Why Not Call for Backup When You Can?

Raijin Island, on the north shore.

The Don Quixote Family's pirate ship bobbed gently.

"Trouble! Our Executives are falling one by one!" a pirate shouted, his voice shaking. He was peering through a telescope, his eyes wide with fear as he watched the battle unfold.

"Quick! Tell the Young Master!"

A chorus of ringing filled the air.

At Dressrosa's Royal Palace, Doflamingo sat on a window ledge, a sense of unease creeping into his gut. Dealing with a mere Headquarters Colonel shouldn't be a problem, he thought, not with the Fighting Corps at my command. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

Suddenly, all the Den Den Mushi on the nearby table erupted in a cacophony of rings. Doflamingo's unease turned into a sharp, stabbing pain of dread.

Something had happened, something awful!

"Speak!" he barked into one of the Den Den Mushi.

"Young Master! Disaster has struck!" a voice cried out, frantic and breathless.

In a swirl of pink feathers, Doflamingo vanished from the room.

"Those little pests will pay for this!" he snarled.

---

Meanwhile, at the G-5 Branch.

"Understood, Young Master!" Vergo said, his voice tight.

He slammed down the Den Den Mushi, his brow furrowed, veins throbbing in his forehead. "Damn brats!" he growled.

The situation had spiraled completely out of the Family's control. And it's all my fault, he thought bitterly. I underestimated Black Hair.

Three minutes later, a warship, not too big, not too small, sped away from the G-5 Branch, heading towards Thunder God Island as fast as it could go!

---

Back on Thunder God Island, on the last battlefield.

"Behehehe!" Barto cackled, hiding behind his shimmering green barrier, surrounded by his Royal underlings. He was facing the relentless attacks of "Super-Weight Man" Machvise. Barto's grin was wide and irritating.

"Give it up already! Ten tons, a hundred tons, even ten thousand tons! Your weight means nothing! You can't break my barrier!"

"Damn you!" Machvise roared.

He was dressed in a bizarre playing card-themed outfit. He crashed into the barrier like a falling star, but instead of even making a dent, he was thrown back, coughing up blood.

He had no way to crack this infuriating turtle shell.

The battle had reached a standstill.

Machvise couldn't hurt Bartolomeo, safe behind his barrier, and Bartolomeo couldn't take down Machvise.

But Barto was winning the trash-talking contest. He relentlessly taunted Machvise, his words like a thousand tiny needles.

"Come out here and fight like a man!" Machvise bellowed.

"Behehehe!" Barto pressed his face against the barrier, his smile widening. "Come on, tough guy! Hit me in the face, if you dare!"

"Argh!" Machvise screamed in frustration.

He slammed his body against the barrier again and again, but it was no use. Then, he realized he was surrounded.

"Diamanti! Señor!" he cried, seeing his companions lying unconscious on the ground. A chill ran down his spine. He scrambled upwards, trying to escape.

But it was too late!

"White Gale!"

Thick, choking white smoke billowed around him, wrapping around his limbs like heavy ropes. It filled his nose and mouth, stealing his breath. He struggled, but couldn't break free.

Oxygen deprivation. Suffocation.

"Boom!"

Machvise crashed to the ground, defeated.

Smoker scowled.

I'm not great against fast fighters, he thought, but this smoke is perfect for trapping clumsy giants like him.

---

A short time later, a bonfire crackled merrily in the ruins of the town's tavern. A huge amount of food was being unloaded from the warship.

Near the bonfire, an execution rack stood stark against the sky.

Except for the deceased Lao G, the remaining three Executives of the Don Quixote Family were tied to the rack, bound by Seastone Handcuffs.

Roya tore into a juicy chunk of roasted meat.

"Eat up and rest! The real battle is yet to come!"

"Understood!" the others replied, their voices weary but determined.

They ate and drank quickly.

The fierce battle had drained their energy. They needed to replenish it as soon as possible, especially with even more terrifying enemies on their way.

"Seven Warlords of the Sea" Doflamingo!

Hina knew that Roya didn't like being questioned, but she had to speak up. "Colonel Roya," she said, her voice serious, "If our unauthorized actions lead to a war with Doflamingo, we will be severely punished."

"I know," Roya said, looking directly at her.

Smoker might seem stronger, he thought, but Hina is the one I truly trust. She's reliable. Even with a difficult task, she can handle it on her own. In this battle, she had single-handedly taken down Señor.

She was the picture of stability.

Smoker lacked that. Even though Smoker was strong, Roya couldn't fully trust him. He always felt like something unexpected might happen, and Smoker would drop the ball.

"But, Hina," Roya continued, his voice calm, "Our target isn't Doflamingo. Others will stop him. He won't interfere with us."

"Eh? Not Doflamingo?" Hina stammered, surprised.

Smoker was just as shocked.

They had both assumed that Doflamingo was the target. They were even prepared for a desperate fight. They had disrupted Doflamingo's business, killed important Executives, and imprisoned three more.

But if Doflamingo wasn't the target, who was? And would Doflamingo even let them off the hook?

Roya pointed towards Dressrosa.

"Right now, Teacher Zephyr and Vice Admiral Tsuru's warships should be on the shipping route from Dressrosa to Thunder God Island."

"..."

Hina and Smoker both breathed a sigh of relief.

With Zephyr and Tsuru on their side, even Doflamingo wouldn't dare to act rashly, unless he was willing to openly defy the World Government.

"Roya, when did you contact Teacher Zephyr and Vice Admiral Tsuru?" Hina asked.

"Before we even set sail," Roya replied, a smirk playing on his lips.

I'm a Marine, he thought, not some lone wolf without any backup. In this world, the Marines are the true power! Like with this battle, even if Doflamingo wanted to get rid of him, he would have to act in the shadows.

Once the situation on Thunder God Island was reported to Headquarters, Doflamingo would be busy cleaning up the mess caused by his subordinates.

Failure had a price!

Before leaving, he had contacted Zephyr, asking him to bring a warship for a little "spin." Since the Don Quixote Family was involved, Roya figured Tsuru would be interested too. Before Doflamingo became a Warlord, Tsuru had been in charge of chasing his pirate crew. So, he asked Zephyr to notify Tsuru.

Why not call for backup when you can? he thought.

I'm not an idiot. Besides, the Marines are my backing. The strongest Regular Army in the world! It was a matter of principle: Headquarters, or G-1 Branch, would always send a warship to support their own.

Hina and Smoker were still confused. They racked their brains, but couldn't figure out who the real enemy was.

"Then who is our target?" Hina asked again.

"That guy... you're all very familiar with him," Roya said, keeping his voice neutral.

He didn't want to say it directly. Vergo was too well-hidden. Just blurting it out could cause problems within their group. My own people are fine, he thought, even if they don't believe me, they'll stand by me. But the Commodore and the others from G-5? They'll turn against me for sure.

When Vergo showed his true colors, everyone would understand, without needing any explanation.

---

After about an hour of rest, Roya looked up towards the Southern Island.

A powerful presence was approaching!

"The target is here!" he announced.

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[T/N:

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