Admirals Decision: Enlisting the three brothers

Inside the Royal Palace of Dressrosa…

"Young Master, there are sixteen Marine warships surrounding the island!"

Trebol, one of the top officers of the Donquixote Pirates, stumbled in, his voice trembling as he relayed the intelligence from the outer perimeter.

Donquixote Doflamingo—"Joker" of the underworld and self-proclaimed king of Dressrosa—snapped his head up.

Though a Warlord of the Sea (Shichibukai), officially sanctioned by the World Government, he had seized Dressrosa by force and ruled from the shadows using the twisted powers of his subordinates.

When he first took over the island, the Marines didn't even intervene. Even Fleet Admiral Sengoku had overlooked it. Why now? Why today?

Sixteen warships was no small display of force. It wasn't reconnaissance—it was an invasion.

Doflamingo furrowed his brow.

Vergo, one of his most trusted officers, had mentioned the possibility that the new Marine Admiral, Luo Ye, might pay them a visit.

But Doflamingo hadn't taken it seriously. After all, he had leverage—the dark secrets of the Five Elders themselves.

Over the years, Doflamingo's ties to the World Nobles and his past as a former Celestial Dragon had made him virtually untouchable. He had blackmail, status, and strategic value.

If the Marines wanted to take him down, why hadn't they done so long ago?

"Didn't Vergo say only Luo Ye was coming with a single ship?" Doflamingo hissed. "Then why are there sixteen?!"

In growing agitation, Doflamingo grabbed a den-den mushi and attempted to contact Vergo—his undercover agent in the G-5 Marine base.

But the line never connected.

"Damn it!"

Doflamingo hurled the den-den mushi at the ground, shattering it.

If Vergo had gone silent, it could only mean one thing: he'd been exposed—or worse.

His eyes narrowed behind his tinted shades.

"A Marine Admiral wouldn't do this alone. Luo Ye wouldn't act without orders… unless those orders came from Sengoku himself."

"And if Sengoku is acting, then the Five Elders must know… unless—"

His eyes widened.

"Unless those old bastards are trying to pressure me into silence."

"Trebol," he barked, "bring me the secure line. I'm calling the Five Elders directly."

Trebol nodded, his face twitching under the mucus-like slime he constantly oozed. He retrieved the encrypted den-den mushi from Doflamingo's quarters and handed it over.

Moments later, the line connected.

"Fufufufu… So," Doflamingo began, his voice laced with venom, "you're really going to send a fleet to erase me, huh? Going to wipe me out so your dirty secrets die with me?"

"You better call them off now, or I'll tell the whole world what happened all those years ago."

On the other end of the line, silence reigned for several seconds. Then, a confused voice answered.

"Doflamingo… What the hell are you talking about?"

The Five Elders were stunned.

They had received no reports of a Marine attack on Dressrosa—let alone authorization for a full-scale siege.

"Marine ships? What Marine ships?" another voice demanded.

"You're telling us you're being surrounded by warships?"

Doflamingo sneered.

"What? You didn't know? Then let me enlighten you—sixteen Marine warships from Naval Headquarters are right now stationed around Dressrosa. You telling me you didn't greenlight that?"

The silence that followed was shattered by gasps.

"What?!!"

Back in Mariejois, inside Pangaea Castle, the Five Elders—those who governed the World Government from the shadows—shot glances at one another in disbelief.

Someone had moved against Doflamingo without their knowledge. And not just someone—Sengoku himself.

"This bastard Sengoku… What the hell is he thinking?!" one of them growled.

Doflamingo's voice continued through the line.

"I'm warning you. If even one shot is fired, I go public. I'll expose everything. From the extermination order on Flevance, to the deal with Kaido, to your ties to Mary Geoise trafficking networks. The world will know."

And with that, he slammed the line shut.

Doflamingo leaned back in his throne, expression cold and confident.

He knew how the Five Elders worked. They wouldn't risk exposure.

And as long as they feared what he could say, they wouldn't let the Marines act.

Or so he thought.

In Mariejois, chaos erupted.

"He dares threaten us again! That insolent little…"

"He's not just any pirate," another Elder growled. "He's a former Celestial Dragon. If his lineage is made public, and with that intel in his hands…"

"Worse still," the third Elder added, "this is the second Warlord the new Admiral Luo Ye has gone after."

"First Crocodile… and now Doflamingo!"

"He hasn't even been Admiral for a full year and he's already undoing everything we built!"

"We told you we shouldn't have let Garp's influence put him on the list!"

The decision was immediate.

"Get Sengoku on the line—now!"

Back at Marineford…

Fleet Admiral Sengoku sat at his desk, already expecting the call. He rubbed his temples as the secure line buzzed.

He sighed and picked up the receiver.

"You're calling sooner than I expected."

"Sengoku!" the voice thundered, "why are there sixteen warships outside Dressrosa?! Have you lost your mind? You want to bring down the Shichibukai system? That was our creation!"

"Recall Luo Ye immediately! And tell him not to lay a finger on another Warlord!"

Sengoku closed his eyes and exhaled.

"Doflamingo planted an officer in the G-5 base. Vergo was using his Marine rank to cover up human trafficking, slavery, arms deals with Kaido… You name it."

"He turned civilians into toys, erased them from memory, and used the underworld codename 'Joker' to run global black markets."

"And you're telling me I should do nothing?"

There was silence. Sengoku's voice rose:

"Tell me, is protecting one corrupt Warlord more important than justice? Or are you just scared of what he might say?"

His tone shifted, more biting.

"If the people knew you were sheltering him, how long do you think your rule would last?"

The Five Elders had no response.

Sengoku's fist clenched.

"Justice will be done in Dressrosa. Luo Ye stays. The operation continues."

And with that, he ended the call.