"Boss! Boss! We've got business! Big business!"
Dante and Trafalgar Law, who was also in the office, both turned toward the man rushing through the door.
The moment Law recognized the newcomer, his grip tightened on his nodachi and he frowned. "The East Blue Overlord?"
"Oh, hey, Doc! You're here too!" Mock shot a cheerful grin at Law before turning back to Dante, his voice booming. "Boss, it's huge."
"Huge?" Dante gave Mock a questioning look. "What kind of huge? Did some pirates hire you to be their 'pirate coach' again?"
"Nope! This is New World business," Mock said, scratching his head with a wide grin. "Some guy, Dofus Bro, he wants to cooperate with me!"
'Dofus Bro?' Dante repeated, completely lost. 'Who the hell is that?'
Just as the thought crossed his mind, another figure stepped quietly into the room behind Mock.
Kuma, holding his bible, gave Dante a respectful nod. "Boss," he said, then added after a slight pause, "It's the Donquixote Family."
"That's him!" Mock slapped his thigh. "That's the one! Dofus Bro!"
Law, who had been debating whether to laugh or leave, a flicker of amusement cutting through his usual stoicism. 'Doflamingo would probably have a fit if he ever heard someone call him that.
Dante knew Mock's habit of doling out nicknames. 'Dofus' was actually getting off easy. If he ever saw Doflamingo in person, it would probably be something closer to 'Feather Duster Bro'.
Of course, that wasn't the issue right now. He looked at Mock again, his curiosity piqued. "The Donquixote Family approached you?"
As he spoke, his gaze shifted to Robin, who was sitting quietly to the side, seemingly lost in a book.
Sensing his gaze, Robin looked up without a word. She already understood. Pulling out a Den Den Mushi, she dialed a number, spoke a few quiet words, and then hung up.
She put the receiver down and turned back to Dante with a nod. "It's true. Baroque Works sold that Den Den Mushi number to the Donquixote Family."
Before Dante could respond, Law frowned, looking down at him. "If I'm not mistaken, Baroque Works is your organization. Why would they sell intelligence on you?"
An awkward silence fell over the office.
Just as Law, sensing the shift, prepared to press further, Dante raised an eyebrow and deftly changed the subject. "Explaining that would be a hassle! We'll talk about it later!"
'Why would they sell their own intelligence?' On one hand, it was to maintain distance between his operations and Baroque Works. On the other... well, to make money, of course.
For the right price, you could buy almost any intelligence Baroque Works had. Naturally, not 'all' of it was for sale. The information they sold was carefully curated, things that could be exposed without compromising anything vital.
As for the things that couldn't be revealed, Baroque Works didn't even know about them. He had left the specifics to Robin, her years of experience evading the World Government meant she knew exactly where to draw the line.
Mock's current Den Den Mushi number, for instance, was intentionally public. They all had one for outside contact. Their private numbers would never see the light of day. Although, he still had no idea how that little tidbit about him 'playing around with female pirates' had also gotten sold...
But again, that was a concern for another time.
He looked back at Mock. "What does the Donquixote Family want from you?"
Just as he'd hoped, Law dropped the subject of Baroque Works and turned his attention back to Mock. This was the real reason he had stayed. Had the Donquixote Family finally made a move on this crew's operations? As powerful as they were, he wasn't about to underestimate a Marine Captain who kidnapped world's greatest scientist right under the World Government's nose.
Maybe, just maybe, he could learn something useful here.
"Well..." Mock scratched his head again. "That guy offered me five hundred million berries. Said he wants me to work with them to take out Kuma."
The office went silent again.
Law's expression twisted into something between confusion and dawning realization. 'Team up with the East Blue Overlord... to deal with Kuma?' The situation felt bizarrely familiar.
It was the same logic he had followed when he'd come here planning to ally with the 16th Branch to deal with the East Blue Overlord.
And look how that had turned out.
These guys were all in it together. And Doflamingo had offered five hundred million berries for the privilege of being played.
A cold smile touched Law's lips. "I never thought even Donquixote Doflamingo would fall for one of your tricks."
"Trick? Watch your mouth," Dante retorted, looking offended. "This is business. There are no tricks in a mutually beneficial transaction. I won't have you slandering our new partner."
Law stared, baffled. 'You're planning to string the Donquixote Family along? It's a bold move, but Doflamingo isn't someone you can fool easily."
"Fool him? Of course not," Dante said, shaking his head. He turned to Kuma with a grave expression. "You're just going to have to take one for the team, Kuma."
"Yes, Boss."
'Are they seriously going to cooperate with that madman?' Law thought, then corrected himself. 'No, wait. This guy is a madman, too.'
His patience was wearing thin. "Listen," he said, his voice tight with irritation, "I don't know what you're plotting, but let me give you some advice. The Donquixote Family is not to be underestimated with. Their leader is a genuine madman. If you work with him, you won't get anything out of it. I guarantee he won't even show his face, he'll just pull the strings from the shadows."
"I won't allow you to call our partner a madman!"
'Is this guy an idiot?' Law stared at him, incredulous. Giving up on Dante, he turned to Mock, his tone urgent. "That madman doesn't trust anyone. My advice is to turn him down before you get yourself killed."
But Mock just puffed out his chest, looking just as dissatisfied as his boss. "I won't have you talking about our partner like that, either!"
However.
As soon as he finished, the East Blue Overlord opposite him also puffed up with indignation. "And I won't allow you to talk about our partner like that either!"
'For fuck's sake,' Law thought, a string of curses running through his head. 'Is this a madhouse? Does anyone here speak a normal language?' He was beginning to think that staying here to find an opportunity had been a terrible mistake. These lunatics didn't operate on any recognizable logic. Still, remembering how much was at stake, he took a deep breath and tried one last time.
"You may have a plan, but I'm telling you, that man will never cooperate honestly with the East Blue Overlord. He will absolutely betray whatever deal you make."
"I don't believe you," Dante said, his expression firm. "Doffy Bro paid five hundred million. That's the mark of a man who wants to cooperate in good faith!"
Law thought, his mind reeling. 'Does he really measure sincerity in berries?'
--**--**
Meanwhile.
Just as Law had predicted...
Cooperation? Cooperate with some nobody from the weakest sea? 'Don't make me laugh'. If the man had been more obedient from the start, perhaps a partnership could have been considered. But an arrogant fool who dares to look down on the Donquixote Family? Did he really think of himself as some kind of emperor of the sea?
Ridiculous!
"Fufufufu, I do hope this 'East Blue Overlord' knows his place," Doflamingo purred, his eyes narrowing behind his sunglasses. He was sprawled in his chair, one long leg crossed over the other, a pair of loafers dangling from his foot. "Otherwise, he shouldn't blame me for being impolite."
"Doffy, are we really going to work with him?" Trebol asked, his brow furrowed. "He's a greedy one. I don't think he'll be satisfied easily!"
"It doesn't matter, so long as he follows my instructions," Doflamingo said, waving a dismissive hand as he took a glass of red wine from a nearby attendant. His voice turned to ice. "As for the rest... fufufufu."
He took a slow sip, swirling the wine in his glass.
"I've heard the Marine 16th Branch has been having quite a bit of trouble with this particular group of pirates."
===============
Dear Readers and Fans,
For those eager to dive into next chapters earlier before others, I invite you to join us on Patreon. By becoming our Patron, you not only gain access to exclusive advanced chapters but also help us continue this endeavour and expand it further.
https://www.pat reon.com/8Ashes8
(no space)
You can read upto 7 Chapters in advance.