Chapter 289: The Calm and Not-So-Calm New World
Deep in the New World, on the Moby Dick, anchored within Whitebeard's territory.
Whitebeard himself was all but hog-tied, held down on his throne by several crewmates in pink nurse outfits, forced to accept treatment from Marco.
"Gurarara! Marco, I told you I'm fine!" Whitebeard laughed heartily, paying no mind to the bandages being wrapped around his massive torso.
"Pops, just accept the treatment, yoi! And no more sake for a while," Marco advised, looking at the stubborn, wounded man. "It's because you keep sneaking drinks that these injuries aren't healing."
"Gurarara! Marco, that just won't do!" Whitebeard laughed, clearly not taking the warning to heart.
"Pops, you have to take this seriously!" Marco insisted, his expression grim.
Seeing his son's rare, serious demeanor, Whitebeard went silent for a moment. He finally nodded. "Alright."
Hearing Whitebeard's promise, Marco finally let out a breath he seemed to have been holding. People saw Whitebeard's boundless power and terrifying strength, but only Marco, as the head doctor, knew just how severe the internal damage to his father's body really was. If they didn't treat it properly, it would only get worse, and the day would come when he wouldn't be able to fight as he used to.
"Pops, according to our latest intel, the Marines planned to destroy Dressrosa," Marco said, holding up a newspaper. "But it looks like the Donquixote Pirates 'saved' it. They've occupied the island now. There's been no movement from the Marines or Doflamingo since."
"That Doflamingo brat... he's got big ambitions," Whitebeard rumbled, taking the paper and glancing at it casually. "But he's no concern of ours right now. When he decides to come deeper into the New World, then we'll settle our grudge."
"Zehahaha! The Marines are a bunch of worthless cowards!" Blackbeard, sitting nearby and eating a cherry pie, overheard their conversation and chimed in with a merciless laugh.
"Teach, after all these years, you still don't get the Marines?" Thatch said with a smile. "They're just bullies who prey on the weak and fear the strong!"
"Hahaha!" The rest of the crew laughed in agreement.
Whitebeard had his pride, and his sons had boundless confidence in him.
Even though Doflamingo was strong, Whitebeard, still at the height of his power, wasn't afraid of him. To be precise, Whitebeard wasn't afraid of anyone. He was confident in his ability to protect his sons. He hadn't yet considered a successor, but as more and more monsters appeared on the seas, and his own peak began to fade, his thoughts would inevitably turn to the next generation. That would be the time for his chosen successor, Ace, to make his entrance.
Ever since his minor clash with Big Mom and Kaido, Whitebeard had been nursing considerable injuries. Of course, the other two had taken damage as well. The three of them were very familiar with one another; while the fight had gotten heated, it wasn't a battle to the death.
A crew's confidence stems from its captain's overwhelming strength. Big Mom and Kaido were injured, but it was nothing serious. Kaido was back to his usual hobby of trying to kill himself all over the world, and Big Mom was already preparing for her next tea party. The turmoil of the seas didn't concern them; it couldn't touch them.
Back in Dressrosa, without the interference of the Marines or any foolish pirates, the island was enjoying a rare period of peace.
Ever since Doflamingo's "heart-to-heart" with Kyros, the former captain had settled in. He held no dissatisfaction with Doflamingo becoming the new King of Dressrosa. After all, the entire populace wanted Doflamingo to take the throne—the will of the people was clear, and Doflamingo's claim was legitimate.
THUD!
A cloud of dust exploded from the training ground. A sturdy figure rocketed back to his feet, bracing for the next attack.
It was Kyros, undergoing a brutal training regimen.
The next blow came, and just as expected, Kyros was sent flying again.
To improve Kyros's strength and force him to awaken his Armament Haki, Doflamingo had specifically assigned several family members to train him. Armament Haki was a basic requirement for survival in the New World. Kyros had the physical foundation to awaken it quickly; now, he just needed to take a beating.
For his daughter, for revenge, Kyros gritted his teeth and endured, no matter how grueling the training. But after so many days, there was still no sign of awakening.
Doflamingo sat on the sidelines, watching Law and Baby 5 spar with Kyros. He shook his head.
"That's enough. Take a break," Doflamingo called out.
"I can keep going!" Kyros staggered to his feet, refusing the offer.
"This is just a mindless beating," Doflamingo said flatly. "You've hit a dead end. Continuing like this is a waste of time. You're in a bad headspace."
Kyros frowned, his heart sinking at Doflamingo's words. He knew he had been too anxious lately, letting himself get beaten half to death in a mad rush to get stronger. But aside from a broken body, he had nothing to show for it.
Doflamingo saw the man's desperation and continued his "guidance."
"First, let your body heal from the mess you've made of it. At the same time, relax your mind. I know you're in a hurry, but what's the use? Your daughter is doing just fine with the Marines. In fact, without you there to 'protect' her, she'll have a chance to grow up properly."
Kyros looked up at Doflamingo. He let out a long, ragged breath. "You're right. Without me, Rebecca might... she might really be better off. Revenge is my burden to bear. As long as Rebecca can be happy and safe... that's all that matters."
"Good. I'm glad you understand," Doflamingo nodded, genuinely pleased. He didn't need Kyros to go crazy and destroy his body. "Go rest."
"Yes."
Kyros obeyed, leaving Doflamingo alone with the two younger members.
"Young Master, that Kyros guy is insane! He's fighting like he wants to die!" Baby 5 complained, pouting as she sidled up to Doflamingo. "If you hadn't ordered me to, I'd never agree to spar with him."
THWACK!
Doflamingo gave Baby 5 a solid bonk on the head.
"Young Master! Why'd you hit me? What did I do wrong?!" Baby 5 whimpered, rubbing her head as her eyes welled up with tears.
"Looks like you just needed a smack. Stop your whining," Law grumbled, a rare occurrence for him. "Just do the task Doffy gave you."
"Law, you—!"
Baby 5's innocent expression vanished instantly, replaced by a fierce glare.
Law ignored her, looking completely unfazed and returning an equally fierce glare.
Oh, well. Baby 5 was hopelessly outclassed and didn't even know it. She immediately went back to tugging on Doflamingo's pants leg, her eyes watery.
What a bickering pair, Doflamingo thought, amused.
The little interruption passed. His thoughts, however, had turned to Sugar. He was making preparations to bring her to the New World. But not just her—he was preparing to move the entire Sky Island. Only Sky Island was the perfect "holy land" Doflamingo envisioned.
As if reading his mind, Monet found him soon after.
"Young Master," she purred, snuggling into his arms. "We have our territory now. When can we bring Sugar over?"
"Monet," Doflamingo said softly.
"Young Master?" Monet looked up at him, her beautiful eyes filled with confusion.
"Sugar must think you've forgotten all about her, your own sister," Doflamingo teased with a smile. "It's been so long since you asked for her."
"Oh, stop it, Young Master!" Monet said, blushing. "I was just trying to be considerate of your plans!"
"Relax. I plan to move the entire Sky Island here, to the New World. Then we can all be reunited."
"That's wonderful! We can finally see Sugar again!"
"Look how happy you are."
"Giggle..." Under Doflamingo's teasing, Monet couldn't hide her joyful laughter.
Meanwhile, on Sky Island, little Sugar's life was quite comfortable. The two divine messengers took excellent care of her, and she had all her favorite grapes to eat every day. For the time being, she was so happy she didn't even think of home.