Chapter 161: The Entire World Weeps for You

"So, it was Donquixote Doflamingo who did this?" When the photograph was presented, the fate awaiting Doflamingo became crystal clear.

In an incident of this magnitude, although Qiubai was the actual operative, a small fry like him didn't amount to a speck of dust—how could he possibly possess such audacity? But with Doflamingo standing behind him, Doflamingo naturally became the ultimate mastermind—at least in the eyes of the Marines and the World Government.

"Judging by the current situation, that assessment is correct. After Charlotte Gong was abducted, the Sabaody Archipelago was completely blockaded. Donquixote's ship was docked right there, and eyewitness reports indicate they hijacked a coated vessel and plunged into the sea floor, presumably heading back to the New World," Kong continued.

As for abandoning their own ship, it was likely because they ran out of time to get it coated.

"Donquixote?"

To Qiubai, Doflamingo was the quintessential scapegoat. Even though the Gorosei couldn't figure out why Doflamingo would pull off such a stunt, the idea of a former Celestial Dragon kidnapping a current Celestial Dragon carried an inexplicable sense of persuasion, as if it might involve some secret known only to the Celestial Dragons themselves.

So the current reality was... even though I don't know why you did it, I am certain you are the one who did it. Ironclad proof could hardly be more convincing than this.

Besides, Doflamingo had the prior precedent of hijacking the Heavenly Tribute; who was to say he hadn't taken things a step further this time?

"In that case, take action." The Gorosei quickly issued their orders.

The status of a "former Celestial Dragon" carried considerable weight, but compared to a "current Celestial Dragon," the status Doflamingo clung to was worth no more than dog shit.

"Understood!"

Kong naturally understood that the world was now teetering on the edge of the abyss, so without any nonsense or hesitation, he immediately set about making comprehensive deployments.

Thirty minutes later, a barrage of directives streamed out from the World Government and Marine Headquarters.

First: Marine Headquarters Fleet Admiral Kong is promoted to Commander-in-Chief of the All Armed Forces of the World Government.

Second: Former Marine Headquarters Admiral Sengoku is promoted to Marine Headquarters Fleet Admiral.

Third: Former Marine Headquarters Vice Admirals Borsalino, Sakazuki, and Kuzan are promoted to Marine Headquarters Admirals.

Fourth: All forces from the New World Marine bases G2 through G14 are ordered to assemble at Dressrosa. All Marine forces east of Enies Lobby must pass through Fish-Man Island and enter the New World within twenty-four hours. All other mobile combat units in the New World responsible for monitoring Whitebeard, Kaido, and BIG MOM are to withdraw.

Fifth: All idle combat forces beneath the rank of Marine Admiral must be deployed to blockade Dressrosa as swiftly and thoroughly as possible.

Sixth...

Because of the disappearance of a single Celestial Dragon, the Marines essentially abandoned their jurisdiction over the entire sea area east of Enies Lobby, including the New World, while throwing all of their high-end combat power right onto Doflamingo's doorstep.

Kuzan, Akainu, Kizaru, Tsuru, Momousagi, Chaton, Doberman, Onigumo, Mongoose, Strawberry, and even the reserve former Marine Admiral "Black Arm" Zephyr—all of them were about to be lined up side by side in front of Doflamingo to congratulate him on his coronation as king. A more joyous spectacle could hardly be imagined.

In addition, an ordinary, semi-retired Marine Vice Admiral named Monkey D. Garp would also be transferred over... Regardless of whether he loathed the Celestial Dragons or not, Garp was still a Marine, and under such high-pressure orders, obedience was his only option.

As for the newly minted Marine Admiral Buddha Sengoku, his assignment was to pursue Qiubai and his crew... Thus, the Marines' strategy was a dual-pronged containment, ensuring by all means necessary that the Celestial Dragon suffered not the slightest harm.

In times of major crises, sweeping personnel changes are generally discouraged; maintaining the existing structure allows combat capability to be maximized. Yet this large-scale promotion spree was essentially staged for the benefit of the Celestial Dragons, and at this moment, Sengoku and the others were merely being elevated in military rank and title.

Look at this: the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces acting as commander-in-chief, the Marine Headquarters Fleet Admiral pursuing personally, and all three highest-tier Admirals deploying simultaneously. With such an attitude on display, the wrath of the Celestial Dragons should be somewhat appeased, right?

And so, before Doflamingo had even warmed his seat as the King of Dressrosa, he woke up one morning to find the waters surrounding the island neatly and densely packed—layer upon layer—with over eighty warships and more than thirty Marine Vice Admirals...

Moreover, this stage was set to witness Kuzan, Akainu, and Kizaru making their debut appearances as "Admirals," echoing across the four seas—Qiubai had translated the meaning of "surprise" quite thoroughly for Doflamingo.

When the Marines gathered their scattered might back into a clenched fist, the terrifying reality of their power was finally revealed. The Donquixote Pirates? Doflamingo's proud and clever schemes? Utterly laughable.

What was a Buster Call? This military mobilization was even grander than the later Summit War, and the Donquixote Pirates were certainly not the Whitebeard Pirates.

What kind of expression would Doflamingo wear when facing all this? I really want to see it...

Thinking to himself, Qiubai personally slipped the "astronaut" helmet over Charlotte Gong's head, then twisted it to the left... Ah, perfect, who would have thought this thing had threads.

At this moment, Charlotte Gong had reverted to the "haughty" demeanor she wore when they first met, but no matter how hard she tried, she could no longer look at Qiubai with that gaze reserved for filth.

Looking closely, one could notice that every time Qiubai touched her, her body would involuntarily shudder... There was no helping that; rationality could never entirely conquer instinctive panic, a feeling that compulsive shoppers probably understood all too well.

To Charlotte Gong, demons were far more lovable than the man standing before her.

Next, Qiubai stuffed her flintlock pistol back into her hands, took two steps back, and said to her, "Try shooting me again."

Unexpectedly, those words elicited a piercing shriek from her. The flintlock felt as heavy as a thousand pounds, and she could no longer hold onto it.

Then she collapsed to her knees, panting violently as if suffocating, and then... she vomited again.

Great, all that primping wasted; they'd have to clean her up all over again.

"Relax, relax, the previous order is canceled." Qiubai hurried forward, half-crouched beside her, and gently stroked her back.

Such "tenderness" proved quite effective... she vomited even harder.

Well, Qiubai's previous command was a paradox; there were two operational directives carved into her brain: first, Qiubai's commands were absolute; second, he was strictly inviolable.

As a result... a bug in the system, huh?

"Looks like her mental state is still a bit unstable?" Cycling through the process of comforting-leading-to-vomiting and vomiting-leading-to-comforting, Qiubai looked up and asked Monet.

"Mm, we still need to continue the 'conditioning'..."

He had originally hoped to finish this job early, but he hadn't anticipated these lingering compatibility issues that needed debugging.

Upon seeing Monet's tongue trace across her lips and hearing her utter the word "conditioning," Charlotte Gong felt like she was going to cough up her own liver.

"Can you guys at least consider the other person's feelings before speaking?" Given the circumstances, Law could no longer stand by. He stepped forward, intending to use professional medical techniques to stop Charlotte Gong's systemic digestive tract spasms caused by overwhelming psychological stress.

And he succeeded immediately... Before he even reached her, Charlotte Gong was so terrified she simply passed out.

Qiubai glanced sideways at Law, his expression seeming to say:

Truly a professional doctor.