Provoking Doflamingo

"Hmph. If we weren't in Mary Geoise, I'd have killed you on the spot!"

Gekko Moria had backed down.

But he still wouldn't let it go, acting as though he was magnanimously choosing to spare Uchiha Tamaharu.

"Pathetic loser who lost to a rookie."

Uchiha Tamaharu shot back without holding anything back.

Then, without another word, he used Body Flicker to take the last vacant seat among the Shichibukai.

The other Shichibukai also took note of Uchiha Tamaharu. They thought his speed was a little too fast.

"Brat!!"

Gekko Moria was furious.

"Uchiha—that's the name of your organization, right?"

"Your group has been making a bit of a name for itself in the first half of the Grand Line lately. I wonder if it can hold off any formidable enemies?"

Doflamingo suddenly cut in.

His tone was full of menace.

Starting a fight right here would mean breaking ties with the World Government and showing it disrespect.

But a threat or warning didn't seem like much of a problem.

Seeing someone come to his aid, Gekko Moria stopped shouting and prepared to join Doflamingo in teaching this rookie a lesson.

"I hear the underground arms trade is rampant in the New World. Apparently, a certain country has even been trading with one of the Four Emperors. I have some free time lately, so I could go take care of it."

"I wonder how much the Navy would be willing to pay. If the price is fair, I can help resolve the matter and reduce the Navy's losses."

Uchiha Tamaharu didn't respond to Doflamingo. Instead, he looked toward the nearby Marines and spoke to them.

Doflamingo's expression stiffened again.

He stared at Uchiha Tamaharu, his eyes full of wariness.

Everyone knew he was involved in the underground arms trade, but hardly anyone knew about his dealings with the Four Emperors.

The World Government had forbidden such dealings. If they came to light, he could lose his Shichibukai title and end up in the Navy's sights.

That was a consequence he couldn't accept.

"Oh?"

"Is this information reliable?"

Vice Admiral Tsuru asked, sounding surprised.

She had looked over the intelligence on this newly risen Shichibukai.

There was very little—fewer than ten pages in all.

That even included the reports the Marines had gathered lately, as Uchiha Clan workers kept taking down Pirates across the Grand Line.

As for Uchiha Tamaharu himself, the only known details were that he had captured Straw Hat Luffy and defeated Bartholomew Kuma. His actual combat abilities were unknown.

He was a mystery!

"I don't know where you heard those rumors, but bringing them up here is terribly irresponsible."

Doflamingo hurriedly spoke up, trying to turn everyone's attention elsewhere.

"It should be the Beasts Pirates, one of the Four Emperors. Besides arms deals, they seem to be involved in some other special trades, too."

Uchiha Tamaharu ignored Doflamingo's threatening stare and continued in an even tone.

"Who was it?!"

"Who leaked that information?!"

Doflamingo began to wonder whether he had a mole among his own people, but he was even more suspicious that something had gone wrong with the Beasts Pirates.

He didn't dare provoke this rookie any further. If Uchiha Tamaharu revealed more, things could get dangerous!

"Didn't we come here because there's some major event that requires the Shichibukai's help?"

"Let's talk about arms smuggling some other time. I don't have time to sit here and listen to this!"

Doflamingo backed down.

Gekko Moria might have been a bit slow, but he wasn't stupid. He could see that this kid had gotten the better of Doflamingo.

So he stopped talking, too. It was between those two now; he didn't care.

"Good. Then let's discuss the major event."

"In half a month, Portgas D. Ace, the Second Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, will be executed at Marineford, Marine Headquarters."

"The Whitebeard Pirates have now destroyed all of the Navy's surveillance ships."

Vice Admiral Tsuru began explaining the details of the major event.

The others had more or less guessed what it was about, but naturally, the Navy had more detailed information.

"So they're only executing Ace?"

"Are they keeping Luffy alive to kill him later, when they need to boost morale, or are they really afraid of Garp?"

"Seems more likely they're keeping him around to use against the Revolutionary Army. So the Summit War scenario probably won't differ too much from the original plot. The question is whether Luffy can still escape from Impel Down."

As he listened to Vice Admiral Tsuru, Uchiha Tamaharu considered the situation.

He had asked the system earlier whether attacking Blackbeard right now would count toward a mission, but unfortunately, it wouldn't.

So Uchiha Tamaharu figured he had to wipe out the Blackbeard Pirates all at once during the specific scenario period—in other words, during the Summit War.

As for rescuing Ace and protecting the Whitebeard Pirates, the chances of success were also high if he went undercover and made his move.

Just Shadow Clone Technique and Transformation Technique would be enough to cause confusion. He could rescue Ace before the execution, then notify the Whitebeard Pirates to flee as soon as the fighting began, leaving behind a Shadow Clone for the World Government to execute. That shouldn't be a problem.

Vice Admiral Tsuru then told them they were to arrive on the day of the execution and take up the second line of defense, behind the Admirals.

The Navy couldn't tell these people the rest of the details. The risk of a leak was too high; it wasn't stupid enough to do that.

"Please be there on time. This is an order from the World Government."

Vice Admiral Tsuru finished.

She had no intention of showing these people any courtesy.

The Shichibukai, for their part, weren't about to be friendly with the Navy.

The four Marines left first.

Hancock promptly left as well. She had no interest in staying among a bunch of stinking men.

Uchiha Tamaharu stood and headed for the exit.

Doflamingo immediately followed behind him. Seeing this, Gekko Moria followed along, ready to watch the show.

Mihawk wasn't planning to return home. He intended to stay nearby until the major event was over.

Bartholomew Kuma usually stayed at Marine Headquarters, and he showed no sign of leaving.

Blackbeard wore a goofy grin, wiped his mouth, then sauntered away.

Now that he knew the Navy had gathered its forces at Marine Headquarters to prepare for the Whitebeard Pirates, he could continue with the next step of his plan.

He didn't take the Shichibukai seriously. Once his plan was complete, everything he wanted would be within easy reach!

"Hey, rookie. I want to talk to you!"

In the corridor, Doflamingo walked with a swagger that would get an ordinary man beaten up, then called out to Uchiha Tamaharu.

The news about his arms dealings with one of the Four Emperors had struck a nerve. He couldn't tell whether this guy actually had proof.

But he couldn't afford to take the risk. He had to get to the bottom of it.

He couldn't afford to gamble!

If the truth came out, both sides would turn against him. The Navy and Kaido might both abandon him.