"You've got some backbone!"
Then he turned around.
"If you want to get stronger, come with me!"
Ace froze. A ship was slowly approaching across the sea ahead—Doflamingo's ship.
"Ace!"
"That guy might have ulterior motives!"
Vista warned him.
"I know!"
"But I know even better that, as I am now, I can't do anything!"
"Even if I went back with you, I couldn't lead the Whitebeard Pirates, much less shoulder the burden Pops entrusted to me!"
Drawing a deep breath, Ace abruptly turned to face the others.
"Marco."
His voice suddenly grew solemn.
"Hm?"
Marco looked startled.
"Could I entrust the crew to you for a while?"
Ace asked gravely.
Marco stared at him. "Huh?"
"I'm counting on you!"
Ace smiled.
Then he decisively turned away, followed Doflamingo, and leaped onto the approaching ship.
"Young master!"
Trebol and the others greeted him respectfully.
Doflamingo nodded casually, then sat in a chair on deck and turned to look at Ace.
"Fufufufufufu!"
"I imagine you've already guessed the reason behind all this?"
"Otherwise..."
He gave a cold smile.
"I wouldn't care whether the Whitebeard Pirates lived or died."
Ace shuddered. "Was it Xia Le?" he asked coldly.
"That's right!"
"Teaching you to grow stronger is indeed the task he gave me!"
Doflamingo said with a narrow-eyed smile.
"Why? The moment I left Marineford, I'd already rejected his kindness. He shouldn't have any hopes for me anymore."
Ace's tone was conflicted.
"Who knows?"
"Perhaps he sees you as a seed in his hand?"
Doflamingo smiled with amusement.
"A seed?"
Ace froze.
"Fufufufufufu!"
"It's hardly surprising. Even I'm a seed in his hand."
Doflamingo dropped that bombshell, making Ace's pupils abruptly contract.
"Even someone like you is just one of his seeds?"
Ace asked in shock.
"As you are now, you can't even