It seemed like he might get away with it for free.
Still, better to wait and see how things played out.
Having made up his mind, Doflamingo turned his palm upward.
Countless threads, so fine that they were nearly invisible to the naked eye, sprouted out.
They gathered into a thick mist, enveloping the area above the IQ grass.
Once everything was prepared, Doflamingo finally looked toward Pica and spoke.
"Pica, let them go. I want to see for myself."
Pica understood immediately and released his Devil Fruit power.
The stone binding the Tontatta shrank back into the ground.
Freed from their restraints, the tiny people wore dazed, blissful smiles.
One by one, they began staggering toward the IQ grass, moving like mindless zombies.
But not all of them.
As the crown prince of the Tontatta Kingdom, Ganfu shook out his no-longer-bound limbs and turned back in confusion.
"Pica, wait—"
The moment he caught sight of that familiar pink silhouette, Ganfu's pupils shrank.
He whirled around, staring at his people as they mindlessly advanced toward the IQ grass and the mist hanging overhead.
He tried to scream.
"Stop—!"
But no sound came out.
Every muscle in Ganfu's body had been pinned in place by invisible threads.
"Fufufufufu, don't get so worked up. I'm just checking if you're suited for the job."
Although the Tontatta were naturally skilled at growing plants...
If they were just drugged-up junkies planting D.M. while flying high, what good would they be?
Ganfu's terrified, desperate eyes watched helplessly as his people crept closer to the IQ grass.
Grouped in small clusters, they surrounded the plants, breathing in the sweet scent.
Time passed.
Still, the Tontatta didn't make any unusual moves.
The heavy weight in Ganfu's chest slowly eased, and he let out a long, shaky breath.
He had truly thought they were doomed.
Doflamingo, too, seemed pleased.
He liked subordinates who had a real "need"—they were always the most useful. With a slight tilt of his head, he asked:
"Ganfu, I'm thinking of entrusting some IQ grass cultivation to your people. What do you think?"
"Of course! We'll grow plenty, I swear it!"
Now free to move, Ganfu bobbed his head like a spinning top, shouting his agreement.
This was, after all, the real purpose of his trip.
And deep down, every fiber of his being told him:
The Tontatta needed this.
They desperately needed it.
"Fufufufufu. Good. I believe we're going to be very good friends."
Doflamingo smiled in satisfaction, adjusting his sunglasses. He continued,
"How about this: as payment for growing the IQ grass, I'll arrange for your future Tontatta Kingdom to be relocated... a little closer to this land."
Ganfu's tiny hands, no bigger than a fly's, trembled with excitement.
"R-Really? You'd really do that?"
"Of course. I'm happy to go the extra mile for a friend."
Doflamingo's smile grew even wider.
He loved nothing more than people willing to sell their labor cheap.
"But right now... I think it's time to sober everyone up a little."
With a flick of his mind, Doflamingo manipulated the threads.
Microscopic hollow threads, less than a tenth of a millimeter wide, drilled into each Tontatta's fingertips.
And drew out a little blood.
"Ahhh!" *N.
The fingertips were directly connected to the heart.
Especially since everyone had been so relaxed, the sudden, stabbing pain was enough to instantly snap them out of the IQ grass's trance.
Before anyone could even begin to curse...
Ganfu's voice, full of anger and worry, roared out first:
"Look at yourselves! You represent the Tontatta Kingdom!
And yet you acted so disgracefully in front of His Majesty Doflamingo! Get down and apologize—NOW!!! Beg for His Majesty's forgiveness!!"
"We're sorry, Your Majesty Doflamingo! We have offended you!!!"
Without hesitation, the Tontatta all dropped to their knees.
"Fufufufufu. Good, good. Stand up."
...
Night.
Inside the laboratory.
"Pfft! Pfft!" *N.
Flipping through research notes and test results, Caesar's face grew darker and darker.
"Get lost already, you ridiculous old clown! Judge and I need quiet! Go back to your own lab!"
"Indigo, Boss will be here soon. You'd better have something useful to say about the Tontatta," Judge said, tinkering with a prototype machine as he analyzed the blood samples collected from the Tontatta earlier that day.
Indigo waved the half-finished SIQ serum in his hand, tapping his temple meaningfully.
Then, he started shambling toward Caesar...
In the next instant—
A hand, woven from fine threads, burst out of the floor and grabbed Indigo's head.
Bones creaked ominously under the pressure.
Indigo flailed wildly in pain, shrieking, "Wahh!! No, wait, no!!"
Across the room, Caesar and Judge exchanged a glance.
Both men were clearly enjoying the scene.
One competitor was more than enough.
"Fufufufufu. I can tolerate your ridiculous dance moves... But if you waste my time without producing results—or if you keep putting on your pathetic little pantomime— I'll personally send you to meet that Admiral you've been missing so much. Understand, Indigo?"
Doflamingo's voice drifted lazily from the doorway.
He could tolerate many flaws in his subordinates.
But not incompetence. And certainly not incompetence combined with disruption.
Seeing Doflamingo standing there, Indigo frantically nodded.
"I understand! I understand completely, Lord Doflamingo! I already have an idea! I'll have results very soon!"
"Caesar's secret drug acts as a key to unlocking the genetic lineage factor. And SIQ can push organisms to evolve into more combat-effective forms. Combined, they'll let us create an even more powerful new secret drug!"
It was true.
They needed a more advanced drug to keep business booming.
Doflamingo finally released his grip on Indigo's skull.
Thud. Indigo collapsed onto the floor.
Barely pausing to check if his skull was cracked, he scrambled to his feet and shouted:
"I won't let you down, Lord Doflamingo!!"
"You'd better not."
Doflamingo turned his gaze to Caesar and Judge, who were still grinning over Indigo's misfortune.
"So, what's the situation with the Tontatta?"
Judge stiffened instantly, straightening up and responding in a serious tone.
"Based on the blood analysis you requested, Boss, the Tontatta are extremely sensitive to the pheromones released by the IQ grass."
"Meanwhile, according to Indigo's notes, normal humans show no such reaction. This suggests that the Tontatta—this subspecies of humanity—are... incomplete. I suspect—"
"Let me explain, Boss!"
Caesar jumped in, covering Judge's mouth with gas and cutting him off, eager to speak first.
"Boss, as you know, both Judge and I were part of the MADS research group."
"Back then, we proposed a hypothesis about races: That all life shares a common origin, born alongside the seas, and that evolution later gave rise to Fishmen and Merfolk.
"Our own race—the Oni—evolved by focusing heavily on strength due to surviving in harsh environments..."
With an impatient wave, Doflamingo silenced him.
He already knew all that.
Turning back to Judge, he barked,
"Just get to the point."
Judge didn't dare waste another second.
"The Tontatta are symbiotic with plants—but their biology is incomplete. They're craving evolution. They need IQ, yes... but they must also learn to control that desire."
"Furthermore, a full IQ plant might not be the best choice for them. Instead, it's the pheromones released by the IQ grass that suit them best."
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Fanfic is finished 527 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg