Doflamingo's expression remained dark, but he didn't dare challenge Finn's question. He forced the words out through clenched teeth. "Funny."
"If it's funny, then laugh." Finn pressed harder, voice cutting like a blade.
Doflamingo drew a slow breath. Then that signature grin stretched across his face, the one that made his cheeks look skeletal, eyes hidden behind tinted lenses. He laughed for Finn, the sound hollow and mechanical.
"Much better." Finn pulled the cigar from his mouth, exhaled a plume of smoke, and flicked ash into the snow.
Doflamingo's gaze drifted to Vergo's bleeding form. "When did you know?"
"From the start." Finn waved his hand dismissively. "Where do you think I'm from? I'm from the North Blue too."
Doflamingo didn't press further, but his mind was racing. Finn had known from the beginning that Vergo was his plant. Yet over the years, Finn kept Vergo close, trained him, even gave him responsibility. To anyone watching, it would've looked like Finn valued the man greatly.
This bastard's scheming runs deep.
"Seems my little insurance policy was pointless." Doflamingo kept his tone casual. "But why keep him around, Admiral?"
"I just admire talent when I see it." Finn's answer was equally casual, as if they were discussing the weather.
Then he turned away from Doflamingo entirely, focusing on Rosinante instead. "Is he dead?"
"No," Rosinante said with a pained smile, hand still pressed to his bleeding shoulder. "Just shot."
"And you're smiling about it?" Finn's voice turned sharp with irritation. "Just wait. If Admiral Sengoku hadn't said he wanted to kill you himself for stress relief, I'd do it right now."
Rosinante nodded, though his expression suggested he didn't believe the threat for a second.
Finn's anger seemed to cool slightly. Rosinante might be an idiot who couldn't separate duty from personal feelings, but his respect and trust in Finn were genuine. That counted for something.
"Bring the brat over here." Finn jerked his chin toward Law. "What, you want me to carry him for you?"
Rosinante didn't argue. He pulled Law close and moved carefully around Doflamingo's position, walking from in front of the Warlord candidate to behind Finn. Doflamingo watched helplessly as his target slipped away, but he didn't move. Didn't even twitch.
Finn turned back to face Doflamingo fully. "I've always respected you, Doflamingo. You haven't embarrassed us in the North Blue these past few years. Maybe you had plans this time, but they all failed. I won't dwell on it. Go back and prepare the Gold-Gold Fruit. Send it to me, and I'll write off what happened on Minion Island. But if I don't see that fruit in three days, you can't stay in the North Blue anymore. Pray you don't run into me on the open sea, because I will sink your ship and feed you to the fish. Understood?"
Doflamingo was silent for a long moment, bile rising in his throat. You're a Marine Admiral, yet you're extorting people and threatening to sink ships. Do you have any shame? Does that Justice cloak mean nothing to you?
You should've become a pirate. You'd fit right in.
"This is embarrassing to admit, Admiral Finn." Doflamingo spread his hands. "But when I came looking for the Ope Ope no Mi, the Gold-Gold Fruit was stolen."
Finn's eyes went cold. "Do you think lying to me is funny? Are you trying to joke with me again? Because I can tell you a joke too."
"I'm not joking." Doflamingo shook his head, and for once the frustration in his voice was genuine. "Give me more time. Once I recover the Gold-Gold Fruit, I'll deliver it personally."
Finn's frown deepened. Could it actually be true? Doflamingo lost the Gold-Gold Fruit?
At that moment, Rosinante spoke up from behind Finn, his voice small and guilty. "Um, Admiral. The Gold-Gold Fruit is with me."
He patted a small pouch hanging at his waist, face flushed with shame.
Both Finn and Doflamingo froze.
"You—" Finn started, then seemed to lose his words entirely. He settled for kicking Rosinante in the shin. "Don't think bringing me the Gold-Gold Fruit will redeem you. And don't expect me to say anything nice on your behalf. I'm telling you right now, the moment you left on this mission, I already reserved a cell for you in Impel Down. You're finished."
Finn snatched the pouch from Rosinante's belt and opened it. Inside sat a large golden apple, its surface etched with the unmistakable swirling patterns of a Devil Fruit. The illustrations matched perfectly. Paramecia-type. Definitely the Gold-Gold Fruit.
Despite everything, Finn felt his mood lift. Rosinante might be a bleeding-heart fool, but he'd brought the fruit back. That proved Finn's words still carried weight with him. Made this whole trip to save his life worthwhile.
Across from them, Doflamingo's expression turned murderous.
You can guard against thieves for a thousand days, but you can't guard against family forever.
Damn you, Rosinante. You really are my dear brother. I should've blown your head off when I had the chance, you bastard. You played me for a fool. Stole my Gold-Gold Fruit. Ruined my shot at the Ope Ope no Mi.
Wealth and immortality, both gone in one night.
Doflamingo wanted nothing more than to strangle Rosinante right here in the snow.
Finn studied the Gold-Gold Fruit for another moment, then tossed it casually to Hina. He looked at Doflamingo again. "Since the Gold-Gold Fruit is already in my hands, let's change the terms."
Are you serious right now?
But Doflamingo didn't dare voice that thought. He forced another smile and nodded. "All right."
