"He drew a circle in the North Sea."
"That location should be the First Branch of the North Sea."
"What exactly does the Vice Admiral want to do by drawing a circle here?"
Donquixote Rosinante glanced at the map on the table, especially at the circle on the map of the North Sea. He looked closely and immediately recognized that the place Vice Admiral Rosen had marked was the 1st Navy Branch.
He knew that in addition to appointing Rosen as the Vice Admiral of the North Sea, the Navy Headquarters had also appointed him as the base commander of the 1st Navy Branch.
However, Rosinante vaguely felt that the man in front of him did not draw that circle casually, but with a deeper meaning unknown to others.
"Vice Admiral. If you don't have any instructions, Law and I will leave first. I won't bother you any more."
Although Trafalgar Law was curious about Rosen's intention in circling the 1st Naval Branch, he saw the Admiral's thoughtful expression and wisely chose not to pry. Instead, he quietly took note of it. Rosinante clasped Law's hand, using the power of the Silence Fruit to erase their footsteps and the sound of the door closing as they left the office.
"Law. You can speak now. If you have anything to ask, go ahead. Our conversation is only between the two of us."
After leaving the office, Donquixote Rosinante noticed the boy's hesitation and encouraged him.
"Mr. Corazon… don't you find it strange? Ever since we walked in—before you even opened your mouth—the Admiral seemed to already know our intentions, almost like…" Law trailed off, unsure if his guess was too absurd.
"…like he could see the future."
"Is that so, Law?" Rosinante picked up where Law had left off, giving voice to what the boy found too awkward to say aloud.
Law nodded firmly.
"You're right to think so. The Vice Admiral is exactly as you suspected—he had already seen the future before we even stepped into his office. That's why you had the feeling he knew everything in advance."
Rosinante's words shocked Law.
"What? See the future? Is that possible?"
His pupils shrank, horror spreading across his face.
"This is the power that can only be achieved by refining Observation Haki to its highest level," Rosinante explained.
"To see fragments of the future for an instant—not just images, but sound as well. In other words, when we stood at the office door, the Vice Admiral had already glimpsed everything that would happen once we entered."
He had opened a new door for Trafalgar Law.
"You can actually do something like this… then, Vice Admiral, just how strong are you?"
For as long as he could remember, the strongest man in Law's mind had been Donquixote Doflamingo. That belief shattered the day Rosen arrived in the North Sea and beat the arrogant Heavenly Yaksha into a watchdog.
"I don't know the full answer to that question either," Rosinante admitted. "But think about this—according to him, the Vice Admiral went from a freshman at the military academy to standing on the pinnacle of the seas in less than four months."
Rosinante crouched down and looked Law straight in the eye.
"And yet, the other Admirals and even the Four Emperors all took ten, twenty, or even thirty years to reach that level. Do you understand what I'm telling you, Law?"
Law's body trembled, his mind shaken to its core. He was only beginning to understand how unfathomable the man they followed truly was.
…
The next day.
A warship slowly sailed away from the docks of the Donquixote Family's base camp.
Whether it was Donquixote Doflamingo himself or all of his family's cadres, not a single one was absent. They all stood at the dock, watching the warship depart.
These unruly pirates, once arrogant and free, now stood obediently like chained watchdogs. Only after the outline of the warship had completely disappeared over the horizon did they finally breathe—some in relief, others drenched in cold sweat.
Even Doflamingo himself was no exception.
Though Rosen had granted him the title of Shichibukai, Doflamingo felt nothing but unease whenever the man was near. For the first time, the Heavenly Yaksha truly understood what it meant: to serve the king is like accompanying a tiger.
No way around it.
His own life, his honor, his disgrace—none of it was under his control anymore. All of it depended on Rosen's will. That suffocating realization gnawed at him constantly.
"Doffy, are we really going to do what he says?"
After making sure the warship was far enough away, Trebol finally dared to speak. At his words, Pica and Diamante's faces changed instantly, both of them reflexively turning toward the horizon to make sure Rosen's ship had truly disappeared before they exhaled.
Nearby, Rosinante feigned nervousness but secretly strained his ears, listening intently.
He had three reasons for staying: to protect Law, to witness the fruits of Rosen's training firsthand, and to monitor Donquixote Doflamingo. If the man stepped out of line, Rosinante would immediately report it to Vice Admiral Rosen.
And then… it wouldn't be a Shichibukai with a collar. It would be a Shichibukai executed.
"In front of him, even our lives aren't our own. Do you really think we have a choice?"
Doflamingo's voice was low and grim. Of course, he didn't want to obey. What king ever accepted bowing his head to another? But the invisible collar around his neck reminded him constantly—one wrong move, and he could die.
"We can abandon everything and set out for the Grand Line, even the New World!" Trebol spat through gritted teeth. "The sea is vast—there has to be a place for us. The New World is a graveyard for pirates, yes, but it's also the world of pirates. No matter how strong Rosen is, he can't control everything there!"
Doflamingo only shook his head.
"It's too late. If we had fled at the very beginning, maybe there would've been a chance. But now… now every one of us has had our fingernails taken and turned into life cards. If we disobey Rosen's orders, he won't even need to lift a finger himself. Douglas Bullet alone could wipe our family off the map."
His words crushed the last sparks of hope in the hearts of his cadres.
