Doflamingo paused, pulling a Den Den Mushi covered in black feathers from his pocket. His brows lifted slightly in surprise.
"Rosinante?"
His expression quickly darkened. In his view, his younger brother would never contact him without reason. Something had clearly gone wrong.
He answered immediately, his tone sharpening.
"Rosinante, what happened?"
Inside the royal palace, Rosinante froze. He had not expected the call to connect so quickly. He had not even decided what to say, and now, under pressure, his mind went blank. He stammered incoherently, unable to form a single proper sentence.
Doflamingo's frown deepened.
"I'm coming over."
Rosinante jolted upright from the sofa in alarm.
"Don't! I just wanted to ask how you've been recently!"
The statement stunned everyone on Doflamingo's side of the line.
A brief silence followed before Doflamingo spoke again, slower this time.
"Are you sick?"
"No, I'm perfectly fine! Right, that's it, Saint Lloyd came here tonight!"
"...What? You mean Saint Lloyd?!"
Watching the Den Den Mushi mimic Doflamingo's astonished expression, Rosinante nearly laughed.
"That's right! And he's staying in my room tonight!"
A smug grin crept across Rosinante's face as he spoke.
Doflamingo felt a flicker of exasperation and muttered under his breath, "Idiot brother." Then he asked,
"What is Saint Lloyd doing there?"
Rosinante adjusted the black feathered coat around his shoulders and explained Lloyd's search for Zou and Joy Boy.
After listening, Doflamingo fell into thought, then let out a low chuckle.
"So, you provided Saint Lloyd with a valuable clue. Not bad. You did well. Fufufu..."
Hearing that familiar laugh after so long stirred something in Rosinante. The sound felt distant yet oddly nostalgic.
He shook his head sharply, lifting his chin.
"Doflamingo, don't forget, I'm still a Marine."
"So?"
"Nothing. I just wanted you to see the Navy's efficiency."
Doflamingo clicked his tongue.
"At best, it was blind luck. From what you said, that should be Violet's contribution."
Rosinante choked on his response. After a long pause, he grabbed another cigarette and flicked his lighter. As usual, his clumsiness betrayed him. The flame caught onto his feathered coat instantly, erupting into fire.
"Ah! Damn it!"
He jumped around frantically, shouting as the flames spread.
Even from afar, Doflamingo could tell exactly what was happening. He pressed a hand to his forehead.
"Still an idiot... my foolish brother."
After struggling for some time, Rosinante finally extinguished the fire. Smoke rose from his body as he collapsed back onto the sofa, drenched in sweat. Staring at the ceiling, he spoke in a quieter tone.
"Foolish... Doflamingo, to you, Father and I are both detestable, aren't we?"
Doflamingo's face immediately hardened. The atmosphere around him turned cold.
Silence settled between the two brothers.
After a while, Rosinante slowly sat up and looked at the Den Den Mushi.
"Alright. I've got nothing else to say. I'm hanging up."
"Rosinante," Doflamingo interrupted, his voice low, "I have no intention of discussing Homing again. Just understand this, his foolishness led to Mother's death and our suffering. Even he admitted it in the end."
A brief pause followed before he continued.
"As for you, I've never detested you. Fufufu... after all, you're my brother."
Rosinante's hand froze midair.
"I'm done talking," Doflamingo added. "Once I finish my current matters, I'll return to Dressrosa."
Without waiting for a reply, he hung up. Grabbing a bottle of wine from the table, he drained it in one motion before slamming it down heavily.
Nearby, Vergo stepped forward, concern evident.
"Dof..."
Doflamingo lowered his head slightly. When he raised it again, his usual wicked smile had returned.
"Fufufu... has Rosinante finally remembered me?"
He glanced toward the performers in the hall, who had stopped out of fear. Waving his hand dismissively, he laughed.
"Why did you stop? Keep playing. Music, dancing, everything. Cheers! Fufufu!"
Diamante and the others exchanged glances before raising their glasses. Soon, the lively atmosphere returned, as if nothing had happened.
Meanwhile, inside the king's bedroom, Lloyd lay on the spacious bed, holding Wanda close. Carrot remained curled up on a blanket beside the bed, occasionally lifting her head to cast resentful glances toward them.
She still could not accept lying naked in Lloyd's arms. Lloyd made no attempt to force her, instead having a blanket prepared for her with deliberate indifference.
Lloyd remained deep in thought. Wanda, her face flushed, rested quietly against his chest, studying his expression.
"Southeast direction..." Lloyd murmured.
Wanda spoke softly.
"Master, are you still thinking about Joy Boy?"
Lloyd's hand moved slowly across her back. Her fur, fine and soft like down, made the motion almost absentminded.
"I'm considering his next move."
"Would he let Zou wander endlessly just to avoid you?"
"Unlikely. If hiding was his goal, there would be no reason to remain on something as massive as Zou."
Wanda blinked, thinking carefully.
"Then perhaps he intends to use Zou's power for something?"
"That is highly probable. A creature like Zou, once controlled, possesses destructive force comparable to an Ancient Weapon. If that's the case..."
Lloyd's eyes sharpened suddenly.
He sat up slightly, narrowing his gaze.
"Is he planning to strike first?"
The thought solidified quickly in his mind. The more he considered it, the more plausible it became.
Both Marine Headquarters and Mary Geoise lay to the southeast.
And if Joy Boy was moving in that direction, then this was no retreat.
It was preparation for an attack.