What choice did he have? If Finn decided to kill him here today, there would be no room to negotiate. No chance to argue.
"No deadline this time, Doflamingo." Finn's smile was sharp as broken glass. "Go find the Flame-Flame Fruit instead. You want to become one of the Seven Warlords, don't you? You want the Marines to stop interfering with that? I'll give you the chance. Bring me the Flame-Flame Fruit, and I'll consider supporting your application."
In truth, Finn had no intention of blocking Doflamingo's path to the Warlords. As long as Doflamingo could handle the World Government politics himself, Finn wouldn't stand in the way. But Doflamingo didn't know that, so extorting him carried zero guilt.
Doflamingo's eyes brightened despite himself. Today had been catastrophic. Lost the Gold-Gold Fruit, lost the Ope Ope no Mi, and now he'd have to deliver the Flame-Flame Fruit on top of it.
The losses were staggering.
But at least Finn was offering something in return rather than just taking everything. Compared to gaining a Warlord position and securing the Marines' neutrality, one Devil Fruit was manageable. As the largest underground Devil Fruit broker in the dark world, finding the Flame-Flame Fruit shouldn't be impossible.
Doflamingo's smile became genuine for the first time. "Deal."
"I never break my word," Finn said with a nod.
Then he kicked Vergo's prone form with his boot. "You dead yet?"
Blood trickled from the corner of Vergo's mouth, but he managed to lift his head slightly. "No."
"Tough bastard, aren't you?" Finn said it almost admiringly.
"Admiral, you already knew that about me." Vergo actually smiled through the pain.
"You know what I think sometimes?" Finn sighed, a note of genuine regret entering his voice.
"I do." Vergo's voice was calm despite his injuries. "You must be thinking, how great it would be if I weren't a pirate. If I weren't part of the Donquixote Family. Maybe then I could become your true right hand, Admiral."
"Exactly." Finn shook his head slowly. "Look at you. Smart, skilled in combat, built a solid reputation in the Marines. If you weren't Doflamingo's man..." He trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid. "What a waste."
Doflamingo glanced at Hina, still standing beside Finn like a silent shadow.
The secretary next to you is the real fighter, isn't she?
Though Doflamingo understood the truth. Hina had subdued Vergo so quickly because she'd caught him completely off guard. Vergo thought his attack was a surprise. He didn't realize he'd been exposed long ago, that he was walking into a trap. At that range, unprepared for Hina's counter, of course he'd gone down in seconds.
"Admiral Finn," Doflamingo spoke up carefully. "If possible, could you avoid executing Vergo here? I'd prefer you send him to Impel Down instead. When I become a Warlord, I can petition for his pardon."
Finn's eyes cut toward him. "Are you teaching me how to do my job?"
Doflamingo's face twitched. "No."
"He won't die." Finn paused, then continued. "Vergo, you were injured in the line of duty. Understand?"
Vergo looked confused for a moment, then quickly nodded. "Understood."
"And you." Finn's attention returned to Doflamingo. "Watch your mouth. And control your subordinates. If I need something from you in the future, I'll have Vergo contact you. Go find the Flame-Flame Fruit. I'm looking forward to you becoming a Warlord. Clear?"
Finn's tone was harsh, almost dismissive, like an elder scolding a disobedient child.
But Doflamingo showed no impatience. The man was ruthless in his own way. Once he committed to a goal, he'd swallow his pride and his anger to achieve it.
"Understood, Admiral Finn." Doflamingo's voice was completely serious.
"Good." Finn gave a curt nod, clearly finished with the conversation.
He glanced at Hina. She released her Devil Fruit ability, and the iron shackles dissolved from Vergo's body. She moved to help him up, but Vergo shook his head. "I can manage."
Hina didn't bother arguing with the traitor. She stepped back, expression neutral.
Finn kicked Rosinante in the rear this time. "Are you just going to stand there bleeding? Move!"
Then he reached down and grabbed Law by the collar, lifting the small boy like a sack of grain. As he walked, he spoke over his shoulder. "You ate the Ope Ope no Mi, right? Then you're coming back to Headquarters with me. I'll use you as my personal surgeon..."
"Brother Finn..." Rosinante tried to interject.
Finn shot him a murderous glare. "Shut up! You can explain yourself to Admiral Sengoku when we get back."
Just like that, without further ceremony, Finn's group disappeared into the swirling snow.
Only then did Doflamingo's expression turn truly dark. Veins bulged at his temples. His eyes promised violence.
It took five or six minutes before he managed to suppress the rage boiling in his chest.
"Fufufufufu..." The laughter that finally escaped was low and vicious. He raised one hand toward the sky, fingers splayed, and the Birdcage overhead dissolved like spider silk in rain.
"Young Master..." Gladius approached cautiously.
"Don't worry. I'm fine." Doflamingo waved him off. "Perfectly fine. Better than fine."
After a brief pause, his voice dropped to a command. "Pass the word. Find the Flame-Flame Fruit as soon as possible. Understood?"
"Yes, Young Master!" Gladius responded immediately.
"Marine Admiral..." Doflamingo murmured to himself, tasting the title like ash. "Rosinante... Law..."
He repeated the names quietly, then swallowed the fury burning in his throat. For now.