Doflamingo's body was tense at this moment, with countless thin threads appearing around him, making him look as terrifying as a spider entering hunting mode.

However, this scene didn't exert the slightest bit of pressure on Jake.

After all, one of the most powerful figures in the world of one piece was standing right beside him.

If Doflamingo could kill Jake right in front of Aokiji, then he might as well forget about cooperating with Kaido—he could just trap Kaido in his Birdcage and occasionally force him to sing a little tune.

Faced with such a furious Doflamingo, Aokiji helplessly rubbed his forehead and said.

"One after another… Can't you pirates tone down the aggression just a little? And if I recall correctly, Doflamingo, every single one of your so-called 'family' is on the wanted list, right? So, as a Marine, Jake eliminating wanted criminals is a natural thing—who do you think is in the wrong here?"

"I don't know if rage has clouded your judgment, but do you really think you can kill or even harm Jake in front of me? Doflamingo, I know who you are, and I'd rather not fight or get entangled with you. But that doesn't mean… you can act recklessly in front of me!"

As Aokiji spoke, the chilling aura around him instantly intensified to terrifying levels.

The splashing waves in the distance froze into ice midair before they could even fall back into the sea.

Deep beneath the ocean's surface, fish that had been happily devouring their prey suddenly found themselves encased in ice—their final memory frozen in time.

Hearing Aokiji's words and witnessing the apocalyptic scene around him, Doflamingo's fury instantly cooled.

He stared at Aokiji, recalling everything he knew about this man.

The next Marine Admiral, Aokiji!

Easygoing in nature, his sense of justice wasn't the extreme type—he belonged to the dovish faction within the Marines.

Yet, he was overwhelmingly powerful, a strong contender for the next Marine Fleet Admiral.

Someone like this was clearly not an opponent Doflamingo could afford to provoke right now.

But the thought of Pica's mangled, barely recognizable corpse made Doflamingo's chest tighten with frustration.

Even knowing he stood no chance, he refused to back down.

Instead, he pressed on.

"Fufufufufu… Isn't the World Government currently pushing something called the 'Shichibukai System'? Recruiting powerful pirates under their banner, legitimizing them through official recognition, and using them to suppress other pirates. And once you become a Shichibukai, all previous bounties are nullified—am I remembering that correctly?"

Aokiji frowned at Doflamingo's words.

Truth be told, he was firmly against the Shichibukai System.

Even as a relatively moderate figure among the Marines, the idea of legalizing piracy through the Shichibukai System disgusted him to no end.

Apart from the fact that such actions somewhat tarnish the Marine's sense of justice, there was another crucial reason—his mentor Zephyr, a man who had upheld the principle of "no killing" his entire life, had lost his family to Pirates.

Although Zephyr had never shown excessive hatred towards Pirates, Aokiji was different.

After that incident, his disdain for Pirates had grown significantly.

However, it never reached the same extreme as Akainu's.

He still recognized that there were both good and bad Pirates, and he would take the time to judge which were which before deciding how to act.

But all of this was predicated on one fundamental truth: these individuals were still illegal Pirates.

Whether they were good or bad, they remained Pirates—criminals who needed to be apprehended.

Their status as offenders didn't change; only the severity of their sentences differed.

But now, if the Shichibukai system were successfully implemented, it would mean that Pirates might no longer necessarily be criminals.

They could even transform into public officials, forcing his mentor—who had fought against Pirates his entire life and lost his wife and children to them—to become colleagues with these very Pirates?

This was something Aokiji could never accept.

Unfortunately, judging by the tone from higher-ups, it seemed the World Government was already determined to push forward with the Shichibukai plan.

Even Fleet Admiral Sengoku's opposition had no effect.

Thus, Aokiji harbored some dissatisfaction and regret towards the Shichibukai system.

Now, hearing Doflamingo bring it up, he couldn't help but feel curious.

The next moment, Aokiji's eyes widened slightly, as if he had just realized something.

That single expression told Doflamingo that Aokiji had grasped his meaning

He looked at Aokiji and slowly pulled out a document from his pocket—an agreement he had signed with the World Government detailing his induction into the Shichibukai.

At the bottom were both Doflamingo's and the World Government's signatures and seals.

Seeing this, Aokiji's frown deepened.

Meanwhile, Doflamingo smiled faintly and said.

"This document was signed yesterday afternoon. That means, from that moment onward, every member of the Donquixote Family is no longer a wanted criminal by the World Government. We are all ordinary citizens conducting legitimate business! And if a Marine kills an ordinary citizen, as a high-ranking officer, what choice will you make?"

Staring at the document in Doflamingo's hand, Aokiji felt a headache coming on.

Honestly, this was a question he found difficult to answer.

But just as Aokiji was pondering his response, a low, gravelly voice cut through the air—firm and unyielding.

"You don't actually think that scrap of paper can save your life, do you, Doflamingo? I'll give you a choice now: crawl out of here, or die in my magma."

The voice was unmistakable—the kind that belonged to a hardened man.

As the three turned around, sure enough, standing before them was another monstrous presence within the Marine Headquarters who was about to be promoted to admiral.

Unlike Aokiji, Sakazuki's hatred for pirates could be described as nothing short of skinning them alive and breaking their bones!

--------------------------------

Read 40 chapters ahead and support me on patreon.

patreon (.)com/Newbietranslator