Several Marine soldiers dragged Vergo—former Vice Admiral and Donquixote undercover agent—down for urgent medical treatment and further interrogation.
Of course, Vergo would inevitably be convicted.
Unfortunately, it was already too late for mere interrogation.
Hot, bubbling magma flowed continuously, seeping from the cracks in the ground.
A Marine officer rushed in and saluted sharply. "Report! Marshal Sakazuki! We've confirmed that the shipwreck off Punk Hazard was a staged operation orchestrated by Vergo to facilitate the kidnapping of children for Caesar Clown's experiments!"
Carl sat calmly nearby, tapping his fingers lightly on the armrest.
"Well, it's called 'Gluttony,' but in essence, you can think of it like a 'Pacifista' I developed," Carl explained lightly, waving his hand dismissively. "Strictly speaking, it isn't truly a living creature."
He shrugged casually. "That's how it is…"
Akainu's face darkened. "Caesar Clown, the Donquixote Family, samurai from Wano, and the 'Surgeon of Death,' Trafalgar Law…" he muttered grimly.
"That's right~" Kizaru added exaggeratedly, pursing his lips in his trademark lazy tone. "That brat Law… he's got the same dangerous potential that Whitebeard had back in his youth~."
Many powerful figures were now eyeing Punk Hazard because of the events that transpired.
Carl continued summarizing what had happened on Punk Hazard—human experiments, Caesar's chemical weapons, the artificial devil fruits (SMILE), the alliances forming in the shadows.
Footsteps echoed through the hallway.
Though Carl didn't elaborate on every detail, the implication was clear: the old men of the Gorosei were well aware but deliberately silent.
Sakazuki sat stiffly behind his wide desk, the thick tension in the air making the sofa where Carl and the admirals sat feel cramped.
If they couldn't pry open Vergo's mouth, they would have to dig for solid evidence elsewhere.
Kizaru glanced nonchalantly at the prototype "Gluttony" placed in a reinforced chamber nearby. "It really does resemble that Kaido guy~" he commented lazily, observing the beast-like construct.
Virgo, despite his heavy injuries, barely managed to lift his eyelids and glance forward.
This so-called 'Eastern Dragon' form… across the seas, only Kaido was known for it among pirates.
Sakazuki furrowed his brow deeply. "It seems there's more hidden beneath this abandoned island than we thought…"
Indeed, it was all happening right under Marine's nose.
"Well~ but Carl's done a good job this time, hasn't he? Wiped out most of the Donquixote family operations in one swoop~," Kizaru continued with a pout. "And Law smoothly joined the Shichibukai system too."
"Shut up!"
The entire room froze as an oppressive force burst from Akainu's body, making the interrogation room tremble as if it were caught in a volcanic eruption.
This was the Office of the Marshal—the heart of Marine Headquarters.
The sea was calm on the surface, but like always, treacherous currents brewed below.
In the strained silence, it was Kizaru who first spoke again, being Carl's direct superior and thus having the closest relationship.
Meanwhile, Vergo coughed violently, straining against his binds, trying desperately to expel something hidden in his mouth.
Even Sakazuki, a man of severe discipline, couldn't hide his curiosity as he watched Vergo's contorted struggle.
Vergo's face twisted unnaturally, his instincts telling him to resist—but in the end, he couldn't help but blurt out: "Yes!"
"Oh~ Carl, the big guy you dragged back is really something," Kizaru rubbed his chin, observing the massive "Gluttony" creation.
An eerie silence hung heavily.
Now, Akainu was burning with silent fury.
Carl, naturally, raised an eyebrow without the slightest surprise.
"Let's go, come see something interesting," Carl said, the corners of his mouth curling into an amused smile.
He motioned towards Vergo, still tied tightly to the interrogation rack.
Whip marks crisscrossed Vergo's body—the scars left by Marine's intense 'persuasion'.
However, the harshest methods still belonged to the Cipher Pol (CP0) agencies, hidden and deadly.
The only sound in the interrogation room was Vergo's strained voice.
"All the intel I passed on… all to Doflamingo…"
Carl glanced at Akainu, gauging his reaction.
"Come in!" Akainu finally barked when another knock sounded at the door.
After all, it was only natural that Doflamingo's insidious operations commanded attention at the highest levels.
"I joined the Marines nearly 20 years ago… under Doflamingo's direct orders!" Vergo confessed, shaking uncontrollably.
If not for the pressure from the old men of the Gorosei, Carl was sure there would already be someone ensuring Vergo 'disappeared'.
"From the bottom of my heart, I can feel it," Fujitora said solemnly, gripping his cane-sword.
"We extracted Vergo and interrogated him for over half an hour…" he added. "But without additional methods…"
Rumor had it that the Eastern Dragon's bones could be refined into an elixir of immortality—an absurd but terrifying idea.
"Cough…" Carl coughed lightly, "It's not a big deal."
Akainu's expression darkened further. "Right under our noses… and we didn't realize it…"
Carl grinned wickedly, squeezing Vergo's chin and forcing his mouth open. With a quick flick, he tossed a small pill inside.
"I see…" Akainu muttered after a long pause. "So it's some kind of weapon?"
