The morning sun shines on the royal palace in Dressrosa, bathing this island known for its love and passion in a warm golden light.
Roy stood by the window, holding a cup of hot tea, his gaze calmly fixed on the distant sea.
There was a knock on the door.
"Come in."
The door opened, and a genetically engineered warrior strode in, kneeling on one knee.
" Captain Roy, breaking news."
Doflamingo's ship arrived in Dressrosa last night.
"The core members of the Donquixote Family have all been mobilized. They are currently lying in wait in an abandoned manor on the outskirts of the city, and have not made any moves."
Roy took a sip of tea, his expression unchanged.
"Continue monitoring."
"Yes!"
The genetically engineered warriors accepted their orders and departed.
The door had just closed when a flash of lightning appeared, and Tesoro's figure appeared beside Roy.
"Boss, Doflamingo is really here!"
Tesoro's face showed a hint of anxiety.
"Are we just going to wait like this? Or should I take some men and drag them out?"
Roy glanced at him and said indifferently,
What's the rush?
" Tesoro, you're a well-known and powerful figure in the New World now, so why are you still so impatient?"
Tesoro gave an awkward smile.
"I'm just worried that kid might be up to some kind of trick."
"That Doflamingo guy is really cunning."
" The String-String Fruit can control people; what if he secretly bribes officials and incites a rebellion..."
Roy put down his teacup, a faint smile curving his lips.
Let him do it.
"I'd like to see what tricks he can pull."
Tesoro was taken aback.
"Boss, you mean...?"
Roy turned and looked out the window into the distance.
"The fact that Doflamingo has chosen to remain hidden means they have other plans."
"My flag flies over the port of Dressrosa."
"If he dares to act recklessly, he will be declaring war on me."
"Given his intelligence—the ability to make such a name for himself in the Underworld —he shouldn't act rashly."
Tesoro nodded thoughtfully.
Roy continued,
"And--"
"If he really wanted to pull some kind of conspiracy, he wouldn't have brought all the core members with him."
" Trebol, Diamante, Vergo, Pica... not one less."
"This formation doesn't look like a sneak attack."
"More like --"
He paused,
"They've come to negotiate."
Tesoro's eyes lit up.
"Does the boss mean that Doflamingo wants to cooperate with us?"
Roy didn't answer directly, but simply said,
"Just wait and see."
"Now that he's here, he'll eventually show up."
"Let's just do what we're supposed to do, no need to be nervous."
Tesoro grinned.
"Got it! The boss is the boss, very reliable!"
Roy waved his hand.
"Alright, go and inform Kyros others that they can remain in the city as usual these next few days."
"Tell the gene warriors to relax a bit, don't be too tense."
"Yes!"
Tesoro transformed into lightning and departed.
Roy turned around and looked out the window again into the distance.
There, in the direction of the city's outskirts, the outline of an abandoned manor can be faintly seen.
His Observation Haki subtly unfolded, instantly enveloping the area.
Dozens of auras emerged in his perception.
Some were strong, some were weak, but each one exuded a dangerous signal.
One of them was particularly powerful and especially chilling.
Doflamingo.
Roy's lips curled into a cold smile.
interesting.
Let's see how long you can hold it in.
Meanwhile, abandoned manors on the outskirts of the city.
This manor was once the property of a nobleman, but it was abandoned for many years due to the family's decline and is now overgrown with weeds and in a dilapidated state.
But at this moment, the manor was brightly lit.
The core members of the Donquixote Family are gathered together.
Doflamingo sat in the main seat, legs crossed, toying with a thin thread in his hand.
The silk thread gleamed with an eerie white light in the candlelight, trembling slightly with his fingers.
" Doffy, are we just going to wait here like this?"
Trebol, one of the highest-ranking members of the Donquixote Family.
At this moment, a string of snot hung from his nose, and sticky saliva dripped down his face as he spoke, making him look extremely slovenly.
But those who know him well know how dangerous this guy is.
Doflamingo did not answer, continuing to fiddle with the silk threads in his hand.
Another man spoke up.
Diamante, one of the top executives of the Donquixote Family, Devil Fruit User.
He was wearing a cloak and a ridiculous hat.
" Doffy, if you ask me, we should just take action!"
"What kind of trouble can a mere hundred gene warriors cause?"
"With so many of us, are we afraid of them?"
Doflamingo finally raised his head and glanced at him.
That look made Diamante shut up instantly.
"Fufufufufufufu..."
Doflamingo laughed, but there was a chill in his voice.
" Diamante, you're still so impulsive."
"A hundred gene warriors are really nothing."
"But who stands behind those hundred genetically engineered warriors?"
Diamante opened his mouth, but couldn't say a word.
Doflamingo put away the threads, stood up, and walked to the window.
The moonlight shone down, illuminating his face behind his sunglasses.
Roy.
"That man came in person."
" The Heavenly Dao Emperor, a monster whose bounty has long exceeded 2.5 billion."
"Two years ago, rumors circulated that he could go toe-to-toe with Garp and force that old guy to retreat."
"Now, he'll only get stronger."
"Do you think there's enough of us for him to beat?"
Everyone fell silent.
Vergo pushed up his sunglasses and said in a deep voice,
" Doffy, are we just going to give up on Dressrosa like this?"
Doflamingo turned around, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.
"Give up?"
"Furf... who said I'm giving up?"
"It's just done in a different way."
He walked back to his seat and sat down again.
"Over the years, I've been thinking about one question—"
Why was the Roy Pirates able to grow so quickly?
"Why are they able to control Wano Country, monopolize Seastone, and make those monsters willingly follow them?"
The answer is actually quite simple.
"Because they have resources, technology, and strength."
" Seastone, Bloodline Transplantation, Sea Train, gene warriors..."
"Any one of these items would be enough to make any power envious."
"And they all have it."
Doflamingo paused, a glint of shrewdness flashing in his eyes.
And what about us?
What do we have?
"Underground trading channels?"
That is indeed our greatest asset.
"But what's the use of having distribution channels without a source of goods?"
"We can't get our hands on Seastone."
"We can't make good weapons ourselves."
"We haven't even come close to mastering Bloodline Transplantation technology."
"If this continues, we'll be stuck as middlemen in the Underworld forever."
"Never truly stepping into the heart of the New World."
The group exchanged thoughtful glances.
Trebol began,
" Doffy, you mean... to cooperate with Roy?"
Doflamingo laughed.
That smile carried a hint of helplessness, but also a hint of resolve.
"That's right."
"Cooperate."
"Although I hate to admit it, that man is indeed stronger than us."
"If we can't beat them, we'll join them."
"Use his resources to strengthen ourselves."
"Let's talk about the future... we'll deal with that later."
Diamante frowned.
"But Doffy, we have a grudge against him..."
"He is..."
Doflamingo waved his hand, interrupting him.
"Fufufu... What kind of grudge is that?"
"In the world of pirates, it's perfectly normal to fight to the death one day and become brothers the next."
"As long as the benefits are great enough, no grudge is insurmountable."
He stood up, walked to the window, and looked out at the brightly lit palace in the distance.
"However, before discussing cooperation—"
"I need to test just how strong that man really is now."
"It's been two years, and I haven't relaxed for a single day."
" Armament Haki, Observation Haki, Devil Fruit Development, Awakening..."
"I am not the same person I was two years ago."
"If I can prove my strength to him, I'll have more confidence during negotiations."
Vergo whispered,
" Doffy, be careful."
That man is too dangerous.
Doflamingo chuckled.
"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."