Hina pushed open Diarmuid's room door, carrying a glass of juice. She saw Diarmuid sitting on the sofa, holding the Dark-Dark Fruit, lost in thought.
"Are you studying that Devil Fruit again?" Hina asked, placing the juice on the table.
For the past few days, Diarmuid had been handling the Dark-Dark Fruit off and on, seemingly trying to sense something from it.
"Yes," Diarmuid nodded, then continued, "This fruit seems very special to me. I feel like I'm... how should I put it? That strange, inexplicable feeling, it's as if I am..."
"Assimilating?" Hina suggested suddenly.
Diarmuid looked up and smiled. "Yes, it feels a bit like that, like the way a sharpshooter feels about his gun, or a sword master about his blade. I slowly feel a sense of assimilation with this Devil Fruit..."
"That's so weird. How is that possible? Are you going to become the world's greatest 'Devil Fruit Collector'?" Hina joked, amused.
"I know it shouldn't be possible, yet the feeling is unmistakable. That greedy, craving sensation is slowly dissipating," Diarmuid said, also finding it funny.
Although the world of pirates is full of the bizarre, he truly felt this situation was metaphysical.
"It's not having any negative effect on you, is it?" Hina asked, still somewhat worried.
She truly feared that Diarmuid might develop some kind of problem. If the guy suddenly went mad and took a bite of the Dark-Dark Fruit, wouldn't he instantly explode into pieces?
"Don't worry, there shouldn't be any problems..." Diarmuid nodded. After a slight pause, he subconsciously added, "I think?"
"What do you mean, 'I think'? I told you to stop messing with it," Hina complained.
"I'm too curious," Diarmuid smacked his lips.
Seeing this, Hina didn't press the matter further. Changing the subject, she said, "Oh, right. Hancock has already arrived in Alabasta. She just contacted me, saying she knew you were here. She wanted to know if she should come over and say hello. Speaking of which, it's been a while since you two last met, hasn't it?"
"She should just focus on her own business and stop thinking about trivial things. She doesn't need to specifically come say hello. We might run into each other later anyway," Diarmuid waved his hand dismissively.
"Tch. She's the world's number one beauty, after all. What kind of attitude is that?" Hina rolled her eyes.
"I seem to recall a certain someone being very unhappy about her being voted the number one beauty, didn't I? Was it our little sweetheart, Hina?" Diarmuid teased with a smile.
"Hmph, but my relationship with Hancock is actually quite good," Hina countered, pouting.
Diarmuid didn't continue that line of conversation. Instead, he said, "Hancock is already here, so Doflamingo must be close too, right?"
"Around that time. They shouldn't be more than a few days behind Lucci. They should arrive in the next day or two. Do you think that Teach can explain this strange phenomenon you're experiencing?" Hina asked curiously.
"No. I might have thought so before, but now... Teach can't explain it. But that's alright, that's not what I want to ask him about anyway," Diarmuid shook his head.
Meanwhile, at the gate of Alubarna, Doflamingo and Teach were slowly walking into the city.
That's right, four days after Lucci arrived in Alabasta, Doflamingo and Teach finally caught up.
Both Doflamingo and Teach were wrapped up tightly, looking exactly like the locals. It seemed that everyone who came to Alabasta was changed by the desert, forced to dress this way, or risk being "taught a lesson" by the scorching sun.
"Alubarna..." Teach murmured with a sense of awe, gazing at the magnificent Royal Palace in the distance.
"We're finally here," Doflamingo also sighed in relief.
He had narrowly managed to trick Teach into coming to Alubarna. It shouldn't be a problem now; even if Teach realized something, it would already be too late.
"What do we do now? Storm the palace directly? Find Nefertari Cobra and demand he hand over Lucci and the Dark-Dark Fruit?" Teach asked, picking his nose.
"It's not that simple. Let's find a place to stay first, the Oasis Hotel. I have eyes in Alubarna, and I need to ask what the current situation is," Doflamingo shook his head.
Teach was already accustomed to Doflamingo's network of spies that spanned the globe.
Throughout their journey, Doflamingo had managed to find acquaintances or subordinates almost everywhere they went. This kind of extensive social network truly made Teach envious.
Should I invite Doflamingo to join my crew after I've handled these things? This guy is smart and very capable... Teach pondered to himself.
His and the Whitebeard Pirates' intelligence capabilities weren't great. If he could drag Doflamingo onto his side, it would quickly make up for that shortcoming.
In any case, Teach didn't doubt Doflamingo's words. He nodded and said, "Fine, I'll follow your lead."
Teach had never been to Alubarna, but Doflamingo had been there before, so he was familiar with the route. He led Teach through the winding streets, and they soon arrived at the most luxurious hotel in Alubarna: the 'Oasis Hotel.'
As soon as he stepped inside, a smile curved Doflamingo's lips.
He had spotted a figure he was very familiar with.
However, his expression quickly turned a little strange.
Because there was something off about that figure.
It was Vergo, no mistake—a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral and one of the people Diarmuid currently considered his 'confidantes.'
He was also the supreme cadre of the Donquixote Family's Heart seat, the first Corazón.
Vergo looked the same as always, with no major changes, but he was accompanied by a young woman who looked like a noble.
The two were sitting on a sofa in the hotel lobby, drinking cocktails and chatting, occasionally sharing a smile.
This greatly surprised Doflamingo. What's with that Vergo guy? He's getting more and more unrestrained while mixing with the Marines?
Just then, Vergo seemed to notice the scrutiny. He instinctively looked back, paused for a moment, and then turned back casually to the young woman beside him. "Windsor, I have something I need to attend to."
The girl named Windsor smiled and nodded. "Then I won't bother you, Vergo-san."
It was clear that the young woman, who seemed to be of noble birth, was very well-mannered.
Perhaps not all nobles were as repulsive as the average Celestial Dragon.
After Windsor left, Vergo stood up, subtly nodded to Doflamingo, silently mouthed a certain number, and then headed upstairs.
Teach hadn't noticed any of this. He looked around the hotel, smacked his lips, and commented like a country bumpkin, "What a great place! As expected of the oldest kingdom of humanity. You rarely see a high-end hotel like this in the New World..."
"Follow me," Doflamingo said with a hint of disdain.
Born a Celestial Dragon and supposedly flowing with one of the 'noblest' bloodlines, Doflamingo had seen everything. He had little patience for Teach's lack of worldly experience.
Meanwhile, Vergo entered Diarmuid's room and said, "Admiral, Young Master Doflamingo and Marshall D. Teach have arrived. They should be looking for us soon."
Diarmuid tossed the Dark-Dark Fruit in his hand and smiled. "Got it."
"Should I invite Lucci over?" Vergo asked.
Diarmuid shook his head. "No need."
Diarmuid had originally planned to let Lucci and Teach meet, perhaps to mock the unlucky devil Teach.
But after seeing Lucci and considering his current state, Diarmuid sensibly abandoned the idea.
He decided it was best to let Lucci stay quiet and not have any further involvement with the Whitebeard Pirates or Teach. It wouldn't be good for him.
"Very well," Vergo nodded.
Considering that he was still wearing a casual pajama set, Diarmuid stood up and said, "You handle the reception for me. I'm going to change clothes first."
"Yes, Admiral," Vergo replied, nodding.
Perhaps to show off in front of his 'girlfriend,' Vergo had been wearing his handsome black suit under the sun for the past two days, looking like he was about to be roasted alive every time he came back inside. This was Alabasta, the Desert Kingdom, and he was wearing a suit, a black one at that?
In any case, he was dressed appropriately now and could certainly handle the reception for Diarmuid.
"Hina, where's my uniform? Did I bring my cape?" Diarmuid called out toward the inner room.
"Bring what uniform? Weren't we on vacation? I didn't even pack your greatcoat!" Hina's voice came from inside the room.
"Seriously? I'm a Marine Admiral, and I don't carry those things with me? What if there's a sudden mission? That's really below standard, isn't it?" Diarmuid said, somewhat surprised.
"I doubt it would come to that," Hina replied.
"Then do I have any formal clothes?" Diarmuid asked again.
"You're just meeting a pirate who's so down on his luck that you're going to trick him. Why are you fussing over formality? Are you crazy?" Hina asked testily, pulling open the door.
She had been tidying up the room inside.
Just as Hina thought Diarmuid was crazy, Diarmuid thought Hina was crazy.
They were staying in a hotel where someone came to clean every day, yet Hina still felt the need to clean the room herself... What was that, if not crazy?
Perhaps everyone had their own quirks and peculiar habits...
Soon, after some mutual complaining, Diarmuid headed into the inner room.
Vergo, meanwhile, began thoughtfully brewing tea.
In a moment, just as he expected, there was a knock on the door.
Vergo stood up, walked to the door, opened it, and looked at the two figures outside—Doflamingo and Teach.
He smiled. "It's been a while, Young Master."
Teach looked at the person in front of him with some confusion. He felt like he knew the face but couldn't recall where he had seen him before.
And judging by the man's address, he called Doflamingo 'Young Master.'
Throughout the journey, Teach had seen quite a few people address Doflamingo this way. Anyone who used that title was undoubtedly one of Doflamingo's subordinates.
So, perhaps the person in front of him was just one of Doflamingo's men?
The familiarity might just be from a brief encounter somewhere in the New World?
"How have you been, Vergo? I heard you're on vacation lately?" Doflamingo walked into the room with a cheerful laugh.
Teach didn't suspect a thing and followed him in.
"Yes, taking a vacation with that important figure," Vergo said with a smile.
"I envy you," Doflamingo sat down on the sofa, then asked, "Where is this important figure?"
"He's inside. Young Master, please wait a moment," Vergo placed two cups of tea in front of Doflamingo and Teach.
Teach sat down next to Doflamingo and asked, "Who is this important figure? Do you know some big shot here in Alabasta? Someone from Mariejois?"
"Fuffuffufu, you could say that. Just wait a little while, and you'll find out," Doflamingo replied with an evil laugh.
"I hope he can help us find Lucci and the Dark-Dark Fruit," Teach didn't think too much of it. He picked up the teacup, took a sip, and smacked his lips.
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