The purpose of the continuous stream of reinforcements was to completely seize and rapidly take control of Doflamingo's captured territories.
Wilder knew that once news of Doflamingo's fall spread, there would be no shortage of vultures looking to pick the carcass clean. Therefore, whether it was to prevent this from happening or to garrison the newly acquired businesses for future operations, this step was absolutely essential.
To distance himself and Morass from the operation, all actions were carried out under the name of Kaneshiro's Red Leaf Company, making them the public "mastermind."
Wilder was confident that when the news of Doflamingo's downfall hit the underworld, all suspicion—regardless of who they thought was truly pulling the strings—would fall on the Red Leaf Company. This made the deployment of troops and resources all the more critical.
And things unfolded just as Wilder had predicted. As the small streams of reinforcements converged into a mighty river, landing on the various islands and taking up positions in Doflamingo's former properties, the underworld bosses finally caught wind of the situation.
The news shocked everyone.
The underworld was thrown into an unprecedented uproar.
What was Doflamingo's position in the underworld? He was the broker, the middleman! For someone to make a move against such a colossal figure... it was unthinkable.
"What the hell is going on? Why did this happen so suddenly, without any warning? And who is this Red Leaf Company?"
The various underground kingpins, lurking in the shadows of their illicit industries, immediately mobilized their forces to investigate.
"It's... just a medicinal herb company!?"
The results of their investigations stunned them all. It was unbelievable.
But soon, new information surfaced. "No, that's not right! It's not just a medicinal herb company. In the past year, the Red Leaf Company's business has expanded beyond herbs. It seems they have some powerful backing. In just one year, they've managed to infiltrate other sectors... and what's more, they were one of Joker's business partners! Why would they do this? Are they trying to get themselves killed!?"
This news was not only shocking but also deeply unsettling. They couldn't make sense of it. It was as if a thick fog obscured the truth, creating a strange and palpable sense of danger.
It felt as though if they reached out to touch it, their hands would be chopped off.
"A sense of danger? Where is this coming from? It's just a company that's barely made a name for itself in the last year. Heh... maybe I've been out of the game for too long, getting soft."
But not everyone was so detached.
Some sneered at the news. "Is this Red Leaf Company suicidal? Daring to make a move on Joker's empire? What do you all think?"
The question was posed in a lavish room, around a large circular table where five men were seated. They were among the most powerful and influential figures in the underworld.
Following the question, a fat man with a scar on his face grinned wickedly, tapping the table rhythmically with fingers adorned with brightly colored gemstone rings.
He was an arms dealer, as were the others in the room.
His tapping stopped. He looked around at the others, then slowly stood up, his body letting out a series of cracks. "I'm going to pay this Red Leaf Company a visit," he said. "Heh heh... according to the files, they're not too far from here. Don't you all want to see for yourselves what kind of person dares to cross Joker?"
"Hmph... we've already seen the files," someone else pointed out.
"Yes, you're right," the fat man nodded, a meaningful and interested smile spreading across his face. "But I want to see their 'heroic' posture in person, you know?"
"Just spit it out. What's your real motive? I'm not buying that nonsense," another man said, glancing at him coolly.
Before the fat man could reply, the first man who had spoken also stood up. He rolled his neck, the silver chain around it glinting. With a smile similar to the fat man's, he said, "Really... anyone who crosses Joker is a dead man. If we go now, we can see what's happening, and maybe even lend a hand if necessary. Joker might even give us a bigger cut of those machine guns. I have to say, fatty, you think fast."
"Hehehe..." The fat man glanced at him but said nothing.
"Then let's go." The others, their interest piqued, also stood up and left the room.
Throughout the underworld, countless people were discussing the Red Leaf Company and Doflamingo's businesses, keeping a close watch on the situation.
At this point, less than five minutes had passed since Doflamingo's defeat by Luffy. The news had not yet spread.
Because of this, when the story broke that the infamous Joker's properties had been attacked and seized by a company called Red Leaf, many wanted to ask Joker himself what was going on. But contacting him was no simple task. As the underworld's primary broker, he wasn't someone you could just call up. In fact, none of the major players had a direct line to him; all communication was done through intermediaries or initiated by Joker himself.
In the office of the Red Leaf Company, Kaneshiro, the public face of the operation, was also monitoring the situation. His Den Den Mushi rang frequently with updates and instructions, all related to the newly acquired properties and the process of integrating them into the Red Leaf brand.
CRASH!
Suddenly, the office door was kicked open, flying off its hinges and slamming into the room. A group of a dozen or so well-dressed, imposing men swaggered in.
Kaneshiro, sitting behind his desk, was startled by the commotion but quickly composed himself. He looked up at the intruders with a calm, frowning expression.
"So this is the boss of Red Leaf. Hmph! Doesn't look like much," the man in the lead, wearing a silver chain, said, his eyes landing on Kaneshiro. He sized him up and scoffed.
The others remained silent, smiling faintly. They made themselves at home, sitting down on the chairs that lined the office walls.
One of them was holding a Visual Den Den Mushi, and with a mischievous grin, he began recording the scene.
The feed was transmitted directly to the various underworld bosses, who watched from afar, many of them letting out their own scoffs and laughs.
"Hahaha! Yeah, he really doesn't look like much."
