Fierce, savage, brutal, tyrannical, and deranged, with a slightly weaker but still domineering presence akin to Whitebeard, the arrogance of Golden Lion, and the unruly nature of Big Mom—that was Doflamingo's first impression upon seeing Kaido. With his extensive vocabulary, he found almost no positive adjectives to describe this humanoid monster.
Frankly, Doflamingo hadn't wanted to interact with Kaido so early.
On one hand, he was wary of the World Government. The World Government barely tolerated his contact with Golden Lion and Big Mom; what about adding Kaido to the mix?
On the other hand, he didn't believe Kaido had an easygoing personality. Rash contact when his own strength and influence were insufficient could easily lead to being suppressed... although these latter two concerns were merely Doflamingo overthinking things.
"Joker!" Kaido, whose tolerance for alcohol was terrible and whose behavior when drunk was even worse, was quite inebriated. Upon seeing Doflamingo, he seemed to have found a long-lost relative, crying profusely and attempting an embrace, completely disregarding their vast difference in physique. "I've finally been waiting for you! Waaah-ooh-ooh-ooh! Why were you so slow? I was so impatient!"
Doflamingo deftly dodged Kaido's arms, which were as thick as steel-reinforced concrete pillars, but he did pat Kaido as a polite response, smiling. "I didn't expect you to visit my base, so I went out, fufufufu~"
"Doffy," Smoothie genuinely sighed in relief, having found her anchor.
It wasn't that Smoothie had never seen Kaido before; in earlier years, Kaido and Big Mom had many conflicts. But precisely because she had seen Kaido and witnessed his destructive behavior, she was trembling with fear, terrified that Kaido might erupt, and then the family's base and all its assets would be utterly destroyed, countless efforts going down the drain.
Burgess's face was also pale, and he squeezed out a stiff, awkward smile.
"My dear, squeeze two glasses of juice," Doflamingo gently kissed Smoothie's forehead, then quietly added, "Later, tell Burgess and Baccarat to take the Sea Slug Fleet and leave. Don't come back until I inform you."
Smoothie opened her mouth.
"Go," Doflamingo turned, smiling. "Apologies for the long wait! Shall we get straight to the point, or exchange a few pleasantries? Fufufufu~"
Kaido took a swig of sake, his eyes bloodshot, his aura growing even more terrifying. "Pleasantries? Wororororo, forget it! I don't like being praised, nor do I like praising others."
"Your dream of forming an army composed entirely of Zoan-type Devil Fruit users can be realized," Doflamingo stated confidently. "Since it's an army, how many members do you envision for this Zoan-only Devil Fruit user army?"
Kaido counted on his fingers. "This... uh..." He seemed a bit lost, then tentatively asked, "Five hundred?"
"Small-minded!" Doflamingo's lips curved upward. "Fufufufu~ You are 'Kaido of the Beasts'! One thousand, two thousand, three thousand, even ten thousand! That's what you should be aiming for!"
Kaido: "..."
Startled by Doflamingo's grand ambition, Kaido was speechless for a long time. Then he said, "Brat, don't talk nonsense. I'm not a brainless, unreasonable guy. I know Devil Fruits are rare, with Logia-types being the fewest, followed by Zoan-types. Mythical Zoans and Ancient Zoans are even rarer than Logia-types. The most common are Paramecia-types. Even if you deal in both legal and illegal markets, and your business is impressive..."
"It's absolutely impossible to acquire Devil Fruits in normal ways through purchase and trade," Doflamingo interrupted Kaido, seriously. "But we can use scientific means to mass-produce artificial Devil Fruits!"
Clang!
Burgess, standing nearby, tripped over his own feet and fell flat on his face.
"You... are you joking? Artificial! Devil! Fruits!?" Kaido pursed his lips, his hand unconsciously moving toward his spiked club. "Are you messing with me?"
Doflamingo gestured for Burgess to leave, maintaining his serious demeanor. "Devil Fruits are related to 'Lineage Factors.' Dr. Vegapunk, you must have heard of his esteemed name. That genius, 'whose wisdom surpasses humanity by five hundred years,' possesses power you cannot imagine. He even 'once approached the realm of gods' and discovered the 'Blueprint of Life'! 'Lineage Factors' are also one of his achievements."
"This is really messed up," Kaido carefully processed the information, understanding that Doflamingo wasn't lying, but his own worldview briefly crumbled. He violently ruffled his hair and swore loudly.
Doflamingo smiled, extending a finger. "Fufufufu~ Dr. Vegapunk's power is world-altering, which is why the World Government half-forcibly brought him under their control and doesn't allow other powers to meddle! If we want to form an army entirely of Zoan-type Devil Fruit users, we must have a way to manufacture 'Lineage Factors.' This is the only problem!"
"What should we do?" Kaido rested his chin in his hand. "Should I just go kill my way to Mariejois and try?"
Doflamingo shook his head. "If you dare to forcibly abduct Dr. Vegapunk, the World Government will eliminate you at all costs, even if you're 'Immortal Kaido'!"
He dismissed Kaido's idea, then changed the subject. "Just wait patiently. I guarantee we'll launch the plan when the time is right, fufufufu~ Don't forget my status as a Warlord of the Sea; it makes it easier to get close to World Government assets."
"Doffy."
Smoothie delivered two glasses of juice, one large and one small, then reluctantly obeyed Doflamingo's command to leave.
Doflamingo raised his glass. "First, let me clarify: artificial Devil Fruits have certain flaws."
Kaido silently raised his glass as well, giving face by switching to juice.
"An army composed entirely of Zoan-type Devil Fruit users... what do you intend to do with it?" Doflamingo licked his lips, saying playfully, "If your answer satisfies me, perhaps I won't demand an exorbitant fee. A symbolic payment will still be necessary, business is business, after all."
Kaido gulped down his juice, then smashed the cup, declaring loudly, "To initiate the greatest, most unparalleled war the world has ever seen! How about it?"
"Fufufufu~ Hahahahaha..." Doflamingo burst out laughing, spreading his arms. "Excellent! Excellent!"
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