The natural system started off strong, but the navy finally reached its peak!

Instead, he reverted to his nonchalant tone and relaxed back on the sofa.

“That was terrifying… Mr. Crocodile. Okay, you win.”

He shrugged, making a conciliatory gesture: "Well then, let's get straight to the point, Mr. 'Sand Crocodile'..."

You went to great lengths to find me, even threatening me with the Vinsmoke. What exactly do you want from me?

Surely it's not really for that vague "Shichibukai obligation," is it?

Seeing Doflamingo back down, Crocodile smiled with satisfaction, knowing that his opponent had made a wise choice.

He stopped beating around the bush and stated his purpose directly, his tone calm yet carrying an undeniable air of authority:

"It's simple. I need you to supply my designated clients with a large quantity of high-quality weapons, enough to overwhelm conventional armies."

"Oh?" Doflamingo became interested. "Which client has such a large budget and catches your eye?"

“The rebels of Alabasta,” Crocodile said slowly, exhaling a smoke ring.

"I need you to ensure that their firepower can completely overwhelm the King's army in Alabasta."

Doflamingo is a Celestial Dragon, so he understood immediately.

Alabasta! That member state of the World Government, one of its founding members! Crocodile's territory!

He had already heard rumors that the civil war in Alabasta had intensified in recent years, drought and famine were spreading, and public discontent with the monarchy was rising...

It turns out that behind all of this, the "hero" Shichibukai was the mastermind behind it all!

Crocodile's ambitions were thwarted in the New World by some even stronger monsters (Whitebeard, Gern, Barrett, etc.).

They withdrew from the struggle for the new world and turned their attention to ancient legends.

He established the Baroque Works, infiltrating Alabasta, and used the contraband "Dancing Powder" to steal rainwater.

They plunged the country into a three-year drought and cleverly shifted all the blame onto King Neferutali Cobra.

Unaware of the truth, the people, driven by despair and anger, formed a rebel army, which then engaged in a brutal civil war with the royal army.

Crocodile, meanwhile, remained behind the scenes, profiting from the war by selling weapons to both sides while waiting for his opportunity.

He waits until the civil war escalates beyond control before stepping in as a "savior" to quell the conflict, thus earning the gratitude of the people and being hailed as a national hero.

At that time, given his status as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, he would be able to legitimately intervene in and even control this country.

This gives them the opportunity to slowly and thoroughly search for and study the ancient weapon that sleeps somewhere in Alabasta—"Pluto," the King of the Underworld!

In other words, he is now exactly like Gecko Moria.

Once an ambitious supernova tycoon aiming to dominate the new world, he now pins his ambitions on finding external forces.

Chapter 300 A Visit to Don Quixote

Meanwhile, in the rudimentary harbor of Diaz Island, a small sailboat without any markings quietly docked.

Gern and Hawkeye Mihawk stepped onto the island one after the other.

Gern looked around at the mountains of discarded materials and dilapidated houses, the air thick with the mixed smells of rusting metal and fermenting garbage.

He couldn't help but click his tongue, fanned his nose with his hand, and a playful smile appeared on his face:

"Tsk tsk, who would have thought that the Don Quixote family, second only to the War Family Vinsmoke in power in the underground trading market of Beihai..."

Why would they set up their base in a place like this?

As he walked, he glanced at the residents on either side, their eyes blank as they busily sorted through the trash, speaking in a relaxed tone as if he were truly there for sightseeing.

Following behind him, Hawkeye Mihawk seemed oblivious to the harsh environment around him, or rather, completely unconcerned.

His sharp, eagle-like eyes merely scanned for any potential threats out of habit.

He was already used to Guern's complaints along the way, and responded calmly with his eyes fixed ahead:

"Perhaps it is precisely because of this chaos and inconspicuousness that it is easier to hide."

“No, no, no, our Mihawk is still too ‘upright’,” Gern retorted with a grin, waving a finger.

"Hiddenness is only one aspect. More importantly, this kind of place is inherently a perfect... battlefield buffer zone."

He kicked away an empty can at his feet, making a clanging sound.

