One Piece: Holy Light Swordmaster

Chapter 99: Chapter 99: Why Is It Always You?



"Still no sign of Law?"

On the pirate ship adorned with a flamingo motif, Donquixote Doflamingo questioned his secretary, Monet.

"Unfortunately, Young Master, there's been no new updates… it seems we haven't found him yet," Monet replied, her tone tinged with frustration.

She admired this junior officer of theirs—exceptionally gifted in intelligence gathering, management, and analysis. However… he betrayed the Young Master!

"But…" Monet hesitated before continuing, "our informants shadowing the Heavenly Tribute escort reported that only one rear admiral from Marine Headquarters seems to be involved in the transfer. That rear admiral is Goomir, one of the more prominent figures stationed at G-2. As for the second rear admiral, they've yet to make an appearance."

Monet, gifted with the Snow-Snow Fruit by Doflamingo himself, was far more than a secretary or intelligence agent; she was a powerful bodyguard. Her younger sister, Sugar, however, had yet to obtain a suitable Devil Fruit, leaving her an ordinary person who didn't participate in this operation.

"Fuffuffuffu…" Doflamingo let out a sinister laugh. "That brat, Law, must've spilled the beans to my dear brother about my plans…"

"Only one rear admiral for the transfer? Hah! The Marines sure move fast… But even if the other rear admiral were replaced by a vice admiral, do they really think they can stop us?"

"Beh-heh-heh-heh… Doffy, Doffy…" Trebol chuckled. "Even if a vice admiral is escorting them, it won't make a difference… You've got nothing to fear from most vice admirals now!"

"Ha ha ha… Exactly!" Diamante grasped the hilt of his sword and laughed. "I thought they'd bring an additional vice admiral, but instead, they just swapped one out. Are they underestimating us?"

"Young Master! My powers are useless on this ship…" Pica's high-pitched voice chimed in. As the Stone-Stone Fruit user, Pica was nearly powerless on a ship or at sea, where there were no rocks to manipulate.

"Relax…" Doflamingo sneered. "Fuffuffuffu… Even if the escorting officers change, the route remains fixed…"

"They'll have to stop at an island to resupply with fresh water. Alongside the Heavenly Tribute, there are numerous officials from the World Government member nations—those pampered aristocrats won't tolerate the Navy's spartan conditions!"

"Indeed, Young Master, an impeccable plan! Perfection to the extreme—G!" Lao G, a master martial artist, wasn't bothered by the battlefield's terrain. Yet, for most family members, who were Devil Fruit users, fighting on an island maximized their combat potential and minimized the Marines' chances of escape.

"..." Senior Pink, still clad in his bizarre attire but sporting an impressive physique, silently lit a cigarette. His eyelid twitched involuntarily—a bad omen. Was it the yearning for Russian? He sighed deeply, wishing they could reunite soon.

"Brr-brr-brr… Brr-brr-brr…"

Monet's Den Den Mushi suddenly rang, silencing the family. A call at this time could only mean critical intelligence.

"Click—"

"Young Master! The Heavenly Tribute fleet has been spotted heading toward an uninhabited island. Its location is…"

"There's fresh water on the island. The Marines are expected to make landfall within an hour and stay for about a day!"

"Fuffuffuffu… Our opportunity has come…" Doflamingo hung up the call, spreading his arms wide. "Family, let's go. It's time to carve out our new era!"

"For the Young Master!" the family responded in unison.

"Wright, we've gone this entire route without an attack. It seems Doffy has his eyes on the island ahead."

Speaking through a Den Den Mushi, Rosinante addressed Wright, stationed on the rear escort ship. His tone was grave. "The family's many Devil Fruit users will have a significant advantage in an island battle."

"True, but the same goes for us. At least this way, we won't have to worry about damaging the ships," Wright replied nonchalantly.

"Those aristocrats need ample fresh water. It's nearly impossible for the escort fleet to avoid stopping to resupply along the way."

"Still, Wright, you disguised yourself as Rear Admiral Goomir to oversee the Heavenly Tribute transfer. Couldn't you have occasionally posed as Rear Admiral Steeless instead?"

The first time Rosinante saw Wright's impeccable disguise, he could hardly believe his eyes.

"I'm more familiar with Goomir's mannerisms since I spent some time with him. As for Rear Admiral Steeless, I've had little contact with him. Any inconsistencies in behavior could raise suspicion," Wright explained.

He paused before adding, "Besides, if we made no changes to the escort team despite receiving Law's intel, it would seem odd to Doflamingo. This way, he'll assume we swapped out a rear admiral for a vice admiral, possibly making him underestimate us."

Realization dawned on Rosinante, though he smiled wryly. "I've still got much to learn… Though if Doffy finds out you're here, he might just abandon his plans altogether."

"…That would be a shame. I'm quite looking forward to meeting him again!"

"Enemy attack!"

Amid the makeshift Marine camp, sharp alarms pierced the air. The warning came from deeper within the island!

"They landed on the opposite shore, huh…" Wright, still disguised as Goomir, rose calmly amidst the chaos and cries of the panicking aristocrats. Activating Observation Haki, he sensed Doflamingo, clad in his iconic flamboyant pink feather coat and signature shades, approaching with his family.

"Fuffuffuffu… The famous Rear Admiral Goomir," Doflamingo said, surveying the composed officer directing soldiers to evacuate the officials to the ships. "Quite unflappable, aren't you? And what about the vice admiral in your party? Won't he come out to say hello?"

"Hmm… Doflamingo, was it? Give me a moment," Wright, still disguised, replied with a faint smile. "I know your objective, and surely you wouldn't want any harm to come to the government officials, correct?"

Doflamingo narrowed his eyes. Something about this "Goomir" felt off, stirring an unsettling sense of familiarity. That expression, that tone—where had he seen it before?

Despite the gnawing unease, Doflamingo held back, allowing "Goomir" to finish evacuating the aristocrats. His family members, though puzzled, followed his lead.

"Fuffuffuffu… Such nerve, Rear Admiral! But don't think I'll wait forever. If you take too long, I can't promise there won't be… collateral damage."

When the last of the non-combatants boarded the ships, Wright turned around. Smiling peculiarly, he said, "Thank you for your patience… Now, let's reintroduce ourselves."

His form began to shift, revealing his true identity. Wright waved nonchalantly. "Yo, long time no see!"

"Wright!" Doflamingo's face darkened as his rage boiled over. "Why is it always you?!"

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