You outsmarted my outsmarting yet still manage to lose!

3rd Person POV

On Punk hazard. On a wide and rocky terrain, a small army of nearly 2000 people were currently surrounding 2 men.

Armed to the fullest with rifles, snipers, launchers, swords and more the small army was aiming everything they had at the men who stood there in a relaxed manner.

"It seems like Jackson-nii was right and they really took the bait."

One of the 2 young men started conversing with his partner without any sense of danger or urgency.

He was wearing a greenish long coat over a red suit shirt and a white necktie. An old fashioned black cylinder hat covered his blonde hair and a Metall pipe rested on his right shoulder.

"Indeed. Just the intervening of the navy is a bit unexpected even if they only send one vice-admiral. We were unexpectedly lucky that they didn't send an admiral or we would have to flee."

His partner in crime, a young black haired man with a black overcoat, a yellow shirt and light blue pants answered in a similar manner.

The mentioned navy soldiers actually made up 80% of the 2000 strong enemies and were led by vice-admiral Momonga and rear-admiral Vergo which were aided by the three giants, all of them being rear-admirals in branches from the new world.

"You think so? Well it doesn't really matter that much. Our targets are in front of us now so everything is fine." (Sabo)

"Sight… what a carefree vice-captain I have…" (Law)

Looking to the side both of them saw a tall man with yellow short hair and red glasses. Around him were unique looking people also known as his commanders.

Seeing how almost everything went as planned they couldn't help but think back to the discussion they had 1 week ago.

————————————————————————

One week before, at the main plaza in front of Dressrosa's royal palace.

"Ok then. Let's go search around the island maybe they are hiding somewhere around here."

Jackson agreed with Law's proposal of searching around after finding out that Doflamingo went into hiding.

Everyone hurried off and started searching, or at least acted like they did. Once they sensed the hidden eyes on them vanishing, signaling them that either spies or informants could no longer watch them, they met again slightly outside of the city.

"Did you manage to sense the whole castle?"

As soon as everyone arrived on a hill to the north of Dressrosa, Jackson asked everyone.

"Not the whole castle, no." (Sachi)

"I also couldn't sense the whole castle." (Beppo)

"I did sense it whole." (Kuina)

…

The numbers were divided. Beside Jackson, 5 people sensed the castle area completely and 5 only partly.

"Then did everyone notice the weak signals spread throughout the areas you sensed?"

"They were transponder snails, weren't they?"

"Yes. Beppo said it, they were transponder snails. Probably an attempt to keep an eye on us in case we stay in the castle."

Everybody already guessed what the signals may be. Even though it's a possibility they haven't confirmed as of yet, they still decided to take precautions and first meet outside the castle away from praying eyes or possibly ears.

"By the way what did the ones who were eying us report back?"

Kuina looked at Enel and asked. Even if just for short, everyone had sensed prying eyes on them at some point in time.

Them being spies or informants was the most likely case so she asked the one guy who is able to perfectly hear what others say even if kilometers away from them. (1 mile = 1.6 kilometers/ 1 km = 0.62… miles)

"For now just our arrival and movement. So far I did not hear any information about our targets whereabouts." (Enel)

Understandable, since it would be weird otherwise, to the point of being suspicious.

"So does that mean we are staying clear from the palace to block them from spying on us?"

"Instead of blocking them why not deceive them?"

Sabo wanted to know how they will act now but before Jackson answered him Robin proposed her idea successfully making the others interested in what she said.

"Elaborate please." (Jackson)

"We currently don't know where Doflamingo and his crew are, right?"

Everyone silently nodded.

"Then instead of searching for him, why not bait him into coming out by himself?"

!

As she was looking at Law while saying that he and Jackson understood why she was hinting at.

"Send Law somewhere and let Doflamingo learn about it to make them go after him?"

"Isn't that a bit too risky? Our opponent isn't a muscle brain so even if he comes out himself, he will probably have some things prepared won't he?"

Sachi and Penguin sounded concerned as they objected and Kench and Beppo nodded at their objection since they had the same thoughts.

"They are right. In a frontal confrontation Law would wipe them but that bastard might have some tricks up his sleeve. I am not sending him alone."

The person in question himself wanted to oppose to what Sachi and Penguin said but Jackson was faster. He spoke with a serious face and cut to the case signaling them that he meant what he said.

"So I will send Sabo with Law."

The crew members believed Robin's proposal to have been rejected until their captain continued speaking.

"We will go back and stay in the castle. There I will give everyone a task which requires you to go around the island and show yourselves to prove them that no one else is with Sabo and Law. I won't be an exception to that. Only the two of them will be sent off to an island where Doflamingo possibly has a base. If we bait him out then everything's good. If he sends someone, capture them so we can find out his whereabouts. If the plan fails and no one awaits you or comes for you after 4 days of staying there return. Also just in case admirals or emperors intervene get out and come back."

Just as it was surprising for Jackson to agree despite the potential risks and him not being there with them, it was also proving his trust in them exactly because of said risks.

Sabo couldn't help but have a huge smile appear on his face while even the corners of Law's lips started going up ever so slightly

"Aye!"

After everyone agreed they went off in different directions and came back to the castle one after the other.

Once the crew was present, a fake meeting took place in a big hall on the castle's 1st floor.

After faking a report about their search around the island Jackson begun the fake discussion which he had simulated in his mind.

Law and Sabo were to secretly head out tonight and look for a scientist named Caesar, who is supposed to stay on punk Hazard 'according' to the big mom pirates they recently met. If they happened to run into Doflamingo and his crew then both of them should flee since they supposedly aren't strong enough to face them on their own.

