I'm Sorry, Ace

"Let's talk about the arms deal after the Summit War concludes."

"There's no point in discussing it now."

Uchiha Tamaharu turned around, looked at Doflamingo, who was nearly half a head taller than him, and spoke directly.

Doflamingo was powerful, and he possessed sufficient influence under his command.

Uchiha Tamaharu intended to replace Kaido on Doflamingo's side and become his new "father."

However, this matter naturally had to wait until he finished the Summit War instance; it was not yet the right time to expose too much of his strength or reveal too much information.

Making Doflamingo willing to submit would certainly require some effort, and he simply didn't have the energy for that right now.

"I want to talk to you right now!"

But Doflamingo was not a submissive child.

Hearing words that felt like he was being manipulated, he couldn't hold back.

His tone instantly dropped, the surrounding space grew heavy, and Doflamingo unleashed his aura to threaten Uchiha Tamaharu.

The row of World Government members standing nearby turned pale, watching Doflamingo with terror.

Doflamingo wasn't arrogant enough to release his Haoshoku Haki in this place; doing so would undoubtedly be a provocation to the true kings of this world.

"Is that all you've got?"

Uchiha Tamaharu closed his eyes and opened them again, revealing the blood-red Mangekyō Sharingan.

At the same time, he used his left eye to cast the Dōjutsu: Purgatory directly on Doflamingo.

After his bloodline underwent ancestral evolution, he could freely control the environment within his Dōjutsu, even manifesting a set of eight hells, though the consumption was high.

However, since this was just a warning, Uchiha Tamaharu only used the "Sea of Fire" hell to let Doflamingo experience the taste of an endless inferno.

Doflamingo's expression froze instantly, but he immediately showed terror, looking at Uchiha Tamaharu in shock.

"0.3 seconds, huh!"

"With my current ocular power, that's all the effect I can achieve."

"But Doflamingo's situation is enough to serve as a benchmark for judging others."

Uchiha Tamaharu observed Doflamingo's state and determined how long the target could endure his Dōjutsu.

Doflamingo possessed Haoshoku Haki, and his Kenbunshoku Haki was not weak; he wasn't someone who could be easily controlled by illusion-based Dōjutsu.

These guys were almost like Might Guy with the Eight Inner Gates opened—their Chakra was surging chaotically and their spirits were full, making illusions ineffective. If it weren't for his Dōjutsu, Doflamingo would likely only feel uncomfortable and wouldn't be caught at all.

"We'll talk after the Summit War."

Uchiha Tamaharu said again.

But after finishing his sentence, he turned and walked away.

Doflamingo watched Uchiha Tamaharu's back, unable to bring himself to call out and stop him for a moment.

He had spent a full six hours in that sea of fire before realizing something was wrong and finding a way to break free from the illusion.

Yet, the sensation of being scorched by the flames felt incredibly real.

"Did you let that brat leave?"

"You really are useless!"

Gekko Moria, who had been moving slowly, finally caught up.

Not seeing Uchiha Tamaharu, he only saw Doflamingo standing in the middle of the corridor and immediately began to mock him.

"Be careful with that guy."

"Next time, he really will cut your throat!"

Doflamingo looked at Gekko Moria with indifference, then said coldly.

He then continued to walk away with his arrogant stride.

"What!"

"I won't be defeated by a brat a second time, that's absolutely impossible!"

Gekko Moria continued to shout.

Losing to a young man this time made him feel like he had lost all face; he viewed it as a great humiliation!

However, no one paid him any mind, leaving him to fume in place by himself.

"Even doing this mission alone, the completion rate is over eighty-five percent. Unless the things I've done since arriving in this world have caused the plot to shift, that fifteen percent is the uncertainty."

After attending the Shichibukai meeting, Uchiha Tamaharu had a rough understanding of the Summit War.

At the very least, Luffy would not be executed alongside Ace, which meant the probability of the Revolutionary Army appearing would be greatly reduced.

Likewise, since Luffy had been sent to Impel Down by him, he wouldn't have the freedom to sneak in with Hancock as he did in the original plot. Whether he could rely on the opportunity he gave him to escape Impel Down and bring reinforcements to the Summit War to bolster the Whitebeard Pirates remained to be seen.

Furthermore, Luffy's appearance was a crucial link in preventing Garp from having the desire to fight, as Garp could not bear the possibility of losing both grandsons.

If Luffy appeared, he could tie up the combat power of the two Admirals, Garp and Sengoku. If the goal was to help the Whitebeard Pirates, this was very important.

"If I'm going after Blackbeard, he currently has five people including himself. How many he can take out of Impel Down is uncertain because my capture of Luffy has changed the situation; that is a variable."

"Blackbeard's strength right now definitely isn't at the level of the Four Emperors. He was only able to beat Ace because Ace didn't understand the abilities of the Yami Yami no Mi; otherwise, it would have been impossible for Ace to be captured so easily."

"Relying on the Yami Yami no Mi, I estimate Blackbeard's peak strength to be that of a First Mate. His subordinates are basically at the level of Shichibukai officers. The real trouble is the guys released from Impel Down—they all need to be dealt with!"

Returning to the clan grounds, Uchiha Tamaharu listed the enemies he had to deal with on both sides one by one.

At the same time, he marked down how much influence the uncertain factors might have.

"If I fight Blackbeard, the Whitebeard Pirates will definitely just watch. As for the Navy, they have to deal with Whitebeard, so there's no guarantee anyone will help me. Taking on the elite combatants of a future Four Emperors crew is no easy task."

"Rescuing Ace and helping the Whitebeard Pirates means fighting alongside a Four Emperor, but the Navy side will likely be even more troublesome. It's possible that Garp and Sengoku could be freed, and facing five Admiral-level powerhouses together might be too much for Whitebeard to handle. If that happens, I'd have to step in, but without Haki to counter three Logia Admirals, I'd just be a punching bag."

"If I bring in the combat strength of the Uchiha Clan to help, the situation could become much simpler. Whether it's helping the Whitebeard Pirates escape or intercepting Blackbeard's crew, it would rapidly decrease the difficulty of the mission."

"But, the price would be the lives of my clansmen!"

Uchiha Tamaharu looked at the final result, his brows furrowing involuntarily.

"Sentiment is important, but the lives of my clansmen are more important. I'm sorry, Ace."

Uchiha Tamaharu unhesitatingly chose to abandon the mission to save Ace.

This mission would actually be simpler if he really carried it out, but the cost would be the lives of a large number of his clansmen.

Ever since these clansmen fled to this world with him, he has had the responsibility to protect them well. Just like Whitebeard, he would not abandon his own people.

Therefore, the choice is to take down the Blackbeard Pirates!

Wipe them all out!

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