“Look, there’s waste and garbage everywhere. There’s no important infrastructure, no industries worth protecting, and the population is sparse, mostly marginalized,” Gern analyzed, his eyes gleaming with a knowing light.

"If an enemy comes to our door, we can fight freely here without any worries about causing damage."

After the fight, whether you won or lost, setting a fire will burn away most of the traces.

"Moreover, even if it causes a huge commotion..." Gern's lips curled into a sarcastic smile, "the Navy and the World Government won't go to great lengths to investigate and report on such a 'recycling island'."

To outsiders, everything that happens here can easily be attributed to a 'garbage disposal accident' or a 'gang fight'.

Our Mr. 'Joker' is a master of the principles of 'great seclusion in plain sight' and 'the darkest place is under the lamp.'

Hawkeye listened in silence, and thought that what Gern said did make some sense.

Gurn continued with a laugh: "The most crucial thing is that the guy never cared about his reputation before; he just wanted to be as terrifying as possible for his family business."

But now... things are a little different.

"Hmm?" Hawkeye uttered a questioning syllable.

“Based on the confidential documents that the old man from the Warring States period gave me and the intelligence provided by Shakky, through cross-analysis…” Gern lowered his voice.

"The World Government has probably already made contact with that flamingo in secret."

"Several positions among the Seven Warlords of the Sea are still vacant, and the World Government urgently needs to find some capable individuals."

Pirates with 'blemishes' who can be controlled are brought in to fill the void and balance the power on the seas.

"And Doflamingo, who was once a 'Celestial Dragon,' is undoubtedly a very tempting and easy-to-control choice," Gern explained.

"The 'legitimate right to plunder' and a certain degree of protection from the world government that come with this identity are too convenient for an ambitious person like him."

He used to be indifferent to his reputation, but now, in order to secure this position, he has to be more mindful of his behavior.

We cannot be too reckless in setting up our bases in obvious locations, lest we attract criticism.

This kind of landfill is perfect.

.......

As they were talking, Gern and Hawkeye strolled leisurely to the entrance of the Don Quixote family stronghold hidden deep in the garbage mountain.

A simple wooden fence and a few seemingly carefree pirate henchmen playing cards and drinking served as guards.

The pirate henchmen saw two unfamiliar faces with vastly different yet equally imposing auras walking straight towards them.

He was stunned for a moment, then reacted, abandoned the card game, grabbed the weapon beside him menacingly, and shouted a warning:

Hey! You two! Stop right there!

"This is not a place for you! Get out!"

"If you come any closer, I won't be polite!"

However, Gern seemed not to hear their shouts at all, and continued chatting with Hawkeye without pausing his steps, continuing to walk into the stronghold.

Just as the pirate henchmen were shouting and preparing to rush forward to stop them...

"Buzz!" An invisible and intangible, yet terrifying pressure that seemed to originate from the depths of the soul suddenly spread out from the center of Gern like a tsunami!

However, this pressure was extremely precise, only affecting the small fry who tried to move forward, without affecting Eagle Eye or the environment further away.

"Thump! Thump! Thump!" The shouting pirate henchmen were struck hard on the head as if by an invisible hammer.

His movements suddenly froze, his eyes rolled upwards instantly, revealing a large expanse of white, and saliva uncontrollably drooled from his mouth.

Before they could even let out a scream, they collapsed to the ground like felled wheat, completely losing consciousness.

Conqueror's Haki! The most efficient way to clear out mobs!

Gern didn't make any extra moves and continued walking side by side with Hawkeye.

"Precise and powerful." Hawkeye's sharp eyes flickered slightly as he calmly said, "Your Conqueror's Haki is the strongest I've ever seen since I set sail."

“The strongest? Not bad!” Gern chuckled upon hearing this, his tone carrying a strange undertone: “But soon, a red-haired fellow will appear on the high seas.”

He paused, then added, "That guy's Conqueror's Haki... is no less than mine."

Moreover, his swordsmanship…” Gern glanced deliberately at the black sword Night behind Hawkeye, “isn’t much weaker than yours.”

