of "righteous" officers like Smoker, all full of passion.
Coming to the New World, seeing the power of the truly strong, had only fueled their ambition.
After all, Gion was a candidate for the rank of Admiral, and she had connections to Vice Admiral Tsuru. She had no shortage of resources to build an elite force.
In the commander's office.
Gion was handling some paperwork.
"Report!"
"Enter."
A Captain walked in. "Ma'am, a message from Miss Reiju in the town. She requests your presence."
"Oh?" Gion was surprised. "What is it about?"
"She just said it's an urgent matter and that you should come as soon as possible."
Gion frowned.
She and Reiju had gotten to know each other since Jin had stationed her here. But she had never been this formal before.
What could be so urgent?
That woman didn't joke about such things.
Gion stood up, took her coat of justice from its hook, and slung it over her shoulders. She then picked up her sword.
A short while later, she arrived in the town with a squad of Captains and a few soldiers.
The market was bustling. The residents were no longer afraid of them; more than half of their business now came from the Marines.
In front of a certain building, the Knight of the Sea, Jinbe, was waiting. He was now the town's chief of security. He and his crew, now in uniform, had become the town's guards, maintaining order.
A person's position changes with their status. Under their management, the town was orderly and well-run.
"Commander Gion," Jinbe said with a smile, blocking the Captains and soldiers, "please, go on up. These gentlemen will have to wait here."
"Hey..." one of the Captains frowned.
Gion waved a hand. "Wait here."
"Ma'am!"
She entered the building and was led by a secretary to an office. The door opened, and she went in.
The door closed behind her.
The people in the room surprised her. Besides Reiju and Law, Jin was here as well.
How was that possible?
When had he arrived?
She hadn't received any word of it.
After a moment of surprise, a charming smile spread across her face. "So this is why it was so secretive," she said, her voice smooth and alluring. "His Majesty has graced us with his presence."
She was a tall, beautiful woman, and in her uniform, she was breathtaking. She was skilled at using her beauty to disarm others.
"And to what do I owe the pleasure of this urgent summons?"
"I received some intelligence," Jin said. "A crew of particularly vicious bastards is planning to make a move on G-5."
"Huh?" Gion's smile froze. She couldn't believe it. "Did I hear you correctly? An attack on G-5?"
Jin nodded grimly. "You heard me."
Gion frowned. Jin wasn't joking. "Who?" she said, her voice low. "Which of the Four Emperors?"
"What do you think?" Jin replied. "Didn't you just crush two pirate crews and confiscate a shipment of weapons a short while ago?"
Gion had spent her youth in the pleasure districts and had later joined Marine Intelligence. She was worldly and sharp.
Her mind raced, connecting the dots in an instant. "Kaido," she breathed.
Her expression turned grave. "He's planning to attack G-5?"
Jin shook his head. "With poison."
"Poison?"
"Have you ever seen the gas that leaked from Punk Hazard? They're planning to use it to wipe out the entire G-5 base."
Gion was stunned. Then it hit her. "Don't tell me... the escaped scientist, Caesar... is he with Kaido?"
"I don't know about that," Jin said. "All I know is that it's connected to one of the Seven Warlords, Doflamingo."
"I'm not surprised," Gion said. "Vice Admiral Tsuru has had her eye on Doffy for a long time. Unfortunately, we have no concrete evidence. And even if we did," she said with a bitter smile, "it would just be swept under the rug. On the surface, Doffy is one of the Seven Warlords, the king of Dressrosa. But he has another, more privileged status. He was once a Celestial Dragon. It's a complicated situation. Even though we know he's 'Joker,' that he's committed countless crimes, we still can't arrest him."
"But now," Jin said with a smile, "we have an opportunity, don't we?"
"You mean... arrest him when he attacks G-5?" Gion said. "Doffy is too cunning. He would never show his face."
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