Sabaody Archipelago.
"The World Government is seriously underestimating me! I am the king of news, a journalist through and through! Boys, take off!!!"
Countless News Coo flapped their wings, tugging at the ropes attached to Morgans' airborne carriage as they soared into the sky.
...
South Blue, near Reverse Mountain.
The Numancia Flamingo, once known for its blazing speed, now cruised smoothly through the air.
Doflamingo glanced at Rouge, who sat quietly on the deck. A glimmer flashed in his eyes—Ace's existence presented many interesting possibilities.
The moment he pulled out the Den Den Mushi, the receiver's face twisted into Morgans' wide, beaming grin.
"How does it feel to expose the truth about the World Government and Roger to the public, Morgans?"
"Hahaha! Absolutely exhilarating!"
On the other end, Morgans stood on his ship's deck, spreading his wings in high spirits.
"Doflamingo, I'll be moving to Valorous Island in the New World for now. I've sent you a Log Pose with the News Coo. But—there's no sign of the Golden Lion heading for Marineford!"
"Looks like your excitement has drowned out what little brainpower you have, Morgans. Maybe I should start looking for a new newspaper to read."
"Doflamingo!!!" Morgans' feathers bristled—not at Doflamingo's snide remark, but at the thought of missing a major scoop.
Anticipating this reaction, Doflamingo had already pulled the Den Den Mushi away to avoid the screeching outburst.
"Think for once, Morgans. Shiki, the Golden Lion, is as proud and arrogant as his title suggests. There was only one man he truly acknowledged on the seas—Roger."
Morgans, now calmer, picked up the thread of conversation. "So Shiki, unaware that Roger was nearing death and believing the World Government's propaganda about his capture, felt humiliated and stormed Marineford in a fit of rage."
"Exactly. Shiki might be insane now, but he wouldn't go mad over a dying man. Morgans, a true journalist pursues the truth, but they also need a clear mind."
...
Having given Morgans his piece of advice, Doflamingo gazed down at the raging waters of Reverse Mountain. A smirk tugged at his lips. Two years had passed since he last stood here, and his mindset had evolved.
The feeling of having the world's great forces dance in the palm of his hand was nothing short of intoxicating.
This move not only crushed the World Government's attempt to restore its prestige but also set ambitious figures across the seas into motion. The Revolutionary Army had existed long before Dragon took the helm—he was merely a successor, not the founder.
Moreover, Shiki had utterly wasted the potential of his Float-Float Fruit. A power with immense strategic, creative, and industrial applications... it was a treasure waiting to be seized by the right hands.
...
Several days later.
"Hey! Are we just going to keep flying like this forever?"
Rouge was growing restless. It wasn't her first time at sea, but at least on water, there were fish and scenery to watch. The initial novelty of flying had long worn off, leaving only monotony.
Pushing up his sunglasses, Doflamingo pointed ahead to the faintly visible billows of white clouds.
"Of course not. Roger must have told you stories about the Sky Islands, right? Allow me to introduce myself—Donquixote Doflamingo, the new god of Skypiea."
Rouge's eyes widened. "Liya... she was sent by you, wasn't she?!"
She stared at Doflamingo's back in disbelief. How long had this man been watching her family?
Doflamingo let out a deep laugh. "Fuffuffuffuffu! She's just a clueless girl. But if you prefer to think of her as an accomplice, be my guest."
As they spoke, Upper Yard came into view.
...
Raijin Island.
"Hmm, so the Pirate King, Roger, will be publicly executed in Loguetown in half a month."
After reading the newspaper, Enel turned toward the seven-meter-tall giant encased in low-frequency electrical currents.
"Moria, don't you want to see how the Pirate King meets his end?"
Moria scoffed. "The Pirate King is too far removed from me. My goal right now is the freedom of me and my crew!"
Raising his massive sword, he swung it down with a thunderous crash.
Nearby, the builders working on Raijin Island teared up at his words, their hands gripping their tools with renewed determination.
"Waaah! Captain Moria is working so hard—we can't afford to slack off!"
"Today, I'm flattening this entire hill!"
"Come on! Let's see how far I can push myself!"
"..."
"Oh! Boys, today I'm swinging my sword twenty thousand times!!! 10,001... 10,002..."
A dark aura of Armament Haki surged around Moria's blade as he continued his intense training.
"Tch, I'll ask the Young Master about this."
Watching the scene unfold, Enel found himself unable to grasp these sentiments entirely. Shaking his head, he pulled out a Den Den Mushi and dialed.
...
Upper Yard.
Royal Laboratory.
Successful Experiment Observation Room.
Caesar Clown grinned obsequiously at Doflamingo.
"Boss, Judge has arrived in Beaudice. The cloned soldiers should reach key strongholds in the North Blue before Roger's execution."
After updating Doflamingo on Judge's progress, Caesar sneered.
"However, Judge secretly kept a record of a successful lineage factor transplant—one that his family never documented."
"Oh?" Doflamingo raised an eyebrow. So Judge had successfully developed the technique for transplanting lineage factors into infants. With an amused smirk, he voiced his speculation. "It's his six-month-old daughter, Vinsmoke Reiju, isn't it?"
"That's—!" Caesar's jaw dropped. He hadn't even said the name yet!
How the hell did this guy know everything? Even for the world's greatest scientist, uncovering Judge's secret experiment had taken serious effort!
"What's the condition of the new test subject?"
Caesar collected himself and reported seriously. "Since the procedure's success, there have been no signs of rejection. Her appetite and metabolism have significantly increased, and her lineage factors have undergone clear alterations. We're continuing observation."
Doflamingo glanced at the slumbering test subject inside the chamber, his expression indifferent.
"Reverse-engineer the successful transplant method from her lineage factors. Spare no expense. I can always make more successful test subjects."
With genetic modifications, the pace of progress could be accelerated tenfold.
Rubbing his hands together like a scheming fly, Caesar cautiously broached another topic.
"Understood. By the way... do you think Miss Baccarat's ability could be applied to Pleasure District operations?"
"Her power comes at a high price. What about the Big Mom blood samples?"
"Preliminary analysis is underway..."
"Divert some focus to that. If necessary..."
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+220 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg