Upon the vast, boundless ocean, the pirate ship belonging to the Donquixote Family sailed steadily onward.
Inside one of the cabins, Doflamingo looked at Ibes, who was positively glowing – her face flushed rosy, her skin like creamy jade, her eyes holding the lingering warmth of spring. "How are you feeling, Ibes? Alright?" he asked with concern.
"God," Ibes replied shyly, her large eyes seeming to hold shimmering spring water, captivating Doflamingo and making his heart itch, "today, I feel better than ever before."
"That's good, that's good!" Doflamingo easily understood the implication behind her words. As they say, caring can lead to confusion, but seeing her state, how could he not understand? However, romantic entanglements, for Doflamingo, were merely spice for life, not the main course. He smoothly glossed over the intimacy, changing the subject. "Ibes, have you familiarized yourself with your new abilities yet?" He returned to a serious demeanor, inquiring about the Devil Fruit she had eaten the day before.
"Ah! Yes, I believe I have a basic grasp of them now," Ibes replied, quickly refocusing her thoughts away from the previous night and addressing Doflamingo's question.
"Excellent. Then describe your abilities for me," Doflamingo requested, genuinely curious about the fruit's capabilities and whether they would meet his expectations.
"Yes, God!" Ibes adopted a serious expression. "The fruit I ate, the Zoan Type: Ox-Ox Fruit, Model: Den Den Mushi, allows me to connect with any Den Den Mushi, as long as I can register its specific frequency. Additionally, I can eavesdrop on any Den Den Mushi communication. I also sense that I might be able to control all Den Den Mushi eventually. For now, these are the basic abilities I've understood."
"Impressive. A very powerful ability indeed," Doflamingo remarked thoughtfully after hearing her explanation. Used correctly, this fruit's strategic value could rival that of a natural disaster-level Devil Fruit. Its power didn't lie in direct combat, but in information and communication control. Doflamingo, with his strategic mind, knew better than to judge a fruit solely on its offensive potential. Generally speaking, almost every Devil Fruit in this world had its unique purpose. (Of course, he mentally excluded certain useless fruits.)
"As long as I can be helpful to God, that's all that matters!" Ibes said happily, genuinely pleased she could contribute meaningfully to Doflamingo's plans. She had no desire to be a mere flower vase – pretty but useless.
"Alright, let's test it out now," Doflamingo decided, taking out his personal Den Den Mushi from his pocket. While dialing the Family base, he instructed Ibes, "Ibes, see if you can establish a connection."
Purupurupuru...
Back at the Donquixote Family base, a dedicated subordinate managed the main communication Den Den Mushi (while executives had their own private ones, others shared the common units).
"Young Master! What are your orders?" a respectful subordinate's voice quickly came through the line.
"I'm just conducting an experiment. Don't hang up yet," Doflamingo explained briefly, then turned his expectant gaze towards Ibes.
Feeling Doflamingo's anticipation, Ibes took a deep breath, calmed her mind, and began her performance. Two small, snail-like antennae sprouted from her smooth forehead, twitching up and down as if seeking a signal, attempting to establish contact with the distant Den Den Mushi at the base.
"I've connected!" Ibes exclaimed excitedly after a moment.
"Good. I'm hanging up now. Let's see if you can reconnect," Doflamingo encouraged her, ending his Den Den Mushi call. He watched Ibes expectantly as she once again focused, reaching out mentally to the device far away in the North Blue.
Then, Ibes placed her small, fair hand delicately beside Doflamingo's ear. He understood instantly. A human telephone! The characteristic Purupurupuru sound seemed to emanate directly from the vicinity of her hand.
"Hello?" Doflamingo spoke towards her hand. "Can you hear me?" His voice traveled through Ibes, reaching the Family member miles away.
"Yes, yes, yes! Young Master! Every word is perfectly clear!" the subordinate replied hastily, not missing the chance to add some flattery.
"Alright! That's all, you're dismissed," Doflamingo responded coolly. The subordinate respectfully acknowledged.
Doflamingo moved to gently lower Ibes's hand from his face – it felt remarkably warm and smooth like jade, but having already 'tasted' Ibes's charms the previous night, he maintained a degree of composure.
"Wait, God!" Ibes stopped his movement, a playful glint in her eyes. "Let me show you something fun!"
"What is it?" Doflamingo raised an eyebrow, intrigued, wondering what trick she had up her sleeve now. He decided to wait patiently for her next demonstration.
Ibes closed her eyes, concentrating intently.
"This is...?!" Doflamingo gasped in genuine surprise. He hadn't expected this function at all! Through Ibes's connection, he could see what the Den Den Mushi at the base was seeing – the familiar surroundings, the subordinate standing by. It's like a video call! And a high-priority, one-way video call at that! I can see their status and environment completely, but they remain unaware.
Carefully observing the familiar scene for a few moments, Doflamingo gradually suppressed his initial shock, which gave way to surging excitement. He impulsively pulled Ibes into a hug. "Ibes! This ability of yours is truly incredible!"
Startled by his sudden action, Ibes didn't resist, instead taking the opportunity to nestle comfortably into his embrace. "I only just discovered it myself!" she explained softly. "And it seems even if no one answers the Den Den Mushi, I can still link to its field of vision and see everything around it."
"Fuffuffuffuffu! This trip was absolutely worth it!" Doflamingo laughed heartily, genuinely thrilled. "Truly deserving of the title 'strongest Zoan fruit'! It lives up to the hype after all!" he added, mocking the auctioneer's earlier desperate sales pitch.
"Oh, stop!" Ibes protested playfully, giving him a light tap. "That was just the unscrupulous merchant's gimmick! God, you didn't actually believe him, did you?"
Doflamingo merely chuckled, amused by her mock indignation, not bothering to elaborate further. In certain aspects, he thought, this fruit truly is among the strongest. Pity so few people could possibly understand its real value.
Outside the cabin, the Donquixote Family members going about their duties heard their Young Master's rare, hearty laughter. They didn't inquire. Curiosity could be fatal; those without sufficient strength or status knew better than to pry into their leader's affairs.
Back in the North Blue, at the Donquixote Family base, Robin diligently completed her daily training regimen. With Doflamingo and Ibes away, there was no one to supervise her directly. The other executives were occupied with their own responsibilities and certainly wouldn't take the time to 'play' with a child as Doflamingo sometimes did. Moreover, Robin's unique position in Doflamingo's favor made the others somewhat hesitant; they weren't sure how best to interact with her. Rather than forcing an awkward friendship, they mostly left her to her own devices.
So, with Doflamingo and Ibes – the two people she felt closest to – gone, Robin followed Doflamingo's instructions, completed her training each day, and then buried herself in her books.
One particular day, seeking relaxation after finishing her studies, Robin wandered idly towards the training grounds. There, she saw a woman with a fervent love for art arranging her peculiar creations. Robin found herself utterly captivated by the bizarre works on display.
The 'artist' was, of course, Jora, user of the Art-Art Fruit. She was currently 'training' – which seemed to involve using her old sparring partners, Senor Pink and Machvise, as canvases. She had transformed them into 'artworks' that, to any normal person, looked utterly dreadful and comical.
"Ohohohoho! How is this mistress's art? Bask in my masterpiece!" Jora declared grandly, admiring her handiwork – the 'artified' forms of Senor Pink and Machvise.
"Jora! Change us back right now!" Senor Pink's distorted voice complained angrily. He looked nothing like his usual cool, sunglasses-wearing self.
"Yeah, Jora! Your taste is really twisted!" Machvise added, equally disgruntled. He couldn't appreciate Jora's 'art' in the slightest and found his current form unacceptable.
"Ohohohoho! This is art! You simply don't understand true art!" Jora retorted, completely ignoring their complaints, lost in her own world of artistic self-appreciation. "To think you'd call my art 'twisted taste'!"
"I think it's quite good, actually."
Robin, who had been observing for some time, spoke up unexpectedly. Jora's bizarre artistic style genuinely appealed to her; Robin's aesthetic sense often differed from the mainstream, finding charm in the 'ugly-cute'.
Immersed in her own world, Jora was startled by the voice, then instantly elated upon hearing Robin's praise. She felt as if she had found a kindred spirit.
"Ohohohoho! Lady Robin! You feel that way too?" Jora asked excitedly. As merely a regular family member currently, she respectfully used honorifics when addressing Robin, whom Doflamingo had placed among the executives.
"Sister Jora, your art is truly very beautiful!" Robin praised her again sincerely.
The other onlookers nearby, including the 'artworks' themselves, were left speechless. Watching Jora and Robin, they couldn't help but think, Well, guess Jora really did find someone who gets her.
"Indeed!" Jora declared smugly, shooting disdainful eye-rolls at Senor Pink and Machvise. "Ordinary people simply cannot appreciate my art! Lady Robin truly has a discerning eye!"
Initially, Jora hadn't thought highly of Robin. After all, among the current executives, Robin had no notable achievements to her name. Whispers of dissent regarding her position existed within the Family, though no one dared question Doflamingo's decision openly – his authority was absolute. And even if someone did dare, the ever-loyal Diamante, the 'great steward,' was certainly no pushover; he fiercely defended Doflamingo against any criticism and carried out his orders without question.
Having been in the Family for some time now, Jora herself was loyal and respectful towards Doflamingo, but she had harbored some resentment towards Robin. Why should a mere child be ranked as an executive? She wouldn't dare blame the Young Master, of course, so her dissatisfaction was directed at Robin. Other ambitious members likely felt similarly, though they kept their feelings hidden, simmering beneath the surface.
However, this chance encounter completely changed Jora's perspective. Finding someone who genuinely appreciated her art, a true kindred spirit, instantly dissolved her previous resentment. She now felt quite satisfied with Robin. Finding someone who understood her was rare indeed!
From that moment, the two – the previously somewhat isolated girl and the eccentric artist – quickly went from strangers to familiar friends, hitting it off immediately. They began to talk animatedly about art. Unfortunately, as their familiarity grew, others in the Family began to suffer the consequences. The potent chemical reaction resulting from the combination of the darkly witty Robin and the parody-loving Jora proved quite... troublesome for those around them.
When Doflamingo returned with Ibes sometime later, he happened upon one of Jora and Robin's collaborative 'masterpieces'. He was utterly dumbfounded, shocked as if seeing a heavenly apparition. A large, metaphorical question mark appeared above his head as he wondered just when, and how, these two had gotten mixed up together!