At sixteen, Donquixote Doflamingo had already reached the height of an Admiral, yet his growth showed no signs of stopping.
Much like the influence he extended into the underworld, his reach had already spread into the other three seas and the first half of the Grand Line.
But as for the elusive land of Skypiea... he was running out of patience.
Originally, he had planned to reach the sky island before Roger did, to uncover the location of Birka and assess the situation with Enel.
However, the news of the three-day battle between the Roger Pirates and the Whitebeard Pirates had already spread across the seas.
It was a sign that the Will of D was on the verge of being overshadowed by Oden's spirit—Roger had been ensnared, bewitched to the point of kneeling in public and inviting that fool, Kozuki Oden, onto his ship.
With Roger setting sail once again to restart his Grand Line journey, all Doflamingo had to do was follow in his wake.
And so, he set off.
...
Ten Days Later – The Grand Line
"RUMBLE—!!!"
The sea, which had been flowing steadily, suddenly surged violently. A torrent of water shot upward into the sky, piercing through the clouds.
A place that defied all logic. A spectacular natural wonder that only Reverse Mountain, the intersection of the four seas, could create.
"This place is a miracle," Doflamingo mused as he stood atop the flamingo figurehead, gazing at the breathtaking view before him.
He had seen it in videos before, but witnessing it firsthand was something else entirely.
This wasn't just a natural wonder—
The ocean currents from the four seas, affected by temperature fluctuations, converged here, rising and falling, providing a natural force that allowed ships to traverse the treacherous waters.
And then there was the miracle of human effort—
The five wide waterways carved into the mountain by hand. Even with the help of Devil Fruit users, creating navigable channels in such an extreme environment must have been an impossible feat.
"Hey, hey, Doffy! Look at that! These are the poor fools who failed!"
The ever-restless Trebol chattered away, pointing at the shipwrecks littering the sides of the canal.
Every year, half the pirates attempting to cross Reverse Mountain perished here, their ships becoming one with the treacherous passage.
"Trebol, don't waste time looking at the fallen. Focus on those who succeed. Where did the Roger Pirates last appear?"
Doflamingo didn't even glance at the wreckage, his eyes fixed on the summit above.
His goal was the strongest.
"Doffy, the Roger Pirates arrived at Water 7 seven days ago."
...
Whiskey Peak – The First Island on the Grand Line's Seven Routes
Two massive, spherical mountains resembling cacti stood side by side, looming over the island.
"Pirates incoming!"
"Oooohhh!!!"
As the Flamingo 1.0 approached the shore, the townspeople gathered at the port, not with fear or panic—but with loud, enthusiastic cheers.
"Doffy? Something's off about this town. They don't seem to fear pirates."
Pica glanced at the pirate flag waving atop their mast, confused. Every other town he had encountered despised pirates.
Before Doflamingo could respond, Diamante, who had more experience with the Grand Line, scoffed.
"Don't be naive, Pica. These people are probably already calculating your bounty. Look at the weapons they're trying to conceal at their waists—this is Whiskey Peak, a famous gathering place for bounty hunters."
"Ghh!"
"Fufufufufu... That's right. And given their nasty reputation, the Marines are bound to be involved as well. This is a perfect place, Pica—wipe them out. Let's establish some new order."
Whoosh!
Boom!!
"Listen up! We are the Donquixote Family! From this moment on, this town belongs to us!"
Standing at a towering four meters, Pica stomped onto the port, his voice echoing through the town.
"....."
A brief silence followed—then all the bounty hunters burst into laughter, pointing at Pica.
"Pffft! Ahahahaha! This is priceless! Are you putting on a show for us, pirate?"
"Come, come! Enter the town! Hahaha! We've prepared food and wine just for you!"
"Of course, today, this town is all yours."
...
Feeling the fury radiating from Pica, Doflamingo spoke lightly.
"Fufufufufu... There are fools everywhere. Pica, go ahead and vent your anger.
But remember—leave some of them alive."
"Understood, Doffy."
Pica nodded and, before the stunned eyes of the townspeople, sank into the ground.
"Wha—where did he go?!"
"That giant just vanished!"
"Could he be a Devil Fruit user?!"
"The ground—it's moving!"
...
Even in the first half of the Grand Line, knowledge of Devil Fruits was common. But recognizing Pica as an ability user came too late.
The one thing he hated most was being mocked. And now, he was fully enraged.
Without hesitation, he unleashed one of his deadliest attacks.
"Stone Press!!"
Even though this was not yet the peak of his strength, the power he wielded was more than enough for this town.
Two massive stone pillars erupted from the ground, surrounding the bounty hunters.
"W-what is this?!"
"A monster—!"
Before they could react, dozens of sharp stone spikes shot out from the pillar's circular cross-section. The pillars then slammed together with a deafening crash.
In an instant, the once lively port was reduced to nothing but mangled flesh and rubble.
"Aaaahhh!!"
"My leg—!!"
"Everything's gone—there's nothing left!"
...
"Hey, hey, this is what happens when you underestimate the Donquixote Family!"
"Fufufufufu... Set sail! Pica, once you're done securing this place, meet us at Jaya."
...
Jaya Island – Once a Part of Skypiea
Four hundred years ago, this land was connected to the sky island, resembling a massive skull. The golden city of Shandora had once stood here.
Due to an undersea tectonic shift, half of the island—the skull's head and face—was blasted ten thousand meters into the sky, forming part of the White-White Sea.
The half left behind on the surface became a notorious pirate haven: Mock Town.
A prime location for arms trading.
As for why, after four hundred years, the airborne half of the island still floated above Jaya—
Well, perhaps the gravity in this world of pirates was simply immense.
Staring at the gigantic shadow looming within the cumulus clouds, and the faint outline of land in the distance, Doflamingo grinned.
"Fufufufufu... Finally, we're here. I bet Mont Blanc Noland's descendants are still dreaming of becoming pirates."
Resting on the flamingo figurehead, he stretched, ending his fingertip push-ups before standing up.
From the North Blue to Reverse Mountain, and now to Jaya—
It had been a long journey of over a month.
Even with the pleasure of beating up Diamante along the way to kill time, the longing for solid ground was inevitable.
Just like how the people of Skypiea yearned for their lost land—Upper Yard.
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+100 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg