With the "Seven Warlords of the Sea" positions filled and the establishment of the "Four Emperors," the seas entered a rare period of relative calm.
Each of the Warlords had their own agenda, particularly Donquixote Doflamingo. Having finally obtained the coveted Warlord title, his first priority was to rectify a long-standing regret—claiming the throne of Dressrosa.
Learning from past mistakes, Doflamingo adopted a more cautious approach this time, rarely appearing in the open. He had come to realize that being a shadow ruler offered far greater advantages than holding an official title. For someone like him, a mere symbolic throne was of little significance.
Now armed with his Warlord status, Doflamingo used his String-String Fruit powers to control a puppet double of King Riku, officially appointing himself as the "Prime Minister" of Dressrosa. In this position, he held all real power while acting in the shadows.
But before he could fully savor his triumph, a piece of bad news reached him.
"What did you just say?!"
Doflamingo's veins bulged with fury as he glared at the Den Den Mushi in front of him. On the other end was a CP1 intelligence officer, tasked with maintaining communication.
"The news from Impel Down is accurate. Three of your subordinates have been officially declared deceased and listed under 'unexpected deaths' at the prison."
"Fuffuffuffu… Impossible! They're my family!"
Doflamingo's face twisted into a menacing grin. "They knew I'd come to rescue them! And now you're telling me they're dead?!"
"My apologies, but Senor Pink died shortly after arriving at Impel Down. Both Lao G and Machvise succumbed to sudden illnesses over the past few months, despite medical efforts."
"'Medical efforts'...!"
Doflamingo nearly blurted out a name—but stopped himself just in time.
No matter how thick-skinned he was, there was no way that Wright would ever lift a finger to save his subordinates. On the contrary…
"Wright! This reeks of your meddling!"
Was it all a coincidence? He could let Senor Pink's death slide, but for both Lao G and Machvise to die so conveniently right before his appointment as a Warlord?
Especially considering Wright's close relationship with Magellan, the Warden of Impel Down, who practically treated Wright as a life-saving benefactor.
Hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Doflamingo leaned back on his sofa, his face dark with suppressed anger.
"Fuffuffuffu… Wright, you're as devious as ever! But this time, you've failed to stop me. Using these petty tricks to weaken my power base... Hah!"
"Let's see how long you can keep me in check. Fuffuffuffu… I'm looking forward to it!"
...
Meanwhile, at the G-5 Marine Base, Wright was pondering how to keep Smoker busy.
"Smoker, with Issho out on a mission and pirates laying low recently, aren't you slacking off a bit?"
After spending some time stationed at G-5, Smoker's combat experience had grown by leaps and bounds, along with his mastery over his Smoke-Smoke Fruit abilities. He was now fully living up to the reputation of a Logia-type Devil Fruit user.
However, as Wright's strongest subordinate for the time being, Smoker still had room for improvement.
"In the New World, Devil Fruit powers alone can no longer decide battles. The strength of one's Haki is what truly determines victory or defeat!"
Smoker was well aware of his current shortcomings—his Haki needed work. Many advanced combat techniques required Haki to unleash their full destructive potential, and the quality of one's Haki played a major role in determining their effectiveness.
"And what's better for Haki training than a hands-on lesson with me?" Wright said with a grin.
Smoker sighed in resignation. Wright's training methods were undeniably brutal, but the results were equally undeniable.
"You just enjoy beating me up!"
Once again, Smoker found himself knocked flat by Wright, only to be healed moments later.
"Pure hand-to-hand combat, no Devil Fruit powers allowed… And yet I, a physical combat specialist, still can't beat a swordsman?"
"Haki isn't just for weapons," Wright replied with a chuckle. "Your hands and feet can be just as deadly as blades. Ever heard of slashing attacks from Rankyaku? Why can't a hand chop do the same?"
"…Fine, you win," Smoker grumbled, taking a long drag from his cigar. "By the way, the latest intel report just came in. Drake's efficiency is impressive."
Wright handed Smoker a recovery tonic. "I've read it. Take a break. We're setting out tomorrow."
"Get the Dawn ready; this one's going to be tough."
"Got it. I'll make the arrangements."
Smoker nodded. In the New World, obtaining accurate intelligence about pirates was no small feat. The vast distances and unpredictable weather often rendered information obsolete by the time it could be acted upon.
Back in his office, Wright reviewed the report from X Drake. This time, the information concerned the Beast Pirates, led by Kaido.
Since Doflamingo's rise to Warlord, his collaboration with Kaido had only grown more rampant—no, outright brazen.
But there were cracks forming in the operation.
During the Heavenly Tribute Incident, Wright and his team had already eliminated two of Doflamingo's top officers. Among them, Senor Pink's death was quietly covered up as "natural causes" shortly after his imprisonment in Impel Down.
As for Lao G and Machvise, their deaths were far from natural—they had been personally expedited by Wright.
Anyone in the know understood the intent behind this move: it was a deliberate effort to weaken Doflamingo's influence.
By gaining Warlord status, Doflamingo's remaining officers could have been pardoned. But this was something neither the Marines, Impel Down, nor even the World Government could accept. So, with Wright leading the charge, they were quietly removed.
Now, Doflamingo's usable personnel consisted of Diamante, Gladius, Monet, Giolla, Baby-5, and Buffalo.
While sufficient for maintaining operations in the shadows, this group lacked the strength to enforce widespread control as Doflamingo's direct subordinates.
The younger members of the Donquixote Family, like Sugar and Dellinger, were still in their formative years and unable to take on significant responsibilities.
With Doflamingo manipulating Dressrosa's royal family from the shadows, the once-vibrant monarchy was gradually isolated.
But the rise of a certain "Prime Minister" finally awakened resistance within the royal family.
Led by King Riku's son-in-law, the former commander of the Dressrosa army, coliseum hero, and gladiator Kyros, along with Princesses Scarlett and Viola, a secret royalist army was formed to oppose Doflamingo, causing him no small amount of trouble.
In response, Doflamingo sought aid from his powerful backer, Kaido.
One of the Beasts Pirates' newly rising 'All-Stars' in recent years—'The Drought' Jack, one of the infamous 'Calamities'—was dispatched as the ambassador of the Beasts Pirates to the Donquixote Family, tasked with helping suppress the resistance in Dressrosa!
Given Drake's standing within Kaido's forces, this type of intelligence was practically an open secret to him.
Thus, Wright saw an incredible opportunity—one to simultaneously weaken two enemy forces in a single stroke!
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