Of course the last two parts were fake information but since it was around this time the first child would be brought to Punk Hazard for the gigantification experiments, partly sponsored by her, it wouldn't be too far a stretch to thing that she knows of his whereabouts and the laboratory on that island. As for why or how Big Mom would share that with him (she didn't) was up for Mingo to investigate.

Meanwhile Enel and Robin where to gather information on money sources and deals of the Donquixote family. Sachi, Penguin, Augur and Bepo are to find some people and bring them to the palace and Kuina and Kench were tasked to attack secret facilities like the SMILE fabric and the underground dungeon beneath the arena.

They all knew that Doflamingo most probably was listening but his craftiness would soon turn against him.

Funnily no one knew that Doflamingo and his whole crew were staying on Punk Hazard. The crew members and Jackson only thought that he would send someone or lead some troops himself.

Later, the crew members moved according to what was being discussed in the fake meeting. Law and Sabo 'secretly' left during the night willingly stepping into the trap later on, Robin and Enel started snooping around for information, the attack team began the raids, secretly attempting to rescue the dwarves and the search team started to search. They searched for the remaining royalties who were hiding somewhere on the island.

————————————————————————

Back to the confrontation on Punk Hazard, 7 days after the discussion.

Doflamingo walked out of the crowd as he looked at Sabo and Law. A wide grin spread across his face when he confronted the two. The sound of his steps were overshadowed by the jeering and boasting laughter of his goons next to the marines.

"Fuffuffuffuf!"

He actually even started to laugh as well, since he was sure of his victory. Still despite making it look like they were relaxed not one soldier or pirate lowered their weapon or let them out of their sight.

"Fuffuffuf! You two… to think that he would send just you two while being in an active conflict with me. Fuffuffuffuf!"

His laughter was loud enough to resound throughout the rocky terrain. Once he stopped laughing and took a good look at the intruders, Doflamingo finally noticed the small smiles they had.

"And what's wrong with us being here?"

Law asked back in a provoking manner, his leisure and confidence practically oozing from his words and demeanor that he showed. Yet that didn't scare the warlord in the slightest. Instead he answered like he was explaining a simple matter to an idiot, never taking off his wide provoking grin.

"For me there is nothing wrong with it but for you… You will get captured here by me and give me the chance to get rid of that bastard!"

Law after hearing this looked over to Momonga and the other navy officers after hearing what he said, silently putting the peace's together. They were just looking down from their positions without butting in.

"You plan to start a war? Don't you need me and my fruits ultimate ability?" (Law)

"Ho? You already know about that…As always you are quick. But there is no need to worry about these thing now. All I have to do to reach my goals is capturing you two." (Doflamingo)

"You?"

Law wanted to retort but someone was faster. It was his vice-captain Sabo. He only eyed Doflamingo from the corner of his eyes, as if the later wasn't worth any more attention. Standing there totally relaxed and tipping his hat up with one finger the no.2 of the Jackson-Pirates continued to speak.

"You and what army?"

!

*ZWROOOOOOOM*

A cold breeze flew by. Everyone felt it the very moment exact same moment when their world lost its colors.

*thud*thud*thud*

One after another pirates and marines alike started to drop as they lost consciousness until only the leaders and commanders of both sides remained.

The wide grin on Doflamingo's face was wiped off as quickly as it had appeared. Meanwhile the hair on Vice-Admiral Momonga's neck stood up after witnessing this scene.

"…No way…"

It was similar. So much like that battle he watched in the headquarters.

"Back then he also started off like this…"

It was just a resemblance that could have been thought as random or just imitation but for some strange reason Momonga couldn't help but picture Jackson standing in Sabo's place while cold sweat started run down his face.

"ROOOM!"

The appearance of a transparent dome, 1.5 times the size of an average capital city neither eased Momonga's worry nor did it dispel this bad feeling he had but it helped him focus better on the situation on hand.

"Let me tell you all something since unlike me, you aren't very fast?"

Law once more engaged Doflamingo in a conversation but this time he was neither relaxed nor was he grinning any longer unlike the young doctor.

"We are neither bait nor prey and our target never was Ceasar Clown to begin with."

Doflamingo also started to worry at this point. If what he just heard is true then that means that the information that was gathered was fake.

'If you happen to run into Doflamingo and his crew then both of you flee since you aren't strong enough to face them on your own.'

He remembered what Jackson told the two of them during that discussion as the scheme behind it slowly came to his mind.

'…To think I would be tricked by that brat!'

He was regretting how he took Jackson's words at face value but Law didn't leave him much time for it as he continued speaking.

"The appearance of the navy was unforeseen but it doesn't change a thing. The only hunters on this island are the vice-captain and me and you are our targets!"

With this words the battle between the Donquixote-Pirates and the Jackson-Pirates finally started.

(AN: Yes I believe Sabo might have unawakened conqueror's haki. Seeing how he yearned for his freedom and to be able to visit everywhere under the sky before he lost his memories it really wouldn't surprise me if he has it. Since it is neither confirmed nor denied, I decided to go with my own preference.)

(AN: Hey everyone! Chapter turned out longer than planned sorry. I initially planned to not write today and instead prepare for my lectures tomorrow but @JohnTron84 made a deal with me: Sauce for chapter! Well he shared the sauce and I the chapter so yeah that's it. If you want to do drop some of whatever you have be it comments, memes, waifu pics, stones Imma taking it all. Hope you enjoy reading my ff as always!)