In the sacred grounds of Mariejois, the Holy Land!
"Fufufu, as expected, you've come for the matter concerning Red-Haired Shanks, Hawkeye," Doflamingo smirked, striding forward as if he was inferior to none, his expression akin to that of a gangster.
Even if the World Government authorized the Marines to summon the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the gathering place remained the Holy Land of Mariejois, a swift journey from which to reach Naval Headquarters.
"I'm here to maintain my Shichibukai status and avoid Marine pursuit," Hawkeye replied calmly, glancing at Doflamingo.
"Your words don't sound like those of the 'Marine Hunter' you once were, Hawkeye," Doflamingo chuckled, his smile twisted.
"That's because your situation is far from simple, Doflamingo," Hawkeye retorted, his gaze piercing.
"You're not just here to retain your Shichibukai title, are you?" Hawkeye's words wiped the smile from Doflamingo's face.
"At the last Shichibukai meeting in Mariejois, you were marked by Portgas D. Ace," Hawkeye continued coolly. "Given your strength, facing him would be a near-impossible escape."
Doflamingo's face contorted, his fists clenched tightly as veins bulged on his forehead.
Hawkeye's words cut through his façade, exposing his true fears.
Indeed, arriving in Mariejois had brought a temporary sense of relief. Here, under the protection of the World Government and Naval Headquarters, he felt shielded from the lone threat that was Portgas D. Ace.
However, the events during the last Shichibukai meeting had instilled a deep-seated fear within him. Portgas D. Ace's Conqueror's Haki and formidable feats—like injuring Aokiji and dismantling Enies Lobby—showcased a strength beyond Doflamingo's reach.
Facing such a vast disparity in power stirred feelings of powerlessness and despair unlike anything he had felt even with Kaido's influence.
His aspirations to become one of the Four Emperors seemed laughable in the face of such strength.
And yet, confronting Portgas D. Ace head-on, while the most direct method to erase his fear, remained an impossible dream. His current status as a Shichibukai, providing Kaido with SMILE fruits, relied on avoiding such direct confrontations.
Another path involved mastering Conqueror's Haki—a feat that could potentially quell his fears, albeit not as comprehensively as defeating Ace.
But achieving mastery over Conqueror's Haki, the hallmark of an emperor, was an arduous and uncertain endeavor.
Furthermore, the fear sowed by Portgas D. Ace's Conqueror's Haki had stagnated his own Haki growth, complicating any progress.
Left with no clear solution, Doflamingo considered a final, passive option: awaiting Ace's downfall at the hands of other powers. This approach, while less proactive, allowed for gradual improvement in his own abilities over time.
Thus, finding himself in Mariejois, Doflamingo secretly hoped to witness Ace's demise, albeit with a tinge of shameful satisfaction exposed by Hawkeye's astute observations.
Hawkeye, observing Doflamingo's distraught expression and visible agitation, couldn't help but curl his lips in a mocking smile.
It appeared Doflamingo had already been thoroughly intimidated by Portgas D. Ace.
Even without direct conflict, Doflamingo seemed crushed beneath the weight of Ace's Conqueror's Haki and his formidable reputation, withdrawing quietly from the center stage of this turbulent era.
"What a splendid view!!!" Hawkeye exclaimed as he prepared to pass Doflamingo and head towards the lounge arranged for them in Mariejois.
Suddenly, a commotion erupted behind them at the port.
"It's the Pirate Empress, the most beautiful woman in the world!"
The marines on duty couldn't contain their excitement, gazing in awe at a warship just docking at the port, where a stunning figure stood proudly at the bow.
"Hmm, what a nauseating place," Hancock muttered, her expression cool despite the admiration.
"The power to petrify with the Mero Mero no Mi, Boa Hancock," Vice Admiral Momousagi remarked, approaching Hancock with measured steps. "Here in Mariejois, turning Marines to stone would mean more than just losing your Shichibukai title."
Momousagi's tone was serious, reflecting the dangerous implications of Hancock's ability.
"This woman's ability is truly perilous," she thought to herself. Bringing Hancock to Mariejois had been a tense task.
Once, merely explaining their purpose had resulted in Hancock's Haki having to ward off the petrification of her own crew—Marines who might have otherwise succumbed to the sweet fruit's power.
Even with her formidable Haki, the Vice Admiral had found herself in a fierce struggle.
Regardless of Hancock's attempts to justify herself and avoid losing her Shichibukai status, the former Empress of Amazon Lily knew that any mistake could lead to annihilation by the Marines.
Despite the efforts of the Nine Snakes' former Emperors to convince her, Hancock had persisted in launching fierce attacks, displaying the might of her Conqueror's Haki—a power that even surpassed that of many Vice Admirals.
Though her Conqueror's Haki had yet to reach the Infusion level, her Devil Fruit abilities and Haki were formidable enough.
Especially the Mero Mero no Mi, its allure heightened by her incomparable beauty, even affecting Momousagi, a woman herself.
In their clash, Momousagi had nearly been overwhelmed, her own limbs nearly turned to stone.
