Chapter 88: The Grand Gathering

The harbor of Dressrosa was no longer just a port, it was a powder keg packed with enough dynamite to sink a continent.

As the Titan’s Glory sailed toward the kingdom on the morning of the auction, the sheer scale of the global panic we had orchestrated became visible.

The waters surrounding the island were choked with dozens of heavily armed pirate galleons, underworld merchant ships, and unmarked vessels belonging to the black market traders.

Every major crime syndicate, rogue state, and pirate armada in the New World had sent representatives.

The air over the docks smelled of sea salt, stale rum, and the heavy, metallic tang of unspent gunpowder.

From the deck of our ship, I could see “Iron-Jaw” Roka, a notorious New World captain with a bounty of four hundred million Berries, barking orders at his crew to keep their cannons primed.

Not far from him stood the cloaked agents of the Underworld Emporium, their hands resting nervously on hidden firearms.

They were all terrified for their lives but their greed made them stay here regardless.

The bizarre, forced cheerfulness of Dressrosa the singing citizens, the dancing women, and the sentient, marching toys was deeply unsettling to the hardened killers of the New World.

It felt like a trap.

Every pirate on the dock was keeping one hand on their weapon, eyeing the neighboring crews with murderous suspicion.

If a single stray cannonball fired right now, the entire island would erupt into a bloodbath before the auction even began.

But it was the ships anchored directly at the royal docks that commanded absolute, terrifying respect of everyone present.

The lesser pirates gave them a massive, wide berth.

To the east sat a massive, intimidating galleon carved from dark wood, its sails bearing the terrifying, grinning skull of the Big Mom Pirates.

To the west rested a hulking, armor-plated dreadnought with a mammoth head for a prow.

The Beast Pirates had arrived.

And sitting dead center, claiming the most space with unapologetic authority, was the legendary Moby Dick, the flagship of the Whitebeard fleet.

“Almost everyone is here,” Law muttered, standing beside me on the deck, his eyes scanning the impossible gathering of Emperor fleets.

“If Joker even sneezes the wrong way, Dressrosa is going to be wiped off the map.”

“That’s the beauty of greed, Law,” I smiled, adjusting my heavy Warlord coat over my shoulders.

“Nobody is going to fire the first shot.

Not until they see the prize.”

I turned away from the railing and faced the rest of the Verdant Abyss crew.

They were gathered in the shadows of the mainmast, already dressed in dark, unassuming tactical gear, completely hidden from the view of the docks below.

“Alright, listen up,” I ordered softly, the atmosphere instantly sharpening.

“We spent the entirety of last month preparing the board.

Today is the day we pull the trigger.”

I looked at Robin, who was dressed in an elegant, sweeping dark purple evening gown that perfectly masked the lethality beneath it.

“Robin and I are walking through the front door.

We are the distraction.

The moment Doflamingo’s Observation Haki locks onto me and the other Emperor ‘s, he won’t be looking anywhere else.

He’ll be completely focused on making sure I don’t start a fight with the Emperors.”

I turned to Law.

“You have the command over the infiltration.

Give us thirty minutes to get everyone seated in the ballroom, then move through the eastern catacombs.

Do not engage the executives unless absolutely necessary.

Remember your objective.”

“The SMILE factory’s cooling system is the primary target,” Law nodded, drawing his Nodachi an inch from its scabbard.

“Brook freezes the regulators, I swap the chemical pressure valves.

We rig it to overload on its own.

It’ll look like Doflamingo’s own shoddy engineering blew his empire to pieces.”

“Gammamon,” I said, looking down at the little white triceratops.

“You stick with Laura and Gwen.

Keep your fire contained until the factory blows.

Perona, you’re on the VIP target.

You find Sugar, and you knock her out cold.”

“Leave it to me!” Perona giggled, twirling her parasol as three translucent Negative Hollows bobbed eagerly around her head.

“We’ll be ghosts, boss,” Gwen promised, her symbiote swirling over her face, turning her into a sleek, featureless shadow.

“Good, everyone else knows their individual mission so let’s focus on completing them ” I nodded.

I offered my arm to Robin.

“Shall we, Miss All-Sunday?”

Robin smiled, taking my arm with practiced grace.

“Lead the way, Captain.”

The Titan’s Glory smoothly docked next to the massive Emperor ships.

The boarding ramp lowered, and the moment Robin and I stepped down onto the cobblestone port of Dressrosa, the murmurs of the crowd was violently silenced.

The heavy hitters were standing at the base of the grand stairs leading to the palace, demanding a clear path through the terrified crowds.

Queen the Plague, Kaido’s cybernetically enhanced, massive Lead Performer, stood with his arms crossed, surrounded by heavily armored Gifters.

He looked entirely impatient, blowing a thick cloud of cigar smoke into the air.

A few feet away stood Charlotte Katakuri, the billion-Berry sweet commander of the Big Mom Pirates.

Towering over everyone, his face hidden behind his massive scarf, his advanced Observation Haki was passively reading the crowd.

And standing near the Whitebeard ship was Marco the Phoenix, his arms folded, his half-lidded eyes burning with quiet, focused determination.

He wasn’t looking at the other pirates, he was staring at the palace.

He didn’t care about the posturing or the underworld politics.

He was here for one reason only, to bring the panacea back to his ailing father.

As Robin and I walked down the dock, Queen turned his heavy head.

His small eyes locked onto me, recognizing me instantly from the front page of Morgans’s newspaper.

The Warlord who had carved a permanent X into Kaido’s chest was casually strolling up to the auction.

“You’ve got some nerve showing your face here, Warlord,” Queen growled, taking a heavy step forward, his hand resting on the hilt of his massive swords.

The Beast Pirates behind him instantly drew their weapons, the sound of steel sliding from scabbards echoing across the dead-silent port.

