A Midair Accident

Doflamingo, whose crimes have yet to be exposed, is not only one of the Shichibukai, but also a widely praised king.

Dressrosa was originally impoverished and weak under the rule of the King Riku family, and the people lived in great misery.

After Doflamingo regained control of Dressrosa as the Donquixote Family Head, the country developed rapidly, as if it had been given a nitrogen boost.

Not only did the addition of his high-end combat power significantly enhance the nation's military strength, but more importantly, through Doflamingo's governance, the people of Dressrosa achieved a dramatic transformation in just one year, going from living at the level of a poor Eastern Europe country to that of one of the PIGS Southern Europe.

Dressrosa also began to be known as the Country of Happiness and the Toy Capital.

It seems that every person in Delos Rosa has a perpetual smile on their face, and the lifelike toys performing in the streets create the most beautiful scenery.

From his God's perspective, Ma Qiao certainly knows how these achievements were made.

This wasn't because Doflamingo had any superior governing skills; rather, it was because he completely transformed Dressrosa into a prison city.

Those toys, transformed from the rebels, make up almost a third of Dressrosa's population.

These toys have lost their ability to fight back, and they have also lost all memories of them from their loved ones.

Forgotten by people, unable to speak, even when embracing their former lovers, their arms are cold.

The toys are actually prisoners walking in the sunlight in Dressrosa.

In addition, there were the captured Tontatta.

In Dressrosa, the vast majority of production was carried out by these prisoners.

Of course, prisoners and slaves alike could never match the productivity of well-trained workers.

But Doflamingo's business in Dressrosa consisted of nothing but drug manufacturing and trafficking, human trafficking, and arms smuggling—all highly profitable ventures.

In this way, by having prisoners create vast amounts of wealth in the shadows, the ordinary citizens of Dressrosa can naturally enjoy a happy and fulfilling life under the sun, free from any sense of competition.

Unaware of the truth, people yearn for all of this.

This included Ma Qiao's Cobra.

He shamelessly chatted with Doflamingo for a long time, hoping to find out even a tiny bit of the secret to making the country rich and powerful.

However, Doflamingo clearly had no interest in talking to this old geezer any longer.

After roughly dismissing Cobra, he turned around, put on a fawning expression, and continued chatting with Ma Qiao.

Doflamingo is the kind of guy who only shows up when he needs something.

Besides wanting to find out the whereabouts of the Buggy Pirates, he was more interested in the power of the Big Bird Network platform.

Doflamingo truly deserves his reputation as a successful businessman; his business acumen is undeniable.

He set his sights on the advertisement displayed on the waiting screen when the software boots up.

"Believe me, SMILE is definitely a special food that will sweep the world."

"Its profits will far exceed those of tobacco and alcohol, and even weapons cannot compare!"

"How about it, Brother Ma Qiao? I can allocate 30% of our sales revenue to promotional expenses. Our collaboration will definitely be an amazing combination!"

Doflamingo put his arm around Ma Qiao's shoulder and, in his distinctively shrill voice, laughed loudly while talking about a "wonderful" future.

"Well, let's talk again on the phone when I get back to Shurima. I'd also like to see the production samples and conditions via video to see if it's worthwhile to scale up."

Ma Qiao said this with a smile, but what he was really thinking was that once he got the location of the processing site, he would be the first to report it to Garen.

Reporting drug dealers is everyone's responsibility.

While Ma Qiao wasn't sure what this "SMILE" that Doflamingo mentioned was, it was highly likely that it wasn't Artificial Devil Fruit.

After all, Caesar Clown, a key researcher in the creation of Artificial Devil Fruits, had already been stuffed into a gas cylinder by Ma Qiao. Even if he were released, he could only move around in the Shurima laboratory.

Therefore, the only thing Ma Qiao could think of related to "Smile" was Doflamingo's old profession of drug manufacturing and trafficking.

After giving Doflamingo a runaround, Ma Qiao bid him farewell and prepared to head to Doflamingo 'Cobra ship.

But just as Ma Qiao was about to board the ship, Señor Pica suddenly emerged from the ground and called out to Ma Qiao.

"What's wrong, Pica? Is it because of your wife's illness?" Ma Qiao asked with a smile.

"Yes, Lucian's condition is getting worse."

Pica pointed to the baby clothes he was wearing and the Pacifier in his mouth, and said with a bitter expression:

"Lucian smiling less and less often, and the chances of her waking up are becoming increasingly slim..."

"So..."

Ma Qiao shook his head. "Why haven't you brought her to Shurima yet? I told you long ago, Shurima is the place where your dreams might come true..."

"Sorry."

Pica said apologetically, "Once this mission is over, I will bring her to Shurima for treatment. No matter the cost, even if it's just to bring back her smile, I'm willing..."

After a pause, Pica suddenly lowered his voice and said:

"This might be troubling for you, Mr. Ma Qiao, but if possible, please don't help SMILE spread it. It's... it's harmful..."

"Haha, as a member of the Donquixote Family, isn't it a bit strange for you to say something like that?"

Ma Qiao looked at Pica with a smile.

He remained silent for a moment, and whether it was to Ma Qiao, Doflamingo, his wife, or the ordinary people harmed by criminal activities, he said "I'm sorry," and then used the Swim-Swim Fruit's power again to burrow into the ground.

"You were a fine person, but why did you become a thief..."

Ma Qiao sighed.

With Pica's reminder, he became even more certain that SMILE was a highly addictive illegal drug.

It's highly likely the same special drug Caesar used to control abducted children.

