It was the late middle of the year 1512, calendar of the sea.
The bounty of the great pirate Donquixote Doflamingo, known as "Heavenly Yaksha," had soared to 647,000,000 Berries.
This was not ten years later; for this era, that bounty was extremely impressive.
Around the same time, Whitebeard's bounty had only just broken the 4 billion Berry mark.
As for Big Mom Charlotte Linlin, and Kaido, their bounties were only around 2 billion Berries apiece.
This was not because Doflamingo was some unbeatable fighter, but primarily because he dared to steal the Heavenly Tribute.
Following this incident, the entire world knew that a Marine Headquarters fleet had engaged in a massive battle with Doflamingo's Donquixote Family in the North Blue.
It was rumored to have been a massive naval battle involving tens of thousands of combatants, where the seas boiled and the earth cracked.
However, no photos were leaked, and the World Economy New Paper offered only bombastic rhetoric without any concrete evidence. All that was known for sure was that a naval battle did occur, but in the most remote waters of the North Blue.
Afterward, Mariejois forcefully declared that all the Heavenly Tribute stolen from the North Blue had been recovered.
However, the main villain, Donquixote Doflamingo, had not been apprehended or slain.
This was the true reason for Doflamingo's astronomical bounty increase.
About half a month after this event had died down, the formal appointment of the Heavenly Yaksha, Donquixote Doflamingo, as one of the Warlords of the Sea immediately caused a global uproar.
So, why did this news explode in popularity?
First: Doflamingo was genuinely formidable. The fact that he dared to steal the Heavenly Tribute was already astounding.
Second: After stealing the Heavenly Tribute, he managed to engage the Marines in a large-scale battle. Although the Marines were victorious and recovered the gold, Doflamingo was neither captured nor killed. On the level of public opinion, he had already proven his strength and capabilities.
Third: At this time, Doflamingo, who had been relatively quiet for years, suddenly emerging made him a celebrity who naturally attracted enormous attention. It was said that pirates and underworld figures across the North Blue, large and small, now idolized Doflamingo. The guy was shrewd. He used the chance to "stage a grand act" with Marine Headquarters—an opportunity personally 'granted' by Diarmuid—to package himself perfectly. He instantly became the undisputed boss of the North Blue's underworld.
He was the idol in the hearts of countless villains.
For example, the future "Hyena" Bellamy grew up hearing Doflamingo's 'great deeds.' Naturally, he regarded Doflamingo as his spiritual leader, later serving him with unwavering loyalty, harboring no resentment even when severely betrayed.
And Bellamy was just one of the many across the North Blue.
In short, Doflamingo's prestige in the North Blue had now reached its absolute peak.
The final point was the Warlord of the Sea title itself, which completely cemented Doflamingo's position.
At present, only one final position remained among the Warlords of the Sea. Thus, people across the seas believed that this last Warlord had to be a figure of true heavyweight status to qualify. Doflamingo occupying this seat was tantamount to Mariejois and Marine Headquarters 'vouching' for his immense significance!
Combining all these factors, Donquixote Doflamingo unquestionably became the "Man of the Year" in the year 1512, dominating the conversation!
Just when everyone thought Doflamingo would strike while the iron was hot, using his newfound prestige to make a big move and establish an even greater enterprise, he surprisingly quieted down. It was as if the person who had led the raid on the Heavenly Tribute in the first half of the year and seized the Warlord of the Sea position in the second half was not him at all.
He remained quietly ensconced in the North Blue, continuously consolidating his power and diligently cultivating his roots in the underworld. It was as if the Warlord of the Sea position was the ultimate goal for him as a pirate, with no intention of causing further trouble.
Most people were baffled. A few more intelligent ones probably guessed that Doflamingo was watching the overall situation, or perhaps waiting for the contention for pirate supremacy in the New World to fully conclude.
Thinking about it, it made sense. Although Doflamingo was the hottest figure of the year, in terms of foundation and influence, he genuinely could not compare to the major powerhouses currently vying in the New World.
Even the one with the shallowest background among them, "White Hunter" Smoker, was one of the inaugural Warlords of the Sea. He commanded the winds and clouds in the New World, shaking the entire situation. He could spend tens or hundreds of billions of Berries with a wave of his hand, and at his command, countless pirate underlings would pledge their lives.
Doflamingo was not bad, but he truly couldn't compare to that!
Of course, this was still only the surface truth. In reality, with Doflamingo's reckless nature—he had killed his own father and dared to steal the Heavenly Tribute—would he be afraid to enter the New World?
If Diarmuid hadn't strictly warned and ordered him not to stir up trouble in the New World at this time, telling him it would only create a headache for him, Doflamingo truly intended to use his Warlord of the Sea identity to join the fray and see if he could gain any advantages.
That's right, the true reason Doflamingo had quieted down was just one thing: Diarmuid wanted him to keep a low profile.
Doflamingo still held Diarmuid in deep awe and respect; he hadn't dared to disregard him just because he'd become a Warlord of the Sea.
The more he interacted with and understood Diarmuid, the more he realized just how ruthless and formidable Diarmuid's methods were.
So now, he planned to use this downtime to exert some extra effort and look for the Dark-Dark Fruit. If he could trade a Devil Fruit for a single promise from Diarmuid, Doflamingo felt it would be a guaranteed profit.
Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters, Marineford.
Diarmuid, cloaked in a Justice coat, was walking briskly down the hallway on the top floor of the Justice Fortress, a Den Den Mushi in hand.
Behind him was his little secretary, Rear Admiral Hina, who was carrying a large pile of documents and quickly following Diarmuid with short, quick steps.
"What in the hell is all this nonsense? I'm about to enter the New World, the Fleet Admiral wants me to take a few people to reinforce that damned Smoker, and you're telling me about 'zombies'? Are you kidding me? Where do I have the time to deal with some 'zombies'?" Diarmuid cursed into the phone.
