"Shh."
The Den Den Mushi rings, and Marco connects the call.
"I'm a joker."
It's a call from Doflamingo.
This made the corners of Marco's mouth slightly upturn; the ever-cunning Doflamingo, quick to act, received news much faster than Stussy, who relied entirely on underworld sources.
After all… The World Government has the technical means to eavesdrop on Den Den Mushi, and Doflamingo should have ways to access it.
Doflamingo's report was brief, with no unnecessary chatter.
"Two important pieces of news must be told to you."
"The first one is about the Blackbeard Pirates. They have three or four sub-captains who are about to head to the 'Kingdom of Sorbet'. It's impossible to confirm which ones exactly… It's even possible that Blackbeard himself is going there."
"Second, about the Big Mom Pirates, there's accurate information: Big Mom heard that you slaughtered her three Sweet Commanders and fled the scene. What she cares about most is that powerful force, and you are weakening her power. However, this time, Charlotte Katakuri personally requested to fight, and Big Mom agreed."
"That is, the current Katakuri is using the power of the Big Mom Pirates to search for you all over the world."
"I see." A few thoughts flashed through Marco's mind, and he quickly said, "Joker, you did a great job. I'll give you a reward."
"Reward?"
Doflamingo on the other end of the Den Den Mushi was taken aback.
"What reward?"
"Tell Charlotte Katakuri where I am."
Marco's calm, indifferent tone surprised Doflamingo.
Telling Katakuri the exact location—wasn't this just inviting trouble?!
Marco had that much courage and confidence!
"What do you mean… Let me make my enmity with you public?"
Doflamingo realized this… It was quite a tempting reward for him.
"I mean, let Katakuri… Deliver himself to you."
…
On that day, a piece of news shook the New World.
Under the Big Mom Pirates, the strongest Sweet Commander, Katakuri, single-handedly slaughtered a large kingdom under the World Government!
Moreover, among the World Government's territories, the large united kingdom had many Devil Fruit users and was quite powerful!
Yet, Katakuri slaughtered them alone!
This news shook the World Government!
They sent powerful agents to hunt down Katakuri, but without exception, he killed them all!
Such news completely stirred the New World, which had been gradually calming down, into chaos again!
"The strongest Sweet Commander, Katakuri~!"
Such proclamations grew louder and louder.
"Katakuri slaughtered two large kingdoms… Could it be because of Marco's influence? After all… Marco killed four of his younger siblings!"
In the underworld, some analyzed.
Indeed, in the past, Katakuri's personality was cold, but not so violent and bloody. It was clear he had been provoked by Marco.
…
Soon, another piece of shocking news spread worldwide!
An increased bounty issued by the World Government!
"The most brutal Sweet Commander, Charlotte Katakuri!"
"The bounty amount: ten… billion, 1.555 billion berries!"
"Oh my God!"
The world was in an uproar again!
Not only because the bounty was so high, but also because… There was another bounty of 1.555 billion berries, and it was for another person—
Immortal Phoenix Marco!
The eyes of the world almost simultaneously focused on the two individuals—
The strongest Sweet Commander, Katakuri!
Immortal Phoenix, Marco!
…
Meanwhile,
In a certain sea of the New World.
The pirate ship where Katakuri was stationed received a call directly from Doflamingo.
"You said you knew Marco's whereabouts?" Katakuri's voice was magnetic, but it was filled with killing intent. "I want detailed information about him, including the specific location of the island."
"Click~!"
Doflamingo's signature flamboyant laugh echoed. "Conditions: the batch of weapons you acquired before… Give it all to me."
"Aren't you afraid of dying?"
Katakuri's eyes flashed with irritation; he felt the urge to crush Doflamingo. This guy remained as arrogant as ever, always demanding a high price!
"You don't need to worry. Pay first; I'll give you the information later. Don't worry, I wouldn't dare deceive the Big Mom Pirates."
"Deal."
…
A few days later,
Another bombshell was thrown into the New World, causing a massive upheaval!
At a time when the world was still reeling from Katakuri's 1.555 billion berry bounty, another piece of news shook the New World through Doflamingo's deliberate announcement!
The specific location of Immortal Phoenix Marco had been revealed!
This once again drew the attention of the entire New World.
The whole New World was in chaos, and countless pirates were astonished.
"Is the news about Marco true or false?!"
"It must be true! I heard Doflamingo has an old grudge with the Immortal Phoenix Marco! Their enmity has driven Doflamingo to relentlessly use his resources to track Marco's whereabouts! Doflamingo… He plans to leverage other powers to eliminate the Immortal Phoenix Marco!"
Such discussions, orchestrated by Doflamingo, spread among the various pirate crews in the New World.
Now,
Countless pirates across the New World knew that Doflamingo had a feud with Marco.
When this news reached Katakuri, he had no doubt about the information Doflamingo provided. It also made him feel an even stronger urge to crush Doflamingo!
"You dare to trap me with a batch of munitions!"
He was only slightly displeased, but compared to that, Katakuri was more interested in Marco's whereabouts. "Since I can find you, then… Let's settle all scores quickly! Immortal Phoenix…!"
Katakuri set sail for the island at full speed!
…
Almost simultaneously,
Another piece of news once again caused countless pirates in the New World to marvel.
"The Four Emperors Big Mom Pirates' 'strongest Sweet Commander,' Charlotte Katakuri, is officially chasing Marco!"
When this news broke, the world was shaken.
"A shocking war—is it about to break out?!"
"Immortal Phoenix vs. The Strongest Sweet Commander!"
"Between these two, who is stronger and who is weaker?! What a battle to look forward to! Just hearing about it makes my blood surge—a truly blood-boiling battle! I have to hurry over and watch the fight!"
Countless excited murmurs echoed across the sea.
"Marco won't hear the news and run away, right?"
Someone whispered with uncertainty. "The whole world knows it; there's no way Marco wouldn't know too, right? What if he avoids the fight and disappears again?"
"Stupid!"
Someone nearby immediately smacked him, "A strong person like Lord Marco wouldn't stoop to avoiding a battle!"
"That's right! With Marco's personality, how could he avoid fighting when he knows Katakuri is coming for him?"
Many agreed.
"Now, what I'm most curious about is who's stronger?"
"Who do you support? I support Marco unconditionally!"
"I think the strongest Sweet Commander, Katakuri, will win!"
Gradually, the world's excitement turned into a debate over who was stronger…
This topic sparked countless discussions…