"Hmm... he's the one who dared to cross Joker? He doesn't look like he has the guts."
Kaneshiro remained composed as the men stormed in and acted as if they owned the place. He met the silver-chained man's taunt with an unconcerned smile and glanced around at the intruders, recognizing each of them.
The man with the silver chain and four others were notorious arms dealers. The rest were also prominent figures in the underworld, with their hands in various illicit businesses.
After surveying the room, Kaneshiro's gaze returned to the man with the silver chain, who was the only one still standing. "Can I help you, gentlemen?" he asked calmly.
Hmm?
His reaction was unexpected. The men's smiles faded slightly. With that simple response, their estimation of Kaneshiro rose a notch.
The silver-chained man, however, just dug a finger in his ear. "I don't know if we have a problem," he sneered, leaning closer to Kaneshiro, "but you certainly do."
"Oh?" Kaneshiro looked at him with an expression of genuine surprise. "And why is that?"
"Why? Heh..." The man's expression soured, but his sneer only deepened. "I have to admit, I'm impressed. You actually dared to make a move on Joker's businesses. But let me ask you, do you have any idea who Joker is in the underworld?"
"I do," Kaneshiro replied with a simple nod.
His response made everyone's heart skip a beat.
Something's not right.
This level of composure could only come from a place of absolute confidence. This wasn't as simple as it seemed.
Even the silver-chained man was momentarily stunned, as if he had just choked on something foul. He didn't know how to react.
But of all the people in the room, his connection to Joker was the strongest. He had profited greatly from their dealings, and he wasn't about to stand by and watch his cash cow get slaughtered.
Hearing Kaneshiro's calm admission, his face contorted in a snarl, and he slammed his fist on the desk.
CRACK!
The corner of the desk shattered into splinters.
"You bastard, do you have a death wish? Joker... is not someone you can touch," he growled, his eyes filled with a dangerous light.
The others nodded in agreement. The underworld bosses watching the feed also agreed.
To all of them, Joker was the cash cow that connected their various interests. They knew how terrifying such a figure could be. Even if Joker didn't act himself, there were plenty of people who would act for him, all to protect their precious source of income.
"Joker?" Kaneshiro's expression finally changed. He looked around at everyone, a strange smile on his face. For some reason, when they saw that smile and met his gaze, a sense of dread washed over them.
"Joker..." Kaneshiro said slowly, his voice laced with a profound meaning, "is having a hard time saving himself right now."
The office fell into a dead silence. Everyone seemed to stop breathing.
They were all stunned. The silver-chained man was the first to recover. His eyes were bloodshot, and he stared at Kaneshiro, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "What do you mean by that?" he demanded.
The others snapped out of their stupor, their eyes all fixed on Kaneshiro.
The underworld bosses watching from afar also held their breath, their eyes glued to the screen.
The implications of that single sentence were enormous, enough to unsettle even these men who were accustomed to the darkness.
Feeling the sharp, murderous gazes on him, Kaneshiro's lips twitched.
He was about to speak when a series of Den Den Mushi began to ring throughout the office. Not just one or two, but seven or eight at the same time.
"What's going on? What a coincidence."
The bosses in the office exchanged surprised glances.
But then, another seven or eight Den Den Mushi began to ring. They all realized something was wrong.
They answered their calls.
"Boss, bad news! Joker... no! Doflamingo has been captured by the Marines!"
"Boss, bad news! Doflamingo—Joker—he's been defeated by Straw Hat Luffy!"
"Boss, bad news..."
The moment the calls connected, similar messages poured from a dozen Den Den Mushi.
Clatter.
A Den Den Mushi fell to the floor, the sound echoing loudly in the silent office.
Wh...
What?
At almost the exact same time, underworld bosses all across the New World received the same news.
Everyone was stunned.
Joker is Doflamingo...
Joker has been captured...
BOOM!
As the reality of the situation sank in, a tidal wave of shock washed over them.
The underworld erupted.
"You...!" In the office, the silver-chained man was the first to recover. He stared at Kaneshiro in utter disbelief.
He was also the quickest to accept the truth. A thousand thoughts raced through his mind. His gaze on Kaneshiro shifted, becoming malicious, filled with murder and greed.
"Well! This is certainly unexpected! You're very well-informed!" he said, then paused, his eyes locking onto Kaneshiro like a predator on its prey.
"And who do you think you are?" he continued. "You think the Red Leaf Company can swallow all of Joker's businesses?"
His words were a naked display of greed.
They also served as a wake-up call to the others in the office and those watching from afar.
Everyone's breathing grew heavy. Their eyes, fixed on Kaneshiro, burned with a fiery greed.
"Can Red Leaf really handle all of it?" someone else chimed in, his voice cold and dangerous.
"That's right! This isn't something Red Leaf can take all for itself. You know how it works. We can all profit peacefully, or... well, you know how that works, too." The threats were blatant, and their eyes were like those of hungry wolves.
"That's right! We should get a piece of this!"
The atmosphere in the office became tense and sharp. The underworld bosses watching the feed held their breath, their eyes glued to the screen.
Just then, Kaneshiro looked up, his gaze sweeping over everyone. His face was impassive, and his voice was completely devoid of emotion as he spoke.