"Marine lapdogs! Just hearing Mr. Kaido's name scared them into wetting their pants!"
The surrounding pirates immediately erupted in thunderous laughter, their contempt for the Marines echoing throughout Onigashima.
Amid that uproar-
"Pururururu... pururururu..."
The urgent ringing of a Den Den Mushi suddenly cut through the air, instantly drowning out all the laughter.
Everyone's eyes turned toward a pirate lackey, who was fumbling with a Den Den Mushi wearing flamingo sunglasses.
The moment they saw that Den Den Mushi, the air froze.
Joker.
Kaido's bleary, drunken expression turned impatient. He snatched the Den Den Mushi's receiver and roared into it, "Doflamingo! You'd better have something important! If anything's gone wrong with the SMILE deal, I'll come twist your head off myself!"
There was a moment of silence on the other end, followed by Doflamingo's amused voice.
"Fufufu... Mr. Kaido, don't be so impatient. The SMILE supply is steady. I called to tell you something more interesting."
"One of your subordinate pirate crews was... wiped out on my turf."
Kaido frowned, unconcerned. "Trash dies. So what? You called me over something this trivial?"
"Fufufu..." The laughter from the Den Den Mushi grew more teasing. "What if I told you the person who did it was... the Marines' newly appointed Fourth Admiral, War Demon?"
The instant those words fell, a chill swept across the entire plaza.
The deafening laughter stopped as though severed by an invisible blade, and every expression froze.
The wind swept across the plaza, carrying a bone-piercing chill. The air, filled moments ago with raucous laughter and the smell of alcohol, now grew thin and heavy, making it hard to breathe. The pirates who had been jeering stood like statues, their smiles not yet faded, but their eyes already filled with shock and doubt.
"Joker... you bastard..."
A low