The excitement on the seas was one thing after another, an endless stream of events that kept the gossip-mongers thoroughly entertained.
Hot on the heels of the news of the Marines' crushing defeat in the New World, Morgans had released a string of new bombshells: Doflamingo's daring escape from Whitebeard, his subsequent interception by Marine Admirals, and his current status as severely wounded with his whereabouts unknown. Then came the story of Whitebeard, Big Mom, and Kaido's three-day, three-night battle on Gabrra Island, from which all three emerged wounded before departing.
The constant stream of major incidents was a delight for the spectating masses. As the primary beneficiary of the news, Morgans couldn't be happier—the more news, the better. But Doflamingo, his unwitting lucky star, was not sharing in that happiness. The last thing the grievously injured man remembered was flying over a forest before everything went black.
When he next awoke, he had no idea where he was.
"My luck is really something else. It seems someone saved me."
Lying in a bed, Doflamingo's first conscious act was to open his eyes and survey his surroundings, a note of relief in his voice. He tried to sit up, but a sharp pain shot through his body, causing his brow to furrow. He couldn't move.
"These are some serious injuries," he chuckled wryly to himself.
He then tried to use his arm to prop himself up, but the larger movement revealed an unpleasant truth: he was restrained.
"Am I a captive or a patient?" Doflamingo smiled bitterly. To think that he, the great Heavenly Yaksha, Joker of the underworld, and ruler of the North Blue, would be reduced to such a state. If word got out, he'd be laughed to death.
"Well, at least I'm alive."
After a brief struggle, Doflamingo stopped wasting his energy and relaxed, lying flat on his back. He had a hunch about who might be responsible. Now, all he had to do was wait for them to show up. If it was who he thought it was, he could rest a little easier.
Aboard the Ark Maxim, Diamante and the others had also seen the latest newspapers. Although the reports stated that Doflamingo was severely injured and missing, they weren't overly concerned.
Back when they first entered the Grand Line, Doflamingo had made Vivre Cards for all the top executives of his Family. The feedback from the card showed that Doflamingo's life was not in danger. This knowledge brought a great deal of relief to the members of the Donquixote Pirates; otherwise, they would have already torn the seas apart, not calmly planning their next move.
"Diamante, when are we setting out?" Enel asked, already itching for some action.
"Doffy hasn't returned yet," Diamante sighed.
"The Young Master will be fine! His Vivre Card shows he's okay!" Monet interjected impatiently.
"I know that. I'm just thinking that without Doffy here, it's hard to move forward with the plan," Diamante lamented.
"True. Doffy is supposed to be the savior of Dressrosa. It wouldn't be right without him," Enel agreed.
"So, we have to wait for the Young Master to return first," Baby 5 chimed in.
For once, everyone found themselves agreeing with her.
"But the plan to take Dressrosa has already begun. Those pirate crews have probably already arrived," Robin mused. "Once things get chaotic, we won't be able to stop them. If we wait for Brother to return before cleaning up the mess, who knows what will become of Dressrosa."
"Robin has a point," Monet said coldly. "But we don't know where the Young Master is. And besides, it's just Dressrosa. How can they appreciate us if they don't first experience despair? It's better to let them suffer a little more. It will make our takeover that much smoother, wouldn't you agree?"
In Monet's eyes, nothing in the world was more important than Doflamingo. She couldn't care less how many people died in Dressrosa; even if the entire country perished, it was no concern of hers. Her heart was small, with room only for Doflamingo and Sugar. Everyone else was an afterthought.
"Robin and Monet both make good points," Diamante replied after hearing their opinions.
The others remained silent, while Shyarly, a relative outsider, felt deeply uncomfortable. Without Doflamingo's presence to put her at ease, she felt out of place in this environment.
"So, Diamante, what are you going to do?" Enel asked, rolling his eyes at him.
"Well..." Diamante felt a little awkward under Enel's impatient gaze.
"Lord Diamante, doesn't the Vivre Card show Mr. Doflamingo's location? Couldn't we go find him?" Law interjected calmly.
"That's right! Law, you're absolutely right! I completely forgot!"
Law's words were like a sudden enlightenment for Diamante.
The eyes of the others lit up. The Donquixote Pirates without Doflamingo were a different entity from the Donquixote Pirates with him. He was the soul of the Family, an indispensable presence.
Diamante carefully took out Doflamingo's Vivre Card and placed it on the table, letting it move freely. Everyone watched its trajectory with bated breath.
"That direction...?" Baby 5 asked, her eyes wide with confusion.
"It's Dressrosa," Ibes whispered.
"What? The Young Master is on Dressrosa!?" Buffalo exclaimed in surprise.
"Yahahahaha! This is great news! If Doffy's on Dressrosa, it'll be easy for us to meet up with him," Enel laughed.
"Yeah! I never would have guessed Doffy had already made it to Dressrosa," Diamante said with emotion.
"But if he's there, why hasn't he contacted us?" Robin wondered aloud.
Her question sent a chill through the room. Trust Robin to have a knack for ruining the mood.
"Could it be... that the Young Master is really seriously injured?" Monet asked nervously. All eyes turned to Enel. As the only one who had been there, he might know something.
"I'm not really sure. But don't worry, everyone. The Vivre Card shows that Doffy is fine, right?" Enel said with a forced smile.
"That's true. The Young Master is so strong, how could anything happen to him? I bet he has his reasons," Baby 5 said with conviction.
"Probably."
The others nodded in agreement.
"Alright, since that's the case, and Doffy is on Dressrosa, we can't delay any longer. It's time for us to set out!" Diamante commanded.
"We can finally see the Young Master!"
"We can finally go ashore!"
Though their emotions varied, a sense of relief washed over the group. Knowing Doflamingo was safe and knowing his location gave them a renewed sense of confidence.
In the brig of the Ark, where Squard and his men were being held, Enel prepared to release them. Before he left, Doflamingo had briefly mentioned it to him. With the takeover of Dressrosa at a critical stage, they couldn't afford any distractions. Releasing Squard and the others was necessary; if Whitebeard came looking for trouble, they wouldn't be able to handle it.
The sound of footsteps echoed through the cells. Squard and the others looked up to see Enel approaching.
He stopped before their cell, his face a mask of arrogance.
Seeing Enel's proud and contemptuous expression, Squard couldn't hold his tongue. "What, did you come here to mock us?"
"If you're going to kill us, then do it! We're not afraid to die!" Makugai shouted angrily. He couldn't stand this kind of taunting; it was worse than death.
"Go on, do it!" the others chimed in.
"Heh. You're free to go," Enel replied without retorting. He didn't think much of these men and couldn't be bothered to argue with them.
"Go on, kill me!"
"What? What did you say?"
Squard and the others asked in disbelief.
"I said, you're free. Now hurry up and run back to your old man," Enel added.
"This is great!"
Joy momentarily washed away their sorrow. If they could live, of course, they wanted to live.
Enel paid them no mind, letting them have their moment of happiness. In his eyes, celebrating such a humiliating event was pathetic, but they seemed to enjoy it.
The joy of freedom!
Squard and his men were thrown onto a small boat and left to fend for themselves.
Adrift on the small vessel, they watched the Ark Maxim sail away. The joy in their eyes was once again replaced by a burning hatred. This was a disgrace they would never forget.
"The Donquixote Pirates? Just you wait!"