Doflamingo had no idea that the Five Elders were planning to purge Dressrosa. Not that he would have cared even if he did. After all, he wasn't the original Doflamingo, and his stronghold was in Skypiea, not on the isolated island of Dressrosa.
...
As the Numancia Flamingo descended, Rosinante stepped forward to greet it. Seeing the group of children on the deck—and a familiar yet somewhat unfamiliar face—made him pause. The fried egg stuck to that face, however, gave away the person's identity immediately.
"Brother, long time no see."
"Vergo... It's been a while. And these kids?" Rosinante gestured toward the three young children.
"Good to see you, Rosinante," Vergo replied. "They're losers and guests."
Noticing Rosinante's worn-out appearance and the strands of white in his hair, Doflamingo instinctively furrowed his brow.
"Rosi, it seems you've been very invested in Flevance."
Catching the implication in Doflamingo's words, Rosinante hurriedly spoke up.
"Brother, Flevance isn't—"
Before he could finish, a figure dashed forward. Yamato, having noticed the ship's arrival, extended a hand and cut him off.
"Hi! I'm Yamato! You're way more pleasant to look at than that arrogant jerk!"
Kozuki Hiyori followed close behind.
"Greetings. I am a subordinate of Lord Yamato and a trophy of Lord Doflamingo!"
Rosinante's mind went blank.
Arrogant jerk? She couldn't possibly mean Doffy, right? Wait, is she my brother's daughter?! But he's only 19!!!
And what kind of introduction is 'trophy'?!
"She's not my daughter," Doflamingo stated, brushing past them. "She's Kaido's daughter. Also, you don't need to explain whether you used the family's power for Flevance. I don't care."
Doflamingo strode toward the island, Vergo following close behind. His voice carried from a distance.
"Still, you're going to die soon. Don't touch anything immobile on the ship. Bring the princesses and guests who can move and have them join us for dinner. By the way, how long until Diamante arrives?"
"Huh? You're going to die?!"
"..."
Flevance was doomed.
A shallow form of rescue would be easy. The World Government had already marked the nation and its neighbors for eradication, so why not give fate a little push?
With the power of the family, they could wipe out the nobles and the royal family entirely, then relocate the commoners to another island. Any deserted island could accommodate a town-sized nation.
And if anyone refused? Just execute a few, and the rest would fall in line. In the face of absolute power, most ordinary people had no real choices.
Accept or accept.
But Rosinante could never bring himself to do such a thing.
A deeper form of salvation? That was a different story.
...
That night, in the palace.
Yamato was devouring a massive bucket of specially made spicy oden, occasionally shoving pieces into Viola's mouth.
The way Yamato's mouth kept opening made one wonder if there was another dimension inside her stomach.
Nearby, Kozuki Hiyori clumsily continued cooking fresh ingredients in the pot.
Having eaten and drunk his fill, Doflamingo turned to the visibly drained Rosinante beside him and asked,
"Rosi, how long have you had it?"
"A few days."
"Then you'll still live for decades. It shouldn't affect your ability to have children. Let me find you a few women and continue the family line. The family's prosperity can't depend on me alone."
"Cough...! Cough! Cough! Cough!"
Rosinante's eyes widened like never before. He couldn't believe what he had just heard.
"Brother! What did you just say?! Me?! Have kids?!"
"That's right. Have kids."
"No way! Absolutely not!!!"
"Fuffuffuffuffu~" Doflamingo flashed a bright grin. Teasing his little brother was an eternal source of amusement.
...
The next day.
With a golden cape billowing behind him, Diamante swaggered onto the scene, his long legs moving in an exaggerated strut. The man was the embodiment of flamboyance.
"Yo-ho-ho-ha-ha! Doffy, long time no see."
"Vergo, welcome home."
After embracing Vergo, Diamante pulled out a visual transponder snail.
"I even recorded little Zoffy for you."
"Let me see."
Patting Diamante on the back, Doflamingo took the snail with an unusual hint of nervousness.
His son. Across two lifetimes, he had never seen him before.
The screen flickered to life, showing a blonde-haired, red-eyed infant straddling another black-haired baby, laughing victoriously while the latter—Ace—wailed loudly.
It was impossible to ignore the well-defined muscles on the golden-haired baby.
'What the hell? A copy-paste of me?'
'Other babies just kick in the womb, and you were in there doing prisoner workouts?!'
For once, Doflamingo's expression cracked. A hint of disbelief crossed his face.
But he quickly composed himself. After all, the stronger his son, the better for him.
It seemed the genetic traits for physical strength and bone reinforcement were top-tier. This talent needed to be passed down further.
"What do you think, Doffy? A very healthy child, right?"
"A true-born warrior!" Vergo's shadow chimed in with approval.
Only Rosinante wore a strange expression. Something about that scene felt eerily familiar...
"He's healthy, alright. I'll train him personally."
Satisfied with the proof of his superior genetics, Doflamingo slung an arm around Diamante's shoulders and turned toward two massive ships in the distance.
Unlike conventional vessels, these ships had no sails. Instead, large balloon-like structures were attached, courtesy of Sea Kings. The propulsion was powered by a combination of Breath Dials and Flame Dials.
"Diamante, take them across the Calm Belt. Deliver them to Enel and Moria."
"The Calm Belt?"
A bead of sweat rolled down Diamante's temple. He hesitated before speaking up.
"Wait, Doffy, I really can't do that. I'm not as invincible as you!"
Seeing Doflamingo's expression grow colder, Diamante knew flattery wouldn't work. He quickly tried another approach.
"How about I take the Fish-Man Island route instead? I'm familiar with that one!"
"That's an option, but it's too slow."
Patting Diamante's shoulder, Doflamingo's disappointment grew behind his sunglasses, though he didn't let it show. Instead, he encouraged him.
"Relax. With your Ripple-Ripple Fruit, plus these devices, you know exactly how high you can fly. Those Sea Kings are just big fish, they won't be able to touch you. Fly boldly."
Diamante hesitated. "Then... I guess I can try?"
"It's not a suggestion. Do it. Follow the Log Pose, but don't leave the Calm Belt. This will be the perfect storm-free route."
...
After sending off Diamante, Doflamingo used his Observation Haki to scan the Numancia Flamingo, checking the life signs of his 'trophies.'
His brow furrowed. He turned to Vergo.
"Get those brats out. We're leaving ahead of schedule."
Moments later, the most unruly one—a little horned troublemaker—was dragged out.
"Damn you, big dragon-head boss! Instead of listening to Father, you're listening to this arrogant jerk! I'm staying on this island! I'm not going anywhere! I want spicy oden!"
"Fuffuffuffuffu, Skypiea has spicy oden—and even sour-spicy flavors."
"Then let's set off quickly!"
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