After Aeridar finished speaking, Bartholomew Kuma fell silent again, saying nothing more.
"Fufufufufu~ What an ambitious and cunning man... Quite the dangerous one," Doflamingo chuckled darkly, shooting a sidelong glance at Aeridar.
Tap, tap, tap... tap, tap, tap...
Suddenly, the sound of footsteps echoed from the entrance. Everyone turned to look.
A man walked in, sporting short black hair and a trimmed goatee. He wore a black top hat with white fur trim, a wine-red patterned shirt under a black vest, and white trousers. But what truly stood out, what made everyone's breath catch, were his piercing golden eyes, sharp like a hawk's.
"Well, well, well... If it isn't the most unlikely guest of all, besides that woman," Doflamingo arched a brow, his voice tinged with real surprise.
"Even you showed up," Crocodile admitted, visibly taken aback.
As for Kuma, his expression didn't so much as twitch.
"Dracule Mihawk, the world's greatest swordsman..." Aeridar hadn't expected this either. The arrival of the aloof and solitary Mihawk was a true surprise.
Yes, the man carrying a massive black sword shaped like a cross on his back was none other than Dracule "Hawk Eyes" Mihawk, the greatest swordsman alive and a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
"I'm merely curious about the newest, and youngest, Warlord since Boa Hancock. You, Golden Ring Aeridar." Mihawk's gaze turned sharply toward Aeridar.
"To have drawn the interest of the Dracule Mihawk... I'm honestly a little overwhelmed," Aeridar responded humbly, though inwardly he thought: Those hawk-like eyes alone could break the will of half the world's fighters.
Mihawk didn't reply. Instead, he pulled out the nearest chair, placed his legendary sword, the world's strongest black blade, gently beside him, then leaned back and closed his eyes, resting with his legs on the table.
"Looks like everyone who's coming is already here," Crocodile said coolly, chewing his cigar as he glanced at the gathered attendees.
"Heh~ I wouldn't be so sure," Aeridar replied with a playful smirk. "I'll bet the Marines will be here any minute. Wanna bet?"
Crocodile's face darkened.
Bet your ass, of course they'll come, you bastard. That's not what I meant, and you damn well know it.
"Fufufufu~ You really are an amusing one," Doflamingo burst into laughter.
"Bastard..." Crocodile muttered, glaring at Aeridar.
"Come on now, Croc, just messing with you," Aeridar waved him off with a grin.
Tap, tap, tap... tap, tap, tap...
Just as Aeridar was about to needle Crocodile some more, a new set of deliberate, heavier footsteps echoed from the hall, multiple sets, in fact.
The door opened. Five or six Marine officers entered.
At the front were two figures, a man and a woman.
The man was powerfully built, adorned with medals across the chest of his Marine uniform. Draped over his shoulders was a white coat emblazoned with "Justice." He wore round frog-eye glasses, his long beard braided into twists, and a seagull, the symbol of the Marines, rested atop his hat. Beneath that hat exploded a wild mop of hair.
He was the Fleet Admiral, "Buddha" Sengoku, the mastermind of the Navy.
Beside him stood an older woman, her frame slender and her face lined with age. She wore a sky-blue shirt with a green tie and bore her own Justice cloak lightly draped across her shoulders.
She was the Navy Headquarters Vice Admiral and Chief Strategist—Tsuru.
Trailing behind them were several high-ranking Marine officers, Rear Admirals and Vice Admirals, by the looks of it, but Aeridar didn't recognize most of them.
"Looks like you're all having a good time," Sengoku said as he swept his gaze over the room. His eyes paused briefly on Aeridar before he smiled again. "Apologies, we haven't even greeted everyone yet. I didn't expect such a turnout... Sea dogs, the lot of you!"
"Fufufufufu~ Oh? Is that supposed to be a compliment?" Doflamingo grinned mockingly.
Sengoku chuckled and nodded toward his fellow Marines, who began taking seats across from the Seven Warlords.
"Let's begin the meeting," Sengoku said as he took the central chair across the table. "Frankly, I don't think anyone else will show. Including Golden Ring Aeridar, five of the Seven Warlords are present. That's already far beyond my expectations. Honestly, this is the best turnout we've had since the system was founded."
Even Sengoku had been surprised when he entered, five Warlords had shown up.
"Well, I hadn't planned on coming either," Doflamingo said, hopping down from the table with a bored expression. "But construction on my island's palace is well underway. I was bored out of my mind."
"Is that so? Well, that just makes things harder for us. The more successful your pirate ventures are, the busier we Marines get," Sengoku replied evenly.
"Fufufufu~ You almost sound envious. Careful, Fleet Admiral, wouldn't want to tarnish the name of 'Buddha,' would we?" Doflamingo gave a dark chuckle, fingers twitching ominously.
"All I've heard so far is nonsense," Mihawk opened his eyes, sounding irritated. "Makes me wonder if I came to the wrong place. If the Marines and the Seven Warlords are still this hostile, then what's the point of this roundtable? Cooperation was the foundation of the Warlord system, to contain the Yonko and preserve balance. If we can't even manage that, then this position is meaningless."
Sengoku turned to Mihawk, raising an eyebrow. "Even you came. That's surprising."
"Hmph. I was bored, that's all," Mihawk responded, lowering his legs from the table. "And I had a bit of interest in today's so-called main character. Nothing more."
"Then let's cut the chatter and get on with it," Crocodile grumbled. "This place is boring as hell."
"There are two matters on the agenda today," Sengoku said, turning to Aeridar. "First, Chris T. Aeridar, whom you've all now met, will be replacing Gecko Moria as one of the Seven Warlords. Any objections?"
"Doesn't matter to me," Crocodile waved it off dismissively. "Just move on to the next."
"Fufufufu~ No objections here. If someone capable of defeating both Syrons and Moria isn't fit to be a Warlord, then good luck finding anyone else more qualified," Doflamingo said with a glance toward Aeridar, who wore his usual calm smile.
"His strength is sufficient," Dracule Mihawk said with a slight nod, his expression unreadable as ever.
"Agreed," Bartholomew Kuma stated coolly, offering only the bare minimum.
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