After capturing Caesar, Ma Qiao ordered Garen to lead troops in a surprise attack on Punk Hassald.

The Punk Hazard of today is not the Ice and Fire Island left behind after the battle between Akainu and Kuzan.

However, it had already suffered a massive explosion at Caesar Clown and had become a desolate wasteland.

Based on the principle that the most dangerous place is the safest, Caesar Clown rebuilt his laboratory in the ruins of Punk Hazard, where he conducted experiments on human giantification using kidnapped children sent by Doflamingo.

At the time, Doflamingo was unaware that Caesar Clown's experiments were intended to create artificial Giant Tribe for the Big Mom Pirates; he mistakenly believed they were necessary steps in creating Artificial Devil Fruits.

Later on Onigashima, Caesar Clown was exposed by Ma Qiao, and Doflamingo's dream of cooperating with Kaido through the Artificial Devil Fruit business was shattered.

Garen raided the poorly defended Punk Hazard, rescued the children who had participated in the experiments, and sent them back to Marineford.

At the same time, Garen also burned the relevant data in the Punk Hazard laboratory.

However, the addictive candy was clearly not considered a top secret by Caesar, and he might have casually given it to Doflamingo.

This is really a headache...

Just as Ma Qiao was calculating on his fingers whether his current fighting strength was enough to defeat the Donquixote Family head-on, they arrived at the uninhabited island where the Fathead Fish Airship was docked.

On the beach, Nami, wearing a sexy swimsuit, happily waved to Ma Qiao.

Before Cobra started bleeding, Ma Qiao and Vivi's Riot Games landed on his face simultaneously, knocking him to the ground.

Flash in front of Nami, Ma Qiao had to admit that her Four-Dimensional Pocket was becoming increasingly sophisticated.

However, her substantial wealth was not a reason for her to flaunt it in front of outsiders.

Ma Qiao took off his shirt and wrapped it around Nami, then gave her a very harsh critique.

The Cat Burglar got two smacks on the bottom and grinned, saying he'd do it again next time.

Ma Qiao rubbed his forehead; Nami was still the same Nami.

Besides Nami, a huge barbecue grill has also been set up on the beach.

Ma Qiao's appetite is enormous, no less than that of King Luffy in his prime.

While Neptune is a complete weakling, his physique is similar to Shirahoshi's, whereas Shirahoshi's brothers are of normal build.

Neptune also had a large appetite.

As for Cobra, he's just there to make up the numbers.

Or conversely, he could serve as a kitchen helper.

"Tahm Kench!"

Cobra jumped off the ship with delight, only to find that the person busy behind the huge barbecue grill was not his beloved chef, Tahm Kench, but two comical Mink Tribe.

Professor Heimerdinger, his face completely blackened, was clumsily fiddling with charcoal.

Rumble, standing to the side, laughed heartily, "Professor, in terms of science and technology, I'm no match for you, but when it comes to grilling, let me give you a good lesson!"

Rumble, the Mechanized Menace, is one of the best barbecue masters in the League.

The ingredients he cooked were found all over the Rift.

Besides being a barbecue master, as his name suggests, Rumble is a mechanically skilled Yordle.

Heimerdinger was simply too busy.

He was already serving as the academic leader of four or five scientific and technological research groups at the same time, so he really didn't have the energy to become the mechanic of the Fathead Fish Airship.

Moreover, it is indeed a waste of a great scientist's talent to serve as a mechanic.

Heimerdinger 'Yordle apprentice, Rumble, also Rumble, was the successor he recommended to Ma Qiao.

After all, he's a powerful figure who can build Gundams with his bare hands, so Ma Qiao also has high hopes for Rumble, hoping he can ensure the safe flight record of the fathead fish.

In addition, Rumble is an expert in barbecue and can also serve as a part-time cook for the army, making him an excellent tool.

At least that's what Ma Qiao thought that night.

Sipping beer, eating barbecue, teasing Vivi in front of my Cobra, and then looking up at the brilliant starry sky and the shimmering sea in the distance.

In a daze, I truly had a wondrous feeling, as if I were drunk and unaware that the sky was reflected in the water, and a boat full of sweet dreams pressed down on the Milky Way.

However...

Two days later, in the early morning.

Nami looked at the zero mark on her watch face, and her teeth turned into sharp shapes.

Meanwhile, Rumble, standing to the side, was already covered in bumps.

"It's all your fault, you idiot! You used the gas meant for propulsion to eat barbecue!"

As he spoke, another loud "duang" rang out, and a large bump appeared on Rumble's head.

"Nami, it's really not all my fault. It was that clumsy professor who ruined all the charcoal..."

Rumble covered his head with one hand and weakly pointed at Heimerdinger beside him with the other.

"Impossible, absolutely impossible!"

"I'm the world's greatest inventor, with the most powerful brain. How could I possibly fail at something as simple as charcoal?"

"I clearly saw you sneakily throw the broken charcoal into the bushes!"

Nami with fangs grabbed Heimerdinger's fluffy hair and temporarily tossed him from the cockpit into the engine room.

Even Ma Qiao felt a slight chill run down his spine at Nami's furious outburst.

"Our navigator, the engine is about to run out of power, what should we do?"

Ma Qiao raised a very practical question.

Nami opened the navigation chart, looked at it for a while, and said helplessly:

"Prepare for an emergency landing. Due to loss of power, we will be unable to resist the air currents as we exit the stratosphere."

"According to my calculations, our final landing point will be— North Blue!"