"I believe Dr. Vegapunk's contributions are no less significant than those of an Admiral… No, in fact, to the world at large, his value may far exceed that of any Admiral!"
Issho, unaware of the odd expression on Wright's face, continued his monologue with deep admiration.
"And Kuma... To think he is also one of our allies."
If only you knew that the Four Emperors and even Elbaf are on our side… You'd be completely stunned.
"This just proves… our cause is just!"
Wright couldn't help but find that line a little strange… He had heard it too many times from fanatics right before they were brutally defeated.
Shaking his head to clear the thought, Wright returned to the matter at hand.
"Issho-san, we've finally found the opportunity to strike against the 'Heavenly Yaksha' Doflamingo."
"This time, there's a real chance to bring down the underworld broker known as 'Joker.' Taking him out will be a huge advantage when we move against Kaido."
"Heh… I've waited a long time for this day," Issho said, sipping his tea and letting out a satisfied sigh.
"Among the Seven Warlords, Doflamingo is the only one who has been a true blight upon the world… Once he's gone, the rest won't be able to go rogue so easily, and the Warlords can finally become a proper force that supports the Marines."
The Warlords' role in the Battle of Marineford had proven their strength. And thanks to Fleet Admiral Wright's meticulous plans, six of the Seven Warlords were now either openly aligned with the Marines or at least neutral.
At worst, they were lazy or unmotivated—but they no longer posed a threat to civilians or acted like cancerous parasites. And when the Marines needed them, even if begrudgingly, they would show up as a force of deterrence.
"We've gathered enough evidence to indict Doflamingo. With this opening, even as a Warlord, he won't escape the Navy's judgment."
Issho's expression turned grim as he recalled the litany of crimes Wright had listed for him. The fury welled up again just thinking about it.
"All these years, he's used the protection of his Warlord title to commit atrocities that should've earned him death a thousand times over… A former Celestial Dragon, no less… Hmph!"
The thought of the kind-hearted Rosinante made Issho sigh deeply, soulfully.
"Vice Admiral Rosinante… To think they were blood brothers… It's just… heartbreaking."
"Among the Celestial Dragons, someone as compassionate as Rosinante is a true rarity. But monsters like Doflamingo? They're everywhere…"
Wright sneered coldly. "Ever since becoming Fleet Admiral, I've seen even more of the dark rot within the World Government and the Celestial Dragons."
"And to be honest, the World Government is even more sinister than the Celestial Dragons themselves. The average Celestial Dragon is just a pampered fool propped up by the real power—those who actually pull the strings of the world."
Wright's tone turned serious, and Issho nodded thoughtfully.
"That's true… It's impossible for a group of idiotic aristocrats to have maintained control over the world for 800 years. There must be more to it."
"Exactly. The World Government's leadership, especially the Five Elders, are the real elites among the Celestial Dragons—the ones who truly shape the course of the world."
Wright's lips curled into a sharp grin. "Those five old bastards… and then there's… him."
"I've already briefed Rosinante. He'll accompany you to Dressrosa."
"Doflamingo is a cunning one. No matter how thorough our preparations are, I never underestimate him. Given the current tension in Dressrosa, I wouldn't put it past him to use the lives of an entire kingdom as hostages."
Issho furrowed his brows slightly at Wright's words.
"You're right. But even so, we can't let this opportunity slip away. Doflamingo's menace has gone on far too long… This time, no matter what, we take him down."
"Issho-san, the New World is shifting rapidly. We can't afford to overcommit resources to Dressrosa. Maintaining order in Whitebeard's former territories is already a heavy burden."
Wright's expression hardened. "No matter what, Doflamingo won't keep his Warlord status after this."
"For the Navy, our top priority has always been to protect innocent lives. And this time, we also have the added responsibility of rescuing Dressrosa's royal family."
"If we can capture Doflamingo, great. But if the situation becomes untenable, don't push it too far."
Issho was silent for a moment. Then a deep, meaningful smile spread across his face.
"As you command."
...
On the Sea — Near Dressrosa.
Drake stood at the bow of a pirate ship, arms crossed, eyes fixed on the horizon.
The weather was clear, offering excellent visibility. He could already make out the faint outline of islands on the distant sea line.
"Drake-sama!"
A pirate came forward to report, "We'll be reaching Dressrosa in about an hour!"
"Doflamingo's crew has confirmed—they'll be meeting us on the southern shore of Green Bit, the uninhabited island north of Dressrosa, to complete the 'cargo' transfer."
"Understood." Drake gave a curt nod. "Keep alert. Even though they're allies, this is still their territory. Everyone not part of our core team needs to stay on guard."
"Yes, sir!"
The entire deck of pirates responded with crisp discipline.
Even though "Calamity" Drake had only recently ascended to the rank of All-Star, back when he was just a Shinuchi, he was already in charge of training squads within the Beasts Pirates.
Drake had once been a Marine, a graduate of former Admiral Zephyr's elite training program. He had even served under the current Fleet Admiral, "Orange Horse" Wright. His background gave him a wealth of tactical and combat training experience.
Among the chaos of the Beasts Pirates—a crew composed of every manner of ruffian and brute—Drake stood alone as someone with a firm grasp of military structure and strategy.
With Kaido and King's full backing, Drake began introducing modified Marine training methods into the Beasts Pirates' regimen. The results shocked everyone.
Thanks to adapted battle formations and tactical training pulled from his time in the Navy, the overall combat effectiveness of the crew noticeably improved.
The wars Drake led against Big Mom's forces and even remnants of the Whitebeard Pirates further cemented his reputation as a brilliant military tactician and commander.
Of course, he didn't teach them the Navy's top-secret methods—that would be aiding the enemy.
But the simplified version specially modified by Wright was a different story. It was effective enough to boost the Beasts Pirates' strength, but still leagues behind the official Marine techniques.
And then there was Drake's command system—where all the operational control was centralized on him alone. If Drake were taken out of the picture, the Beasts Pirates would be left without a single mid-tier commander. The whole crew would fall into chaos.
Why didn't they have any trained second-in-commands?
Because they were pirates. Holding onto one's own "secret technique" was practically a point of pride. Sharing command training freely? That was not something a pirate would ever do.
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