Dimensional Chat Group: Speed-o'-Light

A/N: Bonus Chap for reaching 200 stones, keep it up.

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Just as Kizaru was deep in thought, the small Den Den Mushi he carried suddenly rang.

"Moshi moshi, this is Kizaru."

After gesturing for Baby-5 to stay quiet, Kizaru finally picked up the call.

A moment ago, Baby-5 had been burning with murderous intent toward him.

But now, she was kneeling obediently on the deck, frozen still, afraid that making the slightest noise would make Kizaru think she wasn't behaving well enough.

"This is Sengoku. Mihawk, Gecko Moria, and the Pirate Empress have all arrived at Marineford. If nothing unexpected happens, Doflamingo should be on his way. Try to speed things up and return before he does."

It was Fleet Admiral Sengoku again.

With the execution of Fire Fist Ace drawing near, the workload on his shoulders was piling up rapidly.

For him to contact Kizaru again so soon, it was clearly about more than just intimidating the Seven Warlords.

"Hmm… Don't worry, I'll definitely get back to Marineford faster than Doflamingo…"

Kizaru rubbed his chin and glanced at Doflamingo, who was still unconscious on the deck.

His voice carried a hint of hesitation.

"Good. Once you return, you don't need to report in—just focus on handling the Seven Warlords. The World Government's reinforcements will arrive soon, and I do not want you clashing with that guy at this critical moment."

Sengoku nodded, satisfied, completely missing the odd tone in Kizaru's voice.

Then again, that was nothing unusual.

Kizaru acting "off" was just part of his nature—if he suddenly behaved as seriously as Akainu, that would be the real cause for concern.

"Clashing? Don't tell me… it's that disgusting guy?"

Kizaru raised an eyebrow, already guessing who Sengoku had brought in.

There were very few powerhouses strong enough to influence a war of this scale.

For someone to be available for immediate deployment, have Naval combat experience, and be a potential conflict risk—

It could only be the former Admiral-candidate who had voluntarily shed his Marine coat of justice to become the World Nobles' lapdog—

White Ram DeLocas.

Zoan-Type Sheep Sheep Fruit, Mythical Model: Chimera.

Unlike the double-headed, lightning-spewing chimera dragon seen in some video games, DeLocas' Chimera Form was a lion-headed, goat-bodied, snake-tailed beast.

And that was just his base form.

As a Chimera, he could absorb and use the abilities of others.

Kizaru had clashed with DeLocas before—

Not just because the man had tried to pursue Gion, but because he had coveted Kizaru's abilities.

In the end, the cheap knockoff lost to the original.

DeLocas got beaten senseless and was disciplined by Marine Headquarters.

Furious, he quit the Marines entirely and joined CP0.

"After this war is over, you can settle your grudges however you like. But during the execution, I absolutely forbid any conflict between you two!"

Sengoku's voice was firm.

DeLocas was his secret trump card against the Revolutionary Army.

If he ended up neutralized before he could be useful, and especially if he took Kizaru down with him, Sengoku would have no way to explain himself to the Five Elders.

"Alright, fine. As long as he doesn't start trouble first, I won't bother with him."

Kizaru agreed readily—

Though, in his mind, he was already plotting DeLocas' downfall.

What a lucky break.

If it had been Commander-in-Chief Kong instead, Kizaru might have hesitated.

Not because Kong was much stronger, but because Kong had taken care of him in the past.

And Kizaru wasn't the type to betray an old superior so easily.

With Kizaru's assurance, Sengoku quickly hung up.

He had mountains of work to handle and no time to chat.

"Hmm… wanna come with me?"

Kizaru tilted Baby-5's chin up, examining the eager, submissive maid in front of him.

Kizaru was, in some ways, a pure-blooded face-connoisseur—

A shameless lover of beauty.

So long as they looked good, he didn't mind even someone as dominant as Esdeath.

Baby-5, naturally, couldn't compare to Hancock or Esdeath.

She wasn't even on par with little Nami.

But her obsessively obedient personality was rather entertaining.

"Eh?! You need me?! You want me to go with you?!"

Baby-5's face flushed red with excitement—

She couldn't possibly refuse Kizaru's invitation.

"Mmm, I suppose so. Having a cute little maid around doesn't sound too bad…"

Kizaru murmured, stroking Baby-5's cheek.

Her skin was smooth as jade, almost on par with Hancock's.

Besides, while Nami traveled with him, her stamina was too weak.

Baby-5, at the very least, could last a full round.

And so, by the time Kizaru returned to his battleship,

A happily burdened Baby-5 followed behind him, carrying a mountain of bags.

Before leaving, Kizaru had not only emptied Doflamingo's liquor stash,

He had also ordered Baby-5 to loot Doflamingo's warehouse.

From a financial perspective, Kizaru controlled more wealth than anyone except the World Government.

But if Nami ever found out he raided Doflamingo's stash and only took the liquor,

She'd probably kill him.

"Alright, put the stuff down… Hmm, looks like we still have some time.

How about… some fun?"

Kizaru lounged comfortably on the large sofa in the captain's quarters, pulling the still-dazed little maid into his arms. What followed was the classic, indescribable scene.

As it turned out, the little maid had significantly better endurance than young Nami. And due to her personality, as long as Kizaru had the need, she would grit her teeth and persevere to the end—barely making it through the second round.

Marine Headquarters, Marineford

The four Warlords who had arrived early each occupied different corners of the reception hall, silently assessing one another while remaining on guard against their 'peers.'

The air was thick with tension. Even a Vice Admiral walking in would find it hard to breathe.

Fortunately, the Warlords exercised restraint. They knew that fighting in Marine Headquarters, even with their titles as shields, wouldn't end well.

If they provoked the Marines, they'd all get beaten to a pulp. Those who had suffered at a certain someone's hands before were especially determined not to make a move.

"Sigh, when will Lord Kizaru return..."

Hancock sat elegantly on her throne-like seat formed by her coiled snake, completely ignoring the other Warlords in the room.

Though Marigold and Sandersonia had accompanied her to Marineford, as non-Warlords, they weren't allowed to set foot on its soil.

"Heh heh heh... What a lineup. If I could get my hands on their shadows and corpses, I might be able to create an even stronger zombie than Oars..."

Moria eyed the other Warlords greedily. But the moment their gazes turned toward him, he instinctively averted his eyes.

"Boring..."

Hawkeye Mihawk closed his eyes again.

Neither Moria nor Kuma interested him. The only one who could barely pique his curiosity was the Empress.

But Hancock wasn't a swordsman, and she had a troublesome man backing her. Even Mihawk didn't feel like provoking that guy.

"..."

Bartholomew Kuma stood by the window, holding his beloved Bible, his vacant eyes fixed on the Marines assembling in Marineford's plaza. He seemed completely indifferent to Moria's greedy gaze behind him, lost in his own thoughts.

At that moment, Mihawk's eyes suddenly snapped open, and Hancock's face lit up with joy.

Thud!

The doors to the reception hall were pushed open forcefully as Kizaru strode in with his signature, nonchalant gait, now back in his suit and Marine justice coat.

Trailing behind him was young Nami, dressed in a white blazer and short skirt, her delicate face full of irritation.

She had always known this scumbag was the ultimate womanizer, but for him to bring back a little maid after just one mission was a bit much.

Especially since Baby-5's absolute obedience triggered a strong sense of crisis in her. Yet, she failed to realize that Kizaru actually preferred her tsundere attitude.

"Lord Kizaru~"

The moment Hancock saw Kizaru, her eyes sparkled, and without hesitation, she threw herself into his arms like a delicate bird seeking refuge.

Luckily, Kizaru was tall enough to handle her "collision."

'That damn woman!.'

Young Nami gritted her teeth in frustration but didn't dare draw Hancock's attention.

Kizaru wouldn't let the Empress bully her—at least not in public. In private, however... that was another story.

She could only bite her lip and make a mental note to complain to Gion later.

"Alright, alright. We have business to discuss. We'll talk more in my office later..."

Kizaru enjoyed a long-overdue "facial treatment" before finally supporting Hancock's unbelievably slender waist and pulling her off him.

"Yes, Lord Kizaru~"

Hancock responded expectantly, even casting a flirtatious glance at Nami beside her, nearly making the younger girl tear the little notebook in her hands out of frustration.

"Well, we're all old acquaintances, so no need for introductions. Since you've agreed to the summons, I assume you've already prepared yourselves to be cannon fodder..."

Kizaru casually took a seat at the round table, knocking on the surface without a shred of courtesy.

Hancock was the first to sit down—naturally choosing the chair to Kizaru's left, looking as if she wanted to drag it even closer to him.

Meanwhile, Bartholomew Kuma, who had been standing by the window, silently walked over and took the seat to Kizaru's right without a word.

Witnessing this, Mihawk's mouth twitched almost imperceptibly. Though he had been sitting in the corner, he unexpectedly chose to move to the table as well.

.

"Heh heh heh, as expected of the Navy's monster..."

Moria chuckled under his breath. Even among the three Admirals, Kizaru was by far the most unpredictable.

To put it in terms from Kizaru's past life, the other two Admirals—whether aggressive or conservative—undoubtedly belonged to the "lawful" alignment.

Even though the existence of the Warlords contradicted their sense of justice, as long as the Warlords didn't act out too much in front of them, even Sakazuki wouldn't go out of his way to take action against them.

Kizaru, however, was pure "chaotic" alignment. What he did depended entirely on his mood and preferences. Even if someone ran to the Five Elders to complain, it wouldn't change anything—Kizaru would just come knocking again.

And by then, it wouldn't just be a simple beating. Moria and Doflamingo had both learned this the hard way—complaining didn't work against Kizaru.

"Anyway, you'll all be on the front lines when the time comes, so put in some effort. Here's the deal—each of you takes out a commander from the Whitebeard Pirates. If that's too much, a captain from one of Whitebeard's allied crews will do. Just don't make things difficult for me. If I have a hard time, you'll have an even harder time..."

Kizaru drawled lazily.

Fleet Admiral Sengoku had assigned him to "handle" the Warlords precisely because Kizaru wouldn't give a damn about their special status.

BANG!

Just as Kizaru was planting the seeds of doubt and fear in the Warlords, the doors to the reception hall were violently kicked open.

A bruised and battered Doflamingo stormed in, his barely contained fury radiating even through his signature sunglasses.

"Oh? You're late, Doflamingo."

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