West Blue.
In the Calabria Sea, one of the Five Great Mafia Families, the Entron Family, held its stronghold on Citrus Island.
"Attack!"
"For the Don!"
A throng of expendable foot soldiers from the Capone Family charged forward, wielding axes and longswords. Behind them, low-ranking thugs carried rifles and rocket launchers.
One of the enforcement officers, Enel, observed the frenzied advance with cold detachment, treating these so-called allies as little more than cannon fodder. After over a year of indoctrination, Enel had finally passed the family's loyalty review six months earlier, completing his training in martial arts and both Observation and Armament Haki. His Observation Haki was particularly powerful—capable of wide-area surveillance, similar to Noah's.
Suddenly, a wave of Entron Family mafiosos emerged from both sides of the street ahead.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The cannon fodder on the frontlines was instantly overwhelmed, and the disorganized soldiers began to fall back in panic.
With a sneer, Enel gave a curt command, "Fire!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Amidst the hail of bullets, a few rockets flew out.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
"Crap! I'm not even—"
"Bastards! I haven't even—"
Caught in a crossfire, the cannon fodder suffered heavy casualties, which left the Entron Family attackers dumbfounded.
But Enel had no intention of explaining himself to these lowlifes. He swung his alloyed trident, cleaving through several soldiers with a single motion.
The grisly scene sent chills down the spines of everyone present.
"That's what happens when you retreat! Now, follow me!"
Leading by example, Enel made quick work of the deserters, then charged directly at the Entron Family members.
"Help! Please spare me!"
That day, blood ran through the streets of Citrus Island.
News of the Capone Family's annexation of the Entron Family soon spread throughout the underworld of West Blue.
The remaining Mafia families—the Camorra Family, the Ometa Family, and the secretly controlled Gambino Family—quickly conspired to form a temporary alliance against the Capone Family.
However, what the Camorra and Ometa families didn't know was that Gambino's leader, Don Gambino, was now one of Noah's Apostles. This high-level infiltration left a gaping vulnerability in their so-called alliance.
Naples Sea.
The stronghold of the Camorra Family lay on the Pearl Islands.
After finishing a covert call with the other Mafia families, Don Camorra Harry wore a troubled expression.
"Have we managed to contact Durk's pirate crew?" he asked.
A bald lieutenant shook his head. "Don, the Durk Pirates disappeared recently."
Harry frowned deeply. "The Capone Family is becoming too strong. I don't know how much we can rely on the others. This doesn't bode well."
"Don, we could always turn to the Antique Dealer," suggested a weasel-faced subordinate.
"The Antique Dealer?" Harry hesitated, not because the dealer lacked strength, but rather because he wielded too much of it, making him a dangerous ally.
After some thought, Harry still couldn't commit to the idea. "We'll discuss contacting him later. For now, reach out to any available pirate crews. Offer a reward of five billion Beli."
"Understood, Don."
The family officers didn't question his decision. In the underworld of West Blue, the Antique Dealer had a notorious reputation as a double-edged sword; he could easily devastate the Capone Family, but he might also take a substantial toll on the Camorra Family itself.
A week later—
An unexpected report left the Camorra Family reeling.
"What did you say?" Harry's face twisted in shock as he listened to his subordinate's report.
The bald lieutenant nodded solemnly. "Don, the news is real. I confirmed it through the United Merchant Guild's sources."
Harry gritted his teeth. "Damn it, Gambino Off! To think you were hiding this all along."
Moments ago, they had learned that the headquarters of the Ometa Family—one of the five Mafia families—had been raided by Off, who led a surprise attack under the pretense of a secret meeting. The Ometa Family's leadership had been nearly wiped out, while the mid- and low-level members were swiftly absorbed by the Gambino Family.
With the Gambino Family swallowing the Ometa Family and the Capone Family taking over the Entron Family, the structure of the Five Great Mafia Families in West Blue had completely disintegrated.
Faced with the precarious situation, Harry finally made up his mind. "Mole, contact the Antique Dealer immediately."
"Yes, Don!" The bald lieutenant, Mole, hurried to arrange the call.
Meanwhile—
Mary and the members of the Surveillance Division began their covert screening of the newly acquired Entron and Ometa Family members.
Those guilty of major crimes would be used up during the next campaign against the Camorra Family. Those with only minor offenses or misdemeanors would either undergo re-education or be assigned to low-risk positions.
Both sides continued their preparations.
Before they knew it, over a month had passed.
During this time, the Capone Family and Gambino Family maintained a continuous conflict. The skirmishes served both to keep the Camorra Family off guard and to discreetly weed out unworthy individuals within their own ranks.
The Camorra Family, however, did not lower its guard despite these battles. Instead, they increased their internal defenses.
Of course, Noah, observing from behind the scenes through the winery's intelligence network, was fully aware of the Camorra Family's preparations.
In fact, Noah wanted them to prepare thoroughly. By strengthening the Camorra Family's forces, he could make the most of his expendable assets when the time came to confront them.
As for the Antique Dealer who was bound to intervene, Noah was unconcerned.
He even had detailed intelligence on this dealer.
After all, the Noah Family possessed advanced Den Den Mushi (transponder snail) surveillance technology. Once someone was placed under surveillance, nearly everything they discussed over calls was known to the family.
This one-sided access to information created a terrifying advantage.
Evening of November 21.
At the secret base on York Island—
Robin, holding a document, entered the room. She had completely altered her appearance, even choosing to maintain her disguise within the family's own ranks.
"Do we have new intelligence?"
"Yes," Robin replied, handing over the report. "It's a recording of a conversation between the Antique Dealer and Camorra Harry."
Noah reviewed the document, then a smile curved on his lips. "Interesting. Harry is showing some intelligence. Send Off to handle the meeting."
"Understood," Robin replied. "Also, the West Blue Naval Branch seems to be monitoring the underworld conflicts."
Noah waved dismissively. "No need for concern. As long as the Gambino and Capone families haven't reached a conclusive victory, the Navy won't interfere."
Noah had studied the West Blue's power dynamics in depth.
West Blue had three major underground powers: the Five Great Mafia Families, the United Merchant Guild, and the Happo Navy.
The elimination of any one of these forces would likely lead to even greater upheaval in the underworld of West Blue.
Additionally, these powers had various ties to the nobles of each kingdom, the West Blue Navy, and global criminal syndicates.
While the current Vice Admiral overseeing West Blue was Tea Pig Gion, even he lacked the authority to purge the Mafia families. As a gray-area force, the Mafia was a result of compromises from all sides.