After painting a grand vision for Umit, Orin patted him on the shoulder and told him to head to the meeting first.
Pure Gold was indeed important, but after so many days, a short delay for the meeting wouldn't make much of a difference.
Besides, someone out there was bound to be in even more of a hurry than he was.
Umit had offered a hefty reward for any information on the lanternfish—there was no way that would go unnoticed.
Lesser powers might overlook it, but organizations like the World Government? There was definitely a CP unit tracking it.
Besides...
Even if he missed this opportunity, it wouldn't be such a loss. His body wasn't at its peak yet anyway, so there was no rush to permanently extend his life.
After all, with Luffy the Pirate King as a backup, even if he had to stake out the lanternfish, he'd get it eventually.
So...
He'd just wait until the meeting was over to make a move.
...
Meanwhile—
Inside Private Room No. 2, Doflamingo, clad in a suit and draped in a cape, stood at the window, gazing down at the vast view of the Sabaody Archipelago.
"Doffy."
At some point, a figure had already appeared in the main seat of the room, legs crossed, fingers interlaced.
"Orin-sama!"
Doflamingo spun around sharply. With a respectful expression, he gave a slight bow and placed the box in his hands on the table.
"Fufufufufu... Ever since you mentioned a few particularly interesting Devil Fruits last time, I've been working hard. I'm happy to report that I've successfully found one."
As he finished speaking,
Doflamingo slowly opened the box. Inside lay a Devil Fruit with a dark purple hue, quietly resting.
The moment Orin saw the fruit, his interest piqued. With a casual wave of his hand, the fruit flew into his palm.
The pattern and shape were unmistakable...
"As expected of you, Doffy. Always bringing me pleasant surprises."
Orin hadn't expected it. The so-called legendary Devil Fruit supplier Doflamingo really did seem to have a natural talent for tracking them down.
The Devil Fruit said to be the most powerful of the Logia types, and the dream fruit of a certain chubby little punk Orin had once beaten up—
The Logia-type: Dark-Dark Fruit.
A worthy addition to Orin's unique collection.
"The most powerful Logia-type Devil Fruit... the Dark-Dark Fruit. Doffy, how should I reward you?"
"The most powerful Logia?"
Doflamingo's lips curled into a grin, but he was clearly shocked by Orin's words.
He could tell it was a Logia at a glance—after all, the three types of Devil Fruits had vastly different appearances:
Paramecia looked like apples, Zoans were like bananas, and Logias were pineapples.
But for someone like Orin to call this fruit the most powerful of them all...
Did that mean it was even stronger than the Lava, Light, and Ice fruits wielded by the Navy's three monsters?
He couldn't help but gulp.
In that instant, Doflamingo regretted not eating the fruit earlier.
He knew Orin had already eaten a Devil Fruit, so if Orin didn't want it, Doflamingo might've had a shot at it...
"Indeed..."
"A power that devours everything into nothingness... and can even nullify other Devil Fruit abilities."
"Fufufufufu... Sounds terrifying. A natural counter to all Devil Fruit users, huh?"
Orin weighed the fruit in his hand, but he didn't feel any regret. He never collected Devil Fruits with the intent of eating them anyway.
He was just pleased—it meant he had another interesting toy to play with.
"So, what kind of reward do you want, Doffy? Be bold—this fruit, along with your effort, deserves it."
"No, no... I'm not doing this for a reward. I'm simply carrying out your will."
Doflamingo gave his signature wicked grin, but his tone remained humble. A schemer like him knew how to act deferential when facing an unchallengeable superior—his emotional intelligence was nothing to scoff at.
"Is that so? Well, if that's how you feel... I won't reward you then."
"…"
Watching Doflamingo's frozen smile, clearly wanting to say something but unable to, Orin couldn't help but smirk mischievously.
A little joke now and then was a good way to strengthen bonds between superior and subordinate~
"Alright, I'm done messing with you."
Orin casually teleported the fruit back into the box. A glass of orange juice appeared in his hand. He swirled it and downed it in one go.
"I know... you've always wanted to go home, haven't you, Doffy? Back to the Donquixote family's homeland—Dressrosa."
Orin was fully aware of Doflamingo's background, and he had no problem offering up a gift wrapped in borrowed flowers. After all, even if Orin didn't mention it, Doflamingo would've made a move on it eventually.
"You mean..."
Doflamingo instantly perked up.
On one hand, he was surprised that Orin knew so much about the Donquixote lineage—one of the Twenty Kings.
On the other hand, he was genuinely excited.
"Do whatever you want. The World Government won't pressure you."
It was just a change of kings, after all. Doflamingo had managed it before through his status as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea—there was no reason Orin couldn't do the same.
What, was Orin's name less influential than a mere Warlord?
What a joke!!!
"I'll be visiting Dressrosa often in the future. I trust you'll manage it well."
"Fufufufufu... Of course. I won't let you down."
...
After finishing up with his two most capable subordinates, it was about time.
In the hotel's grand conference hall, all sorts of figures had already gathered.
The seating was prearranged. The stronger and more dominant a figure was in the market, the closer they sat to the front.
Their entourages and bodyguards stood respectfully beside them.
Six kings of the underworld—Doflamingo, Sammi, a gold-haired drunk old man...
They all sat in the front row, quietly waiting for the final moment to arrive.
Unlike in the outside world, no one was chatting or making business deals here. Everyone sat in complete silence.
Even the most brutal underworld bosses were sitting obediently, like well-behaved children.
"It's time."
As the clock struck the hour, the soft sound of footsteps echoed across the entire hall.
The man of legend—
Had arrived!!!
Step...
Thud!!!
Thud!!!
As the footsteps rang out, everyone without a seat collapsed to the ground—regardless of how strong they were—eyes rolling back in shock.
This was!!!
One of the underworld giants opened his mouth wide, staring at the bodyguard beside him—once a pirate worth over 500 million Belly, now retired from piracy—who had collapsed without resistance.
Cold sweat instantly drenched his face!
How... how could this be...
Just from Conqueror's Haki alone...
"What terrifying Conqueror's Haki..."
Doflamingo, who had been traumatized by this exact combination of footsteps and Conqueror's Haki before, was drenched in cold sweat, his smile barely hanging on.
Even the relatively young Rayleigh couldn't help but mutter in admiration.
"This level of control and intensity... It's even stronger than Roger back in the day!"
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Pls Drop some Power Stones
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