Upon hearing Gern's words, especially the description of "swordsmanship," Hawkeye's perpetually cold and stern face...

The corners of his mouth turned up in an almost imperceptible, tiny arc, and his hawk-like eyes flashed with a sharp light, as if he had spotted his prey.

"A red-haired swordsman?" Hawkeye repeated in a low voice, his tone devoid of emotion. "Well... I'm getting somewhat excited about that."

As the two powerful figures discussed their future rivals, they entered the core area of ​​the Don Quixote Family stronghold with ease, as if they were returning home.

This is the style of powerful figures like Gern and his ilk: no excitement, no passion, and no possibility of obstruction; everything is as calm as still water.

Chapter 301 The Two Who Were Terrified

Inside the reception room, Doflamingo and Crocodile, who had just finalized their deal, did not immediately separate. Instead, they continued to chat and probe each other, each with their own ulterior motives.

“Furfur… Crocodile.” Doflamingo leaned back on the sofa, his fingers rhythmically tapping the armrest, and asked seemingly casually.

"Going to such lengths to disrupt a desert kingdom, even wanting to control it..."

It shouldn't be just for that pitiful 'heroic' reputation and so-called national resources, right?

"Is there something even more interesting hidden in that country?" He tried to elicit Crocodile's true purpose.

Crocodile wasn't stupid either. With a cigar in his mouth and his eyes obscuring the smoke, he too was trying to figure out Doflamingo's ambitions.

"Hmph, you don't need to worry about my affairs, 'Joker'." Crocodile exhaled a puff of smoke, sneered, and turned the tables on him: "After all, your influence isn't exactly small either."

So eager to find connections and get in touch with the 'beasts' of the new world.

"What, you don't plan to conquer the Grand Line step by step, but instead want to directly connect with the Four Emperors and jump straight into the meat grinder of the New World?"

Both wore fake smiles, their words laced with hidden sarcasm, each trying to figure out the other's true intentions and ambitions.

However, at this crucial moment of mutual probing...

"Buzz!!!" An indescribable, terrifying pressure, seemingly originating from the soul level, surged forth.

Like an invisible yet incredibly heavy tsunami, it swept in from outside the stronghold without warning, instantly penetrating the walls and engulfing the entire reception room!

This domineering aura wasn't directed at them; it was merely a natural aftershock. Yet, it caused both Doflamingo and Crocodile, two powerful individuals with considerable Observation Haki, to change their expressions drastically!

Doflamingo's fingers, which were tapping the armrest, suddenly froze, and Crocodile's mouth, which was pursing a cigar, tightened instantly!

Their pupils contracted almost simultaneously, and fine beads of cold sweat instantly appeared on their foreheads. A strong sense of crisis, stemming from their instincts, gripped their hearts!

"Such a powerful and domineering aura?!"

"This level of oppressive atmosphere... who's here?!"

The same horrified thought popped into their minds at the same time, and their gazes involuntarily and simultaneously turned sharply towards the direction from which the oppressive aura came—the door to the reception room!

"What's going on?!" Doflamingo's voice was slightly hoarse.

Crocodile reacted quickly; although he was equally shocked, he quickly regained his composure.

He immediately ordered Mr. 1 Daz Bones, who was standing guard like an iron tower to the side: "Daz! Go out and see what's going on!"

Mr. 1 didn't perceive the terrifying level of that domineering aura as keenly as his boss. He simply obeyed the order faithfully, nodding expressionlessly: "Yes."

He then strode steadily toward the door of the reception room, his right hand already instinctively transformed into a sharp blade, ready to deal with any possible attack.

Just as he was caught off guard, he pushed open the heavy wooden door.

Just as the door opened!

The terrifying pressure that had previously only permeated the air seemed to have found an outlet.

Like a heavy hammer, it struck Mr. 1's spirit with perfect precision and solid force!

"Uh..." Mr.1 felt a sudden darkness before his eyes, as if his brain had been hit hard by a battering ram!

All thoughts and consciousness were completely shattered in a fraction of a second!

He didn't even get a clear look at the person who approached, only managing to squeeze out a muffled syllable: "No..."