Jihahahaha~~ Jihahahaha~~~
Shiki's laughter was distinctive—a hearty, unrestrained laugh that, while inevitably tinged with a hint of oddity and malice, undeniably showcased his bold and heroic spirit.
However, to Doflamingo's ears, Shiki's laughter at this moment was as grating as could be.
Doflamingo, of course, understood that Shiki wasn't laughing joyfully to intimidate "Kaido of the Beasts" into retreating. It wasn't worth it. After all, Shiki had even managed to capture "Kaido of the Beasts" alive before, let alone merely intimidate him into retreating. No, it was mockery; Shiki was mocking him.
Lighting the cigar Shiki had tossed to him, Doflamingo exhaled smoke for a moment, then his forehead veins bulged, and he said with irritation, "Is it that funny?"
"Of course it is! Jihahahaha~~" Shiki was overjoyed. "It's truly rare to see you lose your composure and make a fool of yourself! What do you say? You finally understand what 'unreasonable' means, don't you? Not everyone can be swayed by your silver tongue, even if you swayed me, Big Mom, or even the World Government!"
Doflamingo sighed, saying softly, "This isn't over."
"Empty threats are useless. What's happening now is the reality!" Shiki sat casually on the ruined ground. "Before we made that agreement, whatever I owed you, consider it paid now."
Doflamingo met Shiki's gaze. "I know. People always have to rely on themselves."
"Jihahahaha~ Hey, Doffy! If I hadn't helped you this time, what would you have done?" Shiki asked playfully. "Compromise?"
Doflamingo sneered, "Compromise? Let me bow to power? Are you kidding me! I'd rather die than surrender to anyone and call them 'boss'! Fufufufu~ If I didn't even have that much courage, I wouldn't have gone out to sea to be a pirate. I'd be better off finding a small, uninhabited island and spending my life in lonely obscurity, like a rat in a hole."
"Better to be a shattered gem than a whole tile, Jihahahaha!" Shiki's joyous laughter once again echoed through the sky.
Doflamingo tossed away his cigar, gazing at the shattered half of the island. "Tens of billions of Berries worth of stuff is gone. Don't forget, your interests are here too. I don't think it's that funny."
"I can't help with that," Shiki said, folding his arms into his sleeves. "Doffy."
Doflamingo looked at the suddenly serious Shiki.
"I was active nearby and happened upon 'Kaido of the Beasts' causing you trouble. Do you think that was just a coincidence?" Shiki raised an eyebrow.
Doflamingo narrowed his eyes. "You came specifically to visit me?"
"Jihahahaha~" Shiki rubbed the ship's helm on his head. "I thoroughly investigated my subordinates and indeed found signs of Cipher Pol infiltration! The World Government and the Marines are making frequent moves... they intend to make a move on me."
Doflamingo's thoughts spun. "What's your plan?"
"I haven't finalized my plan yet. Whether it's the cultivation of rare beasts or the development of the 'Daft Green' poison gas, I need time—no less than ten years!" Shiki's jovial mood vanished, leaving only seriousness. "Think of a way for me to dispel the World Government and Marine's intention to move against me. Only you possess such means!"
Doflamingo tapped his finger, considering for a long moment. "Two methods. One is for you to continuously relocate Merveille at all costs, giving the World Government and Marines no time to prepare. The other is to create a massive incident that overwhelms the World Government and Marines."
"Merveille is too massive," Shiki mused for a moment, then indirectly rejected Doflamingo's first suggestion.
Doflamingo's brows furrowed. "Creating a massive incident... A huge incident that can overwhelm the World Government and Marines, tsk~ It's very difficult. It must both overwhelm them and last long enough, unless another public execution of the 'Pirate King' happens, reigniting the Great Pirate Era into a new climax."
"But even during the Great Pirate Era, the World Government only needed one World Conference period to stabilize the situation," Shiki said, troubled.
Doflamingo spread his hands. "So you understand how difficult it is, hmm?"
"Hmm?" Shiki was lost in thought for a long time, then suddenly realized, "Oh~~ Got it, got it! Damn it, you bastard who doesn't show the rabbit until the hawk is ready to pounce! You still want favors from me! Don't we have an agreement? You unconditionally support me, and when I kick the bucket someday, everything I have goes to you?"
Doflamingo said calmly, "It's not a big deal to advance me some benefits, is it? Give me your channels in the underworld. You don't need them much anyway; you can just ask me about gathering information and such."
"I really want to cut you down, you brat," Shiki sighed, saying something that might or might not have been genuine, then said grumpily, "Fine! Take it!"
Doflamingo's lips curled upward. "Actually, there's another way. You could move Merveille closer to the territories between Whitebeard, Kaido, and Big Mom. Give up your existing territory in exchange for their agreement. That way, you'd have three powerful shields, and the World Government and Marines wouldn't be able to attack you from any angle. Even if the World Government and Marines got ruthless, you could still drag Whitebeard, Kaido, and Big Mom into it in time."
"Feasible! Even if Whitebeard, Kaido, and Big Mom don't agree to me entering that area, I'm 'Golden Lion', the 'Flying Pirate' who rules the seas from the sky! They can't do anything to me tens of thousands of meters high, Jihahahaha~" Shiki stood up and dusted himself off. "Alright, see ya! You cunning bastard."
Watching Shiki leave, Doflamingo sat motionless, his expression shifting between clear and clouded, until the sun set in the west.
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