Sakazuki looked up and asked:

"Is there something unusual going on?"

At this point, the North Blue Cleansing Campaign was nearing its end. The area had been mostly swept clean, and the fleet was now heading toward Reverse Mountain to move into other seas.

As for underground organization ships that didn't fly the pirate flag, they were generally detained first. Files would be called up from headquarters, and depending on the records, they'd either be killed or released.

Unlike pirates, underground organizations—though technically prohibited from engaging in human trafficking, arms deals, and similar activities—were never really interfered with by the government. The so-called bans were mostly symbolic, token laws.

However, if they crossed paths with Sakazuki, there were never any survivors.

A soldier stood at attention and reported:

"There's a large stockpile of dangerous arms aboard the ship."

"But these are being delivered to one of the World Government's member nations."

"It's part of an official procurement from the member state. However, the ones leading the shipment are pirates listed on wanted posters."

"So Rear Admiral Enel wants to ask how to handle this situation."

Sakazuki said casually:

"Kill the pirates. Leave a few people from the member state to sail the ship back."

The soldier saluted.

"Yes, sir!"

He turned and left, heading toward the railing.

...

Onboard the gangster transport ship.

As an officer of the Donquixote Family, Trebol was drenched in cold sweat.

"Damn it… why does it have to be Sakazuki?"

He cursed bitterly in his heart, mentally cursing several generations of Enel's ancestors...

Of course he knew about the Cleansing Campaign—a recent, shocking operation that had slaughtered pirates across the seas.

The family had already been acting very discreetly. But this batch of weapons was worth far too much.

And since it was an official procurement by a member nation, they thought that if they were careful enough, even if they encountered the Navy, they could bluff their way through.

After all, both the government's member nations and the Navy were official bodies—conflict shouldn't arise.

Who would've thought they'd run into Enel's fleet?

If it had been any ship other than those led by Sakazuki, Bullet, or Enel, they probably could've fooled them.

But Enel was devious—he told them he didn't have the authority to make a decision and had them escorted by a team of soldiers toward the east. They'd been sailing for half a day.

Due to the deterrent power of the Cleansing Campaign, no one dared to resist. But Trebol had a growing sense of doom.

Midway through, he secretly called Doflamingo via Den Den Mushi to report the situation.

Doflamingo also felt a chill of dread and immediately contacted the king of the member nation to get in touch with the higher-ups in the World Government.

He himself took off at once, flying toward Trebol's location.

...

While Trebol was still anxiously awaiting a response, the escorting soldiers informed them they had arrived.

Seeing the messenger head onto the warship to report, Trebol finally asked the nearby escorting soldiers whose ship this was.

Now that they had arrived, the soldiers didn't hide it anymore. They directly told him it was Admiral Sakazuki's warship.

Trebol's legs went weak beneath him—he was stunned.

At this point, he wasn't thinking about money anymore—his life mattered more.

As thoughts raced through his mind, he saw the messenger, who had just entered a room on the warship, push open the door and step back out, walking to the railing:

"People from the member nation, step forward."

Those aboard the lower ship looked around in confusion.

The soldiers at the railing frowned.

"Step forward!!"

The people below jumped in alarm, and all those from the member nation quickly stepped out and lined up.

The messenger nodded.

"Everyone except the member nation personnel—execute the pirates."

Click click—

The soldiers at the railing all chambered their rifles and aimed them at the Donquixote Family members.

Trebol clenched his teeth—he couldn't wait any longer.

"Sticky Sticky Chains!!!"

From his disheveled, slovenly body, thick, slippery mucus was secreted and formed a net-like chain of sticky globules that shot toward the member nation personnel around him.

He lifted them up directly, swaying them left and right in front of the ship as a shield, shouting to his subordinates:

"Start the ship!!!"

...

Inside the warship's office.

Sakazuki received a call from Fleet Admiral Kong.

Sensing what had just happened outside with his Observation Haki, he raised an eyebrow:

"It's too late, Fleet Admiral."

"All the pirates are dead."

"But the people from the member nation are fine."

...

Marine Headquarters, Marineford.

Inside the Fleet Admiral's office, two Den Den Mushi sat on the desk.

One belonged to the king of the member nation; the other was Sakazuki's.

After hearing Sakazuki's report, Fleet Admiral Kong said into the king's Den Den Mushi:

"It's already too late, King Alexei."

"But your country's people are unharmed."

A middle-aged man's voice came from the Den Den Mushi:

"I heard… I see..."

Suddenly, a younger, low-pitched voice came from the same line:

"Impossible. Trebol's Vivre Card is still intact."

"He must have been captured."

...

North Blue, aboard the warship.

Seeing the messenger burst in, Sakazuki waved his hand and stood up to walk out.

He looked at the transport ship that had already sailed several hundred meters away.

Boom!

He shot into the sky.

The hundreds of meters of distance were covered in an instant.

Crack!

He landed directly on the deck with a shattering crash.

Trebol didn't even have time to react—he was instantly stomped headfirst into the shattered deck by Sakazuki.

Looking down at the sticky mucus beneath his feet, Sakazuki frowned.

Under Trebol's terrified, despairing gaze—

Crunch!

All he felt was a powerful pressure on his head, and the entire world lost its color and plunged into darkness...

Those who had been lifted by the mucus dropped down, gasping in shock and terror.

Sakazuki raised the Den Den Mushi in his left hand and said:

"Someone just said it was 'still intact'?"

"I didn't catch that."

"What do you mean?"

He lifted his right hand, pointing a finger toward the pirates fleeing in all directions.

Bang bang bang bang—

Gunshots rang out one after another—headshots.

...

In the skies over the North Blue.

Doflamingo, dressed in a red suit, was flying toward Trebol's location using his String-String Fruit.

He had just said into the Den Den Mushi in his hand that Trebol's Vivre Card was still intact.

But in the next moment, the Vivre Card in his hand burned to ash.

Doflamingo's face immediately darkened.

"Damn it…"

He hung up the Den Den Mushi and froze mid-air, expressionless.

"Sakazuki..."

...

North Blue, in the royal palace of the Kingdom of Cogadaco.

King Alexei stared at the Den Den Mushi on the table that represented Doflamingo—it had suddenly cut off.

A flash of irritation crossed his eyes. A mere pirate dares hang up on me? What a joke...

Taking a deep breath, he apologized into Fleet Admiral Kong's Den Den Mushi, then ordered his people to head out to receive the transport ship.

Even though Sakazuki had said everything was fine, to be absolutely sure, they still had to send someone.

These were crucial weapons for suppressing the rebels.

Thinking of those damn rebels, Alexei snorted coldly.

Then he got up and headed to the harem—to deal with state affairs.

...

North Blue, Cleansing Campaign.

Aboard the ship transporting arms for a member nation.

With all the pirates dealt with, only the member nation personnel remained, trembling as they stared at Sakazuki.

He ignored them and walked over to Trebol's corpse, crushed to death earlier.

With his Devil Fruit ability lost, Trebol had reverted from a bloated, slime-covered slob to a small, creepy man.

Sakazuki casually kicked the corpse—still embedded in the deck—into the sea to feed the sharks.

He snorted lightly:

"Trash."

---

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