Just as she was about to leave, Shakky inadvertently glanced at the girl beside her—Toritoma, also called Torch Lily—and patted her shoulder lightly.
"Tori-chan, don't worry. Who do you think I am? I'm the Empress of Amazon Lily, after all." Shakky-nee's tone was soft but confident.
Reassured by Shakky's words, Torch Lily relaxed at once; the worry on her face vanished.
Doflamingo, who was also preparing to depart, heard Shakky's claim and, almost despite himself, looked over at Torch Lily.
Short, neat wavy hair. Big, bright eyes. Even without any makeup, she was poised and strikingly lovely. Of course, compared to Shakky, she was still young; but in Doflamingo's view, once Torch Lily grew up, her beauty would absolutely outshine Shakky's.
As for Shakky, Doflamingo truly couldn't understand why she was called the world's succubus, or how she could even become one of the reasons that great pirates like Roger joined the God Valley Incident. Yes, her figure was flawless. But those lips, a touch too full… honestly, Doflamingo couldn't appreciate that kind of look—let alone fall head over heels for it.
Deep in the forest,
Doflamingo and Shakky faced each other.
Already curious about Doflamingo, Shakky calmly took out a ladies' cigarette, lit it, exhaled a ribbon of smoke, and spoke.
"Kid, you don't seem that old. Want to cooperate with me?! No one else is around now—tell me your real aim."
Doflamingo knew what he was about to say could shock Shakky, but it wouldn't make her misjudge him. The very fact that she'd followed him here likely meant curiosity more than anything else.
Either way, talking straight with a top-tier information broker like Shakky—laying out his true purpose—would be much faster than playing mind games or making threats.
"Fufufufu… As expected of a woman who can sway the balance of the world. Shakky, I'm here for one thing only: special training to get stronger. I know there's an island near Amazon Lily—Beast Island—that once held ruins of the Ancient Kingdom. I need to take my two subordinates there and train for two years. During that time, I hope Amazon Lily can provide periodic supplies and fresh water. If possible, I'd like to reference Amazon Lily's methods for training Haki. In exchange, I'll offer a promise from me, plus twenty million Berries to cover the supply costs."
"You're quite forceful, kid. But right now, your 'promise' isn't worth much. And twenty million Berries… it doesn't look like you can pay. Besides, if your goal is really just training, you didn't need to come all the way to Amazon Lily. If you won't tell me your real objective, then you can die here."
Her tone flipped, and a razor-cold pressure crashed over Doflamingo. The killing chill of a world-class powerhouse bore down; his palms dampened with sweat before he even realized it.
He knew that if he clashed with Shakky now, it would be certain death—even with Vergo and Pica added in. So before setting foot on the island, he had already told the two not to act rashly. His confidence in coming to Amazon Lily at all came from the knowledge of that other life about this place—and what he knew of Shakky.
Amazon Lily: an island of only women—how had it, in the Calm Belt, managed to produce warriors who could all use Haki, even from a very young age? And how had every Empress of the Kuja practically earned the title of "most beautiful in the world"? More than that, several Empresses had directly enchanted a majority of the world's top powerhouses. Shakky was the outstanding example—single-handedly becoming one of the lures that led to the God Valley Incident. Even decades later, Shakky could still exist openly in the Sabaody Archipelago.
These questions demanded thought.
But Doflamingo wasn't one for conspiracy. Right now he desired only power. Whether Shakky believed him or not didn't matter. So he stepped forward, an unflinching aura erupting from him without conscious intent.
"Heh. No need to test me, Shakky. Death doesn't scare me. Meaningless probing has no value. I said it already—my only purpose here is special training, to become stronger."
Sensing the force radiating off him, Shakky—who had seen the Haki of many top fighters—noticed something subtly different. It wasn't aimed at her specifically, yet there was a thread within it that other Haoshoku Haki (Conqueror's Haki) didn't possess.
