Marine Headquarters, Marineford. Fleet Admiral Kong sat high in his seat, listening to the report from Tsuru regarding her recent expedition.
After the failed capture of Doflamingo, Vice Admiral Tsuru had returned to Marineford with her fleet.
"Fleet Admiral Kong, it's entirely my fault that Doflamingo escaped the Navy's pursuit. I've failed your trust. I underestimated Doflamingo," Tsuru said, blaming herself.
Hearing Tsuru's words, Kong magnanimously consoled her, "You can't blame yourself. You did very well. Doflamingo is indeed excessively cunning."
Kong's consolation seemed to have little effect, as Tsuru continued.
"Besides Doflamingo, the Donquixote Pirates have several other capable fighters. Their strength is not to be taken lightly. Moreover, Doflamingo used the Knock-Up Stream to escape our pursuit. We haven't found any trace of him yet. I don't believe he'd die so easily. I suspect he's currently holed up somewhere, gathering strength and waiting for an opportunity to strike back."
It had to be said, Vice Admiral Tsuru had a clear understanding of Doflamingo's petty schemes.
Sengoku, who was also listening to the report, furrowed his brows, his expression turning grave.
Doflamingo alone was enough to give them a headache. Although he wasn't overwhelmingly strong at the moment, his Celestial Dragon status made them wary of acting rashly.
Kong also felt a massive headache coming on. Doflamingo's strength was already considerable, and now he had so many capable allies. Was he trying to overturn the heavens? What made him even more frustrated was the pressure from the Celestial Dragons, constantly hanging over his head. He had initially thought that dispatching Tsuru would guarantee success, but Doflamingo had proven to be unexpectedly sly, escaping from under Tsuru's nose.
Kong sat in his chair, pondering for a moment, before coming to a decision.
"Although we can't find Doflamingo's whereabouts for the time being, as long as he's still alive, he'll definitely show himself eventually. Issue an order to all Marine branches to be on high alert and pay attention to the movements of the Donquixote Pirates. Also, issue bounties for the members of the Donquixote Pirates, dead or alive."
Vice Admiral Tsuru and Sengoku exchanged a glance, both agreeing with the order. After all, they didn't know Doflamingo's location, making it difficult to take the next step.
However, the subject of the Marines' discussion – Doflamingo – had only just embarked on his journey to Birka.
"Where could the Rumble-Rumble Fruit be? In the forest, or perhaps in the local shrine?" Doflamingo mused as soon as he set foot on Birkan soil.
After all, the sky island of Birka wasn't particularly large, nor was it particularly small. Such a small fruit would certainly be inconspicuous. Enel had been bullied since childhood. If he were to obtain the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, the most likely place would be in the forest. After all, the young Enel was often famished and would undoubtedly have frequently picked fruits to satiate his hunger. This was also evident from his later preference for eating apples.
Although Birka also had a god, such a good item... the god wouldn't possibly not keep it in his own possession, would have he? It might be in the god's hands. Perhaps the god looked down on Devil Fruits. After all, as descendants of gods, how could they possibly fancy the power of Devils? Doflamingo thought this, but still felt somewhat at a loss, unsure where to start.
"Oh well, one step at a time," Doflamingo quickly adjusted his mood.
The crew members soon disembarked, one after another. Not a single person was left to look after the ship. Doflamingo had decided on an all-out assault. First and foremost, he needed to find Enel, enlist his help, and, incidentally, explore the mysteries of Birka.
"Trebol, Diamante, Pica, Vergo, each of you take a team and find someone. He doesn't have wings like the other sky islanders, and he has an 'auntie' hairstyle, probably covered with a headscarf. Also, the most noticeable feature is his earlobes, which stretch down to his chest," Doflamingo instructed.
"Is there really such a person?"
"How strange, his earlobes are so long!"
Doflamingo's subordinates voiced their curiosity before Diamante and the others led them away.
"If you run into any conflict with the sky islanders, you know what to do, right? After all, we are pirates! Fuffuffuffu," Doflamingo said, a grin spreading across his face as he looked at the departing crew.
In a forest within Birka, there was a small, dilapidated shack. This was Enel's home. The forest was rarely visited by people, and Enel lived here alone. Except when absolutely necessary, he generally wouldn't leave the forest. Most of his time was spent training alone in the forest. He desired power. He desired revenge, revenge on those who mocked and discriminated against him.
But while the forest was good, eating only wild fruits, no matter how many, couldn't sustain his life. He had to go out to exchange for some necessities. Although the sky islanders discriminated against and mocked him as a monster, there were always kind-hearted people who would take pity on him, giving him some food and supplies. What if there were no kind-hearted people? Then he'd steal! What could they do about it? In this way, Enel had lived a humble life for more than ten years.
Every time he left the forest, he would inevitably be beaten up and ridiculed by his peers. They seemed to take endless pleasure in it. Humiliating and beating Enel was their entertainment. Every time they saw Enel's wretched, bruised, and battered appearance, they felt a sense of satisfaction. Moreover, Enel never fought back, solidifying his reputation as a human punching bag.
It was unclear when it started, or how many hundreds of times it had happened, but although Enel was beaten black and blue, he noticed that his physical constitution seemed to be improving. The intense pain he used to feel seemed to be lessening. This made Enel somewhat fond of this form of "training." To learn how to fight, one must first learn how to take a beating. Enel perfectly embodied this principle. Years of being beaten not only didn't make him fearful, but also made his body increasingly resilient. At the same time, the hatred in his heart grew deeper.
Previously reclusive, Enel now went out every day, not only for the sake of his cherished Endless Land, but also to constantly remind himself of this humiliation and pain, a reminder not to slack off.
Today, as usual, Enel was preparing to go to the market to get some things and, incidentally, inquire about ways to reach the Endless Land. But unexpectedly, as soon as he stepped out the door, he was blocked by the people who often bullied him. Inevitably, he was subjected to another round of punches, kicks, and all sorts of humiliation.
"Enel, you monster, why are you out so early today? What, are you still thinking about your Endless Land?"
"The Endless Land is not a place for a monster like you."
"Yeah, yeah, we are descendants of gods. Enel, you're a monster, a lowly creature, and you want to go to the Endless Land? That's hilarious."
"You're not qualified! Look at your ugly appearance. Aren't you just a living monster? Hahaha!"
Hearing their mockery, Enel didn't respond. The Endless Land was his dream, and no matter what, he wouldn't give up.
Enel's originally good mood was instantly ruined. He knew he couldn't escape.
"Alright, I hope you can bring us some different fun today."
"Here we go."
Seemingly light fists knocked Enel to the ground. Enel didn't resist, simply curling up with his hands protecting his head, allowing them to inflict violence upon him.
A "buzzing" sound gradually approached. However, neither Enel, who was being beaten, nor the perpetrators noticed.
Doflamingo walked alone in Birka, thinking about where Enel was most likely to be, and headed towards the forest without delay.
He saw four winged sky island teenagers beating up a wingless teenager. They were so engrossed that they didn't even notice Doflamingo's approach.
Doflamingo stood not far from them, watching everything, and mused with a touch of dark humor, "No doubt, the one being beaten up is Enel. Oh my, the future arrogant, high-and-mighty god is in such a sorry state now."
Although Doflamingo looked down on the future arrogant god Enel, he had to admit Enel's strength. After all, Enel's talent was quite good. The key was that the current Enel was a very good prospect, much more talented than the current members of his family. Bringing him under his wing would be a good choice.
"Are you just going to stand there and do nothing? Are you content with this? You coward."
The sudden voice startled everyone. The beating of Enel was interrupted, and they all turned their attention to Doflamingo, watching him walk towards them step by step.
"Hey! Where did you come from, brat?"
"Are you looking to die, kid?!"
Ignoring the winged bird-men, Doflamingo continued to speak to Enel, "You clearly have the power to kill them, yet you're afraid to act. With such cowardice, do you still want revenge?"
Hearing Doflamingo's words, Enel released his hands from his head and opened his eyes, looking at the newcomer. Short, golden hair stood up wildly. Sunglasses covered his eyes, making it impossible to read his expression. A hint of regret played on his refined face. He was wearing a white shirt, unbuttoned to reveal a toned abdomen. The most crucial point was that he had no wings. Yes, no wings!
Enel was greatly shocked, so much so that he forgot to respond, simply staring blankly at Doflamingo.
"Hey! Look, he doesn't have wings!"
"Is he another monster?"
"Hahaha, Enel, you have a comrade!"
"Two monsters!"
Ignoring their words, Doflamingo was surprised that the lack of wings had such a profound impact on Enel. He had no choice but to speak again.
"Do you want revenge?"
"Do you want to be a coward?"
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