Crack! Crunch...
This was not the sound of the Den Den Mushi being hung up. It was the sound of its monitor and transmitter being crushed, causing the signal to cut out.
The image on the monitor froze on Lynn's furious expression.
Makino had never seen Lynn like that before.
His tone was calm, yet filled with an uncontrollable rage!
The pirate beside him began trembling at Lynn's words.
Shaking, he said to Kuro, "C-Captain, he's a Great Wanted Criminal with a bounty of 100 million Beli..."
Whoosh!
Before the pirate could finish, five flashes of cold light swept past as sharp blades suddenly slashed across his chest.
Blood splattered, and the pirate's body collapsed limply to the ground.
At some point, Kuro had already put on his Ten-Blade Cat Claws, blood still dripping from their sharp blades.
Makino stared at the scene before her in horror. This man showed no mercy even to his own companion!
"Tch, useless trash!"
Kuro stared at Lynn's face on the monitor. After a brief silence, he suddenly burst into manic laughter.
"Interesting. Lynn Barek, don't make me feel too bored!"
He, Kuro of a Hundred Plans, had made thorough preparations for this operation. Even if his opponent was a monster with a 100 million Beli bounty, Kuro was confident he could defeat him!
Meanwhile, in the corner of the room.
Krieg, Commodore and captain of the Krieg Pirates, Kuro's Pirate Alliance, was frowning as he watched the scene unfold.
He was not surprised that Kuro had drawn his blades against his own crewman. After all, rumors said Kuro was a cold-blooded and cruel man.
What Krieg cared about now was himself.
"I still don't understand."
Krieg said in a low voice, "Why did you choose Loguetown? And why did you reveal that location in front of that World Government man?"
To be honest, Krieg was not very smart.
But even he had quickly realized the problem after his initial excitement faded.
"Once this is over, the World Government won't possibly honor its promise. They'll definitely silence us!"
"Hahahaha, you're not completely stupid, Brother Krieg!" Kuro burst out laughing.
Krieg grew even more irritated. Rising to his feet, he said coldly to Kuro, "I'm warning you. If you keep playing games, I'll take my pirate crew and leave immediately!"
He did want that gold and the Grand Line sea chart, but that did not mean he would risk his life for Kuro while knowing nothing.
Kuro merely smiled and pulled over a chair to sit down.
"Brother Krieg, it's not that I don't want to tell you. The entire plan must be carried out in secret. If even the slightest detail leaks, none of us will survive."
"Now that the plan has begun, can you tell me?" Krieg snorted.
"Of course."
Kuro nodded, then asked, "Brother Krieg, what do you think we are to the World Government?"
"Ants."
Though he hated to admit it, Krieg answered without the slightest hesitation.
Before a colossal entity like the World Government, pirates with bounties of merely ten or twenty million were no different from ants!
Yet Kuro smiled.
"That's right. We are ants."
"Ants cannot make deals with the World Government, so we must rely on another colossal entity."
"Brother Krieg, come meet my second partner!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Krieg suddenly felt some sort of presence lock onto him. He hurriedly turned around.
In another corner of the room stood a man in a Marine uniform, though no one knew when he had appeared!
The man had a shiny mushroom-shaped haircut, and what looked like a skewer of grilled meat stuck to his cheek.
"Why is a Marine here?!"
Krieg looked at Kuro in astonishment.
If the World Government could barely be said to have a reason to use pirates, then the Marines and pirates were utterly incompatible enemies.
Kuro could not possibly have the ability to bring the two sides together!
And that was indeed the case.
"Brother Krieg, this friend's backer is not the Marines, but a powerful figure from the North Blue." Kuro introduced him. "That person's codename in the underworld is JOKER."
JOKER?!
Krieg had only heard that name from other criminals. That person was a legend of the underworld, the undisputed Dark Emperor.
Such a figure did seem capable of wrestling with the World Government, but...
Why would JOKER cooperate with Kuro?
As if seeing Krieg's doubts, Kuro answered:
"Even if they are using us, cooperation between pirates and the World Government is still an indelible scandal, enough to serve as leverage against the World Government."
"JOKER needs leverage that can threaten the World Government, and 'we' are willing to become that leverage—provided our safety can be guaranteed."
Kuro laughed loudly.
"In fact, after I told the World Government the news, JOKER was the first one to contact me!"
Only then did Krieg finally understand.
So ever since Kuro had gathered them on that Uninhabited Island, even the string of actions before and after that had been supported by JOKER!
Kuro was merely JOKER's puppet acting on the stage.
"Looks like even ants have their own way of surviving."
Krieg laughed at himself, then turned toward the strange man with the grilled skewer stuck to his mouth.
"Hey, friend. What's your name?"
The strange man gave a slight nod and answered:
"Vergo."
Elsewhere, in the North Blue.
A Donquixote Family base.
Sunlight from outside the window fell upon Doflamingo.
The newly risen king of the dark world was enjoying the warm sunlight.
Behind him, Trebol, a Family officer and devil fruit user of the Mera Mera no Mi, bowed and said, "Young Master, Vergo has already made contact with Kuro's side."
"Fuffuffuffuffu, when I first saw the intelligence Vergo intercepted from the Marines, I thought some unknown pirate was spouting nonsense!" Doflamingo laughed. "Looks like we really hooked a big fish!"
"With this, once Lynn Barek dies, the scandal of cooperation between the World Government and pirates will be confirmed. As long as we protect that Kuro afterward, we'll have leverage against the World Government."
Trebol laughed in a sticky, unpleasant way. "But Young Master, why do you need leverage against the World Government?"
Doflamingo handed the documents in his hand to Trebol.
After looking through them a few times, Trebol could not help widening his eyes. "Young Master, you want to..."
"Is it called the Shichibukai? As long as I get leverage over the World Government, those idiots will have no choice but to let me join, right? The World Government really came up with something amusing! Fuffuffuffuffu!"
Doflamingo laughed. "Isn't a pirate 'recognized by the World Government' the most ironic thing in this world?!"
His signature laughter echoed throughout the entire base.
At the same time, a commotion arose outside the room.
Doflamingo raised an eyebrow and grinned. "Is it Law?"
Trebol nodded. "Honestly, that brat thinks he only has a few years left because of Lead Disease, so he's gone mad and started causing trouble everywhere..."
"Fuffuffuffu, that's what makes it interesting!"
Doflamingo stood up and smiled. "Come on. Let's go see our Family's newest member."
I originally wanted to play up the misery, but after thinking about it, happiness is more important!
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