"Admiral, I'm not kidding! There really are zombies! They're frequently spotted in the waters at the entrance to the first half of the Grand Line. We've received video footage, and I've seen it. They truly look like they can't be cut by swords or stopped by gunfire," quickly responded Rear Admiral Bastille of Marine Headquarters on the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
Bastille, a friend of Hina and known as the "Shark Cutter," preferred to wear a face-obscuring mask. His main weapon was a shark-cutting sword, the Shark Cutter.
The story went that early in his career, he had gotten lost at sea with his warship. The crew nearly starved, and it was Bastille who, with his Shark Cutter, bled into the ocean to attract a large number of sharks. Alone with his blade, he fought and ate the sharks, helping the warship survive the hardest time until rescue arrived. Since then, he had earned the moniker "Shark Cutter" at Headquarters.
In reality, his strength was not exceptionally overpowering, but he certainly wasn't weak. His eventual promotion to Vice Admiral would be considered par for the course.
This man was now a member of Diarmuid's faction, currently responsible for some matters in the first half of the Grand Line.
Diarmuid was utterly bewildered by the news. "What the hell? Zombies? Am I running some kind of Biohazard mission now?"
"Just to ask: Is the danger significant? Has it become widespread? Is it contagious?" Diarmuid asked the Den Den Mushi.
"Widespread? Not quite. But their numbers seem to be growing steadily. Contagion has been ruled out. I've seen a few unlucky pirates who survived a confrontation with the zombies, and they showed no signs of transformation..." Bastille quickly explained.
Diarmuid frowned slightly. "Pirates?"
"Yes, it's strange to say, but these zombies can sail and actively attack pirates... It almost feels like a form of divine retribution," Bastille chuckled.
Diarmuid already had a vague suspicion. Zombies. In this world, there was only one person he knew who dealt with zombies: Gecko Moria.
And coincidentally, Moria had apparently become one of Dragon's people.
Moria and his associates, operating under Dragon's leadership, were at least minimally principled. Aside from causing collateral damage when instigating regime change in various countries, they would not normally harm ordinary civilians.
Now, these zombies were specifically attacking pirates...
This modus operandi was very much in Dragon's style!
Diarmuid truly wouldn't believe it if it wasn't Moria causing trouble.
"Since that rotten bastard's zombies are attacking pirates, why the hell do you care? What? Did a pirate file a police report with you?" Diarmuid cursed into the Den Den Mushi.
Bastille seemed completely unfazed by Diarmuid's tone, as if he were already accustomed to it. After a moment of thought, he asked with some concern, "Admiral, what if they go berserk later on?"
"You deal with it yourself!" Diarmuid replied irritably. He had no time to worry about zombies or non-zombies right now, especially a group of zombies that exclusively attacked pirates—why should the Marines get involved?
However, after a brief pause, Diarmuid considered the matter again. He then said, "I'll have someone look into it for you here. For now, you just monitor the situation. I don't think it'll escalate into some kind of chaotic disaster. Alright, that's all. If there's any news, I'll have someone notify you."
Afterward, Diarmuid hung up the Den Den Mushi.
Hina, who was behind him, asked curiously, "Admiral, what is a zombie?"
"It's a living dead person, like a walking corpse," Diarmuid waved his hand dismissively.
Before Hina could speak, he gave another command: "Contact Agent Robin in the Intelligence Division. Have her investigate whether that rotten bastard Gecko Moria is near the entrance to the first half of the Grand Line. He might even be in Alabasta... I suspect this 'zombie incident' is his doing. Once we get the intel, have the Chief of Staff arrange for someone to analyze it and send it to Bastille."
"Moria's doing?" Hina was slightly surprised.
"Probably," Diarmuid nodded.
But Moria had joined Dragon. Could Hogback still find him? Could they still be cooperating to research "living dead" people?
Were those two insane?
Actually, it was true. Moria was behind this, and Dragon was even orchestrating it.
Hogback's reason for seeking out Moria had nothing to do with him being a pirate or anything else. Hogback didn't care about pirate status; he just wanted to use Moria's power to research the taboo of life and death, so he could revive the actress Cindry, whom he had always coveted.
No one knew how he found Moria, but they truly hit it off.
Dragon's group had suffered considerable losses over the years, especially after the arson attack on Mariejois. The CP organization had relentlessly pursued them, and their casualty numbers had remained high.
When Hogback approached Moria, the latter had an epiphany: If he could create an undying army, it would make any operation much more convenient.
The idea quickly reached Dragon. Dragon had no money and his organization was strapped for cash. The treasures they took from Mariejois couldn't sustain their cause forever.
Therefore, reducing casualties would minimize the cost of survivor benefits. After much hesitation, he approved Moria's experimental creation of this 'zombie army.'
However, Dragon's order to Moria was firm: they absolutely could not let the blame fall on the Revolutionaries.
Because defiling corpses and manipulating life and death were universally reviled. If Dragon weren't so desperate for money, he definitely wouldn't have dared to touch this matter.
Dragon had decided not to create a large force, just a small army, which would operate under a 'black glove' facade. It would be best to pin it on that bastard Crocodile's Baroque Works and have them discreetly handle the most dangerous, challenging attacks in any war...
Therefore, Diarmuid had never expected that because Gecko Moria had joined Dragon's ranks, these people would go and create an undying army...
But it didn't matter. In reality, this kind of thing held virtually no deterrent power against truly strong individuals. Even if he had received the news earlier, he likely wouldn't have taken it seriously.
With a forceful shove, Diarmuid opened the door to the Fleet Admiral's office. He stepped inside and said, "Fleet Admiral, are we making a move? We're not sending troops into the New World according to the plan, right?".