Click! Click! Click!
The sound of locks echoed as Sea Stone Chains bound the three members of the Donquixote Family. The neutralizing effect on Devil Fruit users rendered them completely helpless prisoners.
The Whitebeard Pirates looked displeased. They had rushed over in such a hurry, only to end up as an escort team cleaning up the aftermath. Couldn't that guy Doflamingo have brought more people with him?
Marco was the only one with actual work to do, sprinkling the Azure Flames of the Phoenix over the Chief and others to heal the injuries of the Shandia.
As for Nola, who was the most severely injured, Chronos was there.
Stretching out his hand, Chronos released lightning, using its heat to melt the adhesive mucus on Nola's body, freeing the Lord of the Sky, and then repairing the Homies' form.
When Nola woke up and saw Chronos, it hurried over, looking both apologetic and furious, frantically tattling on those few individuals.
But when it turned its head and saw that Doflamingo and the others had already been reduced to prisoners, Nola instantly became gleeful, laughing arrogantly.
Not long after the Whitebeard Pirates had arrived, a strong gust of wind suddenly came from the sky—it was Gan Fall.
A large number of God Squad members stepped forward, with Gan Fall himself clad in armor, his expression stern and murderous.
"I am Gan Fall, Mayor of Angel Island! I've come to provide support... Huh? Chronos? Edward?"
Gan Fall blinked in confusion. Weren't there supposed to be enemies attacking? Where were they?
"Oh, it's you, Gan Fall~"
Whitebeard regretfully lowered his fist. He had been hoping for some enemies to jump out so he could vent his frustration!
"What's going on here?"
Gan Fall descended from the Ball Cloud, full of questions. He had clearly come because he heard the sounds of fighting.
"You're a step too late. Chronos has already taken care of everything. Thanks to your intel, he found what he was looking for," Whitebeard explained.
"As for the enemies... over there."
Whitebeard gestured for Gan Fall to turn his head, and three charred figures came into view, startling Gan Fall.
"What is this?"
"A bunch of arrogant little thieves who secretly followed us up here. It was my oversight," Chronos walked over, slightly apologetic.
"As for their current state... it's due to my ability. This."
As he spoke, Chronos extended his hand, with intense electric sparks flashing across it.
Gan Fall was stunned. Was that lightning? Chronos had actually mastered lightning!?
"Congratulations, Chronos, on achieving your wish~" Gan Fall exclaimed, wondering if he had played a part in the rise of a powerful figure.
"Thank you," Chronos replied with a smile.
As they spoke, Gan Fall noticed the plight of the Shandia, with many injured.
His heart heavy, Gan Fall thought for a moment and then walked over to the Shandia Chief.
"Angel Island has some medical supplies. We could sell you some, depending on the situation."
The Chief looked at Gan Fall. The two old rivals locked eyes for a long time before the Chief finally nodded.
"Make it cheap. The Shandia will need a lot."
"Of course!"
The two old men quickly averted their eyes, everything understood without words.
Chronos glanced somewhat unexpectedly at the still-unconscious Doflamingo. It seemed that guy wasn't completely useless after all.
...
After Doflamingo's attack, all the Shandia were injured. Although Marco had treated them with the full power of the Azure Flames of the Phoenix, they still needed time to recuperate.
The Whitebeard Pirates stayed for a few more days, witnessing the gradual thawing of relations between Shandora and Angel Island.
Cricket, Masira, and Shojo had unfortunately been caught up in this disaster, but they simply laughed it off and moved on.
Chronos had to admire their thick-skinned nature. Perhaps it was precisely because of this that in the original storyline, these three had been able to persist in diving year after year.
Inside the Moby Dick, in a makeshift interrogation room, Doflamingo and his two subordinates were tightly bound, each sitting on a small stool.
Chronos sat steadily at the interrogation table, adopting the signature pose of Commander Ikari with his hands crossed in front of him, expressionlessly staring at the three before him.
Beside him stood the burly Jozu and Blamenco, with Marco also joining in out of curiosity.
After a few days, thanks to the remarkable physical resilience of people in the One Piece world, Doflamingo had fully recovered, as had his two subordinates.
Whitebeard had given Chronos full authority over how to deal with these individuals, leading to the current situation.
"To the victor go the spoils. While I don't completely agree with this concept, Heavenly Yaksha, I assume you firmly believe in it, don't you?"
As Chronos's voice rang out, Doflamingo's expression instantly turned grim.
When he had been called "Heavenly Yaksha" in Mock Town, Doflamingo had assumed it was because of his notorious reputation. But now, hearing his personal creed mentioned, he knew this man had investigated him thoroughly.
The problem was, Doflamingo had no idea who this person before him was!
Marco the Phoenix, Diamond Jozu, Blamenco the Mallet...
He knew all these famous rising stars of the Whitebeard Pirates, so why was this man in the center completely unknown to him!?
The Rumble-Rumble Fruit—such power couldn't belong to a nobody!
Unless...
"Fufufufufu, of course, I've always believed that. Only victory represents justice!
