Training and Rest

At the Training Grounds, Doflamingo slowly sheathed Chidori.

Gion's face was filled with reluctance, and fresh blood seeped through the bandages wrapped around her body.

The result of their sparring was obvious. After comprehending Outer Heaven Flying Fairy yesterday, Doflamingo's swordsmanship had undergone explosive growth.

On top of that, he had a cheat-like place to train in, Illusion Space. Thus, in just one night, his improvement in sword techniques had turned Gion, who had been evenly matched with him yesterday, into someone who was no match for him today.

Furthermore, Gion had been seriously injured yesterday, stabbed straight through the chest. Though the strong in the Pirate World had astonishing recovery abilities, her injuries had not fully healed in such a short time.

So after barely an hour of fighting today, Gion was completely defeated by Doflamingo.

Though she was full of unwillingness, Gion understood her current physical condition. Fighting to this point today really was her limit.

Tokikake, who had been watching from the side, wore an utterly twisted expression, nearly reduced to tears. He looked even more heartbroken than if he had been injured himself.

"Once my injuries have fully healed, I'll come challenge you again, Senior Steve." Gion took a deep breath, sheathed her sword, and looked at Doflamingo as she spoke each word clearly.

"Ha, then I'll welcome you anytime." Doflamingo waved a hand and replied with a smile.

Since such a top-tier whetstone was willing to come right to his door, he naturally had no reason to refuse. Sparring with the reluctant Tokikake every day had grown rather boring for Doflamingo anyway.

The moment Gion left, Tokikake, who had been following her around like a lapdog, immediately ran over.

"Why?! Why is this happening?!" Thick streams of tears ran down Tokikake's face. "Steve, Miss Gion actually thinks so highly of you! I challenge you to a duel!"

"Oh, that's wonderful. I was just thinking I hadn't fought enough." Doflamingo wore a faintly amused smile.

Though he felt that what Tokikake needed most to win Gion over was to get rid of his pervy creep habits and perhaps get some plastic surgery while he was at it, it was rare to see him so fired up. Naturally, Doflamingo wanted to have a match with him too.

More than ten hours later.

Tokikake lay spread-eagled across the Training Grounds with the expression of a washed-up deadbeat, looking as though his soul had left his body.

He had talked about a duel, but once they started fighting and his hot blood cooled, Tokikake began to regret it.

He was not an idiot. Of course, he could tell that Gion and Doflamingo merely respected each other's swordsmanship and were happy to have found worthy opponents.

It was just that he had gotten carried away in the heat of the moment and run over to duel Doflamingo.

Even more tragically, he discovered that he was already having trouble suppressing Doflamingo's swordsmanship!

His strength had only been a notch above Doflamingo's before. In an actual fight, while he could win, it would still take several hours to wear down Doflamingo's stamina.

However, after Doflamingo's swordsmanship improved, if the two wanted to determine a winner, they would have to fight for a full day and night before Tokikake could rely on his superior stamina to win.

With that time, he might as well spend it cultivating his relationship with Miss Gion. Even if Miss Gion did not care for him, he could go look for other young ladies. Why sweat himself stinking at the Training Grounds with Doflamingo?

So Tokikake regretted it as soon as the fight began. Unfortunately, Doflamingo had finally caught hold of him and naturally would not let him leave so easily. Thus, the two fought until it was nearly time for dinner.

"No more, no more." Tokikake lay on the Training Grounds and muttered, "I'm exhausted."

Doflamingo shook his head, speechless at his laziness. With this guy's talent, if he had Doflamingo's diligence, he probably would not still be an Admiral Candidate after the Summit War.

This world truly was unfair. Someone like Charlotte Linlin could gorge herself every day and have several children a year, yet still effortlessly become a Sea Emperor.

Meanwhile, no matter how hard ordinary people trained, Navy Headquarters Captain was already the peak of their strength.

Though this body of Doflamingo's could also be considered fairly talented, without the assistance of Devil Fruit abilities such as deep sleep and Skill Pearls, the highest ceiling for his strength would probably only be Admiral Candidate or First Mate.

Only through the combined effects of his broken cheat and the Illusion Fruit did he have the confidence to truly contend with the strongest figures on the seas.

Seeing that Tokikake was unwilling to keep fighting, Doflamingo did not force him. After fighting for so long, he had more or less satisfied his craving for battle.

That evening, in Doflamingo's trainee dormitory.

Huge pan-fried steaks, roast meat, meat on the bone, pies, sausages, black pudding, sandwiches, bread, baked potatoes, ice cream, apple pie, red wine, and rum covered the entire dining table.

"Mm, delicious, delicious, it's so delicious." Tokikake's mouth was stuffed full. "I've never eaten anything this good."

Doflamingo sat at the table and joined the feast. Little Chef's Skill Pearl had not given him specific recipes, but rather talent and inspiration when cooking. As a result, his cooking now combined Eastern and Western styles.

Though his dishes certainly could not compare to Liu Angxing's yet, in the Pirate World, he could already be called one of the very best chefs.

Before long, the table full of food, weighing over a hundred pounds, had all gone into Doflamingo and Tokikake's stomachs. The two leaned back in their chairs with round bellies, not even wanting to speak.

After quite a while, Tokikake finally spoke again. "I really never expected that after being classmates for a year, you still had a skill like this that you never showed me. You hid it too well."

Doflamingo lightly replied as he picked his teeth, "I only started learning to cook after going out to sea this time."

"Huh?" Tokikake looked utterly disbelieving. "No way. In just a few months, your cooking reached this level?"

"What's so strange about that? There are all kinds of geniuses in the world. How is being good at cooking even much of a talent?" Doflamingo spat out his toothpick and spoke indifferently.

"Then you really are a culinary genius." Tokikake did not think much of it. Most people in the Pirate World were easygoing and had astonishingly strong acceptance.

"Oh, right. Tomorrow I'm planning to invite Miss Gion to dinner. How about having it here at your place..."

"Then your Miss Gion will fall for my cooking and kick you to the curb!" Doflamingo said lazily.

"Uh..." Tokikake's expression changed. "I'd better invite her to a restaurant."

Doflamingo snorted. Trying to take advantage of me and use me as your personal chef? Keep dreaming.