"Bang, bang—" The fight had unknowingly stretched past dozens of exchanges, and Dragon was gradually falling behind. With Haōshoku Haki (Conqueror's Haki) fully unleashed, every punch from Doflamingo was driven to the limit. Under that fierce onslaught, cuts and bruises began to bloom across Dragon's body.
"Busoshoku—Chōkyō Soru-Ashi Muchi (Super-Strong Soru Leg Whip)!"
"Damn, you—"
In the heat of battle, Doflamingo suddenly fired off a trump card. Using the recoil from a sharp step back, he stomped his left foot into the ground, vaulted to a set height, then accelerated his spin. He precisely controlled his right leg, turning it into a long, lashing whip that crashed straight down toward Dragon.
"Can't dodge!" The feeling struck Dragon again—only this time it carried the chilling illusion that if he evaded, his life might truly be forfeit.
Without hesitation, Dragon brought his Devil Fruit power to bear, turning to elements and cleaving out Gensō-ka Hayate-giri (Elementalized Hurricane Scythe), choosing to trade injury for injury and meet Doflamingo head-on.
He had underestimated Doflamingo.
Confident in the toughness of his own body, Doflamingo judged Dragon's slash as non-lethal—something he could take without suffering any serious harm.
"Thud!"
"Clang!"
Dragon's strike bit into Doflamingo and rang like metal on metal, leaving only a faint mark across the skin.
Dragon, however, didn't get his trade. The leg-whip hammered him, caving him into the ground several meters deep and throwing up a billowing cloud of dust.
Retracting his leg, Doflamingo stood near the newly formed crater and waited quietly. He didn't believe Dragon would die that easily.
Sure enough, moments later, Dragon clawed his way up out of the pit, looking bedraggled and bleeding at the mouth.
Unlike the initial ferocity, Doflamingo made no move to follow up. For three simple reasons. First, Dragon was worth more alive than dead. Second, show-offs deserve to be taken down a peg, and he'd already done that. Third, he wanted to test his own strength—and clearly, it held up nicely.
"Kh-kh—" Dragon hacked up another mouthful of blood. That last hit had obviously rattled his organs. Doflamingo's pause bought him a breath. At that moment Shakky and Torchlily appeared at Doflamingo's side, and Dragon seized the chance, calling out urgently:
"Shakky-nee-san, Shakky-nee-san—it's me, the little Dragon!"
"Tch."
Doflamingo's mouth twitched in disdain. Dragon, this vibe isn't how you look a decade from now. Seriously wrecks my opinion of you.
Whatever he thought, Shakky's brows knit at Dragon's sorry state, then smoothed out again. Cigarette at her lips, she spoke evenly:
"Kid Dragon, what are you doing here? Aren't you afraid the Marines will spot you? You defected. This isn't where you should be."
Dragon was still young. To draw closer—or simply to stop Doflamingo, whose eyes were gleaming like a predator—he cut straight to the point.
"Rayleigh-san sent me with a message for you, Shakky-nee-san. There are things we need to discuss in private."
He glanced unconsciously at Doflamingo, and the meaning in his eyes needed no translation.
Doflamingo wasn't the type to linger where he wasn't wanted. He'd taught Dragon his lesson; that was enough. No reason to stay. He turned and strolled back toward the cabin to rest.
Torchlily saw Doflamingo leave and had no intention of remaining either. She broke into a quick, light jog to catch up close behind him.
Curiously, as he walked off, Doflamingo caught the faintest drift of Dragon's gaze skittering across Torchlily.
"Heh." His only thought: Dragon had better keep himself under control. He wouldn't necessarily take the man's life over it, but he could absolutely make sure the world's "future protagonist" stayed in Dragon forever.
An hour later—
Who knew what Dragon and Shakky discussed, but Shakky hurriedly left a few instructions with Torchlily, then departed Amazon Lily with Dragon.
Doflamingo had no desire to pry. If anything, Shakky's absence was a boon. With a former Empress parked on the island, Torchlily could never truly act with both hands free.
He was confident. Without Shakky's interference, cooperation with Amazon Lily would only get smoother.
Nothing else to it—just confidence.
A few days later, Diamante finally arrived at Amazon Lily and joined up with Doflamingo and the others.
Doflamingo didn't hesitate. After saying his goodbyes to Torchlily—and under her reluctant gaze—he set sail for Water 7.
Calm Belt, aboard a steam-rigged sailing ship—
Doflamingo sat cross-legged at the bow while Diamante stood nearby, respectful and thorough as he reported the latest progress.
"In the North Blue we've set up nine family strongholds. Three sites run fentanyl processing—survival rate is too low, so we're only moving low-concentration product for now. Four sites handle contraband and arms sales. Two have begun acquiring slaves—but the slave trade in North Blue isn't progressing smoothly."
"Lately our moves have been too big. The World Government's started to notice, and some lines are getting hit hard. As for recruitment: a powerhouse named Lao G volunteered to join us. We'll need you to confirm his standing in the Family.
"On the periphery, our numbers have expanded to six hundred.
"Because North Blue is rife with war, Trebol's gone all-out taking in orphans. We've got over two hundred under age fifteen."
Listening to the report, Doflamingo had to admit it—those two were absolute naturals for this line of work. No wonder that in the original timeline, the Donquixote Family could climb so high even without overwhelming raw power.
"Good. You and Trebol have worked hard. In two years you've done more than enough. You can allocate forty percent of the Family's funds at your discretion. And once we return from the Skypiea route, the name Donquixote will thunder across the world. However—"
He pivoted.
"The training I set for you—how far have you taken it?"
Hearing the key to their trip skyward, Diamante didn't fumble a word.
"Your approval makes me happy. With your personal guidance, after more than a year of training I've developed a technique that can handle the Nokku Appu Sutorīmu (Knock Up Stream)."
"Excellent, Diamante. No matter how far the Family grows, you are absolutely a core member." Doflamingo didn't skimp on praise. He also understood what Diamante wanted to hear.
Truth be told, even without Doflamingo at their side, Diamante and Trebol worked with frightening zeal. Haki alone couldn't explain that. Likely they sensed both the change in his strength and the heft of his conviction—an invisible pressure in their hearts. They were young, but their ceilings were plain to see. Not everyone becomes a true monster. Otherwise, they wouldn't have chosen Doflamingo as their king.
Flushed, Diamante's wide mouth curled into an involuntary grin. All that effort—for this one sentence from Doflamingo. If not for the setting, he'd have burst into manic laughter until his cheeks cramped.
Thanks to a generous resupply of food and water from Amazon Lily, Doflamingo's mood was bright. He rose at the bow and laughed heartily.
"Fufufufu—then let's throw a banquet!"
(End of Chapter)
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