Judging by Doflamingo's movements, he clearly intended to try something, probably much like the way a certain handsome redhead greeted people.
Fortunately, Good had prepared a countermeasure.
Shut the doors and unleash the dogs!
"Yamato!"
"Got it!"
Yamato stepped forward to face Doflamingo.
The next instant, their gazes sharpened, and both unleashed powerful Conqueror's Haki that collided violently!
BOOM!!!
A terrifying shock wave swept across the entire harbor!
The ships rocked violently, and the river water surged back.
Thud!
One after another, the Beasts Pirates foamed at the mouth and collapsed unconscious, causing a brief commotion.
"Hey, what's wrong with you guys?"
"Wake up!"
"Don't panic. They've only passed out."
Speed reassured everyone, her gaze turning toward Good up ahead.
Facing such a powerful clash of Haki, the man stood as unmoving as a reef. His presence was completely different from what it had been a few months earlier.
Perhaps he really could become one of the All-Stars!
Across from them, the Donquixote Family's officers staggered, struggling to keep their footing. Every face was filled with shock.
"Just like Doffy's!"
"Conqueror's Haki!"
"Who exactly is this girl?"
They had been confident in their strength. Before coming, they had told themselves more than once that they would not lose even against officers serving one of the Four Emperors.
But now that confidence wavered.
A girl with Conqueror's Haki and a leader with an imposing presence-those two alone were enough to put them on full alert.
And neither had any reputation whatsoever within the Beasts Pirates. This glimpse alone made it easy to imagine how terrifying the crew truly was.
"Urgh!"
Just then, Doflamingo involuntarily staggered backward onto the deck, his expression turning extremely ugly.
"Doffy!"
The officers hurried forward to steady him. Looking at the girl hopping about happily across from them, they felt even more shaken.
Clearly, Doffy had lost the clash of Conqueror's Haki!
Good ruffled Yamato's hair and turned a cold gaze toward Doflamingo, showing him no courtesy.
"Try that again, and it'll mean war!"
"..."
Doflamingo's smile disappeared.
Good gave a slight nod and raised a hand to signal.
"Set sail. Don't keep Boss Kaido waiting too long."
"Yes!"
The two ships sailed toward Onigashima, one following the other.
In the lounge aboard the Numancia Flamingo.
The atmosphere was unbearably tense.
Doflamingo sat on the sofa, his face as dark as a thundercloud.
His contest with the Beasts Pirates had already begun, and he had lost the first round. That meant he would be at a disadvantage in the negotiations to come.
In the underworld, anyone who wanted to take the lead in a partnership and claim a larger share of the profits had to demonstrate sufficient strength.
If anything else went wrong, all his plans would come to nothing. He might even die here.
Fortunately, he had prepared a trump card!
"Fufufufu!"
Doflamingo opened the treasure chest on the table, and a smile returned to his face.
Kaido could not possibly refuse what he had to offer!
Meanwhile, in the Beasts Pirates' cabin.
Speed sat at the table with her chin propped on one hand. Tilting her head toward Good, she said with a smile, "You looked pretty cool back there."
"Thanks for the compliment."
Good leaned back and calmly propped his legs on the table.
In truth, he had been sweating too.
If a real fight had broken out, his side's lineup would have had almost no chance of winning.
Even with Yamato there, defeating Doflamingo would take a considerable amount of time. But what about the other officers?
Almost all the Donquixote Family's officers were Devil Fruit users. Against ordinary pirates, they held an overwhelming advantage.
He would have been doing well just to hold off one of them.
However, he had been certain Doflamingo would not dare start an all-out battle. The best approach was to intimidate them with Conqueror's Haki, displaying their strength without completely burning bridges.
Unfortunately for Doflamingo, everything had gone exactly as Good expected!
Good preferred using his head to solving problems with force. After all, his current strength could not solve those problems.
"I still need to get stronger."
Good clenched his fists, his gaze deepening.
In just a few short months, he had grown several times stronger. Even among the Beasts Pirates' Shinuchi, he could hold his own.
But against top-tier opponents, he was nowhere near strong enough.
Aside from feeding the Groudon inside him, the only way to grow stronger quickly was to improve his Haki.
"Buy property!"
Good's eyes lit up.
Once he bought God of Wealth Town, his Haki would surely improve dramatically!
Chapter 23: Artificial Devil Fruits? Let Me Handle It!
Onigashima, third-floor banquet hall.
Kaido sat at the head of the hall, with the Three Calamities standing on either side. Dozens of Shinuchi stood below, their vicious auras suffocating.
Even another of the Four Emperors would have had to think twice before facing such a gathering.
"Glug, glug~~"
Kaido gulped down his liquor, then suddenly burst into tears. Covering his face, he cried harder and harder until he was bawling, tears spraying everywhere.
"Waaah, Hanafuda!"
"How did you get yourself killed?!"
"Didn't you promise to collect zoan Devil Fruits for me?!"
"Waaah, it's all because you were too weak!"
As Kaido cried, he suddenly flew into a rage.
"Those two brats!"
Two wanted posters lay on the long table in front of him.
"Fire Fist" Ace.
And "Heavenly Yaksha" Doflamingo.
Those were the two who had killed Hanafuda!
Kaido glared, his eyes bloodshot.
They had killed his man and now wanted to take over his weapons business. How could they expect such a sweet deal? If he did nothing, where would that leave his standing as one of the Four Emperors?
"Hurry up and bring that bastard to me!"
"Understood!"
At that moment, Good had already led the Donquixote Family to the entrance of the banquet hall. Hearing Boss Kaido's roar, he could not help curling his lips into a sinister grin.
"Everyone, please go inside."
"..."
Doflamingo took a deep breath.
It was impossible not to feel nervous when he was about to face Kaido, one of the Four Emperors. But he had to remain calm and project enough confidence.
The moment he killed Hanafuda, he had lost any path of retreat!
"Fufufufu, let's go!"
Doflamingo smiled and led his officers into the banquet hall.
The next instant, dozens of vicious gazes locked onto him. A bone-chilling sensation washed over him, as though he had walked straight into a den of monsters.
They're all monsters!
Doflamingo stepped forward alone to face Kaido.
"Doflamingo pays his respects to Mr. Kaido!"
"Worororo, you've certainly got some nerve."
Kaido stared at Doflamingo, murderous intent filling the air.
"You killed my man. You know what happens to someone who does that, don't you?"
"Of course I do!"
Doflamingo remained composed, regaining his confidence.
"Mr. Kaido, I understand all the rules."
"Without a sufficiently valuable gift, how could I dare do business with you?"
"Bring them forward!"
At his command, the officers immediately stepped forward carrying treasure chests. They opened them and displayed the treasures inside for everyone to see.
"Devil Fruits?"
The Beasts Pirates' officers were astonished.
Each treasure chest held a strange fruit covered in spiral patterns, the identifying mark of a Devil Fruit.
As a crew serving one of the Four Emperors, with plenty of powerful fighters, they did not place quite so much importance on Devil Fruits. But there were ten of them before their eyes!
Even Kaido's gaze changed.
Doflamingo's shoulders shook as his smile widened.
"Fufufu, these aren't Devil Fruits in the true sense. They're Artificial Devil Fruits called SMILE. Eating one gives you a chance to gain the power of a wild beast!"
"Although their effects aren't as good as genuine Devil Fruits, the most terrifying thing about SMILE is that they can be mass-produced!"
"I heard that you wanted to build the strongest army of Devil Fruit users, Mr. Kaido. With SMILE, that wish can come true!"
Before you continue