Chapter 440 - 279

Chapter 280: Sengoku the Buddha VS "Demon Bamboo" Vergo!"C-Chief Inspector Sengoku?!"Behind his sunglasses, Vergo's pupils sharply contracted, almost solidifying into two points of cold light.Why would these two high-ranking figures appear at the G-5 Branch? They should be at Headquarters overseeing the transfer of affairs to G1 right now!The instinct of a spy hidden for many years instantly flared up; he almost reached out to shove the den den mushi in his hand behind him—"CRACKLE!!"A black and red lightning bolt tore through the air, striking directly at the traitor who was an eyesore to Sengoku—Vice Admiral Vergo!The overwhelming pressure of death swept over him like a tide, instantly seizing his heart.His mind went blank, leaving only the instinctual urge to scream and flee, yet even his fingertips were too stiff to move."Buru... Buru... Takka!"The den den mushi connected, and a hideous laugh, mixed with mockery, arrogance, and undeniable authority, abruptly echoed through the silent office:"Fuffuffuffu... Is that Vergo? Have you made any progress on the matter I asked you to investigate?"Sengoku's expression remained calm, but beneath that calm lay ice capable of freezing everything.Staff Officer Tsuru's brow furrowed almost imperceptibly for a moment, and her gaze deepened.As for Vergo—He felt as if he were being firmly clutched mid-air by an invisible giant hand; even breathing became a luxury.The coercion brought by Haoshoku was like a physical shackle, restraining his movements and squeezing the bones throughout his body, eliciting a grating, painful groan!"Ugh—!"Vergo suddenly used all his remaining strength to bite down hard on his own tongue!The intense pain instantly pierced the nerves paralyzed by fear, allowing him to briefly break free from the mental restraint of the Haoshoku!"Doffy—!!!"He almost screamed, roaring into the nearby mouthpiece, his voice distorted by urgency and pain:"Watch out for the Straw Hat!! We... we don't have any chance left!! Give up!! They are total lunatics!!""Young Master—I've been exposed!!"However, before he could finish his words—A large hand, moving at a speed he couldn't react to at all, effortlessly snatched the black den den mushi, which was still transmitting Doffy's voice, from his stiffened grasp!It was Sengoku!He didn't even spare Vergo a glance, casually tossing the den den mushi backward, as if disposing of annoying trash."Vergo..."Sengoku's voice sounded again, terribly calm."Prepare yourself..."He slowly raised his right hand, and dazzling golden light blossomed from his palm!The air in front of his palm wildly compressed and twisted, emitting a low hum!"...to receive this old man's wrath?!"The moment the words fell, Sengoku's right palm, covered in golden light, flatly pushed out toward the nearby Vergo!BOOM—!!!!!!!!!!A golden shockwave erupted violently!Vergo instantly turned into a blurred afterimage, rocketing backward like a cannonball!Bang! Rumble! Crack—!!!The sturdy wall was easily pierced, leaving a large, human-shaped hole!Vergo's body, like a human cannonball, flew over the entire G-5 Branch complex, crashing heavily into the very center of the base's wide training ground, under the horrified gaze of countless Marine soldiers!Sengoku casually flipped the pristine white cloak, symbolizing "Justice," behind him.The next second, his voice, like a judgment delivered by a deity, rang out clearly and loudly above the entire G-5 Branch:"Vergo—!!!""You, as a Marineford Vice Admiral and G-5 Base Commander, secretly colluded with 'Heavenly Yaksha' Donquixote Doflamingo, selling Marineintelligence, harming your comrades, and murdering Marine Headquarters Lieutenant Colonel Rosinante...""The evidence is conclusive, your sin is unforgivable—!!"The instant the words finished—Swish!A dazzling golden figure appeared like a phantom, as if teleporting, directly above the head of Vergo, who had just managed to prop up his blood-soaked upper body from the impact crater!Looking down from above, Sengoku's right palm was covered in top-tier Armament Haki, black as ink and condensed to the extreme. Without any flourish, he pressed his palm down toward the crown of Vergo's head!Before the palm strike arrived, the air below had already been compressed into a solid, white shield of air!"Wha...?!"Vergo's pupils constricted sharply; the deadly sense of crisis almost froze the blood in his veins!Relying only on his beast-like instinct for survival, he roared and swung his Armament Haki-coated right fist upward!BANG—!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!The Buddha's palm and the traitor's fist collided solidly in mid-air!A deafening roar mixed with a terrifying shockwave exploded outwards in a sphere! The hard ground of the training field cracked and lifted layer by layer like a fragile eggshell!"Arghhhhh—!!!"Vergo let out a miserable, inhuman shriek! From his punching right arm came a horrifying, rapid sound of cracking bones!RUMBLE!!!!!Centered around his feet, the ground within a ten-meter radius simultaneously collapsed and shattered, instantly exploding into a terrifying giant pit several meters deep with radially cracked edges!Vergo knelt on one knee at the bottom of the pit, countless fine sprays of blood mist erupting from his body, turning him into a blood-soaked figure!He coughed up large mouthfuls of blood, his eyes filled with unbelievable shock and despair.Is this... the power of the Marine pinnacle?!Terrifying! Absolutely terrifying!!Even a seemingly casual strike contained destructive power sufficient to completely incapacitate a Vice Admiral of his caliber!Vergo endured the intense pain, suddenly looking up at Sengoku, who was slowly descending.In Sengoku's eyes, burning with towering rage and killing intent, he clearly caught a glimpse of something else.It was deliberate control, a cold judgment intended to prevent him from dying too quickly!As if... he were dealing with a fragile piece of porcelain that needed to be slowly dismantled?!"This old man said...""I won't let you die so easily, Vergo."