In response to Rosinante's question, Jake simply smiled and replied.
"By 'better,' do you mean safer places with easier promotions? If someone becomes a Marine just for those things, that would be far too opportunistic. Monet and I came here for simple reasons—to save Flevance and to take down Doflamingo. That's all."
Hearing this, Rosinante was momentarily stunned before murmuring to himself.
"Take down Doflamingo? But with his strength and background... is that really something that can be done so easily?"
"I know about Doflamingo's background—and many things you might not be aware of, Rosinante. For instance, that Doflamingo is your elder brother, that your family were Celestial Dragons who descended from the Holy Land, and that the previous Corazon is currently working undercover in the Marines."
At Jake's words, Rosinante sprang up from the sofa as if propelled by a spring.
He stared at Jake with a shock face.
"How did you know all this?! Did Sengoku tell you? And the previous Corazon is actually working undercover within the Marines?! Are you certain this intelligence is accurate? If true, then my current mission would be..."
Hearing this, Jake handed Rosinante a cup of hot tea before speaking slowly.
"That's precisely why we're here—to protect you from being killed by Doflamingo if your identity gets exposed. Vergo, He's currently at Marine Headquarters and, given his outstanding performance, will likely soon join the elite training camp. And if that happens, Rosinante, you know what will happen, don't you?"
"My information..."
"Yes, your records are still listed among the elite training camp's top graduates. While it's unlikely Vergo could join under his fabricated identity—there are too many inconsistencies—Marine Headquarters has its share of slackers. They might overlook such details, especially given Vergo's remarkable talent."
"If Vergo truly enters the elite training camp, he will inevitably see your records, exposing your identity immediately. The consequences of that... well, I don't need to spell them out, do I?"
Rosinante gave a bitter laugh and replied.
"Yes, I'm well aware. No one understands my brother better than I do. He'd most likely execute me publicly, just as he killed our father before my eyes. That man... he doesn't share our heart. He's a complete demon!"
As he spoke, Rosinante exhaled sharply, veins bulging on his arms as if gripped by agonizing memories.
After a moment, he suddenly looked up at Jake and asked.
"Since you've uncovered his undercover status, that bastard must be detained by now, right? If so, can we use this to infiltrate the Donquixote Family in reverse?"
Seeing Rosinante's stubborn determination to continue his undercover mission, Jake shook his head.
"Vergo hasn't been arrested. He's still operating as a spy. We can't risk alerting them prematurely. Besides, anyone Doflamingo selects for such a mission would be unquestionably loyal to the Donquixote Family. Even if we captured Vergo, I doubt we could extract any useful information from him."
"You know how it is with the Donquixote Family—they're all fanatics who worship Doflamingo. Getting any information that might harm him from them... well, you understand the difficulty yourself."
In response to Jake's words, Rosinante nodded as well.
Through his years of undercover experience within the Donquixote Family, he understood better than anyone what kind of madmen populated its ranks.
To single out the craziest and most trusted individual by Doflamingo among these lunatics would mean that person's loyalty to Doflamingo had reached a terrifying level.
Extracting useful information from such a person would be no easier than scaling the heavens.
Still, Rosinante couldn't help but ask with lingering hope:
"But if things continue like this, when exactly will the Donquixote Family be eradicated? Over the years, their underground dealings have only increased. Far too many innocent civilians have been captured and enslaved by them. The majority of the poison and weapons circulating in the black market are now monopolized by Doflamingo alone. If we let this go on, their roots will only grow stronger."
In response to Rosinante's concerns, Jake took a slow sip of tea before replying.
"Don't rush, Rosinante. The downfall of the Donquixote Family will come within this week. When everything is in place, they won't escape. But the timing isn't ripe yet. If we act recklessly now, some troublesome figures might intervene. You know who I mean—the forces recently trading Devil Fruits with Doflamingo. They're the real challenge."
At this, Rosinante's pupils contracted, his voice trembling slightly:
"You mean... Kaido?! The Beast Pirates might join this conflict?!"
"I can't confirm it, but I won't deny it either. However, when we move against Doflamingo, I'd prefer Kaido not to interfere. But if we send even one Marine Admiral to block Kaido, the situation would become far more complicated than just dealing with Doflamingo. So I'm waiting for an opportunity—a chance to wipe out Doflamingo while Kaido is preoccupied."
"But when will such an opportunity arise? You just said within a week. Do you have concrete intelligence on your side?"
Jake only smiled in response, offering no further explanation.
Rosinante understood—Jake couldn't share the details with him.
Yet, being kept in the dark didn't anger him.
After all, he and Jake had only known each other briefly.
As an undercover agent—and Doflamingo's own brother—whether he'd truly defected was still uncertain.
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