One Piece: I'm Destined to Be the Son-in-Law King!-Chapter 136: Isn’t This Bullying an Honest Man!

Dressrosa, inside the Royal Palace, the mood was dark.

"The Fighting Corps...gone." Trebol choked out.

"Even Vergo..." Pica added, his voice tight with anger.

"Black Hair!!!" They both screamed, frustration building with each syllable.

But even with all that rage, they had to hold it in. We can't lose control now.

Their enemy wasn't some pirate crew; it was the Marines!

Who could have guessed that a simple hit job would cost them almost half of their fighting force?

"Young Master!" they both cried out, turning to Doflamingo, who stood silhouetted by the window.

"We gotta get Vergo and Diamanti back!" Pica urged, desperate.

Doflamingo didn't answer. Instead, he tipped back a bottle of wine, letting the dark liquid spill down the corners of his mouth.

I can't, he thought grimly. He could maybe twist things for Diamanti, call it a misunderstanding. But Vergo was done for.

Vergo will never admit he's with us. If Vergo confessed to being a member of the Don Quixote Family, the consequences would be catastrophic. They'd lose their Warlord status and become hunted pirates again, losing Dressrosa and their position as brokers.

Then, we're finished!

No, Vergo would never admit it.

Even if it cost him his life.

"Crack!"

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Doflamingo smashed the wine bottle, the broken glass slicing into his palm. Crimson blood welled up, tracing paths down his fingers.

Losing his most trusted man was a blow that sent him reeling.

"Black Hair, I'll kill you!" he growled, the hatred burning in his throat. But he couldn't strike now. The Marines were watching the Family like hawks.

"Tell Monet...we need Caesar. At any cost!" he barked.

He had to get his hands on that Artificial Devil Fruit, and fast.

Then he could sic the Beasts on Black Hair and be done with it!

----

Marine Headquarters, the Conference Room.

The room was packed with the heavyweights of the Marines: Marshal Sengoku, the Three Admirals, and a collection of Headquarters Vice Admirals.

Sengoku glared at the assembled officers, his anger palpable. "Today's meeting is about Vice Admiral Vergo's betrayal!"

Headquarters Vice Admirals were the backbone of the Marines. Vergo, as the head of G-5, was second only to the Admirals in power and status.

The fact that the Marines had been infiltrated so deeply was a direct reflection on Sengoku. As Marshal, he took responsibility for the oversight.

And it made him wonder: how many other spies were lurking in the ranks? A thorough investigation was a must.

Then there was the small matter of a lowly Colonel uncovering Vergo's treachery. It made them all look like fools!

The meeting dragged on for nearly an hour.

"Vergo will be imprisoned in Impel Down Level 6!" Sengoku finally declared.

Level 6 was reserved for the worst of the worst, villains whose crimes were so vile that their very existence needed to be erased.

Imprisonment was just the beginning. Vergo would face endless torture until he spilled everything: the names of his accomplices, the crimes he'd committed, the secrets he'd leaked.

With Vergo's fate decided, the tension in the room eased slightly. The Vice Admirals breathed a collective sigh of relief. Sengoku was truly furious, they thought.

"Next, we'll discuss rewards for Colonel Roya, Smoker, and the other brave Marines," Sengoku announced, his voice softening.

Punishment for the guilty, rewards for the deserving. That was the way of the Marines.

Sengoku turned to Momonga. "Momonga, your part in this also deserves recognition."

"Huh?" Momonga looked surprised. What part?

When he'd heard the news about Vergo, he'd nearly had a heart attack!

The rest of the agenda was handled quickly. The Marines had clear rules for promotions and rewards; there was no need for personal feelings to get in the way.

"Finally, we need to choose a new head for G-5," Sengoku announced.

Suddenly, every Vice Admiral in the room, except those who already had their own bases, looked away, pretending to be invisible.

G-5 wasn't a base; it was a Marine prison!

No sane person would want to lead a bunch of rebellious, out-of-control Marines. Dealing with their messes was a nightmare.

And there was another problem: G-14 was being built, and ambitious Vice Admirals were already eyeing the top spot there.

Sengoku's face darkened.

The problems at G-5 were old and deeply rooted. Turning those rebellious Marines around seemed impossible.

It wasn't just G-5's culture, either. Other bases would dump their problem Marines there, treating G-5 like a trash heap.

With Marines like that, how could G-5 ever improve?

And the problems didn't stop there! G-5 had the lowest funding, the worst weapons, and pathetic welfare benefits.

Not because Headquarters was cheap, but because the Marines at G-5 wasted everything! They'd even spent the money meant for repairs!

Headquarters had stopped caring and cut their funding again and again. Now, G-5 got less than half the welfare benefits of other bases.

Sengoku remembered his last visit to G-5. The walls of the tower were crumbling, and they'd patched them up with broken planks!

It made him furious!

He rubbed his throbbing forehead, his gaze sweeping across the room. Seeing the Vice Admirals avoiding his eyes only made him angrier.

Is it easy being the Marshal? he thought bitterly.

No one wants the job, huh?

Fine, he'd assign someone!

Sengoku's eyes landed on a seasoned Vice Admiral. "Maynard," he said, his voice like thunder. "You have plenty of experience leading troops. You'll be the new head of G-5!"

"Ah, me?" Maynard stammered, his mind blank. No, not this!

He did have experience, but that was because it had taken him thirty years to become a Vice Admiral!

He was the least qualified person in the room!

"Marshal, I--"

"It's settled!" Sengoku interrupted. "The responsibility is great. I don't expect glory, just no mistakes."

"..."

Maynard was speechless.

He saw the pitying looks on his colleagues' faces and understood. "No mistakes" means keep those troublemakers from causing problems. Be a lazy warden, drinking tea and reading the newspaper. That's it?

Isn't this bullying an honest man!?

"Meeting adjourned!" Sengoku announced. "Dismissed!"

The meeting was over.

As they left, the Vice Admirals approached Maynard.

"Congratulations, Vice Admiral Maynard!"

"So happy for your promotion!"

"Maynard, let's grab a drink sometime. Or now? Oh, I have urgent business. Gotta run!"

Maynard nearly spat blood.

Congratulations? Drink?

I don't believe a word you're saying!

Why didn't you step up in front of Sengoku? You're all terrible!

----

Evening, G-1 Branch.

Inside the Base Chief's office, Momonga looked at Roya, Smoker, and the others. He hesitated, wavering.

Should I keep these talented kids around and groom them? They could take my place in ten years.

Hiss --! What's happening to me!? Why would I think that!?

Momonga turned pale. He grabbed a stack of papers and shoved them at Roya, waving him away.

"Here, your promotion papers."

"That's all."

"Go wherever you want. No need to tell me!"

"Goodbye!"

"Bang!"

The door slammed shut.

Roya, holding the papers, was confused. Did Momonga suffer some kind of breakdown at Headquarters?

The crew gathered around Roya, excited.

"Rear Admiral Roya!"

"We got promoted!"

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[T/N:

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