Chapter 145: Instigation, Seastone
Doflamingo finally got his wish to meet the head of the Charlotte Family.
In the palace on Cake Island, Charlotte Linlin was leisurely lying on a couch enjoying her afternoon tea, releasing white light points from her hands that fell onto the various sweets on the enormous food cart placed before her.
These sweets then gained life, growing facial features and limbs as they came alive, laughingly calling out "Mama" as they jumped into Charlotte Linlin's mouth.
"Mama mama, Doflamingo, what business do you have with me, brat?"
Charlotte Linlin licked her crimson lips while grinning with her gaping maw as she asked.
"I've come to help you, Big Mom."
Even someone as frivolous as Doflamingo maintained humility before Charlotte Linlin.
He was well aware that he could act arrogantly before the Marines because he was a Warlord and they wouldn't touch him. He could also act arrogantly before the World Government because he held the Celestial Dragons' great secret, so even the Five Elders had to compromise with him.
But he couldn't act arrogantly before a monster like Charlotte Linlin.
Slightly angering this monster would mean death.
"Help?"
Charlotte Linlin immediately burst into laughter. "Interesting, how is it that I don't know of anywhere I need your help, brat?"
The only possible help this guy could offer would be making children, but he was just an ordinary human, and there were already enough human children - nothing special about that.
"Because you've been deceived by someone, Big Mom. I've come this time to help you expose that guy's lies."
Doflamingo spoke with righteous indignation, as if he were truly some upright person who had traveled thousands of miles just to help a stranger avoid being deceived.
"That guy?"
Charlotte Linlin was momentarily stunned. "Which guy?"
"Brett, of course - the fish-man Brett!"
Doflamingo said solemnly.
"Brett?"
Charlotte Linlin turned over and rose, her invisible aura instantly enveloping Doflamingo.
Cold sweat immediately seeped from Doflamingo's forehead, but he didn't even dare release his own Conqueror's Haki to resist Charlotte Linlin's.
"I know about the conflict between you and Brett, so don't think about trying to drive a wedge between me and Brett!"
Charlotte Linlin's voice was cold.
"You trust Brett greatly, expecting him to help the Charlotte Family seize Fish-Man Island, but I'm afraid Brett won't respond to your expectations, Big Mom!"
Doflamingo had already made full psychological preparations and continued his passionate speech even under Charlotte Linlin's oppressive aura.
"Who leaked this information to you?"
Charlotte Linlin's anger intensified.
She had ordered secrecy back then.
"That's not important. What's important is that you probably don't understand, Big Mom,"
Doflamingo shouted, "You probably don't understand what kind of relationship Brett has with Neptune - with that king he claims he wants to overthrow!"
"What?"
Charlotte Linlin was momentarily stunned.
"Brett once killed high-ranking Marines, including even a Vice Admiral."
Doflamingo was well-informed about many things that people across the seas had never heard of, yet he knew them clearly. "For this, Neptune and Jinbei negotiated with the government!"
"Neptune even used Fish-Man Island's withdrawal from the World Government as leverage, demanding that the government not pursue Brett's crimes!"
This wasn't hard to investigate, since it wasn't the Five Elders who initially took the call.
"What did you say?"
Charlotte Linlin finally frowned.
"Jinbei and Neptune have always viewed Brett as Fish-Man Island's rising star,"
Doflamingo sneered, "How could they so easily give up on Brett? Big Mom, have you considered that this has been nothing but a deception from start to finish!"
"After all," Doflamingo grinned, "Brett keeps claiming he wants to overthrow Neptune, but hasn't he accomplished nothing so far?"
"..."
Charlotte Linlin's expression had become extremely gloomy.
"If you don't believe me, how about sending someone to Fish-Man Island to see for yourself, Big Mom?"
Doflamingo's smile widened. "Go verify it personally."
He couldn't read minds, but he didn't need to right now. Just by looking at Charlotte Linlin's expression, he could guess her inner thoughts clearly.
He had succeeded.
Hah, Brett, you cunning brat, you're about to be in trouble.
Brett naturally had no idea what his old nemesis was up to.
After Tesoro finished filming, he returned to Dressrosa. Post-production would still take some time, and he told Brett to eagerly await it.
Brett actually wasn't looking forward to it at all.
His days had become leisurely.
Usually, he just handled official business, then sparred with Jinbei or Alexander, practicing advanced Armament Haki.
Rayleigh had been right - after solidifying the foundation, learning advanced Armament Haki techniques was no longer so difficult.
Both Brett and Jinbei could feel his Haki gradually becoming more fluid. Both felt that completely making his Haki flow was very close now.
But Alexander couldn't do it, probably because his foundation wasn't sufficient yet, and his Haki's intensity couldn't keep up.
One day, after Brett and Jinbye had sparred for a while at the training ground, they prepared to go to a restaurant in Fish-Man street for dinner.
They had just arrived at the restaurant and hadn't yet had time to order when laughter rang out.
"Hahaha, Brett, Boss Jinbei, come eat with us!"
Brett turned to look and saw Mark and several miners gathered together eating.
"Sure!"
Jinbei readily agreed.
Brett also walked over, smiling as he said, "Don't you go home to eat? Aren't you afraid your wife will be angry?"
"She wouldn't dare!"
Mark immediately became spirited. "I'm always the one who has the final say in our house!"
"Hahahaha, stop pretending, Mark. Who doesn't know you?"
His coworkers immediately burst into laughter. "You're the first one to rush home after work every day, afraid your wife will be angry. You definitely had to sweet-talk your wife into agreeing to this dinner gathering today, right?"
"Stop slandering me!"
Mark tried to maintain a composed appearance. "My wife is incredibly obedient to me. She's just worried something might happen to me outside."
But judging from his evasive eyes, it was probably true.
"Hahahaha, isn't that wonderful?"
Jinbe found an empty seat and sat down. "Caring for each other - that's what makes a family."
"A toast to Mark who loves his wife!"
Brett simply raised his wine cup.
"Cheers!"
The atmosphere was very lively.
Everyone chatted while eating, with constant laughter.
When they were almost done eating, the somewhat tipsy Mark suddenly said, "Oh, right, Brett, today I, I dug up a very, very strange stone. Nobody knows what kind of mineral it is."
He somewhat sluggishly pulled a black stone from his pocket and placed it on the table.
"But it's extremely, extremely hard. It feels, feels somewhat unusual."
The also slightly drunk Brett casually picked up the stone.
He hadn't paid much attention initially - the sea was the world's greatest treasure trove, and any kind of mineral could be found on the seabed, so discovering anything wouldn't be strange.
But the moment he touched the stone, he realized something was wrong.
His body suddenly went limp, and his head crashed directly onto the table.
"Brett? Hey, hahahaha," Mark looked at Brett's condition in a daze, then burst into laughter. "Are you already this drunk?"
Only Jinbei realized something was wrong.
With Brett's constitution, how could he be knocked out by this little alcohol?
Fortunately, when Brett collapsed, the stone slipped from his hand. He straightened up again, looking at the stone on the table with bewilderment. "Mark, where exactly did you dig up this stone?"
"Where, where?"
Mark hiccupped. "In the iron mine, of course. I kept digging down and found it."
"Brett?"
Jinbei's eyes widened - he had also guessed it.
"It's seastone."
Brett said gravely.