The Luck-Luck Fruit worked; Doflamingo did indeed witness that colossal, mountain-like lantern fish.
But the Luck-Luck Fruit also failed; it vanished into the deep sea in a flash, giving Doflamingo no chance to act, and thwarting his plans. Its belly concealed Alchemi, an island that was once a thriving metal industrial civilization.
Doflamingo was preparing to have Baccarat replenish her luck and continue hunting that lantern fish when a Den Den Mushi call disrupted his plans.
"It's me! Doffy!" The usually serene and languid Smoothie couldn't hide her panic. "You'd better come back quickly!!"
Doflamingo, soaring through the clouds, frowned. "What's wrong, my dear?"
...
A few minutes earlier.
On the island where the New World Central Combat Arena V3 Weight Class Coliseum was located...
Rumble, rumble, rumble!!!
Towering waves roared and churned, arriving from afar in an instant. The surging tides swept across the sea; the ships anchored in the harbor, including the merged Sea Slug Fleet, swayed precariously, constantly at risk of capsizing.
The sky was clear and windless, so this was not a naturally occurring disaster.
Soon after...
Rumble, rumble, rumble!!!
Splash, splash, splash... splash, splash, splash!!!
A tsunami tens of meters high, carrying immense force, crashed down from above, overturning countless ships, trees, and houses. Half the coastline was ravaged, littered with wreckage and broken walls.
"Ah~~"
"That was a refreshing bath, even if it didn't drown me."
"Worororororo~~~"
From the water, which seemed like a torrential downpour, a silhouette like a demon from hell emerged.
Smoothie, gripping the Flamingo's gunwale tightly to steady herself, sweat pouring down her face, quickly pulled out her Den Den Mushi to dial. "It's me! Doffy! You'd better come back quickly!!"
"What's wrong, my dear?" Doflamingo's voice came through.
Smoothie stared intently at the figure gradually becoming clearer in the distance—tattered trousers, a shimenawa rope tied around his waist; tall and muscular like a giant, shirtless, every bulging muscle brimming with oppressive power, his left arm tattooed with purple scales and a skull; thick hair covering his entire back, long, thin whiskers like dragon's whiskers, ferocious eyes, menacing horns...
"It's an Emperor, 'Kaido of the Beasts' Kaido!" Smoothie gritted her teeth.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Heavy footsteps, like muffled drums.
Kaido wrung the water from his mantle as he walked. A massive spiked club hung at his waist, along with a vermilion sake gourd proportionate to his size. He draped his mantle back on, then roughly pulled down the vermilion sake gourd and gulped down drinks. His path was straight, heading directly for the Flamingo, that is, the Donquixote Family. His purpose was clear.
"Is that 'Kaido of the Beasts'? Wiii... haha... ha~" Burgess, who was responsible for guarding the home base with Smoothie, managed only a forced laugh despite his usually cheerful demeanor.
Smoothie drew her long sword, saying with difficulty, "It's him, a monster even crazier and more violent than Mama!"
A moment later.
"Where's Doflamingo?" Kaido approached the Flamingo, sitting cross-legged on the shore and taking two more swigs of sake. "I want to see him!"
"Fufufufu~ 'Kaido of the Beasts' honors us with his presence. What can we do for you?" Smoothie turned up the Den Den Mushi's volume, allowing Doflamingo to converse with Kaido through it. "I'm currently heading back to the base. If you have something to discuss, we can talk over the Den Den Mushi! Also, rumors say your temper isn't great after drinking, so I hope you drink less and don't bother my people."
Kaido burped, then replied unceremoniously, "Who do you think I am?! I do whatever I want!"
"Suit yourself. I have only one request: don't trouble my people," Doflamingo said calmly.
Kaido belched again. "'Joker,' that's your codename, right? The most powerful broker in the underworld today, Worororororo... You're clearly a lackey who surrendered to the World Government, yet you're secretly pulling strings behind their back."
"Fufufufu~ That's a rather harsh way to put it. The Warlords of the Sea didn't 'surrender' to the World Government; it's a cooperation. We each get what we need! Just like I also cooperate with Golden Lion and Big Mom, but I'm not their subordinate, nor will I be anyone's subordinate," Doflamingo said slowly. "Are you here to cooperate with me, or to make me your subordinate?"
Doflamingo found it quite ironic. He had just been about to recruit Hawk-Eyes as a subordinate, and now, not two days later, "Kaido of the Beasts" had arrived uninvited, with similar intentions and attitude as Doflamingo had taken when meeting Hawk-Eyes.
Kaido paused for a while, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. "You cooperate with the World Government, Golden Lion, and Big Mom, but not with me? Are you looking down on me?!"
"Fufufufu~ No, I just don't know your needs, nor what you can offer me in return. After all, business is business." Doflamingo replied neither subserviently nor arrogantly, smiling. "Please state your dream!"
Splat, splat, splat.
Hic, hic, sob... sob... Wah-ooh-ooh-ooh~~~
Kaido suddenly burst into heart-wrenching sobs.
Doflamingo: "..."
Smoothie, Burgess: "..."
A long while later.
"'Joker,' my dream is to form an army composed entirely of Zoan-type Devil Fruit users. Can you help me achieve it?" Kaido choked out, sniffling. "I know your codename, 'Joker,' so naturally, I know you acquire and sell Devil Fruits."
Doflamingo deliberated. "Let's meet to discuss it. I guarantee your dream has a chance to be realized."
"Really?" Kaido, snot and tears running down his face, said disbelievingly, "I asked others, and they all said it was impossible, spewing nonsense about how Devil Fruits are too rare, so I killed them."
"Fufufufu~ That's because they were too weak," Doflamingo said.
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