Law and Corazon Set Sail

Even after receiving intelligence that Tsuru had departed, Doflamingo spent a month drifting at sea with his family executives to ensure it wasn't a ruse.

Once a month had passed and it was confirmed that Tsuru had truly left the North Blue, the group finally settled into one of the family's secret bases.

"The feeling of having my feet on solid ground... it's not bad at all!" For the first time in a long while, Gray rose from his wheelchair and began to walk on his own two feet.

They had been bobbing about on the ocean for four months, and that sensation was truly indescribable.

Gray felt that he probably wouldn't miss the days spent on the ship. Unfortunately, this world was almost entirely ocean, and he was destined to deal with the sea from here on out.

"Well then, if I can't adapt to the sea, I'll just make the sea adapt to me!" To avoid that constant swaying, Gray decided that his future ride would have to be just like Moria's—an entire island-ship.

"Listen up, everyone! It's time for a banquet!" Doflamingo knew that the family had been under immense pressure lately, and he wanted to use the end of this incident as an opportunity to host a feast and boost morale.

More importantly, there was the matter of Gray's reward.

After this incident, he felt that Gray's potential might even exceed that of Vergo; he was undoubtedly the best candidate for a right-hand man on his path to success.

Among the family members, aside from Vergo, who had great potential, only Pica was passable. As for the rest, if they hadn't been following him since they were children, he probably wouldn't have even invited them.

But there was no helping it; since he had acknowledged them as family, he wouldn't go back on his word. He would definitely lead them to see the scenery from the highest peaks.

"Oh! Banquet time!"

"Heh heh! I'm definitely going to drink you under the table this time, Trebol!"

"Ha! You brat, you never learn. Have you forgotten how you ended up the last few times?"

As soon as the banquet was mentioned, Gray immediately pulled out his mental "little black book" regarding Trebol.

"This time... I won't be the one to fall!"

"Na-na-na! Anyone can talk big."

"Cheers!"

"Cheers!"

Watching Gray and Trebol passionately challenging each other to a drinking contest, Doflamingo, who had intended to announce a major event to win Gray over, realized that given the situation, Gray was once again going to be carried out.

He had no choice but to shelve his plans and decide to hold the meeting tomorrow instead.

"My head is killing me!" The next day, Gray woke up with another bout of memory loss, clutching his throbbing head and adding another entry to Trebol's page in his little black book.

"Gray-sama, here is your hangover soup!" Baby-5, who had been prepared for a while, arrived right on time, as she always did after Gray's drinking sessions.

"Heh heh! You're the best!" The little girl's attentive care, much like a devoted young wife, immediately put Gray in a great mood.

"Ah! Gray-sama is praising me again!" Having received his praise, Baby-5 fell into her usual cycle of self-delusion; if time had permitted, she probably would have already thought of names for the children they would have together.

Although the psychological trauma of being abandoned had healed, all of her emotions were now pinned on Gray, making her situation no different from that of the Empress.

Gray was naturally happy to see this kind of devotion from someone he considered his own.

After finishing the soup and freshening up in the bathroom, Gray picked up the little girl as usual and headed toward the family cafeteria.

When they arrived, the rest of the family had already gathered.

"Let's eat first!"

They followed the old rule: eat first, then hold the meeting.

"Dig in!"

In less than half an hour, everyone had finished their meal. Buffalo, Law, and Baby-5 helped Jora quickly clear the table, and then Doflamingo took advantage of the full assembly to address the important matters.

"Fufufu... there are two things to discuss at today's meeting."

"First: everyone witnessed Gray's contribution during our retreat last time. Not only did he save me at a critical moment, but he also bought us plenty of time for our logistical withdrawal."

"Therefore, Gray is promoted to a family executive. He will receive the same treatment and status as the rest of you."

The other executives had no objections; whether in terms of strength or contribution, Gray was more than qualified to be an executive.

"Congratulations, Gray!"

"Heh-hah-hah! It's nothing, really!" The smile on the corner of Gray's mouth proved that he was in a very good mood.

"Second point: after this incident, I believe you all realize that our strength is still far too lacking."

"From now on, family business will continue as usual. However, all executives are to enter a state of full-scale training."

Hearing this, the group that had been rowdy just moments ago fell silent. To be honest, if they hadn't been dealt such a blow by Tsuru, the Donquixote Family would still be basking in the atmosphere of being invincible in the North Blue. But this battle had shown them just how laughable that "invincibility" was.

"Don't worry, Doffy! We won't lose again!" Pica's high-pitched, doll-like voice promised with conviction.

Unfortunately, his voice and words didn't match his massive frame at all, which made people want to laugh.

But it was fine; they were all family here, and since everyone knew his sore spot, no one dared to mock him.

"That's right! Doffy, we won't lose again!"

"From today on, training is doubled!"

The group's enthusiasm for training was high, and their slogans were shouted loudly.

Beside them, Gray wore a look of utter bewilderment, his face contorted like an old man trying to figure out a smartphone.

Listen to yourselves, just listen to what you're saying. Do you think you're Liu Zoro now, that you'll never lose again? Gray had a mountain of snarky comments in his head, feeling so awkward he could have dug a three-bedroom apartment with his toes.

"Fufufu... excellent!"

"I believe in you all!"

It was no wonder Doflamingo was so charismatic.

Even with this bunch of misfits, Doflamingo encouraged them with complete sincerity, and one couldn't detect a hint of disdain on his face.

Gray highly suspected that Doflamingo wore those sunglasses specifically to hide the look of disgust in his eyes.

"Well then~ let's go, we're off to train!" Seeing the group's high spirits, Doflamingo intended to lead by example and started heading toward the training grounds.

Unfortunately, the next second, Corazon interrupted him.

"What is it, Corazon?" Doflamingo looked at Corazon, who had reached out to stop him, with a puzzled expression.

"Law's illness can no longer be delayed. I intend to take him to find a doctor!" Corazon pulled out his small notebook and wrote down the sentence.

"I see. I grant you permission!" Law was someone Doflamingo wanted to cultivate as his right-hand man. Since the family hadn't found a suitable Devil Fruit yet, Doflamingo naturally had no intention of stopping Corazon from taking Law to find a doctor.

"The family will arrange a ship for your voyage, and we will provide intelligence support regarding famous doctors on various islands!"

"Thank you!" The two words written in the notebook were the most sincere Corazon had ever penned.

"You are my family, after all!"

"Go! Leave now. Get treated quickly and come back to training as soon as possible."

"Law! Don't pause your training just because you're at sea. You are a man who is going to destroy the world; you won't be able to do that if you don't get stronger."

"So annoying, I know what to do without you telling me!" The awkward Trafalgar Law muttered under his breath before turning his head away.

With his already limited lifespan, having someone look out for him made him feel a warmth he wasn't used to.

He had always thought that after the night Flevance burned, he no longer had a heart.