[Boom————]
A deafening explosion erupted on the ground, shattering large chunks of grass and soil. A yellow flash shot out from the cloud of dust, only to be blasted back the next moment by a white figure that appeared mid-air with a sharp whistling sound.
"Soru!"
As a sharp cry rang out across the field, a black figure at the other end turned into a blur and vanished from its spot, instantly reappearing in front of the yellow flash.
[Boom!]
The beam of light slammed fiercely into a net-like racket, the intense spin and force producing a grating crack-crack sound, gradually forming a visible dent.
Invisible shockwaves continuously radiated between the ball and the net, the strong winds they generated causing the surrounding grass and her golden hair to flutter wildly.
"The force has increased again!"
Stussy gritted her teeth as she felt the mounting pressure in her hands, switching from a one-handed grip to a two-handed grip to return the ball.
The orange beam reappeared, howling as it instantly crossed the net and soared into the sky.
"Nice shot!"
On the other side of the court, Gion, drenched in sweat, shouted excitedly. Power gathered in her long legs as she leaped high into the air, the muscles in her fair arms bulging as she forcefully countered the powerful shockwave wrapped around the ball, smashing it back down.
[Boom————]
Stussy's sexy legs, clad in black fishnet stockings, moved swiftly, leaving behind a trail of afterimages as she dashed at a speed unimaginable to ordinary people, catching the ball just before it hit the ground.
At the same time, a black sheen enveloped the racket, effortlessly returning Gion's smash. Seeing this, Gion's expression changed mid-air.
"Finally using Haki, huh?"
"Soru!"
With a forceful stomp, she vanished into a puff of white mist.
The next second, she reappeared on the ground, her Observation Haki tightly locked onto the incoming beam's trajectory, while her Armament Haki reinforced the racket for a counterattack.
The two elite women, one from the Marine Headquarters and the other from Cipher Pol, were finally getting serious. They dashed across their respective halves of the court, leaving behind dazzling afterimages, while the tennis ball, transformed into a yellow flash, flew back and forth between them, tracing slender trajectories in the air.
For an ordinary person, even with their eyes wide open, it would be nearly impossible to keep up with the speed of the three, let alone determine which side held the advantage. The only thing they could perceive was the relentless, deafening sound of the ball being struck.
Fortunately, Imu, who was half-reclining on a beach chair, was no ordinary person. His Ripple Eye, hidden beneath his invisible contact lenses, functioned like an ultra-high-definition camera, capturing every detail of their movements.
"Indeed, Gion's strength is superior. The power, speed, and reflexes of a master swordsman are fully displayed even in a game of tennis."
It was amusing, really. At first, Gion had been reluctant to play tennis, but after learning the basics and playing a few rounds, she became completely hooked. This sport, which allowed her to utilize all aspects of her abilities, brought immense joy to the girl who had grown up in Marineford.
Especially since her opponent was another woman from CP9, which instantly sparked her competitive spirit.
This led to Imu not playing much these past two days. Instead, he spent his time on the sidelines watching two women engage in a fierce rivalry on the court, using tennis to determine a winner.
Honestly, watching beautiful women play tennis was quite a mood booster.
"Tsk tsk tsk, this is the life! Now this is what I call comfort!" Imu murmured, sipping from a crystal glass filled with fresh red wine, his eyes squinting as he enjoyed the spectacle of what could only be described as 'killer tennis.'
"Tennis is a good thing. We should promote it more in the future."
Meanwhile, in the North Blue.
While Imu was enjoying the peaceful days in the holy land of Mary Geoise, ships bearing the emblem of the World Government were active among the islands.
This made the nobles of the North Blue, who had been focusing on the South Blue due to the Slave King incident, increasingly nervous.
They couldn't shake the feeling that the World Government had been up to something recently.
"Doffy! Doffy!"
On the island of Spider Miles, Doflamingo, who had been studying a world map inside his room, heard Trebol's urgent calls from outside. As he looked up, Trebol pushed the door open and entered.
Trebol was dressed in a thick, sticky-looking blue cloak that dragged on the floor, holding a golden cane, with eye-catching black shackles on his feet.
"What's the matter? Speak slowly."
"Doffy, the World Government's ships have arrived here. They're docked at the port right now!"
Hearing this, Doflamingo, who had just sat back on the sofa, frowned and said, "Are they here to pick someone up for this year's Levely?"
"That can't be right. I remember there's only a mayor on this island, no king. Did you find out why they're here?"
If it were before, he might have thought they were targeting the Donquixote Family. But now, as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—though this status couldn't be publicly disclosed—it ensured that he wouldn't be captured by the World Government or the Navy. Thinking this, he glanced at the ×-shaped wristband on his right wrist.
"I asked around. The mayor's office leaked that the World Government is here to take away a group of top financial personnel!" Trebol said, panting.
"Financial personnel?"
Doflamingo looked up in surprise, then glanced through the window toward the interior of the island before turning back to ask, "How many people are they taking?"
"Doffy, it's not about how many they're taking. It's that they're taking the best ones. What are we going to do about our business after this?" Trebol said anxiously.
Training financial personnel was no simple task. Their arms business relied heavily on these people, which made Doflamingo's head ache.
In the past, he might have found a way to intercept them, but now that he was secretly co-opted, it wouldn't be appropriate to go against the World Government.
As for leaving no evidence—when had the World Government ever cared about such things? They only needed to know that this was his territory, and if something happened, they would definitely come after him.
"Is there anything else?"
Trebol thought for a moment, then nodded and said, "Yes, it's said that the World Government is also planning to allocate funds to support the island's schools and expand their scale."
"Not only here, but I heard that any kingdom or island with a certain level of industrial infrastructure has been visited. Oh, and not just financial personnel—I thought about it, and any outstanding talent in administration is being transferred. The World Government is making quite a fuss!"
Upon hearing this, Doflamingo shook his head and laughed, "Fufufufufu, well, there's nothing we can do about it. This is clearly an important operation by the World Government. But it shouldn't just be us suffering."
"Go and leak the locations of those factions competing with us to them. Besides their headquarters, make sure to include details about their factories and financial situations!"
Trebol nodded repeatedly and left Doflamingo's room.
"What exactly are you up to, Five Elders?" Doflamingo gazed at the azure sky, lost in thought. "Or is this the will of that person?"
Ever since returning from Mary Geoise, he had been pondering one question.
If that Lord Imu truly is a monster who has existed for centuries, why has he only appeared now? And why create this Seven Warlords of the Sea? Or perhaps the Seven Warlords of the Sea has existed all along, and I'm just a new member of this generation?
"Why does the World Government need so many administrative and financial personnel?"
For some reason, Doflamingo had a vague sense that the winds of the world were shifting.