Bugara Island, a deserted, little-known island situated between Punk Hazard and Dressrosa.
Doflamingo's crew was close by, so he, along with Enel and Whitey Bay, had landed on the island early. Now, all they had to do was wait for the Whitebeard Pirates to arrive. Since Whitebeard was coming from the depths of the New World, his journey would inevitably be slower. Doflamingo felt no particular urgency. In a clash between masters, there was no room for carelessness. He would use this time to center himself.
As for the other members of the Donquixote Pirates, they had dropped the trio off and departed without delay. They had their own mission to complete, and Diamante and the others were eager to get started. The ones who would ultimately suffer, of course, were King Riku and his family.
But none of that was Doflamingo's concern anymore.
On Bugara Island, Doflamingo, Enel, and Whitey Bay waited leisurely for the grand arrival of the Whitebeard Pirates.
Night fell. The sky was dotted with countless stars, and a bright bonfire crackled on the island. The three of them sat around the fire, soaking in its warmth to ward off the encroaching chill.
"Doffy, here."
Enel handed a roasted deer leg from the fire to Doflamingo, who accepted it without ceremony. Neither of them was a great cook, so this would have to do.
"You eat, too," Enel said, glancing disdainfully at Whitey Bay, who was sitting silently to the side. He tossed a piece of meat in her direction.
Whitey Bay didn't stand on ceremony with him. To refuse meat was to be a fool. She caught the piece Enel had thrown and, ignoring the searing heat, began to tear at it ravenously. A true child of the sea, with no concern for etiquette.
Enel slowly carved off the other deer leg and began to eat with relish.
The atmosphere between the three was surprisingly quiet.
After a long while, Enel, having eaten his fill, showed Whitey Bay no courtesy. "Finished eating? Get lost," he ordered bluntly.
"You!" Whitey Bay pointed at him, fuming.
"What 'you'? Remember, you're a prisoner right now. If it weren't for your old man who's not dead yet, we might have just killed you. We don't feed freeloaders," Enel said, his tone sharp.
Hearing his words, Whitey Bay swallowed her anger and said nothing more. She would wait for Whitebeard to arrive and settle the score.
You damn bastard. When Pops gets here, none of you will escape. I'll repay today's humiliation a hundred times over, she cursed inwardly. She got up and moved to the edge of the firelight, knowing she wasn't welcome and giving them no further opportunity to pick a fight.
"Tsk, tsk. She sure knows her place," Enel muttered with a pout.
"Enel, why are you bothering with her? You should be preparing to face Whitebeard."
Doflamingo tossed an apple in his hand, the firelight dancing across his face.
"Haha, Doffy, it's just that these prisoners have been whining nonstop lately," Enel said cheerfully, amused by Doflamingo's teasing. "I was just straightening her out a bit. You have no idea, that guy Squard was the loudest of them all. He had to be beaten."
The two exchanged a smile. The bonfire crackled, its flames growing higher, casting a red glow on their faces.
The night was silent, save for the rustling of animals in the dark and the sound of their own breathing. After a moment of silence, Enel spoke. "Doffy, I think Whitebeard has spoiled his sons rotten."
Doflamingo paused at his words.
Then, he laughed freely. "What, you want to discipline them for him? They're the apple of his eye."
"What? I don't want any 'beloved sons' like that. You couldn't pay me to take them," Enel said, shaking his head so vigorously it looked like a rattle.
"Whitebeard is bound to suffer because of those 'beloved sons' of his," Doflamingo said with a playful smile. "But that's none of our business. Who knows, we might even benefit from it."
"Heh heh, that's true," Enel said, taking a vicious bite of his apple, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Not far away, Whitey Bay overheard their conversation, her anger flaring. But there was nothing she could do. She was outmatched and had to accept her fate. The only thing she could do now was pray for Whitebeard's swift arrival.
And the Whitebeard Pirates she was so desperately waiting for were indeed making haste. Whitebeard was truly good to his sons; otherwise, so many wouldn't be clamoring to call him 'Pops'.
Aboard the massive Moby Dick, Whitebeard drank heavily, trying to wash away his frustration. The Division Commanders were in no better mood. Doflamingo's actions were a slap in the face, a deep humiliation. Regardless of the reason, the fact was that their father had been provoked. How could they possibly be in a good mood?
"Marco, how much longer until we reach Bugara Island?" Whitebeard asked, taking a long swig of sake.
"Pops, at our current speed, we should be there in one day," Marco replied promptly.
"Good." Whitebeard said nothing more, just took another heavy gulp of his drink.
Watching him, Marco's heart pounded with anxiety. He wanted to tell his father to drink less, but the words wouldn't come out. In the end, he could only let out a heavy sigh, mentally blaming Doflamingo for all of this and vowing to make him pay.
A similar scene was playing out on the Big Mom Pirates' ship, but in stark contrast to the somber mood on the Moby Dick, their atmosphere was one of gleeful celebration.
This time, Big Mom had left Katakuri in charge of Whole Cake Island and brought along her eldest son, Perospero, two of her three Sweet Commanders, and a number of her other powerful children. Of course, most important to her were the chefs. She would spare no effort to ensure she had good desserts.
"Mama, we're still a day and a half away from Bugara Island," Perospero reported to Big Mom, who was happily devouring a cake.
"Mamamamama! A day and a half? Fine," she said, not making a fuss. They had received the news later than Whitebeard, so it was impossible to arrive at the same time. Perhaps the desserts were also a factor.
Hearing that his mother wasn't throwing a tantrum, Perospero breathed a sigh of relief and quietly excused himself.
Under the night sky, a massive dragon soared gracefully through the air, its scales shimmering with a white light under the bright moon, a slightly unsettling sight.
It was Kaido of the Beasts, dancing under the moonlight. He hadn't brought any of his crew with him this time. He was just coming to join the fun, and maybe find a good place to die.
In the New World, several Marine warships were also closing in on Bugara Island. Akainu and Aokiji, unable to stand each other, were on separate ships, which made things more comfortable for both of them.
Under the moonlight, Aokiji sat alone at the bow of his ship. His usual lazy and careless demeanor was gone, replaced by a look of seriousness and gravity. No one knew what he was thinking, but it was certainly related to Doflamingo.
On the other warship, Akainu was also awake, pacing the deck. Unlike Aokiji, his face was a mask of grim determination, but his eyes burned with a fervent battle lust and an absolute resolve to capture and kill the pirates.
Then, as if by some unspoken agreement, the two admirals looked at each other across the water before turning away.
The pirates of the New World were all aware of the major event about to unfold. They didn't dare to get too close to Bugara Island, but they watched from a safe distance.
The first half of the New World was buzzing with activity. The nations here were thrown into even greater turmoil. But for the Donquixote Pirates, this couldn't be better.
The operation for Diamante and the others was about to begin.