Sakazuki glanced at the ever-relaxed Kizaru and felt a familiar irritation rise in his chest. As the Marine's only remaining Admiral—and an old comrade—Sakazuki asked bluntly,
"Borsalino, do you have any recommendations?"
Kizaru tilted his head, a sly smile playing on his lips.
"Recommendations? There are far too many to count~."
Sakazuki's eyes narrowed.
"Then name a few useful ones."
Kizaru shrugged lightly and, as if reciting from memory, began listing names one after another.
"If you're just looking for well-known figures, there's Gild Tesoro, the treasure hunter Mad Treasure, and Cavendish. They're all decent enough. As for the Worst Generation, Trafalgar Law and Eustass Kid are both famous and dangerous. One killed Doflamingo, and the other openly challenged both the Phoenix Pirates and the Big Mom Pirates—and lived to tell the tale."
He paused briefly, then added with interest,
"Oh, and there's also a rookie who's been rising fast lately—the Ogre Bartolomeo. He's only been at sea for two months, but his reputation's already exploded."
Sakazuki let out a cold snort after hearing the list.
"Hmph. Among them, only Tesoro is barely acceptable. The rest are nothing but trash."
Kizaru didn't seem bothered in the slightest. He took another sip of tea and said lazily,
"Well, they're just for appearances anyway. Over the years, the flaws of the Seven Warlords system have become more and more obvious. The World Government—and even the allied nations—have been dissatisfied for a long time. Two years ago, the Tonga Kingdom even proposed abolishing the system outright, though it failed."
He continued calmly,
"Now that the Marine Science Unit's new human weapons—the seraphim—are nearing completion, things are bound to change. Two years from now, at the next World Council, even more nations will likely push for abolition. The World Government will probably go along with it. They don't expect the Shichibukai to actually do much—just hold the line and keep up appearances for now."
Sakazuki's expression darkened.
"That mindset is nothing but an invitation to disgrace."
His voice carried unmistakable anger.
"These so-called 'legal pirates' enjoy privileges granted by the World Government, yet during the Marineford War, they contributed nothing. The system should've been scrapped long ago."
He slammed his hand lightly on the desk.
"The World Government has known about the flaws for years, but their pride won't allow them to act first. Instead, they wait for the member nations to force the issue. They're obsessed with appearances—and in the end, it's always the Marines who have to clean up their mess."
His resentment was well-founded.
When the Seven Warlords system was first established, the early Shichibukai at least respected their titles on the surface. But during the Marineford War, Blackbeard exploited that very status to infiltrate Impel Down and release countless prisoners—an act that made both the Marines and the World Government look like complete fools.
An unforgivable humiliation.
Kizaru sighed helplessly.
"There's nothing we can do. The people above have their own calculations."
Sakazuki glanced at the bounty posters his assistant had brought in—the very pirates Kizaru had just mentioned. His irritation deepened.
"They've already decided to abolish the system, yet they still want me to appoint new Shichibukai. What a nuisance."
Kizaru chuckled softly and waved a hand.
"Complaining won't change anything. This is your job now, Fleet Admiral."
He spoke partly in jest, but also out of caution. If Sakazuki complained too loudly, there was always the risk of CP agents overhearing and reporting it to the higher-ups—something that would only make Sakazuki's position more difficult.
With a sharp breath, Sakazuki suppressed his frustration and quickly selected a few posters.
"Fine. We'll go with these."
His eyes hardened as he added coldly,
"I just hope these pieces of trash are at least strong enough not to die too quickly."
—
On the Donquixote Family's side, the moment news of Doflamingo's death reached them, they made a decisive move—abandoning Dressrosa.
Though it had been their stronghold for nearly a decade, there was no other choice.
Without Doflamingo's status as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the Marines would never tolerate a pirate organization occupying Dressrosa, a recognized member nation of the World Government. Staying any longer would mean annihilation.
So, in a single night, the Donquixote Family stripped Dressrosa of every last Berry they could carry and fled.
Violet, having already confirmed Doflamingo's death, immediately chose to sever all ties with the Donquixote Family and disappear. But at that point, no one had the time—or the energy—to deal with her defection. The threat of Marine pursuit loomed far too close.
Aboard the Flamingo, the Donquixote Family's ship, the once-united organization fractured into three distinct factions.
One faction insisted they should seek refuge with the Big Mom Pirates, borrowing the power of another Emperor to exact revenge on the Phoenix Pirates.
Another group argued that Trafalgar Law—the traitor—should be dealt with first. In their eyes, Law was not only responsible for Young Master Doflamingo's downfall but very possibly his direct executioner. Kill Law first, they claimed, and vengeance could follow later.
The final faction believed the opposite. With the Young Master gone, they argued, unity mattered more than ever. Their proposal was to head straight for the Beasts Pirates, reunite with Vergo, and rebuild the Donquixote Family's strength under Kaido's banner.
