One day later, the Seven Warlords Conference officially began.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku sat upright at the head of the room, quietly observing the assembled Seven Warlords of the Sea.
Among them, the one he despised the most—without question—was Donquixote Doflamingo.
Because Sengoku's adopted son, Donquixote Rosinante (Corazon), had died at Doflamingo's hands.
To Sengoku, Rosinante was no different from a biological son.
When he first heard the news of Rosinante's death, Sengoku had broken down in tears on the spot.
It was precisely because of this that he had allowed Advisor Tsuru to relentlessly pursue Doflamingo for so many years.
And yet, in the end…
Doflamingo still became a Warlord of the Sea—
an ally of the Marines in name, his bounty revoked, his past crimes wiped clean.
Next was Bartholomew Kuma.
On the surface, Kuma appeared obedient and compliant, but in reality, he only followed the orders of the World Government's chief scientist, Dr. Vegapunk.
To Sengoku, Kuma felt strange—as if he were hiding something.
There was a faint sense of unease about him, though Sengoku couldn't quite grasp Kuma's true objective.
Then there was Dracule Mihawk.
The only Warlord who had openly attacked Marines without the slightest hesitation.
Solitary, eccentric, and utterly unpredictable.
Boa Hancock, the world's most beautiful woman.
Arrogant and capricious—
but thankfully, she mainly operated in the Calm Belt, and there were very few reports of her causing trouble.
Sir Crocodile.
Once a rising star among pirates, wielding a powerful Devil Fruit ability.
Recently active in Alabasta, his motives unclear and suspicious.
Gecko Moria.
To be honest, Sengoku didn't think much of him.
With that bloated body, how much real combat power could he possibly have?
And finally—Jinbe.
Sengoku never fully understood why Jinbe had agreed to become a Warlord.
The explanation given by the Five Elders was that it would help promote racial harmony.
To that, Sengoku could only respond internally with a dry "Right…"
"Members of the Seven Warlords," Sengoku announced solemnly,
"I am Sengoku. I hereby declare this Warlords Conference officially open."
The expressions among the Warlords varied.
Some were interested.
Some indifferent.
Some were only thinking about men.
Some were proudly displaying their sexy leg hair and flamboyant bean-toe shoes…
Near Noon
After a long morning session, Karl finally saw the Warlords returning one by one to their guest rooms.
"So," Karl asked,
"what did Fleet Admiral Sengoku say this morning?"
Hancock lay comfortably in Karl's arms and complained sweetly,
"I had to sit there all morning—my backside went numb. And you didn't even show any concern, hmph~"
"Then… should I massage it for you?"
"Mm… ah~"
Off to the side, Salome couldn't bear to watch anymore and curled up in a corner.
I hear nothing. I see nothing.
After some intimate teasing, Karl finally asked again,
"Alright, now can you tell me?"
Hancock's cheeks were flushed, her breathing slightly unsteady as she replied,
"It was mostly about prohibiting attacks on Marines, not interfering with Marine operations, things like that."
"That's it?"
"Of course not. There were also modifications to the Warlords' privileges. I don't really have any objections…
but that what's-his-name—Doffy-something—seemed very dissatisfied."
Karl smiled faintly.
"Oh? What did he say?"
"Hm~ I forgot," Hancock said casually.
"Since the changes don't affect me much, I didn't really pay attention."
Karl shook his head helplessly.
As expected. This meeting was never going to fully succeed.
The Warlords would never willingly give up their privileges.
And Sengoku's real goal was simply to warn them.
"Is there still an afternoon session?"
"Probably. But it should wrap things up soon."
Karl nodded, then said,
"Hancock, I'll need your help with something."
"When the meeting ends, ask Jinbe to wait for a moment. I want to speak with him—about Fish-Man Island."
"Jinbe?" Hancock tilted her head.
"You mean that blue, chubby one?"
Karl: "…Yes."
Afternoon — Conference Hall
After a full morning of back-and-forth, Sengoku no longer expected the Warlords to fully accept his proposals.
From the very beginning, his objective had been simple:
As long as you don't go too far, do whatever you want.
But you are absolutely forbidden from attacking the Marines or interfering with Marine operations.
What surprised him, however, was that—
aside from Crocodile and Doflamingo, the other Warlords seemed to have no major objections.
"Everyone," Sengoku said,
"since we've reached a consensus, I will now announce the revised terms of the Warlords agreement."
All Warlords must fulfill their duty to suppress piracy each year.
The combined bounty of pirates captured or killed must not be less than 200 million Berries.
Failure to meet this quota will be taken as evidence of insufficient strength.
The World Government will revoke the Warlord title and reinstate the bounty.
Any action that harms the interests of World Government member nations or the Marines is strictly prohibited,
including—but not limited to—attacking Marines or invading member nations.
At first glance, the requirements didn't seem harsh—
but Sengoku had exhausted all his leverage to get even this much approved.
"Any objections?"
None of the Warlords spoke.
Sengoku smiled faintly, then let out a long breath and stood.
"In that case, this Warlords Conference is officially concluded.
Tomorrow, Marine ships will escort you back to your territories—or you may leave on your own."
Doflamingo was the first to leave, his expression dark.
Hancock followed, then the others one by one.
Once the room was empty, Sengoku rubbed his temples, finally allowing himself a tired smile.
This meeting… counts as a success.
Thinking back to the two who objected most strongly, Sengoku murmured,
"Doflamingo… Crocodile… those two definitely have problems."
At the same time—
Doflamingo exited the hall, his brows tightly knit.
To him, the Warlord position was vital.
Only as a Warlord could his influence expand freely, his business spread across the seas.
Losing that title was absolutely unacceptable.
"Fufufufu~"
"To be safe… I suppose it's time to clean up some 'toys.'"
Crocodile wasn't in a good mood either.
His plans hadn't even begun, yet they'd already been struck head-on.
If the Marines caught wind of his actions, he could forget about playing the "hero" of Alabasta.
"Jinbe-san, please wait a moment."
Jinbe, who had been preparing to return to Fish-Man Island, turned around with a slight frown.
The world's most beautiful woman?
I don't recall having any dealings with her…
"Hancock-san," Jinbe said politely,
"may I ask what you need?"
Hancock considered him. He seems reasonable enough.
"Vice Admiral Karl has something he wishes to discuss with you," she said.
"Please don't leave just yet. It concerns Fish-Man Island."
(She lowered her voice.)
Jinbe was about to refuse—but the moment he heard Fish-Man Island, he paused.
After a moment of thought…
He nodded.
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