Chapter 192: Restlessness
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku!"
A Marine soldier entered the office, saluted, then took out a tightly sealed document.
"This is a document from the World Government. They said they hope you will take a look at it."
"Leave it there. I'll read it later."
"Yes, sir."
The soldier placed the document on the desk and left.
Only after finishing the work in his hands did Sengoku rub his eyes and finally open the document.
At first, his expression remained calm.
But the more he read, the tighter his brow became.
Judging from the change in his face, the matter recorded inside was clearly not good news.
The document contained a detailed account of the incident involving Axel.
After the incident, the World Government had abandoned its plan to continue investigating Axel directly. Instead, they had tossed the troublesome matter to Sengoku.
Sengoku could not help rubbing the space between his brows.
His headache worsened almost instantly.
A full day of exhausting paperwork could not compare to the fatigue brought by this single document.
"That brat again," Sengoku muttered. "And this time, he's even involved with Pluton... He really never gives anyone a moment of peace."
When Sengoku first saw Axel, he had thought the boy was a quiet, cute child. That impression had even made him consider taking Axel in as a disciple.
Who would have thought the boy would turn out to be just like Garp in the end?
Still, reading was one thing. Sengoku would not blindly believe everything the World Government said.
From this incident, he could at least deduce one thing: the World Government had been secretly investigating Pluton.
That alone meant the matter required a far more detailed investigation.
As for Axel tricking the World Government's side, Sengoku did not think that part was too serious. Garp had done similar things more than once. If necessary, Sengoku could simply shove that headache onto Garp.
But Pluton was different.
If Pluton truly reappeared in the world, the fragile balance that had barely been maintained through the creation of the Seven Warlords system would collapse at once.
The world would be thrown into chaos again.
And Sengoku, as Fleet Admiral of the Marines, would never allow that to happen.
"Call Rear Admiral Sicily here."
...
"Young Master! Young Master!"
A man draped in a thick cloak hurried forward. He wore sunglasses, had a filthy, slovenly appearance, messy hair, and two streams of snot hanging from his nose. In his hand was a cane marked with the club symbol.
He rushed toward a man reclining on a lounge chair, basking in the sun.
The newcomer was Trebol, the highest-ranking executive of the Donquixote Family's Club Army.
And the man he called Young Master was naturally Doflamingo.
Doflamingo paid no attention to Trebol's flustered appearance. He only leaned lazily in his chair, his gaze hidden behind his sunglasses.
No one knew where he was looking.
Trebol rushed over and did not even pause to catch his breath before speaking.
"Young Master, Pluton has appeared! This is the intelligence!"
"Hmm?"
Doflamingo's brow furrowed slightly, then relaxed.
He reached out and took the report from Trebol's hand.
After a while, Doflamingo lowered the document.
Trebol finally asked, "Young Master, do you think it's true?"
Doflamingo let out a low, cold chuckle.
The sound was enough to send a chill down the spine.
"Do you think those rotten old men in the World Government would do nothing after obtaining Pluton?" he said. "Do you think they would let news like this leak?"
He smiled.
"The moment they get their hands on Pluton, they won't need the so-called Seven Warlords to maintain balance anymore. The current hypocritical balance would collapse completely."
His voice carried a strange excitement.
"Then the world would welcome a grand spectacle. And the first ones to suffer would probably be us, the shackles used to maintain that balance. Hehehehe..."
Hearing Doflamingo say this, Trebol seemed to understand.
"Young Master means this news is fake?"
"No. Quite the opposite."
Doflamingo's fingers tapped lightly against the armrest.
"Pluton should have truly appeared. It simply isn't in the hands of the World Government. Otherwise, they would never allow this information to spread."
His grin widened.
"If I were the World Government, and I obtained something like Pluton, I would kill every person who knew the news. I would slaughter everyone on Water 7 to prevent any leak, slowly accumulate strength, then wipe out every remaining obstacle in one stroke."
He spoke of slaughter in a casual tone, smiling as though he were discussing something ordinary.
Trebol showed no particular reaction.
This was his Young Master.
This was Doflamingo.
Only someone like this was fit to become king. Trebol had personally witnessed Doflamingo kill his own father, and it was precisely that charisma, that ruthless will, that drew him to the Donquixote Family.
"Then, Young Master, who do you think has Pluton?"
"That kid."
"Kid?"
"Yes. The kid who knows about our plan. The one named Axel."
Doflamingo looked down at the report again.
"From this intelligence, it seems they deliberately avoided mentioning anything related to that child. But do you know something, Trebol?"
His smile turned sharper.
"A person's danger cannot be hidden. The more someone tries to conceal something, the more it is exposed. This cover-up was dressed up to look natural, but it can't fool my eyes."
Those eyes had seen too much darkness.
Anything rooted in evil could not escape his perception.
"Then we should capture that kid and force out Pluton's whereabouts," Trebol said. "That would also stop him from leaking our plan."
Doflamingo raised one hand slightly.
The meaning was clear.
No.
"To be honest, I'm more surprised that Vergo hasn't been exposed yet."
His voice became slower.
"Is it because that little brat has some scheme? Is he afraid to become my enemy? Or..."
The temperature around him seemed to drop.
"Has Vergo betrayed me?"
When Doflamingo spoke the word betrayed, Trebol clearly felt the air turn cold, sharp as frost.
"I don't think Vergo has any reason to betray you, Young Master," Trebol said. "Otherwise, he wouldn't have reported this."
That explanation made Doflamingo laugh instead.
"Hehehe... I suppose Vergo wouldn't dare."
Then his expression changed in an instant.
"If he does dare to betray me, I'll let that traitor taste betrayal himself."
The coldness faded, and Doflamingo leaned back again.
"But now is not the time to capture that brat."
"The time?"
"If he were so easy to capture, would the World Government let such a chance slip away? I don't believe it. There must be some intelligence I don't know, and that intelligence is exactly why the World Government hasn't acted."
Doflamingo's voice turned lazy again.
"Trebol, send people to investigate immediately."
"Yes, sir!"
Trebol nodded quickly, then asked, "If that brat turns out to be easy to capture, do we act?"
"Act."
Doflamingo's answer was immediate.
"But regardless of the outcome, once the investigation is complete, leak a message to the Underworld."
He smiled.
"Pluton is on Enies Lobby."
"But Young Master just said Pluton isn't in the World Government's hands."
What Trebol truly wanted to ask was simple.
Then what was the point of spreading that message?
Doflamingo lay back on the lounge chair and laughed.
"That's exactly what makes it interesting."
His laughter grew deeper.
"Making the World Government swallow a bitter pill in silence is a rare show. Besides, a calm sea is boring."
He lifted his head slightly, his grin wild beneath the sunlight.
"Stirring the tranquil sea into waves again... isn't that interesting?"
"Hehehehe…"
.....
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