The key factor in striking this deal was, of course, the existence of Seastone.
Seastone—a material capable of attacking, restraining, and imprisoning Devil Fruit users—was a rare and valuable commodity on the seas. Most of it originated from Wano.
At present, Wano had yet to fully fall under Kaido's control. The so-called samurai there harbored deep resentment toward the World Government. Otherwise, they wouldn't have remained isolated for so long.
As a result, the amount of Seastone that made its way to the World Government was severely limited. Naturally, the government would never pass up an opportunity to secure a new source of supply.
For Doflamingo, the presence of Pyrobloin particles in the sea clouds—and even the seawater itself—meant that extracting Seastone was simply a matter of technology and labor. Cost? Barely a concern.
Trading Seastone for gold, Devil Fruits, and legitimate business rights was essentially getting everything for free.
As for the purity of the Seastone, wasn't Seastone still Seastone, even if it wasn't perfectly refined? Besides, once he mastered Pyrobloin particle manipulation, improving the purity would be just a matter of time.
Why bother making money the hard way through plundering and pillaging?
Looting commoners could only be done once, and the spoils were limited. But as long as they were alive, they could be exploited over and over again, generating wealth while building a reputation. That, in turn, would allow him to collect even more Devil Fruits.
Shady dealings always ran the risk of betrayal. And Doflamingo—shining as the beacon of the underworld—would become the one everyone relied on.
When both the black market and the legitimate world were under his control, who else could claim the title of the "King of the Underworld"?
Pirates, nobles, and revolutionaries alike would forever be loyal customers of the arms trade.
If he encountered unruly pirates, not only could he make money off them, but he could also rob them blind.
And why was money so important?
First, it covered the expenses of his family's combatants, potential recruits, and the staff at his bases, as well as maintaining his various business channels.
Second, the development of Germa's bloodline factor, the cloning facility's test subjects, and the artificial shellfish farms on Skypiea required heavy investment. So did the airborne transport network and cloud-processing plants. Currently, only the high-speed skyway was proving to have commercial and military value. The shellfish farms were pure investment—after all, shellfish took time to grow.
Now, with Caesar and his fifty-odd workers on board, projects like gigantification and artificial Devil Fruits could finally begin. Another bottomless money pit, but also another avenue for profit—mass destruction weapons. There were plenty of buyers eager to get their hands on those.
Doflamingo's wealth stemmed from several sources:
The royal families, nobles, gangsters, and pirates of the North Blue purchasing weapons.
The specialties of Skypiea—Sound Dial, Light Dial, Image Dial, Taste Dial, and defective Heat Dials. As luxury items, they were highly sought after by royalty, nobles, and even the Celestial Dragons.
Strategic goods like Flame Dials, Wind Dials, Flash Dials, Heat Dials, Battle Dials, and Impact Dials. These could not be sold lightly.
The gold regurgitated by Nola, the giant snake, and the slowly excavated ruins of Shandora.
With multiple revenue streams, the future was bright.
One day, the entire world would be within his reach, subjected to attacks from ten thousand meters above.
By then, if he wasn't the Celestial King, then who was?
Even Shiki the Golden Lion had to be dealt with—his Float-Float Fruit was too much of a waste in that old man's hands.
...
Holy Land, Mary Geoise
"That arrogant brat... Who does he think he is?"
A Five Elder, wearing a hat and resembling a high judge, gripped the Den Den Mushi tightly, his face dark with displeasure.
"Have Cipher Pol locate his current hiding place. Seize his Seastone production site and destroy his means of leverage. Bring him back and imprison him in the Holy Land."
"For now, focus on the New World. Stussy has relayed information about Wano—Kaido has moved in. This is an opportunity."
...
Nine Days Later
As the distance shortened, the Flamingo Mini finally began to brush against scattered sea clouds.
Previously filled with fear due to the altitude, the scientists on board were now wild with excitement, their eyes gleaming as they observed their surroundings.
"How does this work? Such dense clouds, filled with moisture, yet no rainfall? How is navigation even possible?"
"Skypiea! Skypiea is real! We're headed straight for an actual sky island!"
"Sky fish! That unique flat structure—it has to be a sky fish!"
"A small sky island? I told you I've seen one before, but none of you believed me."
'A small sky island?'
Catching onto the key phrase, Doflamingo, standing at the bow, turned around with great interest.
"Oh? Where have you seen one before?"
"At... at the Sabaody Archipelago, on the first half of the Grand Line. It was just by chance, but I saw a floating island passing by."
Under the pressure of Doflamingo's gaze, the scientist stammered his response.
"Fufufufu... That's good information. You'll be rewarded accordingly. What's your rank in the science division?"
"Number 59."
After passing through the high-speed skyway created by the aerial transport division, the Flamingo Mini successfully reached the massive skyward vine.
The fifty-some scientists, overwhelmed by the sight of pure-white-winged Skypieans and other unique creatures, were practically numb with shock.
"This is your destination. From now on, this is where you'll be working."
Doflamingo loosened the silk threads securing the scientists to the ship, scanning their exhausted faces before pointing at the massive docked transport snail.
Moving mechanically, the group disembarked, glancing down at the vine leaves reflecting golden light.
Then, their eyes widened, staring in utter disbelief at what lay beneath the giant vine.
"Is... is this a hallucination from oxygen deprivation at ten thousand meters? I need to document this!"
"T-this... this is... a golden sea!"
"No, no! It's not a dream!"
"Not a golden sea—this is the Golden City! Just like the legends from my home in the North Blue!"
"Shurorororo! With this, I can live in luxury for the rest of my life! Boss, I swear I'll work hard!"
Click.
Doflamingo shut off the Image Dial in his hand.
This was a moment worth preserving—watching others bow before his wealth, overcome with admiration and reverence.
Before, his collection had only consisted of static treasures. But now? Now he had dynamic recordings. One day, he'd build a museum to display them, playing these moments on loop.
"Fufufufu... Not a bad attitude. As long as you work hard, not only will you have the gold below, but power and women as well. Everything you desire will be within your grasp."
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+100 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg