The grand hall of the Dressrosa palace buzzed with a lively banquet.
Doflamingo sat at the head of the table, hosting Jack the Drought, one of the Three Disasters of the Beasts Pirates.
Wine flowed, laughter echoed, and their crews mingled in easy camaraderie.
"Fufufufufu… Jack, here's to a smooth transaction between us…" Doflamingo grinned, raising his glass.
"Good!" Jack grunted, but before he could say more, a panicked shout cut through the celebration.
"Bad news, Young Master! The Marines are here!"
Doflamingo calmly took another sip.
"Fufufufufu… So what if the Marines are here?"
"But… the one leading them is the Marine Momousagi!"
Doflamingo shrugged, unfazed. "Come on, ignore them. Let's keep drinking."
"Young Master, not only that… but there also seem to be some strange kids with them…"
"Oh?" Doflamingo paused, his sunglasses hiding a flicker of interest.
Marines didn't bring children on missions unless they were rescued and "strange" piqued his curiosity.
Remembering his recent conversation with Vergo, he mused 'Could it be…?'.
With a cackle, he announced "Fufufufufu, let's go take a look!"
Doflamingo and Jack, followed by their respective crews, headed for the harbor.
At the port, Gion had already disembarked with her unusual retinue: ten child-sized figures known as Seraphim.
She'd brought no other soldiers.
Suddenly, a lewd voice broke the calm.
"Hey there, gorgeous Marine lady~ What brings you to Dressrosa?" A group of pirates, emboldened by being in a Shichibukai-protected territory, swaggered forward, undeterred by the lone, beautiful Vice Admiral.
Gion expression darkened. "Hmph. Go. Kill them." She nodded to Little Mihawk.
"Yes." In an instant, Little Mihawk stepped forward, drawing his blade.
Whoosh!
A cold, sharp slash tore through the air.
"WHATTT?!" The pirates' faces paled in terror.
They felt death cold embrace but were too weak to dodge.
BOOM!
"AAAHHH!!" Agonized screams echoed as, with a single stroke, the mocking pirates collapsed, blood pooling on the cobblestones.
The remaining pirates shrieked and fled, utterly bewildered.
Doflamingo, a Shichibukai, cooperated with the Marines.
Why would they attack without hesitation? They couldn't fathom it, but survival spurred their retreat.
"Hmph…" Gion snorted disdainfully at the retreating trash.
Just then, a mocking laugh drifted from the distance.
"Fufufufufu~ Vice Admiral Gion, what an impressive display of authority!"
Gion eyes narrowed.
A man in a feathered coat and tight pants strode toward them. It was Doflamingo, flanked by the burly Jack the Drought and their respective crews.
"Doflamingo!" Gion gaze sharpened, locking onto Jack.
Fury flared within her. She hadn't expected Doflamingo to be so brazen, flaunting his alliance with Jack so openly.
"Fufufufufu~ Any orders, Vice Admiral Gion?" Doflamingo smirked.
Gion shot him a cold glare, then spoke slowly.
"By order of Fleet Admiral Sengoku, I am here to carry out a mission. You are hereby commanded to immediately cease all dealings with the Beasts Pirates and destroy all artificial Devil Fruits!" Her eyes gleamed dangerously.
"Failure to comply will result in immediate military intervention!"
But Dolfamingo only chuckled. "Oh? Fufufufufu~ Spoken like a true Admiral candidate. But... save your breath!"
With his hands in his pockets, he seemed utterly unfazed.
His gaze then settled on the Seraphim behind Momousagi and his heart skipped a beat.
These children—with their brown skin, silver hair, and black wings wreathed in flames, traits of the Lunarian Tribe—looked eerily familiar.
One of them bore a striking resemblance to his own childhood self!
They were indeed modeled after the Shicibukai (himself included) and three others resembled Akainu, Aokiji, and even Garp!
Doflamingo pulse quickened.
Could these truly be the Humanoid Weapons Vergo had mentioned—the Seraphim?
His fingers twitched imperceptibly, sending invisible strings shooting towards the Seraphim modeled after him.
But just as they neared—"Whoosh!" Little Mihawk drew his sword without hesitation, slicing through the empty air before him.
Behind his sunglasses, Doflamingo eyes narrowed in surprise.
Such quick reflexes? And he'd been so careful.
Something felt off.
The Seraphim strength was no joke either, severing his strings so effortlessly.
"Doflamingo!" Gion, having noticed his covert attack, her expression darkened.
She barked sharply "This is your final warning from the Marines! Cease all hostile actions immediately! Terminate your dealings with the Beast Pirates and destroy all artificial Devil Fruits!"
"Or we will resort to military force!"
But Doflamingo attention remained fixed on the Seraphim, as if her stern words had fallen on deaf ears.
His blatant disregard stoked her fury.
Meanwhile, Jack watched coldly from the sidelines.
At that moment, he let out a mocking laugh.
"Marines, you think you can stop us? You'd better scurry back to your Marine Headquarters before we decide to take action!"