One Piece: King of the World

At the same time, in another large conference room in Marineford, several figures of infamy sat scattered around the room.

Doflamingo, Crocodile, Bartholomew Kuma, and others were present, though their seating arrangement was casual and unstructured.

Crocodile sat back in his chair, arms crossed, his face the usual mask of disinterest. His eyes were half-lidded, exuding an aura of disdain.

He had already removed the sunglasses he'd been wearing, tossing them onto the table.

Doflamingo, on the other hand, perched atop the table in front of Crocodile. His posture was carefree, his behavior more befitting a gangster than a Warlord.

He wore his signature pink feathered coat draped over his shoulders, orange sunglasses perched on the bridge of his nose, and skin-tight pants tucked into loafers. One leg crossed over the other as he leaned forward with a mischievous grin.

"Oi, oi, Crocodile~" Doflamingo drawled. "We're partners now, right? Why so cold, huh? Can't even give me a proper 'hello'?"

Crocodile's brow twitched in irritation. He really wasn't in the mood.

"Has no one told you how annoying you are?" Crocodile shot back. "Why don't you take a page from Kuma and just sit there quietly?"

He gestured toward Bartholomew Kuma, who sat at the far end of the room, silently reading his worn Bible.

Doflamingo's grin didn't falter.

"Furufurufu~! What can I say? I'm just a sociable guy."

Then, leaning closer, he added, "How's business going in Alabasta, eh? Need some pointers? I am your senior when it comes to running a kingdom. Just look at me, King of Dressrosa."

Crocodile glared at him. "Mind your own business. Being Claudius' cousin doesn't give you a free pass. If you don't shut up, I'll bury you here."

Before Doflamingo could respond, footsteps echoed from the corridor outside.

The door opened, and Enel walked in, his golden staff slung across his shoulders.

The moment he spotted Crocodile, his face lit up.

"Mr. Crocodile! Long time no see!" Enel greeted, beaming.

Since Claudius had brought him down from Skypiea, Enel had changed significantly.

Gone was the gloomy, godlike arrogance.

Now, he was chatty and carefree, sometimes too much so.

Hearing Enel's voice, Crocodile muttered, "Great. Another headache."

"Furufurufu~ Took your time getting here," Doflamingo teased.

"My apologies, Young Master Doflamingo. I got delayed on the way," Enel replied politely.

He then flopped into the seat next to Crocodile and launched into a rambling monologue about his latest exploits: uncovering ruins, stumbling across Captain John's lost treasure, and nearly frying a sea king with lightning.

Crocodile's patience was already thin.

Doflamingo had been needling him nonstop, and now Enel was babbling in his ear.

It's like these idiots are tag-teaming to piss me off.

Finally, he snapped.

"Enough!" Crocodile slammed a hand on the table.

The wood cracked beneath his palm.

He took a deep breath and growled, "I just want some peace and quiet."

Doflamingo immediately responded, "Who's Peace and Quiet? Never heard of 'em."

Crocodile's eyes twitched. Without another word, he lashed out with a sandblade.

Doflamingo leapt backward, pulling razor-thin threads from his fingertips. The silk-like strings solidified into a shield, blocking the sand attack midair.

"Oi, oi!" Doflamingo laughed. "That was a little harsh, don't you think?"

"Stop bothering me," Crocodile hissed.

Before the situation could escalate further, footsteps echoed from the hallway once again.

The door creaked open.

"Did I come to the wrong room?" a calm voice asked. "I thought we were supposed to fight Whitebeard, not each other."

All eyes turned to the doorway.

Standing there was Dracule Mihawk.

He strode in, his black trench coat flowing behind him, the Black Blade Yoru resting across his back. His sharp golden eyes scanned the room, exuding a quiet, noble authority.

Doflamingo grinned. "Furufurufu~! Never thought you'd show up early. I figured you'd roll in at the last minute, like usual."

Mihawk gave a small shrug and walked over to Kuma, taking a seat beside him.

"I'm curious about the upcoming fight," Mihawk said as he unstrapped Yoru and set it on the table. "It's not every day you get to challenge the world's strongest man."

With Mihawk present, Doflamingo backed off from Crocodile.

The room settled into an uneasy calm.

Crocodile, now free of distractions, leaned back in his chair.

Enel, however, continued whispering stories to him.

It was hard to tell if Crocodile was listening or just silently suffering.

"Are we all here?" Mihawk eventually asked.

"Almost. There's supposed to be a new recruit," Doflamingo said, crossing his legs. "Some newbie named Teach."

As if on cue, a booming laugh came from the hallway.

"Zehahaha! Hey there! Name's Marshall D. Teach, your newest comrade. Just call me Teach, I'm lookin' forward to working with ya!"

Teach entered the room, his grin wide and eyes gleaming.

Doflamingo tilted his head. "Zehahaha?… Quite the laugh you've got there."

Teach rubbed his neck. "Force of habit, sorry about that."

He stopped just inside the doorway, scanning the room. His gaze lingered on Mihawk's sword, then on Kuma's colossal frame.

He was about to introduce himself properly when he heard the distinct click of heels behind him.

He turned to look—

Only to be met with a sharp pain in his ribs as a slender, high-heeled foot kicked him aside.

Teach groaned as he crashed into the opposite wall.

"Out of the way, fool," said a cold, imperious voice.

Standing in the doorway was Boa Hancock, the Pirate Empress.

She wore a scarlet cheongsam adorned with the symbol of the Kuja Pirates.

Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, golden serpent earrings dangled from her ears, and her expression was one of absolute disdain.

Her eyes swept across the room without a hint of interest.

Teach groaned, clutching his side as he sat up. "Damn…"

He turned to curse whoever kicked him, only to freeze when he got a proper look at Hancock.

His jaw went slack.

Her beauty momentarily overwhelmed him.

For a brief second, his mind went blank.

But Teach was no fool. He quickly snapped out of it and forced a grin.

"Z-Ze-hahaha… Boa Hancock, right? Pleasure to—"

"This Empress has no interest in speaking with you," Hancock interrupted coldly.

Teach's smile froze.

Doflamingo burst out laughing. "Furufurufu~! Ouch, Teach! That was brutal."

Hancock ignored them all.

Her gaze moved across the room until it settled on Doflamingo.

"Is His Highness not here yet?" Hancock asked.

By "His Highness," everyone knew she meant Claudius.

Doflamingo chuckled. "Relax, Hancock. My cousin will be here soon."

"Hmph." Hancock took a seat, crossing her arms and lifting her chin in typical disdain.

Her eyes softened only when Claudius' name was mentioned.

And with that, all seven Warlords of the Sea were finally assembled.