Chapter 155: The Storm In Dressrosa
As one of the three major forces on the Grand Line widely recognized as the Seven Warlords, any disturbance could attract the attention of many people. Reporters from multiple newspaper companies, such as the World Economic Newspaper, fully utilized their elusive skills to gather relevant intelligence at the first moment, quickly publishing it as articles.
Even a dock porter willing to spend fifty Beli to buy the latest World Economic Newspaper could witness the world’s changes: the Seven Warlords’ members changed again, Crocodile was beaten down into the dust, and Cavendish, the darling of multiple newspapers known as the White Horse, joined the Seven Warlords.
“Ah!!! So beautiful! Lord Cavendish is really too gorgeous!”
“I can hardly breathe, aaah! Lord Cavendish!!!”
Frenzied screams echoed in the corner of the tavern.
However, no one dared to approach and warn these crazy women. Even a mid-level leader of the infamous Donquixote Family nearby sat in another corner, not daring to provoke these women who had fallen into a state of madness. When these women went crazy, even the Donquixote Family’s reputation couldn’t intimidate them.
There was no way around it; the Donquixote Family’s cadres also had wives and children.
Among those women right now were the leader’s wife and daughter, plus many others who were his subordinates’ wives and daughters. When these women gathered together, even the leader found it tricky to handle, and could only watch helplessly as his own wife and daughter screamed while hugging a wanted poster of that stinky brat.
They even had to monitor their own wives and daughters up close for fear of attracting the attention of the Young Master and senior cadres, preventing them from doing anything overly reckless.
“That bastard!”
He cursed under his breath.
The men drinking sullenly around him nodded in unison—who wouldn’t agree!
Ever since that bastard pretty boy Cavendish started appearing in newspapers every few days, women had been acting like they were possessed, crazily infatuated with this wanted pirate. The situation had once gotten so severe that Cavendish’s wanted posters were stolen to be kept as photos. In just one night, all the wanted posters in the town’s bulletin boards, taverns, and inns were completely stolen.
He was an absolute bastard.
Especially after news spread that Cavendish had arrived in Dressrosa, more than half of the women in the country fell into inexplicable frenzy. The fanatical atmosphere made the Donquixote Family’s mid-level cadres feel uneasy, fearing they would anger the Young Master and bring down overly cruel orders.
As members of the Donquixote Family, they knew far better than those foolish citizens how ruthless and cold-blooded their His Majesty the King was.
“Captain, when is that White Horse leaving?”
“I’m just a mid-level captain—how would I know something like that?”
“Ah? Then, then, then when will these days end? My wife hasn’t let me into bed for a week; she sleeps hugging a photo album clipped from newspapers every day and won’t even let me touch her.” A young member married less than half a year complained bitterly.
“Heh, that’s nothing!”
One person at the table snorted. “Forget your wife—even the flower street has completely shut down. It’s damn ridiculous; I’ve been single for forty years and this is the first time I’ve seen something so absurd.”
With someone taking the lead, the members who had been holding it in from all aspects began complaining to each other one after another, venting their pent-up frustration with words.
“Quiet down, all of you.”
The irritated mid-level captain scolded to calm the chaotic scene.
“I don’t know how much longer the White Horse will stay, but during the shift change this morning, I heard a big shot is coming today. Maybe the White Horse is waiting for this big shot and won’t be long before leaving, I guess.”
“Big shot? Who is it?”
A curious member asked.
“It’s [Earthquake] Lord Eschbach, one of the Black Prince’s four aides-de-camp.” The mid-level captain didn’t hide it—anyway, it wouldn’t be a secret for long. Plus, everyone under him had seen this big shot before. He looked around: “Everyone remembers, right?”
“How could we forget?”
The speaker was that forty-year single guy.
The Black Prince’s first step onto the grand stage of the New World was Dressrosa, where he defeated the maritime transport king Umit, using this Dark World magnate as a stepping stone to climb to the peak step by step.
Elus and Umit’s battle erupted on the seaside of Dressrosa.
Naturally, the Donquixote Family members watched the whole process. Seeing the renowned [Deep Sea Current] easily crushed by the Black Prince and his subordinates, they had been part of the observation team at the time. After the battle, Doflamingo held a top-level victory banquet for the Black Prince in the Royal Palace.
Unfortunately,
The relationship between Dressrosa and the Eckmond Kingdom has always been lukewarm, with no close ties between them.
······
Port.
The fleet flying the Golden Coffee Tree Flag docked steadily in the pre-cleared port. Eschbach led a group down the gangway and saw Doflamingo standing on the dock, leading the Donquixote Family’s senior cadres to welcome Eschbach’s arrival.
Undoubtedly, Donquixote Doflamingo, with titles like Heavenly Yaksha and Sea Rogue, was a shrewd man who could bend and stretch, understanding the changes in the world.
Even though he and Elus were both Seven Warlords, and he was also Dressrosa’s king—strictly speaking, his status was a notch higher than Prince Elus—he still chose to greet them personally, even though it wasn’t Elus himself but just an aide-de-camp like Eschbach.
This was not a degrading act of lowering his status.
It was a decision made after gauging the situation. The New World respected strength; even ordinary kings needed considerable combat power here. Strength equaled status—the stronger the strength, the higher the status. Eschbach’s reputation was resounding now, especially after Eschbach had used Observation Haki at close range to glimpse his tsunami-like terrifying power as much as possible.
Since Eschbach was so powerful, Doflamingo naturally didn’t mind offering his enthusiasm.
After all, enthusiasm was a cheap, reusable tool.
“Where is the White Horse?”
Eschbach didn’t like wasting words; when getting to work, he always went straight to the core. The people around him knew Eschbach’s temperament and chose unconditional obedience to their superior’s habits—even Bell, this uniquely positioned member, had no objections.