At first, Trebol's authority was enough to suppress open conflict. But as the hours stretched on and the reality of Doflamingo's death sank deeper, cracks began to spread. Though no one had yet openly broken away, the three top executives were clearly pulling in different directions.
Just then, Baby-5, stationed at the lookout, called down to the deck,
"Lord Trebol, Lord Pica, Lord Diamante—there's a cargo ship ahead."
Diamante scoffed dismissively.
"A cargo ship? Ignore it."
But Baby-5's tone sharpened.
"It's heading straight toward us."
Diamante frowned.
"What?"
Even without Doflamingo, the Donquixote Family was still a notorious force in the New World. Who would dare approach them so boldly?
Trebol narrowed his eyes.
"Are you certain it's just a cargo ship?"
"Yes," Baby-5 replied. "An ordinary cargo vessel."
Pica's sharp, distorted voice cut in.
"Then let it come closer. A mere cargo ship—"
"Wait—!" Baby-5 suddenly froze, peering through the telescope again. Her voice trembled as she shouted,
"That's Blackbeard! The people on that ship—it's the Blackbeard Pirates!"
The deck fell silent.
"What?!" the executives exclaimed in unison.
The name Blackbeard needed no explanation.
A former Seven Warlords of the Sea. A rising monster who had clawed his way out of obscurity during the Marineford War. A man now bearing a billion-Berry bounty and an even greater reputation.
A pirate who embodied chaos itself.
And now… he was heading straight toward them.
Everyone tensed.
"What's his objective?" someone muttered.
Trebol raised a hand and spoke gravely, "Let's observe first. Now is not the time to clash with them."
The other two top executives agreed, issuing orders for their subordinates to remain on high alert—but not to act rashly.
As the distance between the cargo ship and the Flamingo closed, Marshall D. Teach strode to the bow, throwing his head back in laughter.
"Zehahahahaha! So this is what's left of the Donquixote Family! Zehahaha!"
Diamante's eyes narrowed. Of everyone on the sea, Blackbeard was among the most dangerous—a man ruthless enough to kill his own crewmates and abandon his ship without hesitation.
"Blackbeard," Diamante snapped, "what's the meaning of blocking our path? Are you trying to start a war with us?"
Nearby, Shiryu exhaled smoke and sneered.
"Hmph. What a pack of fools. Can't you see the gap between us?"
He glanced sideways at Teach.
"So, Captain… you really want to take these guys in?"
Blackbeard shrugged casually, laughter still rolling from his throat.
"Zehahahahaha! They used to serve a Shichibukai, didn't they? And we're short on manpower right now."
He raised his voice and shouted across the gap, "Hey! Doflamingo's dead now, right? And your enemy is the Phoenix Pirates!
How about it—want to join my crew?"
Diamante's face twisted with fury.
"Don't joke with us!"
"Zehahaha—figured you'd say that!" Teach laughed, unfazed. He waved a hand.
"Burgess, bring us closer."
"Damn it—he's serious!" someone cursed.
"Fire! Open fire!"
Dozens of cannons roared in unison, a storm of iron tearing through the air toward Blackbeard's ship.
With a sharp whoosh, Shiryu released a sweeping slash. The cannonballs were cleaved apart midair, detonating harmlessly in a chain of explosions.
As the ships closed, five figures leapt across the gap, landing heavily on the deck of the Flamingo.
The Donquixote Family braced themselves.
Blackbeard stepped forward and raised a hand.
"Zehahaha! None of you interfere."
He grinned viciously.
"I want to test my new powers."
Shiryu clicked his tongue and sheathed his sword, smirking.
"Looks like you're in a good mood, Teach."
Blackbeard advanced two steps and beckoned with his fingers.
"Come on then. All of you—at once."
Diamante exploded with rage.
"You bastard! You're looking down on us!"
He charged.
Blackbeard's grin widened. Black smoke billowed from his palm as he slammed his hand into the deck.
"Black Vortex!"
Darkness surged outward like a living thing. Diamante had barely taken two steps when the power seized him—his feet sinking as if trapped in quicksand.
"What… what kind of power is this?!"
The other members recoiled instinctively, scrambling away from the spreading void.
"Zehahaha! Don't even think about running—Dark Water!"
The darkness deepened, dragging everything toward its core. Devil Fruit users screamed as they were pulled in, utterly unable to resist.
"Next up…" Blackbeard's voice dropped to a savage whisper,
"Shadow Horn Spear."
From within the darkness, countless black spears erupted, skewering the executives in an instant.
Blood splattered the deck.
With the power of two Devil Fruits, Blackbeard crushed them without mercy—an overwhelming display of dominance that left no room for resistance.
The message was clear.
This was no negotiation.
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