The Grand Line, Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
"Apologies, Sengoku. We let them get away again."
Vice Admiral Tsuru's calm but heavy voice emanated from the Golden Den Den Mushi on the desk. Hearing this, Fleet Admiral Sengoku couldn't help but pinch the bridge of his nose, a massive headache already forming.
"Have they truly grown this powerful?" Sengoku asked, genuine shock bleeding into his voice. "Even with the three of you mobilized together as a unified front, you couldn't prevent their escape?"
"Yes. Their combat strength absolutely cannot be underestimated," Tsuru reported clinically. "Their captain, Bardock, is perfectly proficient in all three types of Haki. I highly suspect he has already mastered Future Sight via Observation Haki, and during our clash, it was glaringly obvious he was still holding back his true destructive potential. The 'Thunder God' Enel possesses movement speed that rivals Borsalino's, with raw attack power that might even exceed it; he is incredibly troublesome to pin down. As for Daz Bonez... even Gion was completely unable to secure a victory against him in the time we had."
Tsuru paused for a moment before delivering the most frustrating detail. "Furthermore, their crew possesses a high concentration of Devil Fruit users with terrifying utility. Specifically, a tiny Tontatta who appears to possess the legendary Heal-Heal Fruit. Her presence alone completely shifted our overwhelming numerical advantage into a severe battle of attrition..."
After listening to the Great Staff Officer's debrief, Sengoku fell into a heavy, oppressive silence. After a long moment, he asked the question that mattered most. "What are our casualty numbers?"
Tsuru glanced out of her tent toward the massive triage zone set up in the ruins. "We are still finalizing the count. The number of injured is staggering, but miraculously, the actual fatalities are incredibly low. I will transmit a detailed battle report back to Headquarters shortly. Additionally... Donquixote Doflamingo was also heavily injured and knocked completely unconscious during the battle."
"Dammit! This time, we absolutely must issue official bounties for them!" Sengoku cursed, slamming his fist on the desk before quickly shifting his focus. "Wait, what happened to Doflamingo?"
Tsuru briefly summarized the Heavenly Yaksha's sudden appearance, his attempt to trap them all in his Birdcage, and his subsequent, humiliating one-shot defeat at the hands of Bardock. She then offered a sharp tactical suggestion: "Regarding Doflamingo's absolute failure... perhaps we can leverage this exact incident to strip him of his Warlord of the Sea title. According to the World Government's own foundational doctrines, a defeated pirate who can no longer act as an overwhelming deterrent to other pirates is fundamentally unfit to serve as a Warlord."
"Doflamingo..." Sengoku clenched his jaw tightly. "I'm afraid the political blackmail securing his appointment isn't that simple to undo, Tsuru. But I will certainly present this argument to the Five Elders and try!"
Sengoku let out a long, exhausted sigh. "As for Bardock and his crew... we will have to put them on the back burner for now. Ever since 'Red-Haired' Shanks officially crossed into the New World, the power dynamic there has become incredibly volatile. Between Whitebeard, Big Mom, Kaido, and Wang Zhi... the entire New World is boiling over into absolute chaos. Headquarters has to immediately deploy a massive amount of personnel and battleships to monitor those monsters. We simply don't have the spare combat strength to send elite reinforcements to the North Blue to hunt one rookie crew. Consider them incredibly lucky!"
Hearing this, Tsuru couldn't help but sigh softly into the receiver. The seas were genuinely becoming more chaotic by the day. Compared to Bardock's crew, those monstrous emperors currently tearing up the New World were undeniably a far more pressing, apocalyptic concern for global stability.
However, Tsuru knew perfectly well that once Bardock's crew eventually crossed the Red Line into the New World, they would instantly become yet another apex predator in an already overcrowded tank. It was a profound pity the Navy simply couldn't spare the manpower to completely crush them in the cradle right now.
Ending the call, Tsuru exited her command tent and walked back toward the primary triage zone. The critically injured Marines had already been stabilized by the medical team. However, at the edge of the camp, Vice Admirals Gion and Tokikake were currently locked in a highly tense, hostile standoff with a new group of arrivals.
"Give the Young Master back to us immediately!" "Marines! Are you trying to blatantly violate the World Government's treaties?!" "Doffy is an officially recognized Warlord of the Sea! I strongly advise you not to act recklessly!"
The interlopers were the top Executives and core members of the Donquixote Family, who had finally arrived at Flevance on the Numancia Flamingo. Seeing their invincible Young Master currently heavily bandaged, unconscious, and actively detained inside a Marine medical tent, they were frantic and completely furious.
"Shut your mouths, you absolute scum!" Gion snapped, her knuckles turning white as she forcefully resisted the intense, burning urge to draw Konpira and slice them all into bloody ribbons. "If it weren't for the political immunity of that Warlord title shielding you, do you seriously think trash like you would even have the right to breathe the same air as me?! Get out of my sight!"
Trebol and the other Executives obviously weren't going to back down and abandon Doflamingo, but they absolutely didn't dare to launch an unprovoked attack, either. This was Vice Admiral Tsuru's elite task force—they would be slaughtered in seconds! They could only stand their ground, continuing to shout angrily and demand his immediate release.
Just as Gion's patience completely snapped and she reached for her hilt, Tsuru smoothly intervened, stepping between the furious Vice Admiral and the pirate Executives.
"Doflamingo is suffering from critical internal injuries," Tsuru stated calmly, her face a mask of perfect, grandmotherly politeness. "He desperately needs absolute quiet to recover. Could I kindly ask you to stop screaming and disturbing my patients?"
"We have our own highly skilled doctors on our ship," Trebol sneered, completely unfooled by the Great Staff Officer's polite facade. His slimy tone was firm. "Hand Doffy over to us."
"We can discuss his transfer once he naturally regains consciousness," Tsuru replied dismissively.
Without giving them another second of her time, she turned her back on the furious Executives and walked away, completely ignoring their ensuing string of enraged protests and threats.
However, the moment Tsuru stepped back inside the medical tent and out of sight, she immediately turned to the chief Marine doctor.
"Administer a massive, continuous dose of heavy sedatives directly into his IV line," she ordered coldly, glancing at the unconscious Heavenly Yaksha.
Until Sengoku officially delivered the Five Elders' final verdict on his Warlord status, Doflamingo absolutely wouldn't be waking up anytime soon.
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