Her curiosity only deepened. A brat with this kind of mettle… in the future, he'd likely stand at the very summit of the world. For the truly strong, age didn't matter—and people like that disdained lying.
Shakky suddenly giggled. In the peak of her beauty, that one smile carried a devastating charm—enough to sweep away the gloom.
"Kid, you're interesting. I'll tentatively believe you. But tell me your background—I can't keep calling you 'brat' forever."
"Doflamingo. I used to be a Celestial Dragon. Now… I guess I'm a pirate." He answered crisply.
"Ah—cough!" The cigarette fell from Shakky's mouth, her lips forming an 'o'. Celestial Dragons weren't new to her—she'd seen them. But a Celestial Dragon who became a pirate? That was a first.
She dug through her memory for information on Celestial Dragons with the name "Donquixote," and finally recalled an old report. A certain Donquixote family had indeed renounced their status. It had caused quite a stir among the Celestial Dragons at the time. But once they left, it was as if the world had erased them—no further news at all.
"You're Homing's child? Looks like your years haven't been kind. Still, Homing was a good person. Back in the Holy Land, he was one of the very few 'good ones.'"
Hearing that, Shakky couldn't say if it was good or bad news—but at least she no longer felt any aversion to Doflamingo. A man who lost his World Noble status and became a pirate—how much harm could he do to her, really?
Doflamingo's expression turned openly scornful, confirming his own inner suspicions about his father.
"Hmph. Just a hypocrite."
Guessing the gist of it, Shakky didn't mind his attitude and asked on.
"Before the God Valley Incident, you were only a few years old. So what exactly do you know?"
Doflamingo understood: his identity and his terms weren't the crux of securing cooperation. What happened before the God Valley Incident—that was the key.
"Heh. Wang Zhi captured you via the World Government and made you the victor's prize of God Valley, laying the groundwork a full year in advance. And during that year, how many of Mary Geoise's vermin did you bewitch? As the most beautiful woman in the world, did you really think you were gliding through Mary Geoise on your body alone, free and easy? Don't be ridiculous. The Celestial Dragons aren't as simple as you imagine. And furthermore…"
As she listened, Shakky's face shifted from blue to white, fear, fury, and relief chasing each other across her features. It wasn't that his words were especially terrifying—rather, if they spread, it wouldn't just be her. All of Amazon Lily would be buried with her.
She lit another cigarette, took a hard drag, blew a big smoke ring, heaved a deep sigh, and—tinged with unwillingness—spoke.
"Fine. I accept your terms. I'll have the Kuja Pirates deliver your supplies monthly. As for Amazon Lily's Haki training methods—we pass them down orally. As a special exception, I'll personally teach you our Haki. Amazon Lily doesn't need your Berries. But your promise… I want you to spare Rayleigh if you ever end up fighting him."
It wasn't that Shakky doubted Rayleigh's strength. Even now, she could crush Doflamingo with one hand. But with her eye for people, she was certain Doflamingo's future accomplishments would surpass Rayleigh's—and that the two were bound to cross blades.
Doflamingo's thoughts churned; this went far beyond expectations. If his suspicions were right, Amazon Lily's approach to Haki held something truly unique. As for Shakky spending his promise on Rayleigh… Doflamingo neither agreed nor refused. He could only think: every Empress of Amazon Lily, once in love, turned into a brainless fool. And yet, he liked that—Shakky excluded, of course.
After discussing specific details with Shakky, Doflamingo returned to the harbor with her. He nodded to Vergo and Pica, sending a reassuring look. The three boarded their steam-sailer once more. After Shakky's people delivered a mountain of food and they ate to their hearts' content, they set out under the Kuja Pirates' guidance for Beast Island—beginning two years of special training.
(End of Chapter)
[Get +20 Extra Chapters On — P@tr3on "Zaelum"]
[Every 500 Power Stones = 1 Bonus Chapter Drop]
[Thanks for Reading!]