One Piece: A Warlord's Path

Chapter 911: Chapter 911: The Aftermath

A few days later, in the Kingdom of Clifford.

[Shocking War! Heroes Clash and Powerhouses Fall—Dressrosa Reduced to Rubble!!!]

[A Sight Too Cruel to Behold! Dressrosa Civilians Suffer Heavy Casualties!!!]

[Trafalgar Law Stripped of Seven Warlords Status by Marines; Straw Hat Boy Wreaks Havoc on Dressrosa!!!]

[A Legend Falls in Dressrosa!!! Grand Swordsman and Master of the Cran Estoc Style, "Flash Blade" Gergiel Haunger, Killed in Action!!!]

[Lord of the Neutral Zone, Aeridar, Slays "Flash Blade" Gergiel Haunger!!!]

[Revolutionary Army Suffers Heavy Blow!!! Second-in-Command and Chief of Staff Sabo Captured!!!]

[...]

"Heh... how ignorant the world is."

In a pavilion atop the roof of the Central Tower, Aeridar sat with a cold smirk, eyeing the dozen or so newspapers spread across the table. He mocked, "Turning clouds into rain with a flip of the hand... decent methods, but Doffy really took a hit this time. His old foundation from all those years has been almost entirely wiped out."

"It couldn’t be helped. The incident was just too big," Dimitri said from the side, shaking his head with a helpless sigh. "All of Dressrosa was turned into a wasteland. It involved dozens of factions, including the World Government, the Marines, and the Revolutionary Army. Plus, with Haunger’s death, there was no way to keep the lid on it."

A few meters away, Gilbert Arlan stood by the swimming pool in a sharp suit, watching a group of frolicking bikini-clad beauties. He added calmly, "Fortunately, Doflamingo knew it couldn’t be hidden, so he chose to let the story break while concealing only the most critical details. That’s where his brilliance lies."

Led by the World Economy Newspaper, reports from hundreds of famous news agencies had spread across the globe.

The papers detailed almost everything: the battle at the Corrida Colosseum, Law’s dismissal from the Warlords, the Straw Hat Pirates’ appearance, Haunger’s death, and Sabo’s capture. They even reported that less than half of Dressrosa’s original population remained.

However, the one thing missing from the headlines was the darkness hidden beneath Dressrosa.

While rumors swirled that the living toys were actually transformed humans and that the majority of the deceased civilians were silenced by the Chris and Donquixote Pirates to protect their secrets, not a single one of these claims made it into print. Not only did the World Government and the Marines deny them, but even the intelligence agencies of the Underworld dismissed the reports as fabrications.

"The Straw Hats certainly have good luck. To think they actually escaped after all that... Doflamingo really is useless," Oliver remarked lazily from his beach chair, his eyes half-closed.

"Ya-ha-ha-ha! If it had been me, the Straw Hat boy and Trafalgar Law would be dead already!" Enel sat arrogantly on a lounge chair, crunching into a bright red apple.

"To think even a man like Haunger would die... Sigh," Zephyr said, his face full of wistful melancholy as he sat cross-legged on the ground, cradling a cold, gleaming estoc.

This was Haunger’s weapon and the heirloom of the Cran Estoc Style: the rapier—Cran!

"I was there for the entire battle of Dressrosa, and in all fairness, you can’t blame Doflamingo this time," Dimitri interjected, his expression turning serious as he looked at the group. "Even I didn’t expect the Straw Hat boy’s Gear 4 to be capable of matching Doflamingo for a short duration."

"Especially during that final aerial pursuit. Doflamingo couldn’t use his Awakening powers over the sea. He actually fell into a disadvantage against the Straw Hat boy in mid-air. Combined with that group of suicidal fools shielding them, Law and the Straw Hats managed a smooth escape."

At the end, Dimitri couldn’t help but marvel at the Straw Hat boy’s luck.

By the time Aeridar had arrived during the final flight and pursuit, the outcome was essentially decided. No one could stop Aeridar; it was a one-sided slaughter.

After that massacre, countless experts lay dead beneath the ruins of Dressrosa. Only twenty or thirty percent escaped. It was safe to say that more than half of what would have been the Straw Hat Grand Fleet in the original history had been wiped out.

As for the Tontatta Tribe, half escaped while the other half perished at sea. Aeridar felt a genuine pang of regret that Princess Mansherry hadn’t been captured.

The Marines, led by Bastille and Maynard with over a thousand soldiers, had initially remained neutral but found themselves becoming bargaining chips for Aeridar and Doflamingo in negotiations with the World Government.

Surrounded by the Chris and Donquixote Pirates, these thousand Marines were held hostage. If the World Government and the Marines didn’t agree to Aeridar and Doflamingo’s terms, those who knew the truth would be silenced permanently.

While Sakazuki was loath to be threatened by pirates, he had to consider the internal stability of the Marines and Admiral Fujitora. These were two Vice Admirals and over a thousand personnel, not some low-ranking officers or a handful of men. Abandoning them would cause a mutiny within the ranks.

Furthermore, Doflamingo had paid a steep price to exert pressure through the Gorosei and the Celestial Dragons in Mariejois. Forced by the World Government, Sakazuki had no choice but to accept the terms with a grimace, nearly destroying his entire office in a fit of rage afterward.

With the external issues settled, Doflamingo still had to deal with internal headaches, such as how to handle the remaining forty percent of Dressrosa’s population.

"Even though Doffy and I worked together to suppress this matter from both the light and dark sides, there are still many loose ends. The content in these papers can only fool the ignorant masses and second-rate players," Aeridar said, looking up as he toyed with an orange-red spherical fruit with swirling patterns. He chuckled, "But that’s enough. The official channels of information have been cut off. Even if someone tries to spread the truth intentionally, no one will believe them."

"Besides, we gained plenty from this. We have Fire Fist Ace’s Flame-Flame Fruit, the Revolutionary Sabo, Nekomamushi of the Minks, the Colosseum hero Kyros, and many other experts. The doctors will have plenty of research material now!" Dimitri took a sip of orange juice, a smile crossing his face. While they lost some low-to-mid-tier forces, the gains, especially the Flame-Flame Fruit, easily compensated for the losses.

At Dimitri’s words, Arlan turned his head toward the fruit in Aeridar’s hand. "Captain, what do you plan to do with the Flame-Flame Fruit?"

The mention of the fruit drew everyone’s attention.

"The Flame-Flame Fruit..."

Aeridar narrowed his eyes, rotating the fruit in his palm.

A moment later, he looked up at a fireball flying chaotically above the swimming pool, and a smile spread across his face.

"I know exactly how to handle it... Zhurong, come here a second!"

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