The family members behind Doflamingo made a small commotion, clearly surprised by Eschbach’s lack of decorum.
By the rules, they should wait until the banquet was nearly over to discuss proper matters. Who started questioning right away like this? It really didn’t follow protocol. However, the Young Master’s authority had long permeated the ‘family’ members’ hearts. With Doflamingo’s light wave of the hand, all the noise vanished.
“The White Horse is in the Royal Palace.”
Doflamingo answered Eschbach’s question with a smile.
He watched Eschbach’s expression changes, trying to glean some of Elus’s intentions. After learning of the irreconcilable conflict between Cavendish and Elus (namely the ‘Beautiful Sword’ title), he had felt a bit uneasy, worried that pulling in Cavendish would anger Elus.
Regarding rumors about the Beautiful Sword, his investigation quickly confirmed Cavendish wasn’t lying: every generation of this lineage fought bloody battles for the ‘Beautiful Sword’ symbolizing the highest honor, and this generation’s Beautiful Sword happened to be one of the Eckmond Kingdom’s former two national pillar supports.
If Cavendish wanted to claim the Beautiful Sword title, it meant he would inevitably clash with the Eckmond Kingdom.
Cunning as a fox, Doflamingo had no desire to get involved in this trouble.
“May I ask what you want with the White Horse?” Doflamingo asked.
“······” Eschbach didn’t speak at first, giving Doflamingo a sideways glare for a few seconds before slowly saying: “His Highness does not wish to see the White Horse appear before him. If the White Horse dares to bully Lord Kurosel for being old and out of practice······ His Highness won’t hesitate to make the Seven Warlords change members again, and the accomplices as well.”
He spouted this nonsense with a straight face, ending with a warning to Doflamingo.
This condescending arrogant attitude greatly dissatisfied the Donquixote Family members, who all widened their eyes staring at Eschbach. After Elus crushed Umit last time, many of them had met Eschbach at the victory banquet in the Royal Palace.
But evidently, that negligible acquaintance didn’t make Eschbach’s attitude any better.
“In that case, I think Cavendish won’t refuse Prince Elus’s kind offer.”
Doflamingo didn’t fully believe it, but as long as the gun wasn’t pointed at him, he didn’t care if the White Horse was beaten to death on the island. What he feared was the Black Prince being ruthless and voracious, stripping him clean bones and all.
Deep down, he was unwilling to make an enemy of Elus.
Because he knew full well he was no match for Elus. If Elus really targeted him, he had no path but to flee.
“Best that way. I don’t want to waste too much time here either—there’s still much work waiting for me!” This wasn’t nonsense; his mission was indeed heavy. Before disembarking, he had already planned to stage a quick double act with Cavendish at top speed, drive the White Horse out of the New World, then leave Dressrosa.
······
King’s Highland, Royal Palace’s top floor.
A man in a white checkered coat stood on the rooftop terrace, sunglasses blocking the glaring sunlight. His stone-like cold face showed no expression change as he held a Den Den Mushi in one hand and a microphone in the other, talking with Navy Headquarters’ Fleet Admiral Sengoku.
“······Yes.”
“No mistake—it’s [Earthquake] Eschbach under the Black Prince, Zoan Ancient Zoan Dragon-Dragon Fruit Earthquake Dragon Model. A very tricky guy, Fleet Admiral. Should we take him down?”
“Take him for what? Eschbach isn’t a pirate!”
Fleet Admiral Sengoku sighed in headache. “Vergo, go tell Eschbach that the World Government and Navy don’t want the Seven Warlords to have personnel changes again in the next two or three years. Have him relay to the Black Prince not to go overboard.”
“Just a warning is enough?” Vergo asked.
“What else can we do? Elus isn’t a pirate—he’s different from bastards like Doflamingo. A warning is enough. Also, be polite when you talk; the Black Prince isn’t our enemy.”
Be polite?
Was that still a warning?
“Understood.”
He might think it, but Vergo naturally wouldn’t voice his thoughts. As the Donquixote Family’s spy infiltrating the World Government, Vergo’s loyalty was entirely with the Young Master. Maintaining his Navy identity was solely because the Young Master needed such a role’s help; he didn’t care about the Navy’s interests at all.
Of course, he couldn’t make it too obvious.
He still needed the Navy Vice Admiral and G5 branch Commander’s identities to serve the Young Master. Without harming the family’s interests, he worked diligently.
“Remember, be polite. From intelligence, that Eschbach isn’t hard to deal with.”
Sengoku reminded him twice more.
He had a good impression of this G5 branch Commander; in his view, Vergo was a reliable and capable subordinate. Apart from being a bit rigid and inflexible at times, his only flaw was getting various food crumbs stuck on his face without noticing while eating.
Call ended.
Vergo put away the Den Den Mushi. Standing at the terrace edge, he overlooked the lawn and pool below, spotting Cavendish swimming in the pool from afar, surrounded by a horde of reporters with cameras, blatantly snapping photos like crazy.
“White Horse Cavendish······ I hope you don’t cause trouble for the Young Master!”
Cavendish, freely swimming in the water, sensed the malice that flashed from the terrace but paid it no mind. Ever since he proactively exposed his ‘conflict’ with His Highness Elus, the Donquixote Family was full of people harboring malice toward him.
But his future territory wouldn’t be in the New World. Heading to Paradise for development, he didn’t care about the Donquixote Family members’ malice toward him. Anyway, from his conversation with His Highness Elus, he could tell His Highness had long coveted the Donquixote Family—this family was doomed sooner or later.
“See how much longer you can hop around!”
Cavendish jumped onto the shore, boldly exposing his fit body to the camera lenses. He elegantly took a towel from a maid to wipe the water off, casually asking: “Where did that guy Doflamingo go? Haven’t seen him today.”
