"Hello? You want to talk to Overlord of the East Blue? You're talking to him."
"Cooperate? And who are you supposed to be? The Donquixote Family? Never heard of them. Some small-time crew? You want to work with me, the Overlord of the East Blue? Do you have any idea how many pirates I've put in their place?"
"A Shichibukai? I've got that offer too! But I chose not to be a government dog even if they paid me."
"Fame and money are just empty words. I couldn't care less about that kind of thing."
"You have a plan? Why would I care about that? I don't need to hear it. You need to think about where you stand. Not just anyone gets to work with me."
"You want to prove yourself? Fine. Send me five hundred million berry. Then we'll see what you're made of."
*Click, click, click~*
The Den Den Mushi went silent.
Inside the grand and luxurious royal palace of Dressrosa, Doflamingo's expression reddened in fury.
He crushed the expensive Den Den Mushi in his hand, his jaw tight as he fought back a wave of fury. Turning to Trebol, his face was still a thunderous mask as he asked grimly, "Are you absolutely sure that was the actually the Overlord of the East Blue?"
'Is that bastard an idiot?' Doflamingo thought. He hadn't even been able to get a word in edgewise with the man's constant interruptions. To ask what level the Donquixote Family was on... did the fool have no concept of the New World hierarchy?
"If there's no mistake... it should be," Trebol said, his usual carefree demeanor gone as he saw his Master's mood. He nodded seriously. "We bought the number from Baroque Works. I doubt they'd have the nerve to deceive the Donquixote Family."
Just as he finished, another young man in the room spoke up. He wore a round-lens mask, with stitched scars running down from his eyes, and his deep blue long coat was adorned with metal gears. "Doffy," he said, his voice cold, "do you need me to go have a word with this idiot? A mere pirate from the weakest of the four seas dares to speak to you that way? I'll personally make him understand the level of the Donquixote Family."
However...
"Fufufufufu... no need for that, Gladius." Doflamingo's anger seemed to vanish as quickly as it came, and he settled back onto his throne with his usual nonchalant air. "If he can really hold his own against The Tyrant Kuma, then he's not as dumb as he sounds. Besides, I don't care about his attitude. There's no need to explain ourselves to a fool. As long as we achieve our goal, nothing else matters."
As he spoke, he casually flicked his right hand. A faint smile played on his lips, but his voice was laced with ice.
"On the other hand... this Overlord of the East Blue is quite interesting. This might actually work out better for my plan."
"Doffy, are you really going to keep trying to work with him?" a man in a fuzzy-brimmed hat and a red cloak asked, frowning. Two lines were painted down his face, giving him a tribal look. "Why? If one of our top officers went, I'm sure the so-called Tyrant of the South Blue wouldn't be able to stop us."
"Never underestimate a Shichibukai, Diamante. There may be some trash among them, but the World Government isn't run by fools," Doflamingo said leisurely, looking at the officer codenamed 'Diamond'. "Besides, I have no desire to clash with another Shichibukai right now, nor do I want to draw the government's attention. So, we'll just have to trouble our foolish new friend."
"Behehehe." Trebol let out a strange chuckle, seeming to understand. "Doffy, you mean..."
"Give it to him," Doflamingo said, his eyes narrowing. "Let's show the Overlord of the East Blue what we're made of."
"Yes, Doffy!"
--**--**
On the other side of the world, Mock hung up the Den Den Mushi and flopped back down lazily. He turned to Kuma, who he had invited over for the day.
"What a psycho," Mock said casually. "Going on and on about cooperation but won't send a single berry. The Boss always said people like that are either trying to use you or they're just scammers. Does he take me for an idiot?"
He glanced over at Kuma, who was frowning in thought.
"Hey, relax, Kuma. What's with the long face? I brought you here to help you unwind a little. I heard you've been cooped up in the lab for days without any sleep." Mock grinned. "Bonney's almost better. We should be celebrating, not stressing out. That's right, she'll be fully recovered in a few days. When she is, I'll throw a huge banquet for her."
"I... thank you," Kuma said, a warm smile finally breaking through his worry. It faded just as quickly, and he frowned again. "Should we tell the Boss about what just happened?"
"What, about that scammer? Nah, no need," Mock waved a dismissive hand. "The Boss said anyone who starts off talking about a big opportunity with low investment is a con artist. Same thing he told me about those classes. Just ignore them."
"..."
Kuma stared at Mock with a hesitant expression. After a moment of silence, he said, "The Master of the Donquixote Family is one of the Shichibukai."
"Huh? He's really a Shichibukai? Even they're running scams now? That's a pretty old routine, though."
Seeing Mock's surprised face, Kuma was suddenly at a loss for words.
'Isn't his focus a little off?' he thought.
Just as Kuma was about to say more, Mock waved his hand again. "Who cares if he's a Shichibukai or not. The Boss said not even an idiot would want that job. As long as they don't pay up, they're all scammers to me."
The words had barely left his mouth when the Den Den Mushi began to ring again.
*Purupurupuru... Purupurupuru...*
Mock picked it up, looking confused. "Why am I so popular today?" he muttered, before speaking into the receiver. "Hello?"
"Fufufufufu... Overlord of the East Blue, perhaps we should have a proper talk. Rest assured, this is a rare opportunity..."
It was the same voice.
"You again!" Mock snapped, his patience gone. "Why do you keep calling? If you don't have anything important to say, I'm hanging up."
On the other end of the line, Doflamingo, who had been preparing a simple yet sophisticated speech to win the man over, froze. Sensing that the pirate wasn't bluffing, he took a deep breath and switched to a grim, serious tone. "Five hundred million. I agree. You wanted to see the strength of the Donquixote Family? I'll show you."
As expected, Mock's entire demeanor changed. He sat bolt upright, his lazy attitude gone, and let out a booming laugh. "Wahahaha! Donkey Bro! Now we're talking! What did you want to discuss?"
The sudden, shameless enthusiasm left even Doflamingo, who had seen nearly everything, momentarily speechless.
'This guy calls himself an overlord?' he wondered. 'Are there no other pirates in the East Blue?'
But he pushed the frustration down, thinking of his plan. "My name is Donquixote Doflamingo, Doflamingo not Donkey!" he said coolly. "I hear you have a grudge against the Tyrant of the South Blue, Bartholomew Kuma."
Mock and Kuma both stared blankly at the Den Den Mushi. Kuma, especially, was stunned. He never imagined this would have anything to do with him. What was Doflamingo planning?
Just as he was trying to process it, Doflamingo's voice came through the receiver again.
"That man has also offended me, so I was hoping to enlist your help. I only need one thing from him when the time comes. The rest is all yours. What do you say, Overlord of the East Blue?"
"Wahahaha~"
Mock's eyes narrowed slightly, and the broad, carefree smile returned to his face. But when he spoke, his tone had shifted completely. The bumbling fool from moments ago was gone, replaced by the commanding presence of a true overlord.
"Elaborate."
===============
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