One Piece - Heaven Defying Comprehension!

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Holy Land, Mariejois!

"Fufufu, as expected, you came because of Red-haired Shanks issue, didn't you, Hawkeye?" Doflamingo walked over with his signature gangster-like grin, not betraying even a hint of recognition towards his fellow pirate. He flashed a smile at the newly arrived swordsman.

The Seven Warlords of the Sea, sanctioned by the World Government, had been summoned. Even if the World Government had authorized the Marines to issue a compulsory call, the gathering point remained the Holy Land of Mariejois, the seat of the World Government.

With the advanced technology the World Government currently possessed, it would only take a short time to travel from the Holy Land to Marine Headquarters.

"I'm only here for the title of Shichibukai and to avoid the hassle of being pursued by the Marines," Hawkeye replied calmly, his eyes briefly locking with Doflamingo's.

"Fufufu, that's not the kind of thing you'd normally say, Hawkeye—once known as the 'Marine Hunter,'" Doflamingo remarked with a strange smile.

"Perhaps, but you're not just here to keep your Shichibukai title, are you?" Hawkeye's eyes narrowed, and his lips curled slightly into a smirk.

Doflamingo's smile slowly faded. Hawkeye's words had struck a nerve.

"At the last Shichibukai meeting, you were targeted by Portgas D. Ace, Doflamingo. With your strength, if you faced him, your chances of escape would be zero."

Hawkeye's light smile remained, but his words cut deep, peeling away Doflamingo's confident façade. 

Doflamingo's fists clenched tightly, veins bulging on his forehead. Hawkeye's words had exposed a truth he didn't want to admit.

Indeed, arriving at Mariejois had given him a sense of relief. After all, Marine Headquarters was nearby, and the World Government's power was within reach. Here, he wouldn't have to face Portgas D. Ace alone.

But during the last Shichibukai meeting, Ace's terrifying Conqueror's Haki had planted a seed of fear in Doflamingo's heart—a seed that had been slowly growing, no matter how much he tried to suppress it by focusing on his strength.

The events that followed only made things worse: Aokiji being injured, Enies Lobby being destroyed, Buster Call defeated... 

The gap in strength between him and Ace was immense, a chasm that filled him with a despair he'd never experienced before—not even in his dealings with Kaido. After all, Kaido was still an ally, cooperating with him. But Ace… Ace was different.

Doflamingo knew that Ace's overbearing nature wouldn't forget Bellamy's provocations, and he feared that in Ace's mind, he'd already been marked for death.

Every time he thought about it, a tremor of fear surged through him—fear not just of Ace's overwhelming strength, but of the influence Ace's Conqueror's Haki had on his very soul.

This fear had taken root deep within him, and the more he fought it, the more it spread.

There were only a few ways to eliminate this fear:

The first was to face Portgas D. Ace head-on. If he could defeat him, it would not only wipe out his fear but also allow Doflamingo to turn that fear into strength, advancing his own Haki to new heights. 

But that was a pipe dream. If he could defeat Ace, why would he have needed to become a Shichibukai or align himself with Kaido, providing him with SMILE artificial Devil Fruits for protection? He would've already ascended to the level of a Four Emperor himself.

The second option was to master the power at the pinnacle of the sea: Conqueror's Haki entanglement. It wouldn't be as complete as defeating Ace in combat, but mastering that level of Haki would at least allow him to suppress the influence of Ace's Conqueror Haki.

However, achieving such mastery was no easy feat. Doflamingo knew that Conqueror's Haki, when fully developed, could dominate the seas, but it wasn't something that could be mastered overnight.

What made it even more despairing was that after learning of Ace's subsequent feats, the seed of fear had fully sprouted. His Conqueror Haki could no longer evolve. Unless this fear was resolved, Doflamingo's Conqueror Haki wouldn't grow any further—let alone reach the level of entangling Conqueror's Haki.

It was a dead end.

His only remaining option was to hope that some other force would defeat Portgas D. Ace. It was a passive, dangerous path, but it might allow him to continue improving his Conqueror Haki and strength over time.

