After receiving the news from Crescent Island, Marine Headquarters took immediate action.
Once again, Vice Admiral Tsuru was in charge of issuing Lucifer's latest bounty.
At the same time, word of Lucifer's destruction of Crescent Island spread throughout the Marines. Virgo, an undercover agent, relayed the information to Doflamingo at once.
"Hey, Joker, here's the situation."
"Yes, Marine confirmed that Lucifer destroyed Crescent Island, and none of the tens of thousands of pirates on the island survived."
"Kizaru himself judged that Lucifer's strength is incredibly high, beyond even a Marine Admiral's. You should be cautious."
"Alright, I'll keep that in mind."
The conversation was brief, and Virgo ended the call right after delivering the news.
As an undercover agent, he had to remain vigilant. Any trace of exposure would mean being hunted by Marine powerhouses, leading to his inevitable death.
In Dressrosa, Doflamingo crushed the phone transponder snail in his hand, ending the call.
"Lucifer... so it's that arrogant brat!"
Ever since Diamante's death, Doflamingo had suspected the identity of the culprit.
There weren't many strong pirates in the first half of the Grand Line, let alone those capable of killing Diamante. Marines wouldn't have targeted him, given he was under the protection of the Warlord system.
Aside from the Marines, few pirates would have dared to attack Diamante, as his name still held weight.
That left only the rookies—bold newcomers unafraid of established powers.
Every year, a few upstart pirates would set out, aiming to become the Pirate King, ignoring even the likes of Whitebeard, let alone a Warlord.
Among the rising stars this year, Lucifer was the most notorious, with the most chilling track record.
Doflamingo's suspicions immediately fell on him, and with Virgo's confirmation, his guess was validated.
"Heh heh heh... You dare to challenge me?"
"Demon Lucifer! How bold!"
In a flash of cold rage, Doflamingo shredded Lucifer's wanted poster to pieces.
With a crash, the palace windows and a section of the wall burst apart.
Doflamingo leaped through the opening, transforming into a pink blur as he soared into the sky.
"You damned brat! I'm coming for you right now!"
Under the vast blue sky, Doflamingo's twisted grin grew even more menacing.
Out on the open sea, a grand pirate ship sailed leisurely along the waves.
It was large and lavishly decorated, with gemstones and gold adorning the deck.
The ship's sails bore a terrifying image of a laughing demon with enormous wings spread wide.
This was the Nether, a ship Lucifer crafted with his own powers, marking the official launch of his pirate crew, the Nether Pirates. With his own crew established, he could finally leave behind the stolen ships of his past.
Relaxing on a beach chair on deck, Lucifer wore a pair of sunglasses to shield himself from the sun.
Next to him, Cavendish was working out—lifting a huge barbell as he did push-ups. Ever since Lucifer had bested him, Cavendish had been pushing himself to grow stronger.
Lucifer hadn't held back, either, teaching Cavendish the basics of Observation Haki and Armament Haki. With Cavendish's natural talent, he was on the brink of awakening both types of Haki.
"Hey, maid, I'm out of juice. Bring me another glass," Lucifer called, holding up an empty glass.
"Who's your maid? Show some respect, you jerk!"
"I never agreed to be part of your crew!"
baby5 stood nearby, cigarette in hand, her expression icy. But her resolve wavered in an instant, and she obediently went to fetch juice for Lucifer.
Her words said no, but her actions were honest.
Coo-coo, coo-coo.
A news bird suddenly descended, landing on the table in front of Lucifer, its head tilted as it stared at him.
"One newspaper, please," Lucifer said, flicking a gold coin into the coin pouch around the news bird's neck.
The bird pulled out a newspaper and handed it over.
Opening it, Lucifer found a front-page headline that shocked the world.
"Red-Haired Pirates Defeat the Henry Pirates—Shanks Nears the Throne!"
The newspaper featured a large photo of Shanks, the infamous red-haired pirate known across the globe.
The power struggle in the New World was coming to a head, with powerful crews battling fiercely for dominance.
Shanks and his Red-Haired Pirates had vanquished many formidable challengers, including the renowned Henry Pirates.
Today, Shanks and his crew were the closest to the title of Emperor, and he was widely regarded as the most likely candidate for the Four Emperors.
Many believed that Shanks would inevitably claim the final victory.
Soon, he would stand on equal footing with Whitebeard, Kaido, and Big Mom, becoming one of the Four Emperors and ruling over the New World!
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