After painting Umit a generous picture of future glory, Ozz gave the man a pat on the shoulder and sent him off to the eting ahead of him.
Sure, the Pure Gold was important but after all these days, a few more hours wouldn't make or break anything.
Besides, soone else was bound to be more desperate than he was.
Umit's heavy-handed push to find the anglerfish hadn't gone unnoticed. Small-ti players might be in the dark, but you could bet the World Governnt wasn't CP agents had probably been watching him from the start.
And even if he missed this particular chance, so what? It wasn't like Ozz was in a rush to lock down immortality. His body hadn't reached its peak yet.
With Luffy the King as a guaranteed future fallback, all he had to do was tail him long enough and he'd bump into the anglerfish eventually.
So…
He could afford to wait until after the eting.
Elsewhere.
Inside the second VIP suite, Doflamingo stood by the window in a suit and cape, overlooking the sprawling expanse of the Sabaody Archipelago.
"Hisashiburi dana, Doffy."
At so unknown point, a figure had appeared in the main seat of the room, legs crossed, fingers interlaced.
"Ozz-sama!"
Doflamingo spun around sharply, bowing with practiced respect as he placed the box he was carrying on the table.
"Fufufufu… Ever since you ntioned a few Devil Fruits you were interested in, I've been keeping an eye out. And it seems your trust in wasn't misplaced, I've managed to acquire one of them."
As he spoke, he slowly opened the box.
Nestled inside was a Devil Fruit deep purple and jet black in color, quietly emanating a sense of ominous power.
The mont Ozz laid eyes on it, his curiosity piqued. He casually waved a hand, and the fruit floated up into his palm.
The patterns and shape matched exactly…
"No wonder you're known for this, Doffy. You always manage to surprise ."
Ozz hadn't expected it, but Doflamingo legendary purveyor of Devil Fruits did seem to have an uncanny knack for collecting the rarest kinds.
And this one?
The so-called strongest of the Logia-type fruits.
The one dreamt of by a certain stubby little punching bag Ozz had once flattened:
The Dark-Dark Fruit (Yami Yami no Mi).
A worthy addition to his private collection.
"The strongest Logia-type… the Dark-Dark Fruit. Now, how should I reward you, Doffy?"
"Strongest Logia?"
Doflamingo raised a brow, his signature smirk twitching slightly.
He could tell at a glance it was a Logia-type the appearance gave it away. After all, each category had distinct fruit shapes: Paracia like apples, Zoans like bananas, and Logias like pineapples.
But to hear Ozz, of all people, call it the strongest? That was saying sothing.
Stronger than magma, light, and ice?
He swallowed hard.
For a split second, Doflamingo regretted having eaten his own fruit so soon.
He knew Ozz had already eaten a Devil Fruit this wasn't news. But still… if Ozz wasn't going to eat it, he might've had a chance to claim it for himself…
"Indeed," Ozz said, calmly rotating the fruit in his palm. "It can swallow everything into nothingness. And, more importantly, it can nullify other Devil Fruit powers."
"Fufufufufu… sounds terrifying. A direct counter to all Devil Fruit users, huh?"
Ozz didn't seem too sentintal about it. He hadn't collected these fruits with the intent of eating them. He just enjoyed the idea of owning them tools for fun, power, or leverage.
"So. What do you want in return, Doffy? Speak freely. This fruit, along with your loyalty, deserves fair compensation."
"No, no… I'm not here for rewards," Doflamingo said smoothly, flashing a crooked smile. "I simply follow your will, that's all."
Such humility delivered with a devil's grin. Doflamingo might be a tyrant in his own right, but when it ca to soone like Ozz, he knew how to play the ga. His emotional intelligence was far sharper than most gave him credit for.
"Oh? Well, if that's how you feel… then I suppose I won't reward you."
"…"
Doflamingo's grin froze for a half-second he opened his mouth as if to speak, but no words ca.
Ozz smirked.
A little harmless teasing was a great way to bond with your subordinates, wasn't it?
"Alright, alright. I'll stop ssing with you."
With a flick of his wrist, Ozz teleported the fruit back into its box. A glass of orange juice appeared in his hand; he swirled it once and downed it in one gulp.
"I know you've always wanted to return ho, Doffy.
Back to Dressrosa. The heartland of the Donquixote family."
Ozz knew all about Doflamingo's lineage one of the original Twenty Kings. Granting him this wish cost nothing, especially since Doffy would've made his move eventually either way.
"You an…"
Doflamingo perked up instantly.
One part of him was stunned that Ozz knew so much about the Donquixote legacy.
Another part of him… was beginning to hope.
"Do what you want," Ozz said with a slight smile. "The World Governnt won't interfere."
Installing a new king? Please. Doflamingo had done it before with just a Warlord title. You think Ozz couldn't make it happen?
What, was a re Warlord supposed to be more influential than him?
What a joke.
"I'll be visiting Dressrosa often," Ozz added. "I trust you'll run it well?"
"Fufufufu… of course. I won't let you down."
With conversations wrapped up and both trusted subordinates taken care of, it was almost ti.
Inside the sprawling banquet hall of the hotel, a vast array of unsavory characters had gathered.
The seating had been ticulously arranged. The closer to the front, the more power, influence, and control over the underground market the attendee possessed.
Their entourages and bodyguards stood respectfully at their sides.
The Six Kings of the Underworld were all present.
Doflamingo. Stussy. The old blond drunk…
They sat quietly in the front row, awaiting the final mont.
There was no chatter. No deals being made. No greetings exchanged.
Even the most vicious of underworld bosses had turned into obedient schoolchildren.
Then
"Ti's up."
As the clock struck the hour, the soft sound of footsteps echoed through the chamber.
The man they'd all heard rumors about.
He was coming.
Step...
Thud!
Thud!
With each soft footfall, those standing no matter how strong began to tremble.
Eyes rolled back. One by one, they collapsed.
It was like dominoes.
One of the underworld bosses sat in stunned silence, his jaw hanging open as the personal bodyguard he'd paid handsoly for a forr pirate with a bounty over 500 million, now "retired" hit the floor like a sack of bricks.
Cold sweat ran down his face.
This... this can't be...
Just from walking in?
This was the power of Conqueror's Haki?
"Truly terrifying…" Doflamingo muttered under his breath, his smirk visibly strained. Cold sweat beaded on his brow.
Even Silvers Rayleigh, still young and full of fire, couldn't help but murmur:
"That level of Conqueror's Haki control and intensity…
…it's stronger than even Roger's back in the day."
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