This was why Doflamingo needed to retain his Shichibukai title and keep supplying Kaido with SMILE fruits, all while keeping a close eye on Ace's movements. But because his subordinates lacked the power to properly monitor someone as powerful as Ace, he came to Mariejois—to witness Ace's demise firsthand.

Hawkeye's words had exposed these cowardly, despicable thoughts.

Even Doflamingo, who called himself the "Rogue of the Seas," couldn't hide his unease.

Hawkeye glanced at Doflamingo's clenched fists and bulging veins, the corners of his mouth curling in amusement. It was clear that Doflamingo had been completely rattled by Ace. Even before they'd fought, Doflamingo was already crushed by the sheer presence of Ace's Conqueror's Haki and his formidable reputation.

Doflamingo had withdrawn from the center of this era.

"What a pathetic sight!"

Hawkeye started to walk past Doflamingo toward the lounge prepared for them, but a commotion broke out in the port behind them.

"That's the Pirate Empress! The most beautiful woman in the world!"

The Marines on duty could barely contain their excitement as they watched a warship dock. Standing proudly at the forefront was a breathtakingly beautiful figure.

"What a disgusting place," Hancock muttered, her pretty face cold as she gazed at Mariejois.

"Be mindful of your Sweet Fruit powers, Boa Hancock." A stern voice interrupted her.

Gion, with her long legs and piercing gaze, approached Hancock. "This is Mariejois. If you turn the Marines here into stone, it won't be as simple as losing your Shichibukai title."

Gion's voice was firm. Hancock's power was too dangerous. Even the Vice Admirals at Marine Headquarters struggled to resist her petrifying abilities. 

Although Hancock's Conqueror's Haki wasn't yet strong enough to entangle, her Devil Fruit powers combined with her beauty were already terrifyingly powerful—enough to even affect a fellow woman like Gion.

At the end of the battle, her arms had been turned to stone, and she was nearly cornered.

However, when this woman learned that Naval Headquarters had been mobilized in anticipation of a looming clash involving Kaido the Beast, Red-Hair Shanks, and Flame Emperor Ace, she suddenly ceased her attack. Muttering something about the mysterious invitation of the 'Flame Emperor,' and to the amazement of her two sisters, she released her subordinates from petrification and agreed to head for Mariejois.

Could this woman's target be Portgas D. Ace?

Gion gazed at Hancock's breathtakingly beautiful face and frowned slightly. From what she knew, there was no connection between Ace and the Pirate Empress. Why would this woman—who usually goes into a frenzy at the mere mention of Mariejois—be here because of Ace? 

She simply couldn't understand what was going through Hancock's mind.

"Are you implying that these people are like this because of my Sweet Fruit ability?" Hancock said, glancing at Gion with a slight smirk on her red lips.

"No, it has nothing to do with Sweet Fruit. All of this is simply because of my overwhelming beauty," Hancock said proudly, lifting her chin.

'Thud!'

The sailors below instantly collapsed at the sight of her.

"What a narcissistic woman…" Gion muttered, her pretty face twitching as she surveyed the chaotic port.

"Kishishishishishi, I didn't expect the Pirate Empress to show up as well. How interesting."

A high-pitched laugh echoed across the port as two enormous figures emerged from the shadows.

"'Bartholomew the Tyrant,' and Gekko Moria," Gion said, her expression darkening as she recognized the figures.

Did they arrive together using the power of the Paw-Paw Fruit?

"Ah?" 

Hawkeye's eyes narrowed as he observed Moria, who was carrying a massive longsword. 

"Picked up the sword again, have you? The pirate who once challenged Kaido with his sword… Gekko Moria," Hawkeye said calmly.

"Kishishishi, Hawkeye! I've completely changed. How about it? Care to have a duel with me?" Moria cackled, raising the sword towards him.

"As you are now, you don't inspire me to draw my sword," Hawkeye replied coolly.

"You…!" 

Moria knew he wasn't a match for Hawkeye, but those words still stung. He had prepared himself to grow stronger once more.

'Whoosh!'

Suddenly, invisible threads wrapped around Moria's limbs.

"Doflamingo!" Moria growled, recognizing the culprit, glaring at him with fury.

"Moria, you didn't come to Mariejois for a fight," Doflamingo said with a cruel smile. "I heard you crossed paths with Portgas D. Ace. How could someone like you have survived an encounter with that man? Was it Kuma's ability that saved you? Or did that old sword of yours give you some kind of motivation, Moria?"

Doflamingo laughed, his fingers twitching, tightening the threads and rendering Moria immobile.

Hearing the name "Portgas D. Ace," Hancock's ears perked up slightly from her position on the warship.

"Don't lump me in with you, Doflamingo!" Moria retorted angrily. "Yes, I lost to Ace, but I wasn't afraid. Everyone knows how Ace's Conqueror's Haki terrified you at the Shichibukai meeting! Kishishishishishi!"

Moria's shrill laughter grated on Doflamingo's nerves. Unlike him, Moria had not been broken by Ace's Conqueror Haki. After all, his daughter, Perona, had joined Ace's crew, and Moria had secretly vowed to grow strong enough to impress even Ace.

He had even entertained thoughts of joining Ace's Entei pirate fleet, becoming part of it to better protect Perona.

"You, a loser who failed against Kaido and even lost your Haki, dare to mock me!!" Doflamingo snapped, his temper flaring out of control.

He couldn't take this insult from Moria—a pirate who had been utterly broken by Kaido, who dared to ridicule him despite losing everything.

'Whoosh!'

In his fury, Doflamingo lashed out, unleashing threads infused with Armament Haki, aiming directly at Moria.

'Boom!'

A loud shockwave echoed through the port as Doflamingo was suddenly pushed back by a powerful force.

"Kuma!" Doflamingo looked up in shock at Bartholomew Kuma, who had deflected the attack with his outstretched paw.

"Why are you helping Moria, Kuma!?" Doflamingo asked, his cheek twitching as if sensing some hidden truth.

"This is not a place for your tantrums, Doflamingo," Kuma said impassively.

The answer was simple: Moria was a father who loved his daughter. And that daughter was now on Ace's ship.

"Kishishishi, lost my Haki, who? Me?" Moria laughed as black energy swirled around his giant sword.

'Slash!'

With a single swing, the invisible threads binding him snapped.

"Haki!" Doflamingo's face twisted in shock.

Hawkeye's eyes widened as well.

"Your Haki… it's returned?" Doflamingo asked in disbelief.

Why? Moria's spirit had been shattered by Kaido, and his confidence destroyed. So how had he managed to regain his Haki?

Yet, Doflamingo's Conqueror Haki remained stagnant, unable to grow due to the overwhelming presence of Portgas D. Ace. What had happened during Moria's encounter with Ace?

"Kishishishi, don't underestimate me. I am Moria!" Moria shouted triumphantly.

"It's quite lively around here," someone remarked.

'Whoosh!'

From the waters of the port, a figure emerged, leaping onto the docks.

"'Sea Knight' Jinbei," Gion said as the Fishman appeared, and she quickly jumped off the warship to greet him.

"Now that everyone is here, please proceed to the lounge to rest. This is Mariejois, not a place for you to cause trouble. If anything were to happen here, you wouldn't be able to handle the consequences," Gion said sternly.

'Whoosh!'

"Consequences?" Hancock said with a faint smile, jumping gracefully off the warship. "Portgas D. Ace once used his Conqueror's Haki to turn this place upside down, didn't he?"

Gion's expression hardened, her composure shaken by the reminder of that humiliating incident for both the Marines and the World Government.

"Boa Hancock! You—" she started, her voice betraying her frustration.

Hancock's eyes sparkled mischievously as she cut her off, her red lips curving into a knowing smile. "So it's true, then," she said, turning and sauntering toward the lounge, her beauty radiating with every step.

One by one, the rest of the Shichibukai followed suit, heading for the lounge.

"Portgas D. Ace..." Gion murmured under her breath, watching them disappear into the distance.

It seemed like many of the Shichibukai had some connection to Ace. That man truly was the eye of the storm.