Doflamingo called for Trebol and the others to begin their training—especially Diamante and Pica.
He didn't expect them to be independent powerhouses, but at the very least, they needed to understand trade routes if they were going to handle shipments.
Most pirate logs were filled with tales of pillaging and bloodshed, but occasionally, there were notes about navigation and weather patterns.
After months of studying, Doflamingo noticed that his status panel had gained a new skill: Basic Navigation.
It wasn't much—just enough to predict the next day's weather on an island and detect minor atmospheric changes within a kilometer at sea. Essentially, barely useful. But he was satisfied. He'd continue learning over time.
Doflamingo's goal was to reach at least an Advanced level in navigation. After all, he was destined to soar through the skies. If he couldn't read the weather and flew straight into a storm cloud, he'd end up as the second coming of Golden Lion Shiki.
And Shiki hadn't even gotten a new haircut yet.
Thud.
Covered in blood, Rosinante collapsed before he could even step over the threshold, his head slamming against the ground.
Doflamingo twitched at the sight, the corners of his mouth pulling slightly.
'This must be from all those years Rosinante spent scavenging with me. He must've gotten hit so many times that his vestibular system, vision, and proprioception are completely out of whack.
Not my fault though. Even if it was, I'm not taking the blame.
I'll just wait for Law to fix him up later. Might as well have Pica get his throat checked too—can't have the kid sulking forever.'
"Mahahaha! Hey, hey, Doffy, Rosinante's such an idiot!"
"Yahahaha!"
"Heeheehee!"
The laughter of Trebol, Diamante, and Pica snapped Doflamingo out of his thoughts.
Raising a hand, he flicked a soft thread toward Rosinante, pulling his limp body into an empty seat. He ruffled his little brother's messy hair before summoning a pirate log with his strings, placing it in Rosinante's hands.
Skipping over Vergo—who was as steady as ever—Doflamingo fixed his gaze on the trio laughing themselves into a fit.
Noticing the sudden chill in the air, the three fell silent. Their grins froze as they turned to face Doflamingo, whose expression was disturbingly calm.
A heavy stillness settled over the room.
Doflamingo activated his Observation Haki, subtly manipulating the emotions in the room. He pulled from Pica's deep-seated inferiority complex and resentment from years of being mocked, letting it spread to the others.
Not Rosinante, though. Family came first.
Pica was family too, but priorities mattered.
Once the atmosphere was thick with anger and indignation, Doflamingo spoke, his voice sharp.
"Pica, what do you do when an enemy mocks your voice?"
Pica's usually simple expression darkened as he replied in a shrill voice, "I smash them into meat paste."
Doflamingo's lips curled. "Then tell me—why were you mocking Rosinante? Isn't he my family? Isn't he your family?"
Trebol, Diamante, and Pica flinched, feeling the weight of their leader's words. Under the forced empathy, frustration and guilt twisted inside them as they turned to look at Rosinante, who remained silent.
"We…" they started in unison, only for Doflamingo to cut them off with a raised hand.
His gaze was ice-cold. "Those who bully their own family… deserve to be destroyed."
'Whether we can actually beat them is another story.'
"Understood, Doffy!"
"Understood."
...
Marine Headquarters—Marineford
Marineford had yet to be visited by the demolition expert known as Golden Lion Shiki.
Inside the Fleet Admiral's office, Kong put down a Den Den Mushi after finishing a call with the Five Elders.
Garp, sitting across from him, was casually picking his nose while munching on senbei he had stolen from Sengoku.
Through a mouthful of rice crackers, he muttered,
"Oi, Kong. What do those five old geezers want now? Dragging me back from the New World when I was this close to catching Roger!"
Veins bulged on Sengoku's forehead. "Garp! Don't question the government's decisions! And put down my senbei!"
Kong ignored their antics and surveyed the three officers before him.
Garp had never cared for the World Government. If he did, he wouldn't have rejected the rank of Admiral so many times. He avoided the Celestial Dragons whenever possible, staying in the New World or the East Blue just to keep his distance. The fact that he had returned to Marineford at all meant he was taking things more seriously than usual.
Zeffar was a righteous man, but tasks that aligned too closely with the government's interests always sat uncomfortably with him. And besides, the Marine training program needed him.
Sengoku, on the other hand, was unwavering in his belief in the government. If someone doubted their orders, even a friend could become an enemy.
This job suited him best.
Kong finally spoke. "Enough. The World Government has issued a mission. The location is the northernmost point of the North Blue—Eskimo, a non-affiliated kingdom."
Sengoku nodded. "Understood. I'll take care of it."
"And you, Garp, will remain stationed at headquarters. The seas are getting more dangerous."
Garp frowned. "What happened there?"
Kong's face hardened. "The Celestial Dragons."
Sengoku narrowed his eyes. "Another Devil's spawn has appeared in the New World… these Celestial Dragons just can't—"
...
Port Town, Eskimo
The sun shone brightly over the harbor.
A midsized sailing ship, decorated with the flamboyant pink head of a flamingo, was docked at the pier.
Groups of thuggish men, their eyes blank and lifeless, moved cargo with eerie efficiency.
Upon closer inspection, each had a thin thread embedded in their skulls, like roots burrowing into their minds.
Even though Trebol and the others had seen this sight before, they still couldn't help but feel a deep respect for their young leader. They turned to Doflamingo with admiration.
"I say, I say~ Doffy's developed something new again!"
"Uwahaha! This is what you call a natural-born king!"
Standing on the deck, Doflamingo smirked as he surveyed his handiwork.
'It's not as refined as the original Parasite String, but this is good enough.'
At first, he had simply been making use of his enemies for practice.
But when he realized that those who had once hunted him and Rosinante were now either dead or hysterical, he found their desperation bothersome.
Then Rosinante had collapsed in front of him, sparking a memory of an old psychiatric treatment—lobotomy.
With sharp threads instead of crude metal spikes, the process was even easier. His Queen Otohime-style Observation Haki had made it all the more efficient.
His Disposable Edition: Parasite String was a resounding success.
And they even retained just enough awareness to feel their suffering.
With the ship fully stocked, Doflamingo severed the remaining strings, sending the last of the worthless men plunging into the sea.
"Flamingo 1.0, setting sail."
Ignoring the confused stares from his crew, the Donquixote Family officially embarked on their voyage.
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+100 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg