Onigashima
"Damn the Marines!" Kaido roared angrily while chugging alcohol.
Several days had passed, but he still couldn't let go of the incident where the Marines had led the Seraphim to wreak havoc on Onigashima.
And he knew—they would definitely come again.
But what could he do about it?
He couldn't just up and relocate his base, could he?
Even if he did, would that really stop them from finding him?
At its core, this was all due to the Marines' technological breakthroughs and their massive surge in power!
If he couldn't keep up with their growing strength, the days ahead would only get harder.
After all, the Marines had already collected blood samples from both Bullet and Redfield.
They were probably already developing a second Admiral-level Seraphim.
"Damn the Marines! And that damn brat!!" Kaido gnashed his teeth in frustration, but there was nothing he could do.
With that, he took another furious swig of alcohol.
"Governor..." His subordinates trembled beside him, watching nervously as Kaido clearly grew more intoxicated.
Everyone knew—when Kaido got drunk, he was prone to violent outbursts… One wrong move, and they might just get sent flying.
Suddenly—
'Buru buru buru' Kaido's Den Den Mushi rang.
"Mamamama… Kaido!" Big Mom's voice came through from the other end.
"Linlin, what is it?"
"Kaido, I know what's been troubling you. I've got the method to replicate the Seraphim—20 Billion Beri per unit, with 70% of the original's strength—"
Before she could even finish, Kaido's eyes lit up.
"What?! You've cracked the Seraphim's development?!"
"Mamamama, that's right. So, Kaido—interested in buying a few?"
Kaido narrowed his eyes and asked in a low voice, "What tier are we talking about?"
"Of course, the Warlord-level ones. Did you really think 20 Billion could get you an Admiral-level Seraphim?" Big Mom scoffed. "Even at 70% of the original's strength, something like that isn't something you can just buy for a measly 20 Billion Berries."
"But just because we don't have them now doesn't mean we won't in the future. Mamamama!"
After a moment of consideration, Kaido responded, "Fine! Get me a batch!"
"And if you ever get your hands on the Admiral-level ones, contact me immediately!"
"No problem, mamamama…"
****
Hanging up the call, Big Mom's face was filled with delight.
She immediately dialed other kingdoms and pirate factions across the seas.
Soon, major pirates everywhere received the news.
Thrilled, they all expressed their willingness to purchase.
And Big Mom had no intention of holding back from Judge—she wasn't worried about other factions growing stronger from this.
After all, the Vinsmoke Family would gain massive funds, allowing them to convert their wealth into even more Seraphim at an accelerated pace!
Plus, at the same price, she could buy two for herself.
Already one of the strongest forces on the sea, with this massive cost advantage, what was there to fear?
Of course, if they the only one who possessed the Seraphim, the Marines would be far more likely to target them.
Better to spread the risk by distributing them widely.
At the same time, strengthening other factions would help counterbalance the terrifyingly advancing might of the Marines!
'There's no way around it. The Marine's power is growing too fast, frighteningly fast!' Big Mom thought.
'Next, we need to find a way to obtain Admiral-level Seraphim for cloning. Just having these Warlord-level ones isn't enough to truly influence the battlefield...'
****
In the palace of Dressrosa.
"Fufufufufu... Now I can rest easy!" Doflamingo let out his signature laugh.
It echoed through the palace halls.
"What has made you so happy, young master?" Sugar asked curiously from the side.
"Fufufufufu, who would have thought that Big Mom actually possesses the technological capability to clone the Marine's Seraphim!" Doflamingo chortled. "Though they can't compare to the genuine original Seraphim, they're more than sufficient."
Truth be told, he hadn't been idle these past days, having reached out to both the Marine and the World Government.
He had sought purchasing rights for the Seraphim.
Yet he was denied.
And rightly so—such formidable Humanoid Weapons would never be sold to a mere Warlord.
Especially one like Doflamingo, who was involved in underworld arms trading!
Selling to him would likely mean the weapons ending up in others' hands, effectively aiding the enemy.
Doflamingo had anticipated this.
But without powerful Humanoid Weapons at his disposal, whether he had such ambitions or not, even without them, facing the Marine filled him with an overwhelming sense of dread.
His position as a Warlord could be revoked any day now.
"Fufufufufu, with these counterfeit Seraphim, not only can we arm ourselves, but we can also sell them at a premium price to other factions!" Doflamingo declared.
"No doubt, many will be interested in the Seraphim, fufufufufu..."
As an intermediary in the underworld black market and personally engaged in the arms trade, Doflamingo had access to numerous suppliers and buyers!
Big Mom might be powerful, but in terms of the number of buyers, she couldn't hold a candle to him.
After all, many factions were beneath Big Mom's notice—simply unworthy of dealing with her directly.
In other words, they lacked the qualifications to purchase from Big Mom.
Doflamingo, positioned in the middle, stood to make a hefty profit!
"Fufufufufu..." At this moment, Doflamingo felt the worries of the past few days vanish entirely.
****
Soon, news of Big Mom selling counterfeit Seraphim reached the Marines!
Fleet Admiral's office.
"This is an extremely unfavorable development for us!" Sengoku spoke gravely, his expression stern.
The three Admirals beside him wore equally grim faces, remaining silent.
Vice Admiral Tsuru sat with her fingers interlaced, brows furrowed deep in thought.
Even the usually boisterous Garp was uncharacteristically quiet today.
The entire office was steeped in tension...
Upon hearing the news, none of them looked pleased.
After all, though Big Mom's counterfeit Seraphim weren't as powerful as the Marine's—only about 70% as strong—their sheer numbers were overwhelming.
The Marine might be the strongest force on the seas, flush with resources, but no matter how wealthy they were, they couldn't match the combined might of all the factions across the ocean!
What did it matter if the Marine had more Seraphim?
They weren't facing just one enemy, but all the pirates across the seas.
This move by the enemy effectively nullified their greatest advantage.
"Ah, we're in for a tough battle ahead. The number of counterfeit Seraphim across the seas will probably give us a massive headache..."
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