Only upon learning of the imminent clash involving Kaido, Red Hair, and the Entei Pirates, and the mysterious invitation from the "Fire Emperor," did Hancock relent, rescinding the petrification of her subordinates and agreeing to accompany them to Mariejois.
Momousagi observed Hancock's stunning countenance and furrowed her brow slightly.
As far as she knew, Portgas D. Ace had no connection to the Pirate Empress.
Why, then, had this woman—whose mere mention of Mariejois triggered such a dramatic response—come here because of Ace?
Momousagi was utterly puzzled by the Empress's motivations.
"Could it be that this chaos is caused by the Mero Mero no Mi?" Momousagi asked cautiously, meeting Hancock's gaze.
"I don't need the Mero Mero no Mi's powers to provoke such reactions. All this is simply because of my extraordinary beauty," Hancock declared proudly, her lips curling with self-assurance.
"Boom!" echoed the sound of Marines collapsing below, struck by Hancock's charms.
"What a narcissistic woman," Momousagi remarked dryly, her gaze shifting to the tumultuous port and the Empress's flawless yet haughty expression.
"Hehehehe, I didn't expect the Pirate Empress to show up as well. How intriguing," chuckled a voice as two imposing figures emerged at the port.
"It's 'Bartholomew the Tyrant' and Gekko Moria," Momousagi observed, her expression darkening slightly.
"Did they arrive together using the power of the Kuma Kuma no Mi?" she wondered silently.
"Hmm?" Hawkeye's gaze fixed on Moria, who brandished a massive knife. "You've taken up the sword again? The pirate who once challenged Kaido, Moria," he remarked coolly.
"Hehehehe, Hawkeye? I'm a changed man now. Care to spar?" Moria taunted, pointing his blade towards Hawkeye with a shrill laugh.
"Not interested in letting you draw your sword right now," Hawkeye replied calmly.
"You bastard!" Moria's bravado quickly gave way to anger at Hawkeye's dismissive tone, fueling his determination to grow stronger once more.
Invisible threads swiftly bound Moria's limbs.
"Doflamingo!" Moria accused, glaring angrily at the manipulative puppeteer.
"Moria, you didn't come to Mariejois to start a fight. I heard you encountered Portgas D. Ace. How did someone of your caliber survive that encounter? Did your bear's abilities help you escape? Feeling a little nostalgic picking up that old knife, Moria?" Doflamingo taunted with a smirk.
"Ugh?" Hancock's ears twitched aboard her warship at Doflamingo's words.
"Don't compare me to you, Doflamingo! Yes, I lost to Ace, but I wasn't afraid. Unlike you, everyone at the Shichibukai Conference knows you were terrified by Ace's Conqueror's Haki!" Moria retorted sharply, his laughter grating.
Glancing at Doflamingo with no reservations, Moria harbored no fear of Ace. After all, his daughter Perona had joined Ace's crew. Moria resolved secretly to become stronger, enough to impress Ace, and thus allied himself with the Entei Pirates.
"How dare you mock me after losing your Haki!" Doflamingo snapped, his composure slipping.
Hawkeye, unperturbed, noted his lack of action.
Who was Moria, a failed challenger to Kaido who'd lost his Haki, to mock him?
"Kuma!" Doflamingo Attempted to attack furiously, but was met with unexpected interference.
"This isn't your playground, Doflamingo," Kuma admonished calmly, his attention unwavering.
"Why aid Moria, Kuma?" Doflamingo demanded, bewildered by Kuma's unexpected intervention.
"He's a father who loves his daughter, just like Me. And his daughter remains on Ace's ship," Kuma explained evenly.
"Hehehehe, lost my Haki?" Moria's laughter was sharp as he wrapped his massive sword in dark energy, breaking free from Doflamingo's grasp.
"Haki!" Doflamingo's expression twisted in disbelief.
"You've regained your Haki?" Hawkeye questioned, his gaze narrowing.
"Why can't my Haki improve because of Portgas D. Ace yet that loser regained his Haki?" Doflamingo seethed inwardly.
"Hehehehe, don't underestimate me, I'm Moria!" Moria declared defiantly.
"It's getting lively here. The Shichibukai are more popular than ever." as from the port's seawater, a blue figure emerged with a leap.
"The 'Sea Knight' Jinbei," Momousagi noted, leaping off her warship.
"Now that everyone's here, let's head to the lounge to rest. This is Mariejois, not a place for antics. Any trouble here, and you won't bear the consequences," Momousagi warned sternly.
"Consequences? Didn't Portgas D. Ace turn this place upside down with his Conqueror's Haki?" Hancock remarked with a faint smile, stepping onto the port.
"Boa Hancock! You—" Momousagi's expression darkened upon hearing the implications against Marine and the World Government.
"It seems so," Hancock confirmed with a subtle gleam in her beautiful eyes, heading towards the lounge.
The rest of the Shichibukai followed suit.
"Portgas D. Ace," Momousagi murmured, watching their departing figures with suspicion. "He truly is the talk of the Seas."