Unwarranted Speculation

Abel didn't have to wait long before Luo was brought back.

The reason was that Doflamingo had already given orders to immediately capture Abel and Luo if they tried to escape.

So even though Corazon pretended nothing had happened and didn't order Luo's capture, Luo still couldn't get away.

Luo was locked up, and when Abel tried to go and speak to him, he was stopped outside.

Although he had already joined the Donquixote Family, his status was still too low. As a mere Trainee Member, he naturally couldn't make anyone go against Doflamingo's orders.

Even if he had called Baby-5, it would have been useless.

Helpless, he had no choice but to give up.

Anyway, as long as Luo didn't say anything out of line when the time came, he would be fine.

A day later, Doflamingo and his crew, who had swiftly dealt with the traitor, returned.

They seemed to have a good haul, with chests full of money and various treasures being plundered.

However, their expressions weren't very good, looking a bit disheveled.

It turned out they had returned so quickly because Tsuru and the Navy were pursuing them.

To shake off the annoying Navy, Doflamingo had to stay behind alone, charging onto a Navy ship to fight Tsuru. Only then did he escape through the air using his String-String Fruit abilities in a sorry state.

"That old hag is really persistent!"

Bang!

Back at the base, Mingo felt extremely unlucky and slammed his fist heavily on the table.

"This is strange. We decided to go after Rakeish to deal with the traitor on a whim, yet the Navy appeared there as if they had foreseen it. Could it be..."

"Shut up, Jora!"

"It was just a coincidence. I don't want to hear any more baseless speculation."

"I'm sorry, Young Master."

Doflamingo rarely lost his temper, but he scolded Jora.

This was because he would rather believe it was a coincidence or that the Navy had somehow tracked their movements than to suspect anyone present.

Once the seeds of suspicion were sown, the so-called family would eventually fall apart.

Unless he could produce sufficient evidence to prove someone had sold them out and betrayed the family.

In that case, he would personally execute that person!

At this moment, two subordinates brought Luo over.

"Young Master, this brat suddenly wanted to escape for some reason. As per your orders, we immediately captured him after discovering his attempt."

"Let me go!"

Luo struggled with all his might, but it was in vain.

And when he saw Corazon sitting by the table, calmly drinking tea, he was astonished, and his heart sank rapidly.

He hadn't expected that person to be alive?

This was the end.

That guy must have told Doflamingo everything.

However, something unexpected happened.

Doflamingo suddenly burst into laughter, "Fufufufufu, Corazon, it seems you've tormented them quite a bit."

Corazon calmly continued drinking his tea, as if in default.

"Alright, let him go. And those outside, come in."

Luo looked confused. Could it be that Corazon didn't say anything? But why? Is he deliberately covering for me? No, that's impossible! This guy must have some scheme. And I wasn't the only one who saw him that day...

At this moment, Baby-5, Buffalo, and Abel, who had been peeking through the outside window, walked into the room.

Buffalo then gave Luo a malicious grin.

"This is bad!"

Luo thought that since Doflamingo and the others had just returned, this idiotic fatty hadn't had time to report him yet, and now he wouldn't let him off the hook.

But to his surprise, after smiling, Buffalo did nothing.

Luo then received a reassuring look from Abel.

Although he didn't know what had happened, it seemed he had successfully passed this hurdle?

Luo felt a little relieved.

Abel's main focus, however, was on the people in the room.

He was comparing their appearances and attire with the names in his memory, and found that apart from Vergo, who should have been sent as a spy to the Navy, the Donquixote Family was now quite "complete," only missing two or three people.

For example, the legal loli Sugar, he still didn't know where she was.

Violet wouldn't be forcibly recruited until after Doflamingo seized the throne of Dressrosa.

Dellinger, still a baby wearing a horned hat, sat beside Jora, being looked after by her.

Just then, Doflamingo also spoke.

"Luo, Abel, from now on, you two are official members of the Donquixote Family."

Everyone was surprised by this announcement!

It hadn't even been a week since the two of them became trainee members.

The reason Doflamingo had been indulging Corazon's actions, besides Corazon being his own brother, was that he considered Corazon's tormenting as a test; only those who endured it would become official members.

Baby-5 and Buffalo had both gone through this.

Yet now, the test was only halfway done, and there was even the precedent of Luo choosing to escape.

This was why Doflamingo's command at this moment was so surprising!

However, this time, no one dared to question Doflamingo's decision.

After all, they had long seen that Young Master Dof seemed determined to take these two brats in. Now that he was suddenly doing this, it was likely because he didn't want Corazon to actually drive them away.

This, in turn, left Corazon speechless.

His good excuse was gone.

With Abel and Luo becoming official members of the family, it meant he could no longer act as he had before, at least not to such an extreme.

"Never mind, they're just two pitiful children with not long to live anyway. If they stay, they can live the rest of their remaining years in peace."

Corazon thought for a moment and finally decided to give up, no longer bothering Luo.

"Starting tomorrow, I will have people arrange comprehensive studies for you. Whether you can seize the opportunity and change your destiny will depend on your efforts and luck."

Doflamingo hadn't done this on a sudden whim.

He was simply tired of this cat-and-mouse game with the Navy.

He no longer wanted to hide everywhere and wished to appear before the world openly.

Therefore, the process of recruiting soldiers and secretly accumulating power in the North Sea had to be accelerated.

Another reason was that Abel and Luo's situations were very special. If more of their already limited time were wasted on trivial matters, what would be the point of taking them in?

As a 'businessman', Doflamingo naturally did not want to incur a loss.