...Tsuru stood quietly at the edge of the ruined office, her gaze sweeping over the one-sided, near-crushing judgment taking place on the distant training field.She slowly raised her hand, holding the black den den mushi in her palm, which was still connected and clearly transmitting every sound."Doflamingo...""Since things have come to this, do you have anything to say?""What else can I say?! Huh?! Ask you to be lenient and spare Vergo's life?!""Fuffuffu... Don't make me laugh. With Chief Inspector Sengoku and Staff Officer Tsurupersonally cleaning house, what opinion could a small-time Shichibukai like me possibly have?!"Doflamingo's voice was filled with sudden, furious betrayal and a hint of unbelievable dread.He didn't know how Vergo, this mole who had been lurking for decades, had been exposed, nor could he fathom why it happened at this moment, in such an unannounced manner!But he understood that since things had reached this point, he couldn't stop it!He was a "Seven Warlords of the Sea," and the blood of the "Descendants of the Creator" flowed within him. These identities could protect him under specific rules.But there was absolutely no way they could extend protection to a "traitor" who had conclusive evidence against him and was captured personally by the Fleet Admiral!His brain was frantically working and deducing at an unprecedented speed.What happened?!What exactly happened?!He had just connected to Vergo's secure line as usual, asking about an investigation task that seemed "harmless" to him... and then, what came through the receiver was the iconic, murderous sound of judgment from Fleet Admiral "Sengoku the Buddha"!Immediately following were Vergo's desperate screams, heavy collision sounds, and the crisp snapping of bones... Everything happened too fast, too suddenly, like an unannounced tsunami, instantly shattering one of his crucial strategic arrangements!"Doffy..."Tsuru's voice came again, still steady, but carrying an unmistakable tone of warning and sentencing:"Now, you had best pray that you... can remain securely seated in your position as a Shichibukai."She paused, lowering her voice slightly, yet making it clearer:"Otherwise... this old woman would be very happy to find the time to personally visit Dressrosa and have a good 'chat' with you, the 'King,' face-to-face.""Beep... beep... beep..."As soon as she finished speaking, Tsuru decisively cut the communication.The light in the den den mushi's eyes quickly dimmed, reverting to the dull appearance of an ordinary snail.Dressrosa, deep within the palace on the Kings Plateau.Dead silence.A disturbing silence, as if capable of swallowing all sound, permeated the entire vast and luxurious hall."..."Doflamingo slowly, extremely slowly, lowered his head.Under the golden short hair, thick, horrifying blue veins uncontrollably bulged, writhed, and coiled on his forehead, almost bursting through the skin!"Hoo... hoo... hoo..."Tsuru!It's that damned old woman again!!Vergo... gone.It wasn't just the loss of a top executive, a core fighting force of the family.More importantly, the deepest, most secretive, and most valuable "eyes" and "ears" he had cultivated within the Marine for decades had been completely gouged out!Many crucial future plans that relied on high-level intelligence and internal operations would consequently suffer near-fatal impacts and obstacles!...G-5 Branch, training field ruins."Cough... Hah..."Vergo was slumped in the rubble at the edge of the deep pit, like a pile of mud that had completely lost its skeletal support.Sengoku's figure loomed over him. The right palm, wrapped in golden light and Armament Haki, had stopped mid-air, finally and slowly retracting all its light and imposing aura.He turned his head to look at Tsuru, who had been quietly observing nearby."Tsuru, he is yours now."His voice regained a certain quiet majesty, but the anger and pain deep within his eyes had not vanished.The mind of Vergo, one of the Donquixote Family's top executives, still contained far too many valuable things.Information about Doflamingo's criminal network, trade channels in the Underworld, his secret connections with certain World Governmentofficials, and perhaps even some unknown, dirty secrets concerning Holy Land Mary Geoise... These details were enough to become the fatal leverage needed to overthrow the "Heavenly Yaksha," potentially triggering an even greater earthquake.He not only had to dispose of Vergo the traitor, but he also had to unearth, settle accounts with, and completely eradicate the poisonous snake that was Doflamingo!Watching Sengoku turn and prepare to leave, Tsuru's voice rang out again, calmly stating a cold fact:"You should be aware of what Doflamingo's other identity means.""Even if we possess the most complete evidence, as long as that 'talisman' remains, the final result will likely only be sending him to the deepest levels of Impel Down."For a "former Celestial Dragon," current "Seven Warlords of the Sea," and king of a member nation to truly be executed, the political resistance and interference from the World Government would far exceed that faced by ordinary pirates.Sengoku's footsteps paused slightly, but he did not look back.The lenses of his round-framed glasses reflected the shimmering light of the distant sea, and an unusually young figure seemed to flash across his vision."It doesn't matter."His voice was not loud, but it carried an unshakeable, resolute determination, clearly carried on the wind:"Doflamingo...""He won't be arrogant for much longer."(Fish-Man Island Arc—END)