Vergo

"Heavenly Yaksha, the forces you've planted in the Navy aren't strong enough yet. I need you to deliver a devastating blow to the Navy at a crucial moment," Teach said quietly.

In the huge conference room, only Teach and Doflamingo sat facing each other on the sofa.

Compared to other forces, Doflamingo's role was more significant, so Doflamingo stayed behind after the other forces left.

This also demonstrates Teach's high regard for Doflamingo.

They have been cooperating for many years, and Doflamingo has provided the Night Pirates with dozens of Devil Fruits.

The only one who can rival him is Stephanie has the support of the World Government, which is enough to show the gap between them.

However, their roles are different. Doflamingo's relationship with her is more of a partnership, while Stephanie is already one of his people and can provide him with a lot of help in the World Government and CP0.

Although Doflamingo hadn't told Teach, he knew that the Night Pirates definitely knew about Vergo's situation and that he had sent agents to the Navy.

After all, when they cooperated, Vergo hadn't joined the Navy yet. Although he was well hidden, it wasn't surprising that the Night Pirates found out.

He also knew the strength of the Night Pirates, which could be said to have spread throughout the entire New World.

"Baboon, I'm very satisfied with Vergo's performance. He'll be promoted to Marine Vice Admiral in just a few years, and now that he's guarding the G1 Branch, becoming the base commander won't be a problem," Doflamingo laughed in his unique voice.

"We have plenty of time to wait, there's no need to rush, is there? And you know how strict the Navy is these days. The establishment of the Inspection Department means that any action could be monitored, especially under the command of that Sakazuki guy."

As he spoke, Doflamingo frowned, somewhat displeased. Vergo was now Rear Admiral in the Navy, and he had also participated in the Holy Land War, luckily escaping being hit by Uranus's cannon fire.

As an admiral, one is already a high-ranking officer in the navy and has the authority to command an entire force.

Vergo thought that reaching this level would bring him a lot of convenience, but in reality, it was difficult to achieve because the Naval Inspection Department was very strict, and any unreasonable behavior would be thoroughly investigated.

This made him very dissatisfied, and he felt restricted in doing things within the G1 Branch. Even forming cliques and engaging in private activities would be investigated. This was also the reason why the G1 Branch was too close to the Marine Headquarters.

"I plan to have him rebuild a Marine Branch and become the base chief when the Navy returns to the New World in a few years. This way, he'll be farther from Marine Headquarters and have more freedom."

"Your men are quite good," Teach remarked.

Vergo's potential and strength were both worthy of his attention. He was proficient in physical combat, possessed Two types of Haki, and had the combat power of Marine Vice Admiral. In addition, his well-crafted character also earned him the high regard of the Marine Headquarters.

"However, the so-called obstacles are simply due to the person's lack of ability. His strength is not strong enough. If he were stronger and had more power, things would be much easier for him."

"Devil Fruit? I've been looking, but I haven't found a suitable one yet. I don't want to waste his potential." Doflamingo realized Teach's meaning; if Vergo wanted to advance further, he needed to become stronger.

He valued Vergo highly, but as he said, suitability was important.

The String-String Fruit is a perfect match for him, and with the development of its power, it has already demonstrated remarkable strength. The sharp threads can easily cut through steel, and now his power has Awakening.

Ancient Species, or a decent Paramecia, like the Kamaitachi Fruit he gave Teach, which was good but not suitable for Vergo was skilled in hand-to-hand combat and used bamboo sticks.

"Then just pick one from there, I won't recommend any." Teach took out a booklet containing all the Devil Fruit the Night Pirates currently possessed. Of course, he wouldn't take out the truly precious Devil Fruit that he had treasured.

This can also be considered Teach's investment. Vergo is loyal to Doflamingo, and given Teach's current relationship with Doflamingo, he can be considered a force subordinate to Teach.

Besides, Doflamingo will pay it back sooner or later. With Doflamingo abilities, he'll be able to obtain the precious Devil Fruit; it's just a matter of time.

"Baboon, baboon, that's quite a lot." Doflamingo hadn't expected to have access to something like this; it was one of the Night Pirates' secrets.

As he opened the booklet, the names of Devil Fruit came into view. The sheer number of them was almost frightening, especially since many of them were Devil Fruit and precious.

However, the four precious Devil Fruit — the Logia -type Miasma-Miasma Fruit, the Ancient Species -type Giant Eagle Fruit, the Ancient Species Titan Python Fruit, and the Ancient Species Fine-toothed Bear Fruit —made Doflamingo suddenly realize something terrifying.

Combining the Ancient Kraken Fruit and the Paramecia Baku- Explosive Sound Fruit that the Night Pirates brought out a few years ago.

And then there are the newly emerging powerhouses within the Night Pirates. As an early member of the Night Pirates, comedian Jim Carrey can be considered a veteran member. He is quite strong and has always been in the top tier below the executives of the Night Pirates.

Previously overshadowed by other powerful Night Pirates, he has risen to prominence in the last two years, with a bounty of 500 million Beli. His ability is the Devil Fruit power of "Crescent Hunter" Catarina Devon, who was killed by Teach at the "Dark Festival" Pirate Expo held by the Night Pirates many years ago— Mythical Zoan, Inu Inu no Mi, Nine- Nine-Tailed Fox Form.

Thinking about it this way, it's a bit alarming. If it were just one or two, it wouldn't be a problem. It's fair to say that the Night Pirates have a large force and a strong ability to collect Devil Fruit. But all these Devil Fruit gathered together are in the hands of the Night Pirates.

Doflamingo found it hard to believe, but considering Teach's Dark-Dark Fruit's ability to counter Devil Fruit users, there was a high probability that it would have such an effect.

If that's the case, then Golden Lion Shiki, who was killed by Teach and whose body was even devoured, possessed the Float-Float Fruit...

Doflamingo felt a chill run down his spine. He was already aware of this, but he lacked concrete evidence. However, some things don't need evidence; it's enough to simply believe in them.

If this gets out, it will be a truly terrifying thing.

He quickly suppressed the matter in his heart and didn't reveal anything on the surface. Even so, Teach's Observation Haki detected the subtle change.

Teach didn't care about such things, and they had never hidden it. Sooner or later, the sea would find out, but even if it did, so what? They didn't have the ability to deliberately hunt others.

Doflamingo focused his attention on the manual, pondering which Devil Fruit be suitable for Vergo behind his red sunglasses. In fact, they were all quite suitable: three Ancient Species and one Logia, all of which would greatly enhance Vergo's combat power.

However, in the end, Doflamingo still chose the Ancient Species, the Giant Eagle Fruit. Its rapid mobility would make it more likely to be valued by the Navy, and it would also be easier to find an opportunity to contact him later.

Seeing Doflamingo make his choice, Teach wasn't surprised. If he had to choose, he would have chosen the Devil Fruit as well.

"Take it." Teach stretched out his hand, and black energy swirled in his palm, revealing a box containing the Ancient Species Giant Eagle Fruit on the table.

"If there are any other matters requiring cooperation, you can inform Mostima; he can make most decisions."

Doflamingo finally breathed a sigh of relief after leaving Pagila Island, because the pressure Teach had put on him was immense, stemming from the sheer difference in their absolute strength.

"The levels are completely different now, baboons!" Doflamingo muttered to himself. Although he said that, he wasn't angry, because it was the truth.

The gap was too large; even Doflamingo seemed to feel that his pride and charisma were utterly insignificant compared to Teach's.

In the past, he could still chat with Teach face-to-face, but going forward, he may not see Teach at all except for important matters, even though Mostima is the one in charge of the Night Pirates' affairs.

The arrival of the new era is not merely symbolic; although they are called the Sea Emperor, the Night Pirates have undoubtedly begun to surpass the other top pirate crews.

This is also a difference in strength. Although Big Mom and Kaido of the Beasts also very powerful, they are absolutely overwhelming to him.

Doflamingo had met both of these Sea Emperor before. Besides cooperating with the Night Pirates, he also had many cooperative relationships with other forces, acting as a middleman in the Underworld.

He was a major buyer of the Beasts Pirates, as he would acquire the supplies they needed, valuable research materials, and Zoan Devil Fruit.

He had attended Big Mom Pirates's tea parties more than twice. That woman was also a monster among monsters. He didn't even know if his sharp threads could hurt Big Mom.

But Dark Emperor Teach is stronger than them, as evidenced by his earth-shattering battle with Whitebeard. He has grown considerably stronger in the past year and a half.

Having experienced the Awakening of his Devil Fruit powers, he could tell that Teach had Awakening during battle, because the unrestrained release of power was so similar to his own back then.

After Awakening their abilities, their strength will increase significantly. As they gain mastery of their abilities, their combat power will increase again, and this will be an all-round improvement.

The power of the Dark-Dark Fruit is already terrifying enough, especially with Teach's development of it. After all sorts of terrifying techniques have been amplified, it's impossible to predict who would win a battle against Whitebeard.

Doflamingo adjusted his thoughts. He had to admit that this trip had been very fruitful. He had discussed more cooperation with the Night Pirates, which would help expand his power. He had also obtained a precious Devil Fruit that would greatly enhance Vergo's combat strength.

Doflamingo is very good at grasping the situation.

Now, he firmly stands on the side of the Night Pirates. The trend is inevitable; the Night Pirates will be the dominant force in the next few years, so he's hurrying to cling to their Night Pirates.

He is now a big shot in the New World. Although he rarely takes action, his influence is enormous. With his connections to various parties and his relationship with the Night Pirates, basically no one dares to offend him.

Even if he refused Big Mom's tea party invitation twice, it wouldn't matter. Of course, he would still send a gift and have someone go in his place.

If he had a strong record and demonstrated his strength, Dressrosa could be considered a dominant force. However, he has been hiding behind the scenes for several years.

JOKER's name is becoming increasingly well-known in the Underworld.

It has essentially surpassed other Dark Kings.

Morgans, who was already a world-class figure, would never continue to mingle in the Underworld. Of course, Morgans also had extraordinary connections in the Underworld.

Next, he needed to devise a plan on how to make it more legitimate for Vergo to obtain the Devil Fruit, since Devil Fruit of dubious origin would be highly problematic.

In the past, the Navy might not have paid much attention, but after the establishment of the Inspection Department, it discovered many spies sent by various factions within the organization, and thus became more cautious.

The Marine Headquarters has held several important meetings to discuss this issue.

The method is also very simple. Doflamingo knows the situation within the G1 Branch very well. Currently, there is only one G1 Branch in the New World Navy, but it will not just stand there doing nothing.

Patrolling the seas is a daily task, and sometimes it also involves eliminating pirates.

Soon, it was time for Vergo to go out to sea for patrol.

By using pirates, it would be a logical way to let the Devil Fruit fall into Vergo's hands.

Moreover, the pirate can't be too weak; he needs to be challenging enough to showcase Vergo's strength. Nothing is more reasonable than loot stolen from pirates.

A few days later, in the front part of the New World, a naval warship departed from the G1 Branch for a routine patrol in this sea area.

The leader was Vergo, standing at the front of the warship, his gaze fixed on the sea. Doflamingo had given him some information before, and he was also somewhat looking forward to seeing what gift Doflamingo had prepared for him.

Three days later, "Rear Admiral, a pirate ship has appeared ahead."

"Can you tell which pirate crew it is?" Vergo asked, his upright figure, draped in Justice Coat, and his formidable strength giving the marines behind him a strong sense of security.

"It's the Baru Pirates captain has a bounty of 180 million."

"Then let's charge in and get the ammunition ready." Facing a pirate crew with a bounty of nearly 200 million Beli, Vergo was not intimidated at all. Moreover, he was quite familiar with the pirates of the New World, especially the pirate crews roaming the frontier of the New World.

He knew that what Dover had prepared for him was on this pirate ship.

"Damn it, who heard that? Wasn't there supposed to be a merchant ship on this route? Why did we run into the Navy?" Captain Balu cursed on the pirate ship.

"Captain, should we run?"

"Of course we run! What else can we do? Prepare the artillery, fire as we run, delay the Marine warship, and once we leave this area, the navy won't dare to pursue us."

Although the New World Navy's operational range is pitifully small, everyone knows that the New World Navy is extremely capable. For example, another Rear Admiral from the G1 Branch has combat power comparable to Marine Vice Admiral, just like Vergo. As for the base commander, he is an elite Vice Admiral.

Moreover, fighting the Navy is a thankless and exhausting task. You can't plunder much and you'll suffer losses, which is the main reason why most pirates run away when they encounter the Navy.

"Oh no, a navy officer is charging straight at us!"

Upon closer inspection, a small figure appeared on the distant sea, Vergo rapidly approached using Geppo.

"What bad luck, it's Marine Ghost Bamboo." Seeing Vergo's appearance, Balu's face turned ugly. Vergo was quite famous in the early New World, as many pirates had been defeated and captured by him.

"Captain, what do we do next?" the pirate asked worriedly.

"What's there to be afraid of? Since he's coming, let's leave him here. He's not one of those monsters; how could he possibly handle so many of us?" Balu said cruelly, drawing his weapon, ready for battle. "If he dies by our hand, the Baru Pirates' reputation will definitely rise even higher, hahaha!"

When the Marine warship arrived, the pirate ship was already littered with corpses, with only Vergo standing on the deck.

The sailors on the warship looked at Vergo with admiration. They knew that Vergo always led from the front to minimize casualties.

Taking down a pirate crew with a captain's bounty of nearly 200 million Beli single-handedly will undoubtedly become part of Vergo's resume.

"Search the ship, see what's on it," Vergo said calmly. Although he was somewhat impatient, he ordered his men to search the pirate ship for spoils, as usual.

Soon, a marine came up to Vergo excitedly, holding a Devil Fruit. "Rear Admiral, we've found a Devil Fruit."

"Oh, take a picture and send it to headquarters to ask what kind of Devil Fruit this is." Vergo took the Devil Fruit and put it in his pocket.

High in the sky, Doflamingo watched all this before leaving with satisfaction. To prevent any accidents, he personally oversaw the process, after all, this was Devil Fruit brought out by the Night Pirates.

The news didn't take long to reach headquarters; it quickly relayed back, "It's Ancient Species, the Giant Eagle Fruit. What great luck! Only Rear Admiral could be equipped with this Devil Fruit."

"Yes, we're really lucky."

Vergo sighed, picked up the Devil Fruit, and ate it without hesitation.