Chapter 26: A Sitting Duck

"Purupurupuru...!"

A sharp, insistent ringing cut through the roar of the waves, adding a peculiar note to the sea's symphony.

"This is Vice Admiral Tsuru's fleet," a female communications officer answered.

"Please inform Vice Admiral Tsuru that the G-8 Naval Branch has set an ambush around Jaya Island. The Donquixote Pirates have entered the trap. We await Vice Admiral Tsuru's arrival," reported the G-8 intelligence officer in a calm, measured tone.

Upon receiving the message, Vice Admiral Tsuru immediately issued orders for full speed ahead. They were to reach Jaya Island as quickly as possible to complete the encirclement with the G-8 forces and annihilate the Donquixote Pirates.

On the shore of Jaya Island, Cricket and Doflamingo were chatting amiably, completely unaware of the approaching danger. If anyone was intimately familiar with the Knock-Up Stream, it was undoubtedly Cricket. After all, in his many years of salvaging the ocean depths, he'd encountered countless Knock-Up Streams and managed to survive them all. He definitely had some tricks up his sleeve.

Having agreed to set sail together in three days, the two parted ways to make their own preparations. Doflamingo planned to reinforce his ship again. The Knock-Up Stream was no joke, and thorough preparation was essential, especially when one's life was on the line.

Doflamingo arrived at the coast where the Donquixote Pirates' ship was docked, but Diamante and the others were nowhere to be seen. It seemed their information gathering hadn't gone smoothly. He could only wait patiently on deck for their return.

After a long while, Diamante and the others finally returned, their dejected expressions revealing their lack of success.

Diamante's group, on their way back, had spotted Doflamingo standing on the deck from afar. Without delay, they hurried over to report.

"Doffy, we couldn't find Cricket, and the locals know very little about the Knock-Up Stream. We..."

Seeing Diamante's ashamed expression, Doflamingo raised a hand to stop him. "I've already found him. Right now, the priority is reinforcing our ship again for the big event in three days. Diamante, take some men and reinforce the ship. Don't disappoint me this time."

"You're the best, Doffy! It won't happen again. I'll take the men right away," Diamante assured him, sensing Doflamingo's growing irritation.

Diamante's flattery was as natural as breathing, but Doflamingo paid it no mind. He was, in fact, rather annoyed. They couldn't even handle such a small task; he had to take care of it himself. What good were these underlings if he had to do everything?

The three days passed quickly. The atmosphere on Jaya Island grew increasingly tense. The usual liveliness had diminished, perhaps due to the excessively bloody and brutal events at Mock Town's pub a few days prior, which had caused quite a stir, or maybe the Navy's supposedly covert ambush had spooked the pirates. But none of that mattered now. Today was the day Cricket and Doflamingo were to meet and set sail together.

Dawn gradually broke. A few lingering stars still dotted the sky, and the world was shrouded in a hazy, silvery-grey veil. After a while, a sliver of pale white appeared on the eastern horizon, and the land began to brighten. Jaya Island seemed to be draped in a magnificent robe of red brocade, a truly beautiful sight. However, Doflamingo and Cricket had no time to appreciate such scenery. They had a single, shared goal: Skypiea.

Based on Cricket's experience, they needed to arrive near the Knock-Up Stream's vicinity early. Because its eruption point varied each time, they had to be in position ahead of time to have enough leeway to accurately pinpoint its location.

The Donquixote Pirates set sail once more, heading towards the Knock-Up Stream.

"Report, Captain Vimes! We've spotted the Donquixote Pirates setting sail from Jaya Island. Vice Admiral Tsuru has not yet arrived. Should we initiate the encirclement?" a marine reported to Captain Vimes, the highest-ranking officer on Jaya Island.

"You, quickly inform Vice Admiral Tsuru. I will lead a detachment to intercept the Donquixote Pirates' departure," Captain Vimes ordered the marine calmly and methodically.

While Captain Vimes led his men to intercept Doflamingo, Vice Admiral Tsuru also received the news and ordered her fleet to proceed at full speed to join Vimes in the encirclement.

"Young Master, there are Navy ships behind us!" the lookout reported urgently, a hint of panic in his voice.

Doflamingo, however, remained unconcerned. They were just a bunch of small-fry. As long as Tsuru wasn't there to hinder him, they were useless. If the Knock-Up Stream wasn't due to appear for another few hours, and he wasn't so keen on reaching its vicinity quickly, he would have eagerly dealt with the tail behind them long ago, rather than be delayed by the Navy.

"Ignore them. Let them follow. The priority is getting to the location," Doflamingo said, standing at the bow of the ship.

Cricket, observing Doflamingo's back, remained silent. In his mind, pirates and the Navy were both irrelevant. As long as they could lead him to the Golden City and clear his ancestor's name, nothing else mattered. In fact, he found pirates to be far more straightforward than the Navy.

And so, the pirates and the Navy sailed one after the other, maintaining a strange, almost harmonious, distance.

"We're here. Let's wait here for the Knock-Up Stream to arrive," Cricket said to Doflamingo. Doflamingo immediately understood and instructed his crew, "From now on, our ship will follow Brother Cricket's instructions. We'll just wait for the Navy to arrive and deal with this tail."

"Report, Captain Vimes, the Donquixote Pirates have stopped moving ahead."

On the Navy warship, Captain Vimes, listening to his subordinate's report, went to the bow and saw that the Donquixote Pirates' ship had indeed stopped and was no longer moving, as if intentionally waiting for the Navy to arrive.

Vimes immediately felt that these pirates were incredibly arrogant, daring to be so presumptuous as to stop and wait for the Navy to come to them, and then expecting to defeat them.

"Heh, close in on them. Damn pirates, it's time to enforce our justice!" Captain Vimes felt insulted. The pirates' actions were a clear sign of disrespect towards the Navy.

"Charge! Take down these damned pirates!" The marines were enraged, itching to fly over and slaughter the pirates.

Four warships quickly surrounded Doflamingo's pirate ship. They threw out ropes, hooking onto the pirate ship to prevent it from escaping. The warships drew closer, and the marines swarmed aboard, rushing into the Donquixote Pirates' formation, ready to completely annihilate them.

"Fuffuffuffu!" Seeing his ship entangled by the Navy, Doflamingo wasn't worried. Instead, he laughed. "Diamante, Trebol, Pica, how about the four of us each take a warship? The rest of you, guard the ship and protect Brother Cricket."

Hearing Doflamingo's words, Trebol and the others understood his intention: he was planning to wipe out the entire Navy force. They were exceptionally excited.

"Behehehe, I can't wait!"

"Doffy, I'm itching to destroy them. I've wanted to get rid of them for a long time!"

Pica, without a word, charged onto a warship, his actions speaking volumes about his excitement.

"Leave no one alive."

With that, Doflamingo wasted no more time and headed towards Captain Vimes on the opposing flagship.