Whoosh—
A clamorous night wind swept through, fluttering the vastly different clothes of the three figures.
The long, black-and-white twin tails of a certain "expired loli" swayed particularly elegantly in the breeze.
Three invisible, terrifying auras clashed against one another. The air was thick with the scent of gunpowder, making it seem as if this violent night would erupt into an even more intense melee at any moment.
However, due to their respective reservations, Doflamingo, Teach, and Alan all stood silently in place. They kept a wary eye on the other two while surreptitiously glancing at a certain bespectacled man lying in the center. None spoke, and none made a single unnecessary movement.
Just like that, time ticked away, second by second...
(This is bizarre! The Marines are one thing, but why is a Warlord like him interested in Silver Hair's younger brother? As I recall, that woman's relationship with the Heavenly Yaksha isn't exactly harmonious...)
Blackbeard mused inwardly. In truth, with his own strength combined with the Dark-Dark Fruit's ability to suppress other users, Teach didn't fear taking on both of them at once. Even if the opponent possessed the "Natural Enemy" trait, Blackbeard was a Logia user who couldn't elementalize; what was normally a disadvantage became a strength in this specific situation.
But even so, until his plan reached fruition, Teach had no intention of getting into a deep entanglement with Marine Headquarters and a Warlord of the Sea.
Furthermore, while he was extremely curious about Sherlock's Devil Fruit ability, it was only curiosity. As an ambitious man, he knew exactly where his priorities lay.
(I'll consider it doing Silver Hair a favor. After all, though that woman's influence can't compare to the Four Emperors, she isn't someone to be trifled with lightly.)
Thinking this, Blackbeard was actually the first to consider backing down from this tense stalemate.
Just as he was about to withdraw from the deadlock, an anomaly suddenly occurred!
Swish—!
The sound of something cutting through the air approached from a distance, and a black shadow suddenly darted into the vicinity of the standoff. They instinctively turned their heads, ready to strike, but when they saw the true form of the shadow, all three froze.
"Woof-hoo..."
It was a half-grown Husky. Its black-and-white fur looked a bit dingy, yet it showed no fear toward the three terrifying auras. It sat on the ground with an air of composure, tongue lolling out, its fluffy tail wagging incessantly as a sign of friendliness.
It looked as if it had run over specifically to join the fun.
(How can a dog look this stupid...) x3
Upon seeing this "derpy" Husky, the same thought simultaneously surfaced in the minds of all three.
(Why did a Husky suddenly pop out?) x3
(Wait, did it just use "Soru" from the Marine Six Powers?!) x3
In an instant, these three individuals of incredibly steadfast resolve were left utterly bewildered by the sudden arrival of this comical, silly dog. The previously tense atmosphere vanished, replaced by a scene that was unintentionally hilarious.
As the deadlock was inadvertently broken by the silly dog, the trio's focus instinctively relaxed for a split second.
And that split second, in the eyes of a certain man who had been observing for a long time, was a god-sent opportunity!
(Roar! ...)
FROOOOOSH—! A sound like a roar erupted in the air as the previously pleasant night wind suddenly intensified tenfold. A piercing gale kicked up the sand and dirt, swirling it through the air to form a thick cloud of dust.
For a moment, sand and stones flew everywhere, creating a scene of absolute chaos!
"..."
The three, their vision obscured, showed no reaction to this strange wind; instead, their attention remained fixed on the other two.
A moment later, the gale died down, and the dust settled. The three people and the dog turned their gazes back to the center.
The Sorcerer had vanished!
"Woof?" The "derpy" Husky tilted its head in confusion at the sight.
The Heavenly Yaksha, Alan, and Blackbeard all turned their heads toward the direction where Sherlock had been rescued, their expressions varying.
In truth, they all had the ability to stop Sherlock from being taken just now, yet none of them had done so. Looking at them now, not one seemed inclined to give chase.
It made sense. Aside from Blackbeard, who had already given up, the primary goal for both Doflamingo and Rear Admiral Alan wasn't necessarily to capture Sherlock, but to ensure he didn't fall into the hands of the other two.
Thus, the Sorcerer being snatched away by a fourth party was an outcome all three could accept.
"You stupid dog, always looking for trouble!!!"
Following a frustrated yet melodious female voice, a beautiful woman in a suit came sprinting from a distance. She promptly smacked the attention-seeking dog to the ground.
"Ahahaha... I'm so sorry, this idiot Husky has made a fool of itself in front of you all. Please, continue, don't mind us..."
Miss Carter scratched her head with a sheepish grin at the trio. Then, grabbing the Husky by one leg, she turned and bolted, leaving a trail of rolling dust behind her...
"..."
With the departure of the girl and the dog, the atmosphere became awkwardly quiet. Regarding this sudden "divine" development, the three truly didn't know what to say.
"Zahahaha! What a lucky fellow that Sorcerer is."
Blackbeard let out a boisterous laugh. His gaze swept over the Heavenly Yaksha and the loli Rear Admiral, and after taking one deep look in the direction Sherlock had been taken, he was the first to turn and leave.
"Heh heh heh... Why didn't you give chase just now, Marine?"
Doflamingo glanced toward the twin-tailed loli with a smirk, his eyes flashing with an unreadable light behind his red sunglasses.
"Hmph, even Marines have working hours..."
Alan curled her lip in disdain, then pulled out a lighter to reignite a premium Goldglint Trading Company cigar. "It's already this late; naturally, my shift ended a long time ago."
At that moment, accompanied by a flurry of footsteps, a group of Marines led by Smoker rapidly approached the area.
"Is that so? Then you truly are a 'dutiful' Marine. If only all Marines were like you, how wonderful would that be? Heh heh heh heh..."
Glancing at the group of late-arriving Marines, Doflamingo let out a mocking laugh. He then soared into the sky, flying off into the distance along the clouds.
"That turkey man actually dared to mock me?!"
Alan's fair little face instantly darkened. She was tempted to chase after him and go another three hundred rounds with the Heavenly Yaksha, but she was interrupted by the already-arrived White Hunter.
"What exactly happened here? Where's the town? Where's the cigar shop?"
Smoker stared at the ruins of Mock Town, his expression looking as if he'd swallowed a fly. He thought to himself: For crying out loud, can't I just buy a cigar in peace?!
Tashigi looked at her superior's soul-crushed expression with some concern, then surveyed the surrounding ruins before asking Alan:
"Rear Admiral Alan, who was that blonde man who just flew away? Did he destroy this town?"
Well, it wasn't just Bellamy; after Doflamingo took off his signature pink feather coat, it was difficult for anyone except those intimately familiar with him to recognize him at a glance.
"It wasn't him. The Sorcerer did all this."
"The Sorcerer?! Since when did he have such terrifying destructive power?" Smoker sucked in a sharp breath. He truly hadn't expected to encounter the target of his voyage here.
"In that case, are the Straw Hats also on this island?" Tashigi's eyes sparkled. This airheaded Marine girl had always been quite fixated on a certain green-haired swordsman who carried three famous blades.
"Naturally."
Rear Admiral Alan blew a smoke ring and waved her hand dismissively.
"Don't be impatient. First, we'll round up the pirates buried in the nearby ruins as a little bonus. After all, as long as we hold the nearby sea routes, the Straw Hats certainly can't run away."
"I really don't believe it—can they actually fly to the sky this time?!"
Having finished, the "expired loli"—completely unaware that she had just set a massive flag—flashed a cute smile.
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