"Silver Eagle Admiral, if we really go after Doflamingo—one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—won't Fleet Admiral Sengoku hold you responsible?"
Sabo paced back and forth in front of Luo Ye, eventually voicing the question he'd been holding back.
The Shichibukai are sanctioned by the World Government.
Even though Sabo had no love for the Celestial Dragons or their system, he understood that the Marines still answered to them.
Taking out Doflamingo would be like spitting in the face of the Government.
Sengoku, despite his authority, might not be able to withstand the political backlash.
And although Sabo knew Luo Ye didn't care about politics, he still worried for him.
Ace, chewing noisily on an apple, mumbled,
"Who cares? I say if they're evil pirates, just arrest them all. Let's see how long they last doing evil."
Bonk!
Luo Ye smacked Ace on the head with a flick.
This idiot was hopeless—completely action-first, no thought behind it.
If you ranked the three by brains, Sabo was number one, no contest.
Ace was second only by default.
And at the bottom of the barrel?
Luffy. That guy ran purely on instinct.
Luo Ye turned serious.
"When we arrive at Dressrosa and you see what's happening with your own eyes, you'll know—Doflamingo deserves to be taken down."
The horrors that had been hidden in Dressrosa were far worse than most people could imagine.
Slavery, arms dealing, forced SMILE production—all while hiding behind the illusion of a benevolent king.
Luo Ye knew the World Government turned a blind eye.
Doflamingo held leverage over them.
After all, as a former Celestial Dragon, he had information the Five Elders didn't want revealed.
But none of that mattered to Luo Ye.
As far as he was concerned, Doflamingo's blackmail didn't excuse his crimes.
He wasn't going to let it slide.
Suddenly, Luo Ye's expression shifted.
He entered the cabin, activated a secure line, and called Sengoku directly.
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, it's Luo Ye."
On the other end, Sengoku rubbed his forehead, a sense of dread building.
He'd sent Luo Ye to warn Doflamingo—not provoke him.
Now he feared he had made the wrong call.
He remembered Luo Ye's belief: "The best way to warn a pirate is to kill them."
"Luo Ye," Sengoku barked, "you must not kill Doflamingo right now."
"Even if he's a Warlord, he's not like Crocodile. If we remove him suddenly, it'll cause chaos—especially with Kaido lurking."
Luo Ye simply shrugged, unmoved.
He knew full well Kaido and Doflamingo were partners in SMILE production.
Taking Doflamingo down would definitely shake the balance of power in the New World.
And the Five Elders would surely vent their rage on Sengoku.
But Luo Ye had made his decision.
"Marshal Sengoku," he said calmly, "let me ask you something. Do you know Vice Admiral Vergo, Chief of the G-5 base?"
Sengoku's brow furrowed.
"Of course. He's done well since taking over G-5. Why?"
Luo Ye gave a cold chuckle.
"Because Vergo isn't a Marine. He's a top executive of the Donquixote Family.
He infiltrated Marine ranks years ago—went deep undercover to protect Doflamingo's interests."
There was a long silence.
Luo Ye continued, his voice firm.
"And when you sent Corazon—your adopted son—undercover to the Donquixote Family… it was Vergo who exposed him. That's why Corazon died."
"You don't really think Doflamingo wouldn't plant someone in the Marines after you sent someone into his family, do you?"
Silence.
Then—
"WHAT?!"
In Marine HQ, Sengoku rose from his seat, heart pounding.
Vergo? A spy?
The man he'd praised for loyalty?
The man in charge of G-5, one of the most chaotic regions in the seas?
He couldn't process it.
But Corazon's memory flooded back.
His son…
Rosinante.
If he hadn't sent Corazon undercover, he might still be alive.
Sengoku had blamed Garp for a long time—for raising Luffy and Ace into pirates—but part of that bitterness came from envy.
Garp's grandsons were alive.
His son wasn't.
Sengoku gritted his teeth.
"Luo Ye, are you certain this is true?"
Luo Ye's voice didn't waver.
"I never joke about matters like this."
Sengoku sat down heavily, thoughts swirling.
Looking back, there had been strange things about Vergo—his absences, his secrecy.
Bang!
He slammed his fist on the desk.
"Damn Doflamingo!"
"He planted a commander in the Marines and used him to kill my son!"
Sengoku took a deep breath, calming himself.
"I'll have Vergo arrested immediately. If what you say is true, we can't let this rot continue. Marine pride and the safety of civilians are more important than political fallout."
On Luo Ye's side, the call ended.
He smirked faintly.
This is why I became an Admiral, he thought.
Sengoku may be bound by orders, but he still had true justice in his heart.
"Vergo's taken care of. Now, it's Doflamingo's turn."
Luo Ye stretched his shoulders and turned back toward the helm.
Meanwhile, in Marine HQ…
Sengoku opened a drawer and took out a faded photograph.
It was a picture of Rosinante—Corazon—smiling beside Law as a child.
"Rosinante… it was my fault."
"But I swear—your death won't go unavenged."