Although Monet didn't know what "leeks" were, she could still hear the disdain for Doflamingo in Taro's tone.
"I won't allow you to insult the Young Lord!" she roared, snarling at Taro while starting to struggle again.
"What did you say? The wind is too strong, I can't hear you!"
Taro pretended not to hear and shouted out loud. Then, before Monet could speak again, he let out a weird "Oh-ho!" cry and somersaulted several times in the air, plunging toward the sea.
Just as he was about to crash into the ocean, he suddenly pulled up and took flight again.
"Oh-ho, woo! Hoo!"
Taro continued to perform high-difficulty maneuvers while making strange cries.
"Doesn't the feeling of flying feel great? Stop thinking about whether Doflamingo needs you or not; the most important thing in life is to be happy!"
Monet looked at Taro's unrestrained smile, feeling secretly shocked.
She never expected that Taro, who held such a prestigious reputation in the Marine and could clash blades with Whitebeard to tear the sky, would have such an unruly side to his personality.
Taro felt Monet staring at him and flashed a smile.
"Are you envious? That's why I say, develop your Devil Fruit Ability well. How free it is to fly using your Devil Fruit Ability; why turn yourself into someone who looks neither human nor ghost?"
Taro's words made Monet pause. Thinking of the Young Lord's anger over Taro destroying the Research Institute, her expression turned cold again.
"I am living very well in the Donquixote Family, and I don't look like a freak. If you continue to slander the Young Lord and the Donquixote Family..."
Taro turned his head to look at Monet, a hint of pity in his eyes as he sighed.
"Suit yourself. Let's not talk about that anymore; just enjoy the flight!"
Monet clearly felt the pity in Taro's gaze. Anger welled up in her heart, and just as she was about to lash out,
Taro tilted his body in the air and flew diagonally into the cloud layer, his tone becoming serious.
"Don't talk!"
"Warning! Encountering thick clouds ahead, visibility is less than fifty meters, please fly with caution!"
Monet was stunned for a long while, looking at Taro as if he were a fool, and said, "You're insane!"
"Hahahaha! You really have no sense of humor!" Taro laughed loudly.
Two hours later, Taro finally landed with Monet on the roof of the tallest building in the Amusement Area.
"Now, in exchange, can you tell me your purpose?" Taro leaned against the rooftop railing, looking down at the playing crowds, his tone very relaxed.
Monet frowned and shook her head. "There is no purpose!"
Taro was very dissatisfied upon hearing this. He turned around to lean his back against the railing, his brow furrowing deeply.
"If that's the case, I can't let you leave. Let Doflamingo come and pick you up himself!"
Monet's breath hitched. Her face turned cold as she reached up to pull down her glasses, covering her eyes. "The Young Lord has been very angry whenever you're mentioned lately, so I took it upon myself to come and scout!"
Taro raised an eyebrow. After thinking for a moment, he understood and couldn't help but curl his lip, sighing, "So it's because of Punk Hazard."
The fact that Taro had been to Punk Hazard was not a very well-kept secret among the Marine top brass and the World Government.
With Doflamingo's former status as a "Celestial Dragons" and his moles within the Marine high-level, it wasn't surprising that he knew about some of Taro's actions.
"So, you guys haven't given up on those experiments?" Taro gave a disdainful chuckle, then sighed again.
"It seems Doflamingo won't give up until that place is completely destroyed!"
Monet's eyes widened. She heard the threat in Taro's words. "You dare..."
Taro waved his hand to interrupt Monet. "What wouldn't I dare! I can ignore the businesses Doflamingo runs."
As he spoke, Taro's expression became solemn as he stared at Monet. "But I cannot tolerate the experiments Caesar is doing with children!"
Monet was greatly shocked. "How do you kno...? No, I don't know any Caesar you're talking about, and I don't understand what you mean by business."
Taro chuckled. "It doesn't matter if you don't understand."
Then, with a look of utter contempt, he said, "Tell Doflamingo that if I hear of another children's shipwreck incident, I will pay another visit to Punk Hazard."
"You dare threaten the Young Lord?" Monet was both shocked and furious.
Taro glanced at her den den mushi. "This is a piece of advice, but you can take it as a threat if you like! If you don't dare relay it, I can tell him directly!"
Monet twisted her body slightly to hide the den den mushi at her waist. "The Young Lord is one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea; he is an ally to you Marines!"
Taro snorted contemptuously. "He is, but Caesar isn't! Even if I go and kill Caesar directly, so what? Would he dare admit he's collaborating with Caesar?"
"What evidence do you have..." Monet still wanted to argue.
Taro laughed loudly, cutting her off. "I am a Marine. Why would I need evidence to pursue a pirate like Caesar? If you're asking for evidence of the collaboration between you and Caesar..."
"That doesn't matter to me. However, whether Caesar matters to you, you know very well yourself!"
Monet's heart instantly sank to rock bottom, and she felt a chill all over her body.
Taro's certain tone made it clear that he already knew about the collaboration between the Young Lord and Caesar, and even knew the details of the collaboration.
Who betrayed the Young Lord? Was there a traitor within the Family?
Monet's expression shifted uncertainly as she thought, her mind shaken to the core.
Taro, opposite her, felt the same. He sounded tough, but he was actually quite helpless in his heart.
He naturally knew that Doflamingo was the middleman for the entire Underworld, but he had no substantive evidence.
Moreover, CP0 was still doing business with Mingo's supplier, "Beasts" Kaido. This entire industrial chain might even be tacitly permitted by the World Government.
Even if Taro wanted to break the deadlock, he needed an opportunity. Just like the situation Fujitora faced two years later, the key to breaking the deadlock could only be found in Caesar.
Taro wondered if he should just go and cut Caesar down.
However, he wasn't sure how far Doflamingo's business of providing Artificial Devil Fruits to Kaido had progressed.
If their business had just started and Kaido didn't vent his anger on Doflamingo but instead vented it on him, that would be bad!
Blackbeard, Edward Weevil—these guys were all in the New World and still needed to be dealt with.
Right, there was also the conflict with the Big Mom Pirates at Fish-Man Island.
Sigh, he could only take them one by one and temporarily set aside the entire line related to Doflamingo.
In the blink of an eye, the New World was full of opponents!
Taro complained in his heart. How did he somehow end up on the path of "black dragon steps on four emperors"?
After thinking for a long time, Monet finally spoke. "I will relay your words to the Young Lord!"
The corners of Taro's mouth curled up. Thinking of Doflamingo's violent and sinister personality, he gave a mocking laugh.
"He treats you like Family, right? I hope you're still in one piece after you tell him!"
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