"!!!"
Vergo's heart pounded wildly as alarms went off in his mind. He snatched up a special Den Den Mushi from his drawer and hurriedly dialed Doflamingo's number.
This time… Doffy might have kicked an iron wall!
He had to make him stop immediately. Before they fully understood this Commodore Hawke's background, they absolutely couldn't afford any reckless moves!
Just then—
"BOOM!!!"
A deafening explosion shook the entire building.
The office door was kicked open with a thunderous crash.
The entire door twisted out of shape, slammed into the wall behind, and shattered into pieces.
"Who…?"
Vergo froze, the Den Den Mushi clutched in his trembling hand.
He jerked his head up, his sunglasses hiding the panic in his eyes as he stared at the doorway.
Who?!
This was the G-5 Branch Base Commander's office!
How could anyone possibly barge in here without a sound?!
"..."
Through the swirling dust, two figures slowly walked in. Their steps were calm, steady… yet radiating an oppressive, murderous aura.
The man in front wore round-framed glasses. His signature seagull-adorned cap and braided goatee were etched deeply into every Marine's memory, like an unshakable brand.
The Fleet Admiral of the Marines — "Buddha" Sengoku!
Behind him followed a white-haired woman with a solemn expression — Vice Admiral Tsuru.
"Vergo…"
Sengoku's voice broke the silence.
It wasn't loud, even slightly hoarse, but it slammed into Vergo's chest like a sledgehammer.
"Who are you calling?"
"Is it Doflamingo?!"
"!!!"
Behind his sunglasses, Vergo's pupils shrank to needlepoints.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku?!
Vice Admiral Tsuru?!
Why were they here at the G-5 Branch in the New World?!
And without a single warning beforehand?!
No… no, wait!
He just said Doffy's name…
Exposed!
He was exposed!
The thought split his mind in half, leaving nothing but a blinding flash of terror and icy emptiness.
Instinct — the deeply ingrained instinct of a spy — kicked in immediately. He reflexively tried to hide the Den Den Mushi behind his back.
But the moment he moved—
"BOOM!!!"
An invisible wave of terrifying pressure erupted from Sengoku's body!
This was the will of a king, the fury of "Buddha" Sengoku unleashed!
"Gh—!"
Vergo felt like an invisible giant hand had grabbed him by the throat, crushing his entire body. His bones screamed in agony.
He couldn't move.
He couldn't even twitch a finger!
This suffocating, tangible, almost physical Conqueror's Haki…
This was the Fleet Admiral's…
Full power!
It was over!!!
"Step…"
Sengoku slowly walked forward.
He stopped right in front of Vergo, his gaze devoid of any mercy, filled only with icy, murderous intent.
Reaching out, Sengoku took the Den Den Mushi from Vergo's trembling hand and casually tossed it to Vice Admiral Tsuru behind him.
Tsuru caught it effortlessly, her expression cold and unreadable, sparing Vergo a single glance.
The next instant—
"..."
Sengoku grabbed Vergo by the collar.
With just one arm, he lifted him clean off the ground.
"Prepare yourself to face my wrath, Vergo!!!"
Sengoku's voice was low and deadly.
Then, his arm lashed out violently!
"BOOM!!!"
The entire side wall of the G-5 office building exploded as Vergo's body was flung through it like a cannonball!
Shattered bricks and twisted steel rained down as he flew in an arc, soaring over the entire G-5 base, before crashing down hard at the center of the training grounds.
"THUD!"
Dust erupted, the ground split apart.
Every Marine on the training grounds froze in shock, staring wide-eyed at their commander, who had literally fallen from the sky.
Then, in the massive hole left in the office building's wall, two figures emerged, stepping as though on invisible stairs, landing gently on the training grounds.
Their cold, cutting gazes pierced through the settling dust, locking onto the broken figure struggling to get up.
"..."
Sengoku removed his "Justice" cloak, the symbol of the Fleet Admiral's authority, and casually tossed it behind him.
Tsuru caught it neatly in her arms, holding the Den Den Mushi in her right hand.
Crack—
Sengoku rolled his neck, his joints popping audibly.
Then, with deliberate calmness, he began rolling up the sleeves of his white suit, one fold after another, revealing his lean, muscular forearms.
"Cough…! Cough, cough…!"
Vergo pushed himself up from the rubble, coughing up clumps of blood mixed with dust.
The beef patty stuck to his cheek was now covered in grime, making him look utterly disheveled.
This… this was the true strength of Fleet Admiral Sengoku?!
Terrifying.
Far too terrifying!
Sengoku didn't just wield Conqueror's Haki…
He was also a former Marine Admiral, from the era that valued raw physique and martial arts over Devil Fruits.
And on top of that… he possessed the power of the Mythical Zoan, Human-Human Fruit, Buddha Form.
He… had no chance.
But…
He'd been undercover in the Marines for years, flawless in his operations.
How… how had he suddenly been exposed?!
"Vergo."
Sengoku's voice rang out again, dragging him back from his chaotic thoughts.
"As a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral and G-5 Base Commander, you've been secretly colluding with pirate Donquixote Doflamingo, leaking classified intel, and even harming your fellow Marines."
"But the most unforgivable crime of all—"
Sengoku's voice suddenly thundered, his suppressed fury leaking through, making the air itself burn with heat.
"You participated in the murder of my adopted son — Commander Donquixote Rosinante!"
"Buzz—"
Vergo's mind went blank.
Rosinante?!
Of course, he remembered that name!
The traitor who infiltrated the Donquixote Family years ago.
But…
How… how did the Fleet Admiral know about that?!
"Whoosh—"
In the next instant, Sengoku's figure vanished.
He reappeared right in front of Vergo, his palm glowing with a golden radiance, and slammed it into Vergo's chest with crushing force.
"Buddha Impact!"
"BOOM!!!"
Vergo couldn't even react before the golden shockwave pierced straight through his body.
He was blasted away like a ragdoll, his body drawing a bloody arc through the air, spraying crimson mist behind him.
"THUD!"
He smashed into the side of a nearby barracks, collapsing the entire structure and burying him under rubble and debris.
But Sengoku's shadow loomed over him.
He appeared above the ruins, lifted his right foot, and stomped down hard!
"BOOM!"
A massive golden shockwave burst outward from his foot, flattening the entire wreckage beneath him. Vergo's body was blasted out once again, his bones cracking under the crushing force.
"PUH—!"
Vergo coughed up a massive spray of blood, his vision blurring, his strength fading.
But Sengoku wasn't going to grant him such an easy death.
No… he was going to make Vergo pay.
For Rosinante's death… Vergo would suffer the most excruciating punishment imaginable!
"..."
Tsuru watched silently, her expression unreadable. She slowly raised the Den Den Mushi still connected to the line, pointing it toward the battlefield.
On its tiny face, the Den Den Mushi perfectly mimicked Doflamingo's signature shades and his stunned, frozen expression.
"You're watching, aren't you, Doflamingo."