However, I truly didn't expect that someone like you, a complete unknown, could make the Whitebeard Pirates come to Skypiea to search for the Rumble-Rumble Fruit for you!"
Doflamingo spoke word by word. He was gambling—the fact that he was still alive meant this man saw value in him, so he needed to make a good impression!
Chronos wasn't surprised by this. Throughout the One Piece world, while Doflamingo wasn't exactly mentally stable, he was still considered exceptionally intelligent.
"Now that I've lost, you naturally have claim to everything I possess. So, how do you plan to deal with me?"
Doflamingo smirked sinisterly.
Enel had already been reincarnated, so having one more Doflamingo around didn't matter.
However, Chronos had some ideas. In his eyes, Doflamingo himself was inconsequential, but the Donquixote Family was actually quite capable.
The North Blue, territory of the World Government—that meant it was essentially unclaimed land.
Most importantly, there wasn't just one Donquixote in the North Blue.
"I plan to sell you to the Great Kingdom. I'm sure Uncle Joy Boy and the others would be very interested in your Celestial Dragon identity."
!?
Doflamingo froze, his eyes flickering with confusion as he stared at Chronos.
How did this guy know about that!?
Wait... Donquixote... Right, it's too obvious. He couldn't possibly not know.
Doflamingo's jaw tightened, his signature grin finally fading from his face.
He valued profit above all, which was precisely why he knew his bargaining chips couldn't measure up against the Great Kingdom.
Chronos stood up, gesturing toward the transponder snails confiscated from Doflamingo and his subordinates.
"You now have two choices. First: do nothing and get shipped off to the Great Kingdom's prison to begin your jail term twenty years ahead of schedule.
Second: explain the leadership transition within the Donquixote Family - specifically the North Blue branch - before being taken away.
If you choose the second option, I can make things easier for you. At least you'll get to read newspapers in prison."
Doflamingo was ultimately expendable. The future world held countless individuals who could replace him, and Chronos saw no need to employ someone he found distasteful.
Perhaps the man possessed a certain charm - Chronos wasn't incapable of appreciating villains.
But among the former Warlords, this clown crowned with the epithet "Heavenly Yaksha" truly left Chronos unimpressed. Better to send him off to become the King of Newspaper Readers.
"Fufufu..."
Doflamingo chuckled lightly, having recognized Chronos' disdain for him.
"You seem to know quite a bit about me? That might not be good for you~"
"I consider you an intelligent man. You should be able to read the tides of the future."
Chronos spoke casually, and Doflamingo fell silent.
Finally, under the grief-stricken gazes of his two subordinates, Doflamingo began dialing a transponder snail.
"Pica, summon Vergo and Rosinante. I have an announcement to make."
...
North Blue, Donquixote Family headquarters.
Donquixote Rosinante - former Celestial Dragon, current adopted son of Marine Admiral Sengoku, and undercover Marine operative - was summoned.
Then, through the announcement delivered by a transponder snail bearing his brother's likeness, a utterly bewildered Rosinante learned he would become the Donquixote Family's second patriarch.
"Doffy! Why?! What's happened to you?!"
At these words, even the normally silent Pica erupted, his shrill voice tearing through the air in furious questioning.
"Simple - I lost. I encountered a terrifying enemy on these seas, and this transponder call is already my limit."
Doflamingo spoke calmly. Though he'd vaguely anticipated this day might come, now that it had arrived, he still found himself struggling to adapt.
"Let Rosinante become the new patriarch... and henceforth, follow this man's orders."
"Hello? Allow me to introduce myself. I am Orpheus Chronos, member of the Whitebeard Pirates, and essentially the future authority over the Donquixote Family. Rest assured, I won't have you engaged in loan sharking, human trafficking, casino debt collection, or other vile activities.
Would you be interested in transforming the Donquixote Family into the North Blue's premier medical family?"
"Bullshit!"
Pica roared in fury. They were villains! If they weren't doing those things, what would they do as a medical family? Did he really think they were saints?!
"Is that true? Mr. Chronos!?"
But upon hearing this, Rosinante - with his clown makeup and black feather coat - became genuinely excited, forgetting himself and speaking aloud in his urgency.
Huh?
Pica and Vergo stared at Rosinante in disbelief.
You can talk?
Due to his undercover mission, Rosinante had maintained the pretense of being mute ever since returning to the Donquixote Family.
Doflamingo lost his voice, then chuckled foolishly - his foolish younger brother was indeed still foolish!
"Pica, Vergo, this is my final command as head of the Donquixote Family. From now on, follow Rosinante's orders."
"Doffy! You... you..."
Pica was crying bitterly, and even Vergo beside him clenched his fists tightly.
"I have Trebol and Diamante here with me, no need to worry. Perhaps one day, we'll meet again! Fufufufufu!"
Doflamingo laughed heartily - he wasn't dead yet, was he? There was still hope for everything!
Click - the Den Den Mushi was hung up.
Chronos held the Den Den Mushi, having obtained Rosinante's number from Doflamingo's side.
During their farewell, Doflamingo suddenly looked at Chronos and asked a question.
"I've completely followed your instructions. Since you know so much, I'd like to ask you one thing - what kind of person is Rosinante really?"
"Oh, that's simple. The opposite of you - a kind but clumsy person who has found a pillar to rely on, so he doesn't have to stand alone."
Doflamingo fell silent, then chuckled softly.
Entrusting the Donquixote Family to such a man wouldn't be a waste, would it?
On the other side, despite their thousand reluctances, Pica and Vergo still pledged their loyalty to Rosinante.
After all, this was Doflamingo's "final wish."
Rosinante smiled somewhat awkwardly, finding it hard to adapt. He was still undercover, and now suddenly he had become the boss?
Just then, the Den Den Mushi rang.
"Hello? It's me, Chronos. Rosinante?"
"Ah, yes, it's me. H-hello."
"No need to be so nervous. Let me outline our plan first.
Gradually sell off all the Donquixote Family's black market businesses. And you know about White Town Flevance, right?
It's a country with good economic and medical conditions - we can establish the Donquixote Family's new headquarters there.
As for maritime trade, you might consider the Drum Kingdom in the Grand Line, known as the holy land of medicine.
The Drum Kingdom is a winter island that desperately needs coal and other fuels. You can organize specialized trade caravans for this.
Don't worry about funds - use the Donquixote Family's dirty money first. I can't stand looking at that stuff. If you need more money in the future, just contact me.
By the way, it might be somewhat difficult for the Donquixote Family to completely withdraw from the underworld, especially since you've lost several key executives and your combat power might be insufficient.
But I'll probably come to the North Sea in the future, so take your time and don't rush.
Anyway, that's the plan. Any questions?"
After listening to Chronos's description, Rosinante's feelings shifted from initial anxiety to eventual excitement.
This was a feasible plan! He could lead the Donquixote Family to atone for his brother's sins and help this world!
"I-I have no problems with this! Thank you, Mr. Chronos!"
Hearing Rosinante's excited and enthusiastic voice, Chronos smiled. Young people were so easily fooled.
But Chronos wasn't worried about whether Rosinante could achieve these conditions, for one simple reason - the guy had a Marine Admiral as his adoptive father.
Under primitive accumulation, one could conquer through blood and tears, but with the City of Gold secured, Chronos could naturally choose the path of civilization.
"Mhm, do your best. I hope one day you can lead the Donquixote Family to become the panacea of this world, saving every patient."
Chronos casually painted another grand vision, which Rosinante immediately swallowed whole.
After hanging up the den den mushi, Rosinante was met with the stifled expressions of Pica and Vergo, but he paid them no mind.
"Sorry for the trouble. This is my brother's dying wish—he would have been happy to see such a scene!"
Rosinante laughed, spreading his arms as if to embrace them.
But the two ignored him entirely. Pica and Vergo left with pained expressions, feeling nauseated.
As for Rosinante and that man's words—they would comply, but it would take time.
In one word: delay!
Rosinante scratched his head and laughed awkwardly. It seemed his position as family head wasn't stable yet, but that was fine.
Sneaking back to his room, Rosinante prepared to report the good news.
"Hello, this is Little Mikan. Big Senbei, I've become the head of the Donquixote Family!"
On the other end of the den den mushi, Sengoku was utterly bewildered upon hearing the news—his son had gone undercover and become the boss?
...
After tossing Doflamingo and the other two back into their cells, Chronos led his men away.
[Ding! Captured Doflamingo and two of the four top executives of the Donquixote Family alive, supported Rosinante in becoming the new head of the Donquixote Family. Reward: Pirate Native Character Large Summoning Card]
Checking the system panel, sure enough, the reward had been successfully issued.
Reading the description, Chronos grew somewhat interested.
As the name implied, this summoning card was used to summon native characters from the pirate world, but the scope was limited to those appearing after the current era—meaning characters who hadn't emerged yet but would in the future, or those who existed in the original storyline but not in this world.
For example, Tony Tony Chopper, that adorable tanuki-reindeer hybrid, hadn't been born yet. Or the 85 children of Big Mom Charlotte Linlin—due to changes in the worldline, they never came to be.
Unlike the previous ordinary summoning cards, this Large Summoning Card didn't offer three choices but ten, from which four could be selected—equivalent to an upgraded combination of three ordinary summoning cards.
Doflamingo's causality in the storyline was certainly greater than Enel's—spanning locations from the North Blue to the New World, involving characters from pirate rookies to the Seven Warlords of the Sea, and even knowledge of the Celestial Dragons' secrets.
Stepping out of the cabin, Chronos silently smiled at the sight of Shandora, where people from Angel Island were gradually setting foot.
With the Rumble-Rumble Fruit obtained, the next step was to face the world head-on.
...
"Pops, I want to set sail—like Sister Whitey Bay, to venture out on my own."
Under Whitebeard's gaze, Chronos spoke earnestly before his own father.