At that moment, a desperate voice shouted as the door flung open, "Marshal Sakazuki! I was wronged! I swear I'm not with the Donquixote Family!"
Vergo struggled pitifully on the metal rack.
There would still be many, many more reports to prepare after today.
Carl rolled his eyes, thinking that with a coward like Vergo, facing three Admirals in person—there was no way he could resist.
Even after rescue and hours of interrogation, Vergo had clung stubbornly to silence—until now.
"Although it's said that 'Gluttony' has a primitive form of wisdom, it has no real emotions," Carl explained. "Think of it like the Pacifista project—programmed obedience with adaptive thought."
"'Pacifista'…"
"That's right," Akainu nodded grimly and then folded his arms, shifting his sharp gaze toward Carl. "You did well this time. If not for pressure from the top brass…"
Once he started speaking, Vergo couldn't stop. It was like a dam breaking. Everything he had done for Doflamingo over the past 20 years spilled out uncontrollably.
"This thing is called a Truth Serum Pill," Carl explained leisurely, smiling as he watched Vergo's confession unfold. "As the name suggests, it forces the one who ingests it to speak nothing but the truth."
Akainu, Kizaru, and Fujitora all fell into heavy thought at that revelation.
"I helped Doflamingo establish the Donquixote Family 31 years ago!" Vergo sobbed.
It was only a matter of time before this incident propelled Carl even higher up the Marine ranks.
Dong dong—
The heavy sound of another knock echoed again, signaling that this was far from over.
After all, Punk Hazard was the first gateway to the New World still nominally under the control of the former World Government.
"He kept insisting he wasn't part of the Donquixote Family!"
"Don't waste time," Carl waved his hand lazily while sitting deeply into the leather sofa.
Anyone who knew the truth would naturally be intrigued.
"Well, whatever," Carl muttered, pulling a spherical seastone pill from his pocket and walking in front of Vergo.
Fleet Admiral Sakazuki (Akainu) shifted his sharp gaze toward him. "What are you planning, Carl?"
Carl, Akainu, Kizaru, and Fujitora had all entered the interrogation room together.
"Well then, Carl, your report takes top priority," Sakazuki said gravely, tapping his fingers rhythmically.
They had even managed to capture Doflamingo's subordinate Vergo alive—good job!
But comparing him to someone like Whitebeard…
However, the beast now resting in Punk Hazard resembled a western dragon, more than a simple lizard.
Carl's face twitched slightly. "Okay, old man, just ask what you want already. No need for all this drama."
The Gluttonous Demon Dragon's massive body practically filled the entire open square outside.
Vergo's voice cut off abruptly, like a duck being strangled mid-quack.
Kizaru and Carl mirrored each other's posture, legs crossed arrogantly—Carl even chewing lazily on a thick cigar.
For example, the once-mythical creature known as the Millennium Dragon, which had indeed existed in certain areas.
Seriously irritating!
Of course, the rage wasn't just emotional, it was tactical too.
"Well then, ask away," Carl clapped his hands crisply, impatient but composed.
Just like how he viewed the Pacifista Project—if it helped eliminate pirates, then any weapon was a good weapon!
Thanks to Carl's actions, so many unique abilities and tools had been reclaimed!
There was no chance of letting Doflamingo walk free after this.
"Anyway, let's move this back to the command office first," Sakazuki ordered calmly. "As for this 'Gluttony', just leave it secured outside."
Step, step.
Then, in a low growl, he asked, "So Carl, what's the background of this huge monster?"
Solid evidence was finally at hand now.
Carl's mission to Punk Hazard hadn't only retrieved the powerful 'Gluttony' creature.
But the atmosphere inside the room grew steadily heavier.
The only place massive enough to hold the dragon comfortably was this square at Marineford.
"Ah? You noticed~" Kizaru scratched his head with a fake-innocent grin.
"Vergo, you were Doflamingo's plant inside Marine HQ, weren't you?" Akainu asked, his tone deadly cold.
"H-Hmm…" Vergo's pupils shrank, but he still kept shaking his head frantically.
Honestly, Marine's so-called 'torture' techniques were much more professional than cruel.
This was a huge scandal—tying a Vice Admiral and a Warlord of the Sea together.
But it had taken too long to uncover it.
Then, Fujitora stepped forward, calmly adding his report: "The 'Joker' Buggy, whom I approached personally, has formally accepted the World Government's invitation to rejoin the Seven Warlords system."
Only Fujitora maintained a proper upright posture among the chaotic room.
In his perception, the demonic beast nearby radiated a suffocating, overpowering aura!
Carl's face flushed slightly, embarrassed by the mess, feeling the heat rising up his neck.
"Yeah," Carl added quietly, "plus, it's incredibly strong."
"The filth that pollutes the seas… Stop your lies!" Akainu's glare sharpened into a killing intent.
But in the depths of his stern gaze, a glimmer of satisfaction flickered for a second.
Carl's mouth twitched sideways; in his memory, Edward Weevil really was ridiculously powerful.
"Hmph—" A low, threatening rumble escaped the throat of the captured Gluttony.
Wasn't it obvious?
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