King of Maritime Transport, Umit

"Trickster Mage... didn't expect him to still be alive, fufufu!"

On the rooftop, Doflamingo, watching the show, wore an immensely delighted smile. That old geezer Umit had really dug deep into his coffers this time—a figure with no record in any intelligence had appeared. Sokachio Aleus... this Black Prince seemed to have genuinely made Umit feel threatened and pressured.

"And not just the Trickster Mage, but also [Deep Sea], [Grey Knight], [Flying Rabbit], [Red Hat]..."

Every single one of these people had once been figures of their era, top-tier powerhouses in their respective times. They had all once dreamed of finding the great treasure left by the Pirate King, charging into this bloody Asura field, only to have their ideals shattered by the cruel reality of the New World.

Then, for various reasons, they had all ended up as subordinates of the King of Maritime Transport.

From pirates chasing dreams to lowly wage earners.

This was, the hellish purgatory called 'reality'.

"But an Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit—our Black Prince is no pushover either!" Doflamingo's gaze shifted to the colossal, hill-like form of the Earthquake Dragon that was impossible to ignore. His eyes flickered. As an intermediary of the Dark World, he had been ordered by the Beasts to collect Zoan Devil Fruits.

If he failed to deliver a set quota of Devil Fruits on time, leniency and forgiveness from the Beasts were not what awaited him.

The thought of this year's quota still bearing no fruit soured Doflamingo's mood. Watching Eschbach transformed into the Earthquake Dragon, he couldn't help but think how nice it would be if that Devil Fruit hadn't been eaten.

An Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit—turning that in would be worth ten or even more ordinary Zoan types.

Too bad it had been eaten.

"The Ekmondo Kingdom... should have quite a stockpile."

The gaze behind Doflamingo's sunglasses flickered. He had set his sights on the Ekmondo Kingdom, a kingdom with no short history. And not just the Ekmondo Kingdom—his thoughts stretched toward the countless large and small kingdoms of the New World.

The treasuries of these kingdoms should hold Devil Fruits, more or less, right?

Focusing only on the Dark World before had been too narrow. Compared to the underground world's ravenous digestion, the treasure-hoarding royalty of various nations might be the real major collectors of Devil Fruits.

"Hm? That old geezer Umit made his move?"

His scattered thoughts snapped back instantly. Doflamingo picked up the telescope resting on a small stool beside him and aimed it at the distant beach, his Observation Haki fully unleashed, locking onto the clash between Umit and Aleus.

The result—

Aleus was being overwhelmed by Umit?

It seemed like an obvious outcome. After all, Umit was the King of Maritime Transport of the New World, one of the Dark World's big shots, a true heavyweight. In comparison, Aleus was just a rising star who had only recently gained some fame.

Most people could clearly judge who was stronger and who was weaker.

But, Doflamingo wasn't most people.

"Sokachio Aleus... something feels off?" He furrowed his brow slightly, a strong confusion flashing behind his sunglasses. He felt that what his Observation Haki 'saw' was somehow incongruous.

"Dofla, what did you say?"

Beside him, Diamante looked over.

"Nothing, just talking to myself. Just watch the show."

Doflamingo waved his hand and continued focusing his Observation Haki on the battle at the beach.

"Boom—!!!"

Another heavy punch.

Umit's steel-forged, muscular body radiated a heat like a blazing furnace. He wasn't a Devil Fruit user, but a pure martial artist like Vice Admiral Garp, the Navy Hero. His greatest weapon was his own fists.

It was this simplicity and purity that gave his fists such terrifying destructive power.

On the beach, the Mushroom Rocks that had stood for who knows how many years were shattered into dust by the shockwaves of his punches. The ferocious momentum was so overwhelming that even Eschbach, locked in battle with Marcus in his Earthquake Dragon form, couldn't compete. Despite his massive size, he could no longer draw people's focus.

The battlefield wasn't just these two spots.

Dillon, Dick, Kappas, and Farug were all tied down by two or more enemies. These enemies weren't just filler—the three Aides couldn't defeat them quickly. Farug, the weakest of the Aides, was in a perilous situation, barely holding on.

Beyond that, Umit's army bypassed these monstrous human weapons and advanced toward Aleus's flagship anchored at the port.

"Hey, Eschbach, your master doesn't look too good!"

Marcus shouted loudly.

"If you think you can shake my resolve with such tricks, then I'll say don't waste your effort. You have no idea what His Highness is capable of." Eschbach remained completely unmoved by Marcus's psychological warfare, maintaining his steady pace, probing and uncovering Marcus's various bizarre abilities little by little.

"Whoosh!!!"

His tail lashed down like an iron whip.

Shattering the explosive shockwave.

"Confidence... that strong, huh." Marcus, bouncing around like he was on a trampoline, dodged Eschbach's attacks—which showed no sign of impatience—while growing a bit worried about his own boss, who had the upper hand against Aleus.

Having tangled with Eschbach for a while, he had more or less figured out Eschbach's personality.

This was not a man who would lie.

Since he had such confidence in that Black Prince, it could only mean the other party truly had the backing to back it up, which made Marcus's heart clench.

"Are you worried about that King of Maritime Transport?"

A build as massive as a mountain could not prevent Eschbach from catching subtle emotions; he noticed Marcus's absent-mindedness and, with a little thought, understood what Marcus's worry was.

"Relax! Your boss's defeat is a foregone conclusion! No one can stand in the way of His Highness's path."

Eschbach stated the truth of one wave pushing another, each wave fiercer than the last, in a tone of utter certainty.

"That... Black Prince, is he really that formidable?"

Marcus pressed.

"His Highness's strength is beyond what you can imagine, and also... letting your mind wander during a fight is a fatal mistake." Eschbach let out a roar that shook the earth and the seas, and his long tail lashed out fiercely, sending the distracted Marcus flying.