"Boss Bege, what should we do now?"
All eyes turned toward a man wearing a black suit and hat, a cigar hanging from his lips. His slightly plump figure stood out among the others.
He was one of the senior executives of the Brule Family—
Capone Bege, the user of the Castle-Castle Fruit.
"No wonder we lost contact with them last night…"
Bege examined the horrific scene before him with a grim expression. Even someone as composed as he felt a chill run down his spine.
Judging by the directions in which the bodies had fallen, and the sheer terror frozen on their faces before death, it was obvious—
The Gambino members had been utterly terrified before they died.
They had tried to flee in panic, only to be hunted down one by one.
Even the Gambino executives and their boss appeared to have barely resisted.
Which meant one thing.
The force that destroyed the Gambino Family was overwhelmingly powerful.
So powerful that the Gambinos had been unable to mount any meaningful resistance at all.
"Who did this?" Bege muttered, narrowing his eyes.
"The Fink Family? The Marines?"
"That seems unlikely… there are no signs of bullet or artillery damage anywhere."
His gaze shifted toward the ruins of the collapsed manor.
Then he bent down and picked up a bloodstained gun from the ground.
Click.
Click.
It didn't fire.
Bege frowned slightly and grabbed another gun, pulling the trigger again.
Click.
Click.
Still nothing.
"Every weapon was sabotaged…"
He inhaled deeply through his cigar as realization dawned.
"So that's why the Gambino Family collapsed so completely."
"They couldn't even fight back."
Bege straightened and turned toward the shore.
"The Gambino Family is finished. There's no negotiation to be had anymore."
"We're leaving."
After taking a few steps, he paused without turning around.
"And spread the news."
His tone was calm but heavy.
"The complete destruction of the Gambino Family."
"The West Blue… is about to undergo a massive upheaval."
"Yes, Boss Bege!"
The mafia members behind him were briefly stunned before quickly following.
Not long afterward, the Brule Family withdrew from Muir Island.
And soon—
A shocking piece of news swept across the West Blue like a storm.
The Gambino Family had been completely annihilated by an unknown force.
The entire West Blue was shaken.
Flower Country
Inside a traditional Eastern-style building filled with classical charm, a man sat leisurely sipping tea.
A small black dragon tattoo marked his forehead.
He wore a loose robe, with two thin mustaches curling upward.
Round sunglasses sat on his nose, giving him an oddly sleazy appearance.
This man was the current king of the Flower Country.
Below him, an intelligence officer knelt respectfully while delivering a report.
"Oh?" the king said after taking a sip of tea.
"You're saying the news of the Gambino Family's destruction is true?"
"Yes, Your Majesty."
"Our agents personally verified the situation on Muir Island. The information from the Brule Family is accurate."
"The Gambino Family has indeed been wiped out completely. Not a single survivor."
As the agent spoke, a trace of fear appeared in his eyes.
The horrifying scene on Muir Island still haunted him.
Bodies everywhere.
Blood-soaked ruins.
Even recalling it made his skin crawl.
"Do we know who did it?" the king asked, stroking his mustache thoughtfully.
"I may not like the Gambino Family, but their strength was undeniable."
"To eliminate them so quietly… I've never heard of such a force in the West Blue."
"Your Majesty," the agent replied, "no clues about the attackers were left at the scene."
"That's terrifying," the king muttered.
"So whoever destroyed them might have done so without suffering any losses at all."
He suddenly changed the topic.
"Speaking of which… didn't the Kingdom of Zephir recently have a conflict with the Gambino Family?"
"Could they be responsible?"
The agent froze briefly before shaking his head firmly.
"Impossible, Your Majesty."
"The Kingdom of Zephir is merely a small nation. Even if they used their entire military, they couldn't defeat the Gambino Family—let alone annihilate them."
"Our intelligence confirms that Zephir did send out a fleet yesterday, seemingly preparing for war."
"But tonight they were already returning home."
"They were probably frightened by what happened here and fled."
"Hmm… that does make sense."
The Flower Country king smirked slightly and dismissed the unrealistic thought.
But the playful look on his face soon faded.
For once, his tone turned serious.
"Pass down my orders."
"We must investigate who exactly possesses the power to annihilate the Gambino Family."
"A force like that… even the Flower Country cannot ignore."
"And inform the Happo Navy to assist in the investigation."
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
Similar scenes unfolded across the West Blue.
The other two major mafia families.
Various kingdoms, large and small.
Even the Marines stationed in the West Blue.
All of them mobilized their intelligence networks because of the Gambino Family's destruction.
Although the Kingdom of Zephir attracted some attention—
No one believed it could possibly be responsible.
After all, its strength was well known.
No one thought such a small nation could destroy the Gambino Family.
Instead, every faction began searching for the identity of the mysterious force that had annihilated them.
For a time—
The entire West Blue fell into turmoil.
The winds of change had begun to blow.
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