On the other side, the One Piece world had been in turmoil these past few days.
Inside the palace at Dressrosa, the atmosphere was so oppressive it was hard to breathe.
Kaido sat in the head seat, gripping a large jug of sake, taking a fierce swig, his expression savage and ferocious.
His eyes burned with rage, and he was clearly brooding over his recent defeat at the hands of Senju Hashirama in Wano Country.
"Damn that Senju Hashirama... I will absolutely pay him back for this!" Kaido snarled, driving his fist hard into the surface of the table, and the entire palace seemed to shudder.
Doflamingo stood to one side, his face dark, but he could not help forcing out a strained smile.
His heart was already churning like a storm, a torrent of curses running through his mind.
'This madman... since he got beaten, why can't he just quietly hide somewhere? Instead he comes to my turf to run wild! And that Senju Hashirama, if he had the power to beat him, why not just kill him outright? What a nuisance!'
Yet faced with Kaido's overwhelming pressure, Doflamingo did not dare show any sign of displeasure.
He knew he was no match for Kaido whatsoever, and furthermore Kaido was currently in a state of furious rage, where a single misstep could bring disaster down on himself.
"Doffy!" Kaido suddenly turned his head, his gaze cutting toward Doflamingo like a blade.
"How is the progress on the artificial Devil Fruits?"
Doflamingo's heart tightened, but he kept that signature smile on his face.
"Fu fu fu... Mr. Kaido, production of the artificial Devil Fruits has been proceeding steadily. However, recently due to some... external factors, the pace has been slightly affected."
"External factors?" Kaido's voice rose sharply, a flash of killing intent crossing his eyes.
"Are you saying someone dares to interfere with my plans?"
Doflamingo quickly waved his hand and said with a smile, "No no no, just some minor issues I am already in the process of resolving. Please rest assured, the supply of artificial Devil Fruits will absolutely not be interrupted."
Kaido gave a cold snort, clearly not fully satisfied with Doflamingo's answer.
He suddenly stood up, his towering frame imposing as a mountain.
"Doffy, don't think I don't know what you're scheming. If I find out you're pulling tricks behind my back, you know what the consequences will be."
Cold sweat seeped from Doflamingo's forehead, yet he still forced himself to maintain his smile.
"Fu fu fu... Mr. Kaido, you worry too much. We are partners. How could I possibly do anything that would work against you?"
Kaido stared at Doflamingo for a few seconds, then gave a cold snort and settled back into his chair, continuing to drink heavily.
Doflamingo let out a quiet breath of relief, but the fury in his heart blazed ever hotter.
'This madman... he is an absolute time bomb!' Doflamingo cursed inwardly.
'Things can't keep going like this. I have to find a way to get rid of him!'
Mariejois, the center of the World Government's power.
The Five Elders sat at one end of the long table, their faces dark, their gazes sweeping like blades over Roy, Akainu, Aokiji, and Sengoku sitting across from them.
An invisible pressure filled the air, as though a conflict could erupt at any moment.
"The threat of Senju Hashirama can no longer be ignored," one of the Five Elders said coldly.
"His existence has already seriously undermined the authority of the World Government. We must take action and resolve him once and for all!"
Sengoku sat to one side, his hands folded on the table, his expression calm.
He spoke slowly.
"Senju Hashirama's power far exceeds our estimates. Rash action will only cause unnecessary losses. I believe what matters most right now is gathering more intelligence, not launching into battle carelessly."
Akainu sat with his legs crossed, clearly unimpressed by the Five Elders' orders.
"Senju Hashirama is indeed a nuisance, but the Navy has more important matters to attend to right now. If the World Government wants to deal with him, you are welcome to do it yourselves."
Akainu had already set his sights on Whitebeard.
Aokiji lazily slouched back in his chair and gave a yawn.
"Eh... a monster like Senju Hashirama isn't something you can just send a few people to take care of."
The Five Elders' expressions grew increasingly ugly, clearly having not anticipated that the Navy would take such a firm stance.
One of them slammed a hand on the table and rose furiously.
"What kind of attitude is this?! The Navy is a subordinate organization of the World Government. Are you trying to defy our orders?!"
Sengoku's brow furrowed slightly, his tone still calm.
"Five Elder Stars, why do you say that? The threat of Senju Hashirama is real, but we must proceed with caution."
The Five Elders, listening to the exchange between the three men, wore expressions that grew ever more unpleasant, anger flickering in their eyes.
Yet they also knew full well that the Navy's power was now far too great: Sengoku, Garp, and three Admirals, so many Admiral-class powerhouses together meant that even the World Government sometimes had to exercise a measure of restraint.
Fortunately, just as this standoff held, the door to the meeting room was slowly pushed open.
A figure quietly walked in, and the moment this person appeared, Roy and the others immediately turned to look.
Roy raised an eyebrow slightly, a flash of surprise crossing his eyes, for the one who had entered was none other than Greenbull.
Akainu and the others also raised their eyebrows, for though this man was not part of the Navy, his strength had earned him a degree of notoriety across the whole sea.
Greenbull's heart, however, was full of resentment.
Not long ago, Senju Hashirama had attacked Mariejois, and in the aftermath the World Government had launched a large-scale investigation, and as a user of the Mori Mori no Mi he naturally became a primary suspect.
During that period, he had relied on his own formidable strength to evade capture time and again.
In the end, under the immense pressure and temptation of the World Government, he chose to compromise and became the leader of CP0.
Now, he walked into the meeting room, his gaze sweeping over everyone present.
Upon seeing Greenbull, the Five Elders could not help but let a trace of pride show on their faces.
In their eyes, Greenbull was enormously powerful, his combat ability in their assessment not far behind that of an Admiral-class fighter.
With Greenbull now joining CP0, the World Government had undeniably added a powerful enforcer to its ranks, and this gave them one more measure of confidence when facing their many thorny problems.
"I want to go after Senju Hashirama," Greenbull said suddenly.
Upon hearing this, the Five Elders nodded in turn, for they were well aware of Greenbull's strength, and they looked forward to him rendering a great service to the World Government in this battle.
"This is..."
A flash crossed Fleet Admiral Sengoku's eyes, for he was no stranger to Greenbull, as a powerful lone-wolf fighter whom the Navy had long been monitoring, though he had not expected the World Government to have pulled him over to their side.
Just then, Greenbull's gaze suddenly locked onto Roy.
His eyes turned sharp in an instant.
Greenbull sensed an aura emanating from Roy that he found deeply disagreeable, stirring an inexplicable irritation in his heart.
Roy naturally noticed Greenbull's gaze as well, and felt a slight stir within, musing quietly to himself, 'Is it the Wood Release on my body?'