Numbered One 3

The next second, green energy shook the air before him, and a fist rapidly grew larger in his vision.

Bang!

Doflamingo fell and slammed into the ground, sending up a great cloud of dust.

Then a pair of feet appeared before him.

It was River, looking down at him intently.

"As a child, you never admitted defeat. Stubborn and independent, you had a personality unlike anyone else in the world."

"You were a nasty-tempered, irritating little brat!"

River's voice reached him.

Doflamingo shuddered, the corners of his eyes twitching as more tears welled up.

"But I knew you respected me."

"So I never taught you any less than I taught Rosinante."

After a pause, River bent down again and looked into his eyes.

"And I loved you just as much!"

Doflamingo's breath caught. Then a sob escaped him, and he began to cry.

"Twenty years have passed, and you've appeared before me with this arrogant attitude, challenging me."

"Was it to gain my approval?"

"Doflamingo."

As he spoke, River suddenly broke into a grin, a touch of warmth entering his eyes.

"I... sob... I wasn't."

Tears and snot streamed down Doflamingo's face, yet he stubbornly continued to deny it.

"What a foolish child!"

"Well then, I acknowledge your talent, Doffy!"

River said with a smile.

"You're only a little short. Just that little bit."

"I'll help you make up the difference."

At those words, Doflamingo suddenly stopped breathing. His eyes widened as he understood what River meant.

"So, Doflamingo."

"Do you want to inherit Homing's number?"

Sure enough, the words that reached his ears the very next second left him trembling with excitement.

"I... I do!"

After several moments of silence, Doflamingo's trembling voice rang out.

A smile appeared on River's face. He bent down and placed his right hand on Doflamingo's shoulder.

"Restore!"

Doflamingo's body trembled as an invisible force swept over him, restoring his gravely wounded body to its uninjured state.

"Numbered One 3, Doflamingo. I hope you won't let down the number you represent."

River said with a soft laugh.

"I won't!"

Doflamingo took a deep breath and answered solemnly.

"As a reward for inheriting Homing's number, I'll enhance your strength and grant you new power!"

River soon raised his right hand again and spoke slowly.

Doflamingo's pupils contracted, excitement and exhilaration filling his heart. This moment had finally arrived. Besides wanting to earn the trust of the man before him, his reason for joining Void Night had been this precious number.

Only those who obtained a number could receive the gifts of the lord of Void Night.

"Hold your breath, close your eyes, and simply feel the power surging from deep within your body."

As River's words reached him, Doflamingo closed his eyes and calmed his mind.

The next second, an inexplicable, mysterious force swept through his entire body. Then he heard faint murmurs, as though a god were whispering in his ear, imparting teachings and explaining the true meaning of power.

Then he saw his Armament Haki turn into golden cherry blossoms fluttering through the air, and red light flashed in his eyes.

You are enhancing the target's Armament Haki. Enhancement successful. Advanced to Ryuo.

You are enhancing the target's Observation Haki. Enhancement successful. Advanced to Precognition.

After the notifications sounded in River's ears, he withdrew his right hand.

Opposite him, Doflamingo opened his eyes, his expression shaken.

In almost an instant, his Armament Haki and Observation Haki had entered entirely new realms. At his level, that meant a tremendous step forward in strength.

His ranking among the Shichibukai would surely rise again. Perhaps even the level of the Four Emperors was within reach.

And this only further demonstrated the mystery and might of the man before him.

If he could grant others such tremendous power, what about his own?

Just what astonishing heights had he reached?

It was simply unimaginable.

"How do you feel?"

River asked with a smile.

"Stronger than ever before!"

Doflamingo took a deep breath. A gleam flashed across his sunglasses as he answered in a low voice.

"This is the power your father once wielded!"

River said.

Doflamingo shuddered all over, that familiar face flashing before him.

That man who chose suicide had once possessed such tremendous power?

Yes, Saint Homing, who had been killed by his own son in the original story, had chosen suicide because of that great incident and his family.

"He had such tremendous power, yet he chose suicide."

Doflamingo gave a scornful laugh, but a trace of sorrow flashed in the eyes behind his sunglasses.

"That's the difference between him and you."

"And it makes me believe you'll achieve more than he did."

River said calmly.

Homing had ultimately been too gentle. Despite possessing tremendous power, he could not overcome his own inner struggles. By comparison, the beliefs Doflamingo held were the most effective in this chaotic world.

Given enough power, he would undoubtedly shake the world.

"I need your intelligence, Doffy."

River then spoke.

"Compared to mine, Baroque Works has a broader reach in the first half of these seas."

Doflamingo's eyes flickered as he spoke softly.

He had already recognized the man wearing the Ghostface Mask as Crocodile, one of the Shichibukai and someone he had long wanted to work with.

"His organization collapsed during the Alabasta incident."

River said.

"Then what would you like to know?"

Doflamingo asked.

He no longer refused. Even setting their bond aside and considering only his interests, the man before him was worth cooperating with and working for.

"I want to know where Fire Fist Ace is right now!"

River said gravely.

After leaving Impel Down, aside from rebuilding Void Night and searching for candidates to become Numbered Ones, Ace was undoubtedly his greatest concern.

"Fire Fist Ace of the Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division?!"

Doflamingo paused, asking in confusion.

"Yes!"

River nodded.

"There have indeed been some reports recently that he's in the first half."

"I'll send people to inquire, but it may take time."

Doflamingo said seriously.

Why was the man before him interested in someone from the Whitebeard Pirates? That old man Whitebeard was not someone to provoke lightly.

"Sorry for the trouble, Doffy."

River said with a smile.

"It's only what I should do, Uncle River!"

Doflamingo answered with a smile.

The two men who had been fighting to the death just moments earlier now looked like a loving father and dutiful son, making for a warm, harmonious scene.

It left Crocodile, who had just arrived, standing stunned for a moment, unable to make sense of the situation.

"So you two were putting on a family drama here?"