98 Zed's Incident
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"Remember what I warned you about when you joined the Seven Shichibukai? Break our deal, and I'll come after you." Brontes said with an icy edge to Doflamingo. "Dressrosa is under the World Government's wing, and by messing with it, you've crossed a line we drew in the sand."
"As the second-in-command of the World Government's military forces, it's my job to look after these nations. As long as they're with us, I'm here to defend them and what they care about." Brontes stated, his tone freezing over.
Doflamingo felt the sweat but clenched his teeth, trying to argue: "But Dressrosa once..."
"Your past, your family's history, it's irrelevant now. All you've got is a last name. Frankly, I'm surprised you're still hanging onto that identity." Brontes cut him off, showing no interest in excuses.
Doflamingo was stuck. No longer a part of the Don Quixote Family, his last name was all he had left, rendering any pull from his family's name pointless.
And against an angry Brontes, even the head of the Don Quixote Family would feel the pressure, let alone Doflamingo, who was cast aside by them.
Confronted with Brontes's chilly attitude, Doflamingo felt a twinge of regret over choosing Dressrosa. Yet, driven by ambition, he held his ground: "The Five Elders and the World Nobles have given their nod. You can't step in. Plus, I haven't ruined Dressrosa; I've simply taken the throne. It remains part of the World Government's circle."
"What about King Riku? Is he dead?" Brontes asked.
"I didn't kill him. Dressrosa's one of the founding countries of the World Government. The Riku Family has been in charge for ages, so the World Government wouldn't let me touch him even if I wanted to " Doflamingo said openly, knowing better than to hide anything from Brontes.
He was aware that if Brontes decided to dig deeper, the truth would surface sooner rather than later.
"The Five Elders have sided with you, so I'll back off. But you'll have no say over Dressrosa's role in the World Government. In short, you'll be Dressrosa's shadow king, while Riku Doldo III stays the face of the kingdom." Brontes concluded after a moment's thought.
He realized he couldn't alter Dressrosa's fate but chose this path to diminish Doflamingo's power, offering the Riku Family a glimmer of hope.
Though he felt for King Riku, his hands were tied by the World Government's verdict. This was Brontes's only way to shield the Riku Family.
Brontes did what he could for Dressrosa, but at times, when faced with significant choices, he found himself forced to bend. If not, Garp wouldn't have remained a Vice Admiral despite his years of service to the Marines.
...
"The Kingdom of Sekaral has Fallen!"
Brontes was shell-shocked upon hearing the news.
The Kingdom of Sekaral, once loosely tied to the World Government, had long since parted ways due to an inability to pay the required Heavenly Tribute amidst internal chaos and pirate raids.
Its downfall seemed inevitable, yet its rapid collapse caught everyone off guard.
"The inhabitants fled from the endless battles, leaving the island empty. Then, strange new monsters claimed it." A Marine Captain reported to Brontes in his office at Mariejois.
"New monsters? What kind?" Brontes asked, taken aback.
"Weapons-wielding monkeys with remarkable combat skills." The captain responded.
"Could it be..." A thought flashed through Brontes's mind.
Not long afterward, Mihawk requested the island for himself, planning to establish his residence there.
For an uninhabited island, Brontes saw no reason to deny Mihawk as he had with Doflamingo. Thus, he easily granted it to the swordsman.
However, regarding the sudden annihilation of the Kingdom of Sekaral, Brontes still went to see the Five Elders.
"The annihilation of the Kingdom of Sekaral indeed has some secrets." One of Five Elders answered.
"To what extent?" Brontes asked.
"The people rebelled, yes. But it was the king's unexpected death and the subsequent power vacuum that primarily led to its downfall. Other factors played minor roles." The Elders explained.
"What about the Revolutionary Army? Any recent actions?" Inquired the Elder with a black hat.
"I've got nothing yet, but I'm keeping an eye on Dragon. Their operations are spreading." Brontes affirmed.
"Dragon is an unstable factor. Once you discover his whereabouts, we hope you can take action personally to eliminate him." The Five Elders said with a stern face.
"I understand. No need for further words." Brontes nodded calmly.
"As for the island, letting Mihawk have it is fine. It's deserted now, anyway." The Elders concluded.
After discussing other matters, Brontes left, pondering the Sekaral mystery.
It seemed increasingly likely that the Revolutionary Army played a role in its demise.
Their recent uptick in activity had left marks worldwide, yet their dispersed ranks made them elusive.
They waged a guerrilla war against the World Government and Marines, with their leader, Dragon, proving more elusive and threatening than even the Four Emperors.
...
That year, something huge happened. When Brontes found out, he jumped to his feet, totally shocked.
His reaction was so strong, even Kong and the Five Elders next door felt it. They were all taken aback by the sudden burst of Brontes's Conquer's Haki that seemed to shake the room.
"Whoa!"
"Brontes!" Kong narrowed his eyes, his hands balled into fists, ready for what might come next.
The Five Elders were caught off guard for a moment, but then they pulled themselves together: "We need to keep this under wraps." Then continued: "We can't just jump into action without thinking."
"We're not even sure whatever they're connected or not." One of them added: "But for now, we need to stop Brontes from doing something reckless and keep things calm, especially with the Marines."
Things were tense. The balance they'd worked so hard to achieve was at risk of falling apart.
But Brontes? He didn't stick around to hear any of this. He was already on his way to Marineford, his mind racing with thoughts of what had happened.
The news hit everyone like a ton of bricks. The Marines, from the top brass down, couldn't believe it.
Anger was the mood of the day, and Marineford was buzzing like a hornet's nest that had been kicked.
All the big names were there - Sengoku, Garp, Tsuru, Kuzan, Borsalino, Sakazuki - and the Vice-Admirals too, all gathered in the main conference room with serious, angry faces.
"We've got to make them pay!" Sakazuki said loudly, his fists clenched tight.
"Easy, Sakazuki." Sengoku tried to calm him down: "We don't have all the facts yet."
"Are we just going to sit here and do nothing?" Borsalino asked, his voice cold, a stark contrast to his usual laid-back self.
Kuzan stayed quiet, but the chill in the air said all that needed to be said about his mood.
"Stop adding wood to the fire. Return to your posts. Leaving your post without permission, do you want to disobey a direct order ? Go back, everyone. You've seen him; he won't die." Sengoku said in a serious voice.
"But what about Zed?!"
"That damn pirate killed most of the interns and even cut off Instructor Zed's arm..." A Vice-Admiral said in an angry voice.
"The incident with Zed was too sudden, and we can't be certain of that guy's relationship with Whitebeard, so everyone needs to calm down. We can't start a war with Whitebeard now." Sengoku said as he shook his head helplessly.
"So, we're just supposed to let this slide?" Sakazuki couldn't believe it: "What about our honor and dignity?"
"Exactly."
Kuzan, surprisingly, agreed with him.
Zed was a mentor and teacher to almost everyone in the room, except for Garp, Sengoku, Tsuru, and some old Vice-Admirals.
"You don't need to be overly anxious. This is not the final decision yet, and you can't intervene in this matter. The person who should act is probably about to arrive." Tsuru said sighed and said gently.
"Oh, Brontes is coming back. Right, as Zed's most proud student, it would be unthinkable for him not to come..." Borsalino hadn't finished speaking when.
"ZliZli! Rumble!"
Suddenly, lightning cracked through the sky, striking the conference room and revealing Brontes in a dramatic entrance.
"He's here." Borsalino mumbled in a low voice.
Everyone was stunned.
"Fleet-Admiral Brontes!"
