Doflamingo flicked his fingers, sending razor-thin threads whipping through the air. From the golden sea below, a massive ingot of pure gold rose, wrapped in his strings. He caught it with one hand, tossing it up and down casually.
The moment the crowd's eyes locked onto the gold, their greed became palpable. Doflamingo's gaze swept over them before settling on Number 59. A devilish grin spread across his face as he spoke in a voice dripping with temptation.
"As a reward for diligence—Number 59, it's yours."
Gasps rippled through the gathered figures. Even Caesar and his subordinates turned their attention to Number 59, their eyes glinting with barely restrained avarice.
"R-Really?!"
"Fufufufufu. Of course. Come and take it."
With trembling hands, Number 59 stepped forward and cradled the gold brick as though it were a lover, running his fingers reverently over its smooth surface.
Doflamingo's Conqueror's Haki subtly pulsed through the air, fanning the flames of desire in everyone present. He watched as their excitement grew, their energy rising to near-frenzied levels. A satisfied smirk tugged at his lips.
'They'd better work for it. Innovation is key—if I want to dominate the seas, I need my own core technology.'
The Doflamingo of the original timeline had failed to understand this. Without a unique product, he had been forced to rely too heavily on Kaido. It was like a phone manufacturer without its own chipset—forever at the mercy of others.
"Let's go, Caesar. Time to meet an old friend. The rest of you—get a good look at your future workplace."
He handed over the newly arrived captives to Judge Vinsmoke, whose dark circles and exhausted expression spoke of relentless overwork. For a fleeting moment, a pang of guilt flickered through Doflamingo's chest.
Then he brushed it aside. Out of sight, out of mind.
They arrived at the floating palace atop the vines.
Trebol, Diamante, and Lao G were already waiting. The moment Doflamingo stepped forward, they moved to greet him.
"Doffy." x2
"Young Master."
"Where are Enel and Pica?"
Pica had already handled the establishment of the Jaya island base and should have returned to Skypiea by now. As for Enel, he was usually stationed here. Not seeing either of them raised some questions.
Trebol, now noticeably more composed, answered first. "Doffy, Pica got caught up in some rebellion involving a so-called 'Child of the Sky God.' Enel went to suppress it himself. He moved too fast for us to stop him."
Doflamingo noted Trebol's newfound restraint with approval. Seems like his time managing Sky Island had done him some good.
As for Enel, with no Armament Haki users among Pica's opposition, he could rampage unchecked. No doubt he was also venting some frustration from past experiences. Understandable—but still, he needed to be reined in.
"Tell Enel to wrap it up quickly and report back. He can play with Nora for ten days as a reward. What about Pica?"
"Pica discovered a new island on one of the recently restored floating highways. He's overseeing it personally."
Doflamingo nodded. Always the loyal and dependable stone man. An ideal subordinate.
"Reliable as ever. Trebol, once your tasks are complete, assist Pica in integrating the new island. Make sure he gets some rest—and let him pick something he likes from the Golden City. Diamante, how many Sky Islands do we currently control? What's their status?"
Diamante, freshly returned from a tour of the North Blue and Grand Line, had adopted a flamboyant summer look—his usual attire now adorned with tropical patterns and a gaudy, multicolored headdress.
"As of now, we control Angel Island, Upper Yard, Germa's floating island, and Birka—four in total."
Doflamingo's eyes flickered with interest.
"Germa's floating island is currently a mixed settlement of natural-born citizens and former indigenous inhabitants, with no significant industry established yet. Birka has recently opened its second artificial shellfish farm and second aerial trade route. Both islands are self-governing and stable.
"Upper Yard and Angel Island have begun constructing a new floating landmass between White Sea and White-White Sea, where a new Seastone processing plant is being built. The former God's Guards and the Shandian guerrillas have united under the Donquixote Sky Guard to monitor and repel pirates drawn to the White Sea in search of fortune. This is to prevent any disruptions to Seastone production."
Diamante hesitated before adding, "Additionally, Shandian warrior Kagasi and the exiled Skypiean monk Urouge have requested to join us. Both want to explore the Grand Line."
Doflamingo had expected Urouge's decision. The man was destined to become one of the Supernovas. After receiving a beatdown from him, it made sense that he'd be curious about the lower seas.
But Kagasi's request was unexpected. The Shandians were deeply traditional. Then again, Oda loved making them parallels to real-world indigenous people.
Still, it made no difference to him.
"No objections. Assign Kagasi to oversee trade routes from Jaya Island to the South Blue—specifically trade routes—nothing else. As for Urouge, send him to Sabaody to assist Jora and Machvise. What about the ecological impact of Seastone production?"
A voice cut in before Diamante could respond.
"I can answer that, Boss."
Judge Vinsmoke stepped forward, looking utterly exhausted but determined.
"The Knock-Up Stream near Jaya Island still erupts five times a month. Due to the unique properties of Clouds, there's no rainfall, leading to a slow but steady expansion of both White Sea and White-White Sea. At present, Seastone production poses no ecological threat. Also, I'd like to leave Germa's floating island under Diamante's jurisdiction for now—I don't have time to manage it."
Doflamingo raised an eyebrow.
Not that he minded. He needed Judge's expertise, not his leadership. Eventually, as the number of clone soldiers increased, Germa's "kingdom" would likely become little more than an extension of Judge's will.
Still, it was amusing how cooperative the man had become. The perfect worker drone.
"Fufufufufu. Fine by me. Speaking of which, Judge—your wedding is coming up soon, isn't it?"
At the mention of his marriage, Judge's tired expression brightened.
"Yes. It's set for next month. Would you be able to attend?"
Doflamingo grinned. Opportunities to strengthen loyalty like this didn't come often.
"Of course, I'll be there. You have the next two months off—use them to prepare. How's the Lineage Factor research coming along?"
"We've begun experimenting with transferring the Bloodline Factor of the Horse-Horse Fruit into a Guide Bird."
Doflamingo's grin widened.
'Perfect. Scientists should stick to research, not playing at royalty. Let me handle that part.'
"Fufufufufu. Excellent, Judge. Progress takes time. Trebol, announce to the Donquixote citizens and our Germa allies—the wedding of King Vinsmoke Judge will be a cause for celebration."
Judge bowed slightly. "I appreciate it."
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+100 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg