No, buddy…
You barged into my territory with a cocky attitude, demanded my head without a word, snatched four of my Devil Fruits in less than three sentences, and now you're asking for Baby 5, whom I've raised for over a decade!
Alright, even if you're not trash! Even if you're not scum!
But ask yourself, are you any better?
And have you even looked at your own Devil Fruit ability?
A Vampire!
And you even had the nerve to point out that I've protected this girl well…
Usually, what kind of people's blood do vampires in stories love the most?
Huh?
Answer me!
Look into my eyes!
Of course, the above was merely Doflamingo's inner thoughts.
Unable to bear looking at that face that made his blood pressure skyrocket, Doflamingo turned to Baby 5: "Do you see this handsome gentleman beside me? Baby 5?"
"Who's that?"
Baby 5 tilted her chin up, looking at Caesar with a cocky expression: "So you're the one looking for me?"
"Ah, that's right."
Caesar smiled and nodded: "Could you be my personal maid? I really need you."
"Hai~~~ I'd love to! I'd absolutely love to!"
Baby 5 immediately clasped her hands over her heart, about to say something when she suddenly caught sight of Doflamingo out of the corner of her eye. She quickly moved to stand between Caesar and him, her face full of wariness as she stared at Doflamingo.
"Be careful, darling! This guy has killed so many men who pursued me!"
Diamante scoffed: "What an ungrateful fool of a woman…"
"Fufufu… It's fine, Diamante. The shadows of childhood take a lifetime to heal."
Doflamingo chuckled softly: "The strength of the man behind you far surpasses mine, Baby 5."
"Eh? Really?"
Baby 5 looked at Caesar in surprise, then suddenly paused: "Oh, right, I haven't asked yet. What's your name, darling?"
"…"
"Fufufufu…"
Doflamingo held his forehead, his shoulders shaking as if he'd heard something hilarious.
Caesar glanced at him before calmly replying: "Jin Caesar. Just call me Caesar."
"Okay, darling!"
Baby 5 clasped her hands over her heart, wrapping her arms around Caesar's, her face filled with happiness.
"By the way, there's something I'd like to ask of you."
"Mhm, darling, go ahead~"
"Can you only take requests from me from now on?"
"Sure~"
The girl nuzzled against Caesar's shoulder, smiling sweetly.
"Can you quit smoking?"
"Sure~"
Baby 5 didn't hesitate to take the cigarette out of her mouth and flick it away.
"Ow ow ow!"
Diamante leaped up with a yelp, clawing at his back—Baby 5 had flicked the cigarette butt into his clothes.
"Oh, and I have other women. Can you get along with them?"
"Of course, of course~"
Seeing her agree without hesitation, Caesar turned to look at Doflamingo.
"Is this working?"
"Well… it should, right?"
Doflamingo flicked his finger, pulling the cigarette butt out of Diamante's clothes, then gestured toward Baby 5 with a tilt of his chin.
Diamante understood, rubbing his reddened back, and turned to Baby 5 with a look of deep affection.
"Baby5! To be honest, I've liked you for a long time! I really need you! I would die without you!"
"Then go die."
Baby5 glanced at him expressionlessly, then turned her head, continuing to gaze affectionately at Caesar.
"Darling, what do you like to eat? I can make anything for you!"
"It seems to be working."
Doflamingo nodded: "Of course, we can't rule out the factor of appearance..."
"Young Master..."
"Of course, I'm not saying you're ugly, Diamante. In fact, I think you're quite handsome."
"No, no, no, how could that be? I'm actually quite ordinary..."
"Where? You're clearly handsome."
"No, no, no, not at all!"
"Well, since you say so..."
"No, since you, Young Master, say so, I'll reluctantly admit that I'm handsome!"
"..."
"You really have it tough..."
Seeing Doflamingo's constipated expression, Caesar couldn't help but find it amusing.
But to be fair, Doflamingo is indeed exceptional when it comes to his subordinates.
"Family should support each other, shouldn't they?"
Doflamingo said indifferently, his face slightly gloomy, though it wasn't too obvious behind his sunglasses.
"Someone like you won't always be under Kaidou's thumb. Sooner or later, you'll establish your own force, and you'll naturally encounter all sorts of people. Those guys might not be smart or strong, but they'll definitely be the most suitable."
Caesar slapped his head: "Ah, right, speaking of that, I need you to help me find two people."
"Please go on."
"There's a blind swordsman named Issho who uses a cane sword, loves to gamble, and is very strong."
Caesar said calmly: "How much does it cost to find someone here?"
"Just a bit of information, talking about money is too formal."
Doflamingo smiled: "And I've heard of this old gentleman. After all, there aren't many strong people on this sea. Who's the other person?"
"Bartholomew Kuma."
"This one is even more famous."
Doflamingo laughed: "If I remember correctly, he's from the Revolutionary Army?"
"He's already left."
Caesar shook his head, took out a Life Paper from his pocket, tore off a corner, and handed it to Doflamingo.
"This is my Life Paper. He should be in the Sorbet Kingdom in the South Blue. Give this to him and pass on a message for me... Tell him I can save his most cherished treasure."
"Treasure, huh..."
Doflamingo took the Life Paper without asking further: "Understood, I'll convey it to him exactly."
Caesar nodded slightly. Doflamingo indeed knew how to handle things, especially when you had a firm grip on his lifeline.
As for recruiting subordinates, he had long had his targets in mind.
First and foremost, Kuma was someone he absolutely couldn't miss!
Not to mention the versatile Paw-Paw Fruit, Kuma's own strength was no less than that of the Three Calamities.
Of course, the prerequisite was that he could cure Bonney's illness.
And coincidentally, Caesar was quite confident about that!
Bonney's illness is called Jade Scale, a blood disease that can be inherited from mother to child. However, it is not an infectious disease but rather stems from damage to hematopoietic stem cells. In the original storyline, it was cured through stem cell transplantation.
To recruit Kuma, Caesar had previously taken the time to learn about it.
A blood disease meeting a Vampire—now that's a match made in professional heaven.
Although he didn't have absolute certainty, even if it failed, Caesar had other backup plans.
For example, Trafalgar Law, who was currently in the North Blue...
That 140-year-old hag from Drum Kingdom...
The Healing Fruit of the Tontatta Princess...
And Vegapunk, who would soon have to relocate from Punk Hazard due to the massive explosion!
(End of Chapter)