Preparations Were in Full Swing

There was no way Umit's mobilization of troops could escape the notice of Joker, the local power broker.

That wasn't because Pica was keeping tabs on him in real time.

Rather,

ship after ship carrying troops sailed openly into the harbor. If Doflamingo hadn't issued his orders in time, the Donquixote Family's officers would likely have opened fire on Umit's army. Even though no fighting had broken out, both sides remained ready to draw weapons at any moment.

The tense atmosphere spread straight into the streets. The bustling thoroughfares quickly fell quiet, and quite a few people ran to the Royal Palace gates, asking His Majesty the King to drive out these obviously unsavory characters.

King's Plateau, a sitting room in the Royal Palace.

"Doffy, that old bastard Umit is getting too big for his boots. Let me take him out."

Diamante, one of the four top officers and leader of the Block Army, wore a red cape and dressed like a tribal native. He spoke loudly, his right hand resting on the hilt of his sword. The murderous aura rolling off him made it clear he wasn't joking.

"Diamante, don't rush. As for this matter... leave it alone for now."

Doflamingo gently swirled the wine in his glass. The blood-red liquid spun vigorously. "Let the old bastard Umit do as he pleases. But... Senor, go warn him. This is Dressrosa, not his ship. My patience has its limits. If he dares cross the line... he can decide for himself what the consequences will be."

The wineglass reflected a terrifying, savage grin brimming with murderous intent.

Umit had thoroughly enraged him by acting so brazenly in his territory.

But if he went after Umit now, he'd just be taking the fall for that Black Prince he'd never even met. That kind of self-sacrificing behavior wasn't his style, so... he planned to wait and see what happened after Umit and the Black Prince faced off. If Umit lost, there'd be no need for him to get involved.

If Umit won, he'd settle accounts with him afterward.

"Yes, Young Master. I'll go right away."

The burly man, who had a pacifier in his mouth and looked like an oversized baby, answered heartily. Though he was dressed like a pervert, he walked like a tough guy.

And that was exactly what he was.

As the head of the Donquixote Family, Doflamingo knew the character and abilities of every member. Senor might look like a pervert, but in truth he was a hardened tough guy. Many schemes and plots weren't suited to Senor, but there were also some things he was better suited to handle than anyone else.

Like delivering a message. He could convey Doflamingo's displeasure with enough force, without provoking an outright falling-out with Umit.

"Doffy, I say, I say, are we really going to let this go? That's far too good for the old bastard!" Trebol, with a long string of snot hanging from his nose, made sure everyone remembered that he was one of the family's top officers.

His words struck a chord with quite a few people.

Several members of the family present nodded in agreement.

"I hate having to repeat myself, Trebol. Umit isn't my prey right now." Doflamingo took a sip of wine, then continued, "We only need to watch what happens with Umit. At least until the hunter dies this time, we're just spectators. Remember, we're spectators for now. It's not our turn to enter the fray yet."

Doflamingo emphasized his point.

He had no intention of taking a bullet for someone else, especially not for a brat who'd turned down a deal with him.

The coast of Dressrosa was dotted with Mushroom Rocks.

At that moment,

Umit's army had occupied the area and set up camp. A full six thousand elite soldiers, all armed to the teeth, were stationed there, sharpening their weapons and ready to go to war at any moment. And the camp held more than just six thousand elite soldiers: there were also eleven pirates with bounties exceeding a hundred million.

Stussy hadn't given him any useful information about Sokachio Aleus, and it left Umit feeling vaguely uneasy.

After weighing his options, he decided to trust his instincts. He didn't care that he might offend Joker; he simply brought the reserves he'd kept aboard his ships onto the island, ready to concentrate all his forces and crush the challenger, Sokachio Aleus, with overwhelming force.

Don't underestimate those six thousand men.

On their own, they weren't much use in a fight, but they could still do some damage when operating a large number of cannons. At the very least, they could put on an impressive show of force and use the crowd to conceal the movements of their own powerful fighters.

He was wary of Joker leaking his plans!

"Lord Umit, isn't this a bit over the top? Joker's going to go berserk."

The bald man in a baseball cap stood with Umit atop an enormous Mushroom Rock, breathing in the briny sea breeze.

"Marcus, do you think what Venkura said was actually true?"

"...Lord Umit, whether it's true or not doesn't matter anymore. We've come too far to back down. If we retreat now, we won't be able to get by in the New World." Marcus, the bald man in the baseball cap, shrugged.

"That's true! I was the one who set that trap for the little prince, but in the end, I'm the one getting nervous... Haha! I guess I really am getting old."

"How could you be? Your punches hurt even more than they used to."

"Do they?"

"The one you hit me with during morning training still hurts."

"That's because you haven't been training enough lately! Stop thinking about cards all day. They're a complete waste of time! If you want to accomplish big things, you can't let your desires control you."

"Heh heh!"

Marcus scratched his bald head beneath his baseball cap and chuckled, saying nothing.

If he couldn't play cards, he'd rather die right then and there.

And accomplishing big things? How could that beat playing cards?

"...Get lost! Stop standing around here. Go keep an eye on the men below and make sure those bastards don't slack off. Don't just think about playing cards all day... And keep an eye on them. Don't let them get into a fight with Joker's men. That stingy bastard Joker really will fight if you push him too far."

"Then why are you doing this? If I were Joker, I'd already be up in arms."

Marcus rolled his eyes, speechless.

"That's why you're my sidekick."

"Secretary, not sidekick."

"...Just get lost."

Umit couldn't be bothered arguing with this idiot. If the man weren't strong enough and utterly loyal, he never would have kept someone who thought about nothing but cards around to order about.

Marcus left the Mushroom Rock, leaving Umit standing there alone, gazing out over the sea.

The sea wind howled, but Umit's figure didn't waver in the slightest. His feet seemed rooted in place, as though he'd become one with the Mushroom Rock, unmoving no matter how the wind and rain battered him.