Chapter 68: A Flexible Response
(A short time earlier, on the Marine warship near Dressrosa...)
The wind howled as the warship cut through the waves. The tropical kingdom of Dressrosa was now a clear silhouette on the horizon, the coastline dyed blood-red in the setting sun, as if signaling the coming storm.
At the bow, Roy stood silently, his white "Justice" coat snapping in the wind, his gaze locked on the kingdom, his presence as steady as a mountain.
Footsteps approached. Gion walked up beside him, her Marine uniform fluttering, her boots making a crisp sound on the deck.
"Report finished?" Roy asked, his voice calm, not turning his head.
Gion nodded. "Mhm. Headquarters just replied."
She paused, her expression complicated, a helpless smile on her face.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku took the call personally. He was briefing Vice Admiral Tsuru and the other top brass... but—" she sighed. "Vice Admiral Garp interrupted, and... well, the conversation went off the rails."
Roy raised an eyebrow. "I did ask the old man to look after the kids before I left..." He turned to her. "What did he say this time?"
Gion cleared her throat, then put on a loud, boisterous voice, her impression of Garp perfect: "Hey! Gion! If that brat Roy can't handle it, tell him to call me! I'll go over there myself! I've been wanting to catch a dragon to see what they taste like!!"
Roy: "..."
Gion couldn't hold back her laugh. "The Fleet Admiral slammed his desk, of course. He roared, 'GARP!! SHUT UP!! The New World is a warzone! We don't have forces to spare so you can go 'catch' KAIDO!'"
"And you know what he said back?"
"'I can take on three of him! I'll bring him back and display him in your office!!'"
"Pfft—"
Roy finally broke, covering his face. "That's... that's Grandpa Garp, alright. His train of thought is as unique as ever."
Gion smiled and shook her head, her voice turning serious again. "In the end, the Fleet Admiral made the call."
"The situation in the New World is too complex. HQ can't spare any more forces. The official order is... 'We are to judge the situation and respond flexibly.'"
Roy raised an eyebrow. "'Respond flexibly'?"
"That's right." Gion nodded, then added, "Which basically means, since you're here, even if Kaido does show up, we can always warp away if we can't win..."
"And just before he hung up, Vice Admiral Garp added one last thing: 'If you can win, win. If you can't win, come back, get more men, and then go back and win!'"
After a short silence, Roy's lips curled into a sharp, dangerous smile, his eyes flashing.
"Heh... So he's telling me... to do whatever I want."
Gion looked at him, at the undeniable fighting spirit now burning in his eyes, and sighed, "What is the Fleet Admiral thinking...? Letting you 'do whatever you want'...? You're going to uproot this entire kingdom."
At that, Roy's smile vanished. He stared at the approaching port, his voice low and powerful.
"Relay the order—"
"All hands, battle stations. Prepare to land!"
"SIR!!" The Marines on deck roared, their morale soaring as they scrambled to their positions.
Gion just watched his back, her gaze distant.
"Doflamingo..." she whispered. "This time... you're not getting away."
Dressrosa - The Port
The wind carried the smell of smoke. The warship's gangplank slammed onto the dock, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Roy and Gion walked down, side-by-side, their faces cold. Behind them, a full-strength unit of elite Marines fanned out, their rifles and blades ready.
Across from them, the entire Donquixote Family was assembled.
The slimy Trebol was hunched over. The massive, mountain-like Pica stood silent. Diamante gripped his sword, his eye twitching. Senor Pink, Lao G, Gladius, Buffalo, Jora... all of them were there, their faces tense, their killing intent barely masking their obvious fear.
And at the very front, his pink feather coat flapping, stood Doflamingo, that taunting smile on his face, his eyes behind his sunglasses as venomous as a snake's.
"Fufufufu..." His voice was low and gravelly. "A Marine Rear Admiral... visiting Dressrosa. What, are you here for the tourist sights?"
Roy didn't answer. His cold gaze swept over their ranks.
"The whole family's here?" he scoffed. "Looks like you're really planning to put up a fight."
His eyes flashed, and the executives who had been on Minion Island—the ones who had seen him execute Vergo—instinctively took a step back.
"It's... it's him..."
"That monster... he's really here..."
Roy's gaze finally settled on Doflamingo, a cold smile on his face. "Stop pretending, little flamingo."
"The moment I stepped on this island, my Observation Haki sensed it all. You, controlling King Riku, forcing him to burn his own city."
"So, tell me. Are you going to put on the cuffs yourself—"
"Or am I going to have to pluck you, and then put them on you?"
The air went dead silent.
The Donquixote Family's faces went pale. Gion's hand tightened on her sword hilt, her eyes blazing. "Controlling a king, slaughtering his own people... So the evidence was true. You really are scum, Doflamingo."
Doflamingo's smile twitched. "I am one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea," he snarled, "recognized by the World Government! What right do you have to question me?!"
Roy tilted his head, his voice full of mockery. "A Warlord?"
He took a step forward. "You think that title... is a 'get out of jail free' card for destroying a country, little flamingo?"
Doflamingo's pupils shrank, his fingers twitching as his strings began to hum in the air!
"ROY!! Don't think for a second I'm afraid of you!! The one backing me is—"
"Kaido, right?"
Roy interrupted him, a playful, terrifying smile on his face.
He raised his hand... and snapped his fingers.
Snap!
In the next instant, space itself seemed to tear open.
"BOOOOOM!!!"
A massive, mountain-like body, covered in blood, its face a swollen, pulpy mess, its proud tusks shattered, was warped from Roy's personal holding and smashed into the pavement right in front of Doflamingo.
It was Jack the Drought.
Doflamingo's face went white. His sunglasses fell from his face, his eyes wide with pure, undiluted terror.
"H-How... is this... possible...?!"
"You... you even took down... one of Kaido's... All-Stars...?"
Roy looked down on him, his voice flat. "Now... do you have any other 'backers' you'd like to call on?"
The port was silent. The Donquixote Family was frozen in terror.
Doflamingo's fists were clenched so tight his nails were digging into his palms.
Roy began to walk forward, his aura like a collapsing mountain, each step a hammer blow to their hearts.
Gion stood with the troops, her hand on her sword, ready to unleash the first strike.
The silence before the battle was as heavy... as the final second before a death knell.
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