I didn’t stop walking.

I simply met his gaze with a cold, deadpan stare.

“And you have a lot of nerve blocking the walkway, Queen,” I replied smoothly, my voice completely relaxed but laced with enough Conqueror’s Haki to make the cobblestones tremble beneath my boots.

“Are we going to bid for the Elixir, or are we going to see if I can add a matching scar to your chest before the auction even starts?”

Queen’s teeth ground against his cigar, biting it completely in half.

The cybernetic pirate wanted to swing.

The disrespect was agonizing.

But Kaido’s strict, absolute orders, to secure the miracle drug and bring it back to Wano at all costs, held him back.

A fight with me would jeopardize the merchandise.

Queen scoffed, spitting the ruined cigar onto the ground.

“Enjoy the show, brat.

You don’t have the Berries to play at our table.”

As Queen turned and marched up the stairs, I felt a sharp, intense prickle on the back of my neck.

I glanced to the side.

Katakuri was staring directly at me.

The Sweet Commander was utilizing his legendary Future Sight, trying to peer into the next few seconds to gauge my intentions.

But as our eyes met, I pushed my own Advanced Observation outward, creating a dense, chaotic wall of spiritual energy.

Katakuri’s eyes narrowed slightly, a flicker of surprise crossing his stoic features as his vision of my future clouded into static.

I gave him a polite, mocking nod, continuing my walk with Robin.

While the Envoys and I made our highly public ascent, the true operation began below.

On the deck of the Titan’s Glory, Law watched my back disappear into the crowd.

He drew his Nodachi.

“Room.”

A massive, pale blue sphere expanded silently from his blade, entirely covering the ship and reaching all the way to the cliff face of the port.

“Shambles.”

In an instant, Law, Gwen, Laura, Brook, Perona, Bepo, Shachi, Penguin, and Gammamon vanished from the deck, seamlessly swapping places with a pile of loose rocks resting deep inside the eastern catacombs.

They materialized in the pitch-black tunnels beneath Dressrosa.

The air was damp and smelled of ancient earth.

“Flashlights off,” Law whispered, his voice echoing softly.

“Gwen, take point.”

Gwen’s symbiote expanded, wrapping around her and extending a thin, camouflaging tendril over Laura.

They blended perfectly into the darkness, moving with silent, predatory grace.

Brook adjusted his weight, his skeletal feet making absolutely no sound against the stone.

“Negative Hollows, deploy,” Perona whispered.

Three ghostly apparitions phased through the solid stone ceiling, moving upward toward the executive tower to scout for the target named Sugar.

Guided by the intricate maps the Tontattas had provided them during their secret visits over the last month, the Verdant Abyss crew moved through the underworld like a surgical blade, entirely undetected by Doflamingo’s forces above.

The heavy golden doors of the Royal Palace were cast wide open.

Standing at the top of the grand stairs, flanked by his top executives Trebol, Diamante, and Pica was Donquixote Doflamingo.

He was wearing his signature pink feather coat and red sunglasses.

To the pirates climbing the stairs, he looked like a king in absolute control of his domain.

But to my Haki, the truth was glaringly obvious.

His heart rate was slightly elevated.

His muscles were violently coiled.

He was a man standing on a landmine, desperately pretending he was standing on a pedestal.

But as his eyes swept over the arriving Emperors’ envoys, Doflamingo’s signature, arrogant grin widened.

In his mind, he had already won.

He had gone to Mystoria.

He had retrieved the glowing, wax-sealed vials.

He genuinely believed he had outsmarted the universe and secured his supreme reign over the underworld.

“Fufufufu…” Doflamingo laughed, opening his arms wide as Queen, Katakuri, and Marco reached the landing.

“Welcome, esteemed guests!

Welcome to Dressrosa!

I see the rumors of my little treasure have attracted the absolute pinnacle of the New World!”

His eyes shifted, locking onto me as Robin and I stepped onto the marble landing.

A flash of pure, venomous hatred remained hidden beneath his smile.

“Even the new Warlord came to watch,” Doflamingo chuckled, his fingers twitching slightly.

“I’m honored, Victor.

Truly.

Though I must say, an auction of this caliber might be a bit out of your…

price range.”

“I wouldn’t miss it for the world, Joker,” I smiled back, the perfect picture of polite, wealthy curiosity.

“I’m just here to see if the rumors are true.

I hear you’re offering a miracle today.”

Doflamingo’s grin tightened, his jaw setting.

“Oh, it’s a miracle, alright.

A genuine, bonafide act of the heavens.

Please, come inside.

The VIP lounge is prepared.

Let the auction begin.”

Robin and I stepped past the Donquixote executives, crossing the threshold into the lavish, sprawling ballroom of the royal palace.

The room was breathtakingly opulent, but the atmosphere was completely suffocating.

Armed Donquixote guards lined the walls, sweating nervously.

The center of the room featured a massive circular table, surrounded by velvet chairs.

Queen took a seat, slamming his heavy fists on the table.

Katakuri sat opposite him, silent and imposing.

Marco took a chair, resting his chin on his hand.

Around the perimeter of the room, dozens of other underworld brokers and pirate captains took their seats, the tension so thick you could cut it with a knife.

Robin and I claimed a small, elegant loveseat near the back of the room, a perfect vantage point to watch the stage.

A terrified servant brought us two glasses of wine.

I took a slow sip, leaning back into the cushions.

I could feel Doflamingo’s Observation Haki actively scanning me from across the room, watching my every breath, convinced I was the biggest threat in the palace.

He was looking so hard at me, he didn’t even notice the shadows moving in his basement.

The trap was officially sprung.

The heavy hitters were in the cage.

Now, it was time for my crew to cut the strings.

———————————————————————————————————

For more chapters

Curtis Branscum, Vince, Eric