Only the Living Can Lose

The Holy Land, Mariejois.

"The news of your becoming Seven Warlords of the Sea has already spread throughout the world through the World Economic Journal. If any information about Uchiha Huayue is discovered again, be sure to report it immediately. Now, leave."

Under the indifferent gaze of the Five Elders, Donquixote Doflamingo silently left, and as the conference room door closed tightly, a mysterious smile appeared on his lips.

A few days later, on the way to the New World Sea, near the island of Dressrosa.

"Doffy, are we really going to be targeted by him if we do this? He's one of the Four Emperors, someone we absolutely can't afford to offend right now. Isn't this too risky?"

Trebol looked worried, snot snot hanging from his face as he swished it around. Other Donquixote Family executives, such as Rao G. and Diamante, also looked solemn, awaiting their young master's decision.

"What's there to worry about? From the moment he took Trafalgar Law away, we were destined to become his enemies. The banner of the Four Emperors is much more useful than the Seven Warlords of the Sea, fufufufu..."

Although they were laughing, the chilling and resentful tone in their laughter sent shivers down the spines of many Donquixote Family officials.

His hope of immortality was stripped away, he was brutally beaten by the current Fleet Admiral, and the younger brother he killed was the Fleet Admiral's adopted son. He was also exposed to the surveillance of the Five Elders.

This series of good things is all thanks to that current Four Emperors, which makes Doflamingo grit his teeth in hatred.

However, it's not all bad news. Obtaining a seat among the Seven Warlords of the Sea from the Five Elders is much smoother than having to go through all the trouble of hijacking the Heavenly Tribute and threatening the Marine Government.

At the very least, the hidden agents he planted all developed smoothly according to the planned scheme, without any major mishaps.

"How is Monet's plan going?"

"Reporting to the young master, she has successfully Dressrosa the King Riku Royal Family and is gradually gaining their trust, hehehehe!"

When the next plan was mentioned, Trebol's troubled expression vanished, and he looked at the island in the New World, excitedly gesturing wildly.

If the plan succeeds, their young master will officially become the king of a country, and they, as family members, will be regarded as royal officials and enjoy a life of luxury.

"That's good. Let Monet proceed cautiously, and once we get news from Vergo, we'll immediately launch an operation against Dressrosa..."

"The kingdom that belongs to the Donquixote Family will be reclaimed by me Donquixote Doflamingo. For my next plan, I'll have to trouble you with everything, Sugar."

Sitting on the sofa, she inserted five slender fingers into the grapes and ate them bite by bite.

The little girl, with her light blue hair tied in a bob and wearing a bear shawl, nodded silently and swept the grape basket in her hand clean in a whirlwind.

"You are in charge of protecting the safety of the Sugar, Trebol."

"Hehehe, I will absolutely not let anyone hurt Sugar. Even the Four Emperors would be shocked by her abilities!"

At this moment, Doflamingo looked up at the sky, where layers of dark clouds surged from afar toward the New World. His storm was surging into the New World, adding an undercurrent to this treacherous sea.

Meanwhile, in the West Blue, inside a renowned hospital...

The man, dressed in a white coat, was drunk and drinking heavily from a bottle. Whenever someone came to seek medical help, he would be hit with a series of bottles.

"Damn it, wasn't it said that the doctor here was the genius surgeon Hogback, who could cure any patient as long as you paid him? How did he turn out to be a drunkard!"

"Who knows? He's been like this for the past few days, refusing to get treatment even though someone's offering money. What an arrogant bastard..."

Passersby gossiped, and many patients anxiously waiting in line for treatment pleaded, only to be met with Hogback's angry drive-away.

"Get out, get out, get out! What kind of treatment are you offering? What kind of money are you charging? I can't even cure the woman I love, what kind of genius am I..."

In a fit of rage, Hogback smashed all the bottles in his hand until the clinic was a complete mess. Then, he collapsed again in the wrecked clinic, clutching a newspaper and sobbing uncontrollably.

'Famous stage actress Victoria Cindry tragically fell from the stage and died before reaching the hospital...'

"Cindry, Cindry! If I had known it would turn out like this, I should have confessed my feelings to you in front of your fiancé that day. I would never have let you go to that performance. Cindry, waaaaah..."

"Tsk tsk tsk, how pathetic. A man loses the woman he loves before he has even expressed his feelings for her. This kind of Kunai different from losing a companion."

"Only the living lose; death is the eternal truth. Genius surgeon, would you like to make a deal with me where you'll never experience loss again?"

The drunken Hogback raised his head, his pupils behind his black glasses trembling slightly, and pointed shakily at the huge figure.

"The King... Seven Warlords of the Sea, Gecko Moriah!"

A massive shadow loomed over his body, Hogback instantly sobered up. This notorious pirate, whose stories occasionally circulated in the West Blue and who was active throughout the world, was enough to terrify this genius surgeon.

"You can only lose if you live. Once in the New World, a defeat cost me all my crew, so I vowed to create a group of warriors who will never die."

"Genius surgeon Hogback, how about we make a deal? If you help me stitch up those broken corpses of powerful individuals, I will resurrect your beloved woman and have her by your side forever."

A thunderclap suddenly exploded in Hogback's ears. He looked up and stared incredulously at the Seven Warlords of the Sea before him.

"The dead... the dead can be brought back to life? How is that possible? It doesn't make sense in medicine..."

Squeak!

The door was slowly pushed open, and a figure covered in stitches walked in from behind Moonlight Moriah.

"This guy is... how is this possible? This guy wasn't already..."

"With my power, even the dead can come back to life. Join my pirate crew, Hogback, and your beloved woman will awaken from her grave and stay by your side forever."

Behind the sunglasses, his eyes shifted and changed, as if he were back on that day, in the gentle sunlight, when he was sewing a button for himself.

"As you wish, Master."

The following day, shocking news broke in the cemetery: the grave of famous actress Victoria Cindry had been dug up.

Meanwhile, more than twenty years later, Gecko Moriah, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, also set sail for the Grand Line on his Thriller Bark.