Chapter 162: "You can actually do something like this… then, Vice Admiral, just how strong are you?"
"He drew a circle in the North Sea."
"That location should be the First Branch of the North Sea."
"What exactly does the Vice Admiral want to do by drawing a circle here?"
Donquixote Rosinante glanced at the map on the table, especially at the circle on the map of the North Sea. He looked closely and immediately recognized that the place Vice Admiral Rosen had marked was the 1st Navy Branch.
He knew that in addition to appointing Rosen as the Vice Admiral of the North Sea, the Navy Headquarters had also appointed him as the base commander of the 1st Navy Branch.
However, Rosinante vaguely felt that the man in front of him did not draw that circle casually, but with a deeper meaning unknown to others.
"Vice Admiral. If you don't have any instructions, Law and I will leave first. I won't bother you any more."
Although Trafalgar Law was curious about Rosen's intention in circling the 1st Naval Branch, he saw the Admiral's thoughtful expression and wisely chose not to pry. Instead, he quietly took note of it. Rosinante clasped Law's hand, using the power of the Silence Fruit to erase their footsteps and the sound of the door closing as they left the office.
"Law. You can speak now. If you have anything to ask, go ahead. Our conversation is only between the two of us."
After leaving the office, Donquixote Rosinante noticed the boy's hesitation and encouraged him.
"Mr. Corazon… don't you find it strange? Ever since we walked in—before you even opened your mouth—the Admiral seemed to already know our intentions, almost like…" Law trailed off, unsure if his guess was too absurd.
"…like he could see the future."
"Is that so, Law?" Rosinante picked up where Law had left off, giving voice to what the boy found too awkward to say aloud.
Law nodded firmly.
"You're right to think so. The Vice Admiral is exactly as you suspected—he had already seen the future before we even stepped into his office. That's why you had the feeling he knew everything in advance."
Rosinante's words shocked Law.
"What? See the future? Is that possible?"
His pupils shrank, horror spreading across his face.
"This is the power that can only be achieved by refining Observation Haki to its highest level," Rosinante explained.
"To see fragments of the future for an instant—not just images, but sound as well. In other words, when we stood at the office door, the Vice Admiral had already glimpsed everything that would happen once we entered."
He had opened a new door for Trafalgar Law.
"You can actually do something like this… then, Vice Admiral, just how strong are you?"
For as long as he could remember, the strongest man in Law's mind had been Donquixote Doflamingo. That belief shattered the day Rosen arrived in the North Sea and beat the arrogant Heavenly Yaksha into a watchdog.
"I don't know the full answer to that question either," Rosinante admitted. "But think about this—according to him, the Vice Admiral went from a freshman at the military academy to standing on the pinnacle of the seas in less than four months."
Rosinante crouched down and looked Law straight in the eye.
"And yet, the other Admirals and even the Four Emperors all took ten, twenty, or even thirty years to reach that level. Do you understand what I'm telling you, Law?"
Law's body trembled, his mind shaken to its core. He was only beginning to understand how unfathomable the man they followed truly was.
…
The next day.
A warship slowly sailed away from the docks of the Donquixote Family's base camp.
Whether it was Donquixote Doflamingo himself or all of his family's cadres, not a single one was absent. They all stood at the dock, watching the warship depart.
These unruly pirates, once arrogant and free, now stood obediently like chained watchdogs. Only after the outline of the warship had completely disappeared over the horizon did they finally breathe—some in relief, others drenched in cold sweat.
Even Doflamingo himself was no exception.
Though Rosen had granted him the title of Shichibukai, Doflamingo felt nothing but unease whenever the man was near. For the first time, the Heavenly Yaksha truly understood what it meant: to serve the king is like accompanying a tiger.
No way around it.
His own life, his honor, his disgrace—none of it was under his control anymore. All of it depended on Rosen's will. That suffocating realization gnawed at him constantly.
"Doffy, are we really going to do what he says?"
After making sure the warship was far enough away, Trebol finally dared to speak. At his words, Pica and Diamante's faces changed instantly, both of them reflexively turning toward the horizon to make sure Rosen's ship had truly disappeared before they exhaled.
Nearby, Rosinante feigned nervousness but secretly strained his ears, listening intently.
He had three reasons for staying: to protect Law, to witness the fruits of Rosen's training firsthand, and to monitor Donquixote Doflamingo. If the man stepped out of line, Rosinante would immediately report it to Vice Admiral Rosen.
And then… it wouldn't be a Shichibukai with a collar. It would be a Shichibukai executed.
"In front of him, even our lives aren't our own. Do you really think we have a choice?"
Doflamingo's voice was low and grim. Of course, he didn't want to obey. What king ever accepted bowing his head to another? But the invisible collar around his neck reminded him constantly—one wrong move, and he could die.
"We can abandon everything and set out for the Grand Line, even the New World!" Trebol spat through gritted teeth. "The sea is vast—there has to be a place for us. The New World is a graveyard for pirates, yes, but it's also the world of pirates. No matter how strong Rosen is, he can't control everything there!"
Doflamingo only shook his head.
"It's too late. If we had fled at the very beginning, maybe there would've been a chance. But now… now every one of us has had our fingernails taken and turned into life cards. If we disobey Rosen's orders, he won't even need to lift a finger himself. Douglas Bullet alone could wipe our family off the map."
His words crushed the last sparks of hope in the hearts of his cadres.