"Gran Tesoro?"
He seemed to have heard of it before, but he couldn't remember.
Where was that again?
Doflamingo explained, "That is Gild Tesoro's territory—a seagoing cruise ship made of gold, and also the world's largest entertainment city. They say it even has female attendants who have eaten Zoan Devil Fruits. Fufufu~"
As he spoke, Doflamingo wore a suggestive smile.
Zhu Mang: ? The fuck do you really take me for some sex-crazed fiend?
Still, Doflamingo truly deserved his reputation as one of the most cunning and calculating overlords in the original story.
Over the past two days, he had practically set aside all his own affairs.
Even though he did not enjoy this sort of thing himself, he had still insisted on staying here with him.
All so he could respond to Zhu Mang's needs at any moment and keep him happy.
Because of that, even though Zhu Mang had seen the original plot and knew this man never acted without profit, one did not strike a smiling face—especially when the other party had attended to him so meticulously and made him so comfortable.
From food, clothing, and daily necessities to emotional support, he had made sure Zhu Mang was satisfied in every respect.
Even a beast would have been moved by that.
Let alone Zhu Mang, a living, breathing person?
What kind of man could withstand such a test?
"Enough. We can talk about the future later. Don't forget the important business," Zhu Mang said. He had indulged too much these past few days and was genuinely getting sick of it.
Enjoyment was nice, and he did not dislike the feeling. People lived to enjoy themselves.
But perhaps because this body possessed Saiyan blood, after going several days without a fight, he felt restless.
He really wanted to fight now.
If nothing else, watching someone else fight would do!
The way he looked at Doflamingo began to turn dangerous.
Doflamingo's scalp went numb under Zhu Mang's gaze.
He hurriedly said, "I received word from the Navy early this morning, asking when I planned to head over. It seems they have completed their prewar preparations."
One crucial part of those preparations was evacuating all the Navy families who had lived on Marineford for years.
That work had reportedly continued for over a month. The Navy had mobilized many warships from Marine Headquarters and nearby branches, and had even borrowed numerous merchant ships from various trading companies. Only recently had they barely managed to finish.
It could not be helped. Marineford had nearly a million permanent residents. Even after excluding Navy soldiers, there were still hundreds of thousands of people who needed to be evacuated.
Besides that, there was the construction of defensive fortifications, the reinforcement of the coastline, and more.
In short, even ordinary people outside knew the Navy was now fully prepared for battle.
But on the other side, the Whitebeard Pirates had not been idle either.
More than a week ago, every pirate crew under the Whitebeard Pirates had gathered on an island near the Red Line within Whitebeard Pirates territory in the New World.
After that, those pirate crews and their ships had gradually vanished.
Doflamingo's informants on Fish-Man Island told him that they had seen many Whitebeard Pirates flags near Fish-Man Island a few days ago.
Clearly, they had already passed through Fish-Man Island and come here from the New World. At this moment, they might be gathering on some island nearby.
The Navy obviously knew this as well.
Yet the Navy had not tried to stop them.
Because from beginning to end, this had been an open scheme by the Navy against the Whitebeard Pirates.
They wanted to use the destruction of the Whitebeard Pirates to put a stop to this increasingly chaotic Great Pirate Era. They wanted those lawless pirates to understand who ruled this world!
Certainly, this world contained much darkness.
For example, the greatest darkness of all was the so-called Celestial Dragons.
There was also plenty of corruption within the Navy itself.
But that did not affect the sense of justice held by most people in the Navy.
"If that's the case, then let's go. I want to take a look around the island of Marine Headquarters too. After all, I might not get to see it again in the future. Every look will be one less..."
Doflamingo was baffled.
What did he mean, every look would be one less? And that he might not see it again in the future?
Wait...
Could this man be planning to sink Marineford himself?!!
As he watched Zhu Mang's back disappear through the door first, Doflamingo's face carried a trace of horror.
At dusk, the bay swallowed and released steel behemoths one after another. Towering masts rose toward the sky, nearly piercing the lead-gray clouds.
The portholes of every warship gleamed coldly, while the bronze-rimmed main gun turrets howled beneath the sea wind.
Navy soldiers repeatedly wiped down the cannon barrels with rags soaked in tung oil, striving to ensure they would perform at their peak in tomorrow's battle.
Just then, as a medium-sized warship sailed into the harbor, the tall figure standing on its deck in a pink feather coat caught every marine's attention.
"Look! It's one of the Shichibukai—the Heavenly Yaksha, Doflamingo!"
"Feh, damn Shichibukai."
"Shh—they're here to help."
"I don't believe in pirates! If you ask me, we should bury them together with Whitebeard in this sea!" This was clearly a radical, perhaps one of Akainu's subordinates.
"Looks like your reputation isn't very good," Zhu Mang said with a laugh as he lounged casually in a deck chair.
"Fufufu~ I don't need these people to acknowledge any good reputation," Doflamingo laughed loudly. At that moment, he finally showed a little of the Shichibukai's wild arrogance.
Well, now that he had grown somewhat more familiar with Zhu Mang, he had relaxed a little and regained some of his former unruly bearing.
A Navy rear admiral standing on the distant deck watched Doflamingo with a gloomy expression, saying nothing.
He was one of the Navy rear admirals stationed at the Sabaody Archipelago.
Doflamingo had approached him early that morning, and then he had received orders that left him no choice but to deliver this pirate he loathed to Marine Headquarters.
Yet at the same time, he was puzzled.
During the better part of the day's voyage, he had noticed something interesting.
This person who had boarded with Doflamingo, he had originally assumed, was a member of the Donquixote Family and one of Doflamingo's subordinates.
But in reality, that did not seem to be the case.
On the contrary, Doflamingo seemed more like this man's subordinate!
It was completely backwards!
This was the lawless Shichibukai!
The Heavenly Yaksha, renowned across the entire world!
In the past, he had never heard of Doflamingo being anyone's subordinate.
Yet now, whenever Doflamingo spoke with this man, he kept his posture extremely low and appeared to respect him greatly.
He had even used the power of his String-String Fruit to cut watermelon for him!
Who exactly was this man?
How could he make the famous Heavenly Yaksha go this far?
Did the Heavenly Yaksha have no pride at all?
The Navy rear admiral silently committed all this information to memory, intending to report to Admiral Sakazuki immediately upon disembarking.
Before you continue