Since that night, Adley and Doflamingo's relationship became closer, but it was also then that Doflamingo first realized Adley's strength.
Another year passed.
It was afternoon.
Adley was leisurely drinking red tea in the courtyard.
"Adley, I'm back."
"Father, I'm back."
Rossi and Doff, home from school, jogged towards Adley.
"Come quickly, I saved some desserts for you."
Adley looked at Rosinante, who was still well-behaved, and felt a surge of relief. This child was well-raised. As for that little Doflamingo, sometimes he was too embarrassed to call him father.
Doflamingo and Rosinante naturally sat on the chairs beside Adley.
"Father, why are there cream buns today?"
Rosinante asked with a frown. He hated bread and preferred to eat dried plums.
Adley ruffled Rosinante's hair and said,
"It's fine. If you don't like it, throw it to your brother. I'll ask the maid to make you some dried plum rice balls."
Doflamingo didn't mind. It wasn't the first time something like this had happened. Adley always instilled in him the importance of caring for his younger brother.
Doflamingo took a sip of red tea and calmly ate the small bun.
"Hey, Adley, there's something I want to tell you."
"Oh? What is it?"
"I've succeeded over there."
"Is that so? That's wonderful news."
"Brother, congratulations on your success!"
Doflamingo, who had originally wanted to show off, couldn't help but feel a little happy inside.
The kingdom's gangs had been unified by him. A portion of Montresor's assets, managed by Adley, became Doflamingo's initial capital. Although Adley gave the two brothers 10 million Berries in pocket money every week, Doflamingo still largely used it for his gang activities.
Buying weapons and recruiting people were considerable expenses.
"Nah, Adley, I think we don't need to go to school anymore. I have a big plan recently and I'm a bit busy. Besides, there's nothing good to learn in school now."
Doflamingo continued to eat his bread as he spoke.
This was the current reality Adley had discovered. This little Doff actually intended to devote himself entirely to his career, and due to some unknown factor, these two brothers were geniuses.
Rosinante sometimes got bored and would hole up in the study. And precisely because Rosinante no longer got lost with Doff as in the original story, but instead became Sengoku's adopted son, in the current situation, Doff and Rossi's relationship was still good.
As for Doflamingo, his plan had a slight hitch. Doff was already stable in the gang, and now he had set his sights on a certain wealthy individual.
Adley was currently considering whether to 'greet' that wealthy individual in advance, or to secretly follow along and observe Doff's first experience robbing a rich person. He was still a bit worried about the little guy.
That wealthy man had quite a few people around him.
The next day,
Doflamingo had already begun preparations. Adley, hiding in the shadows, saw Doflamingo, cloaked and wearing sunglasses, with a group of cadres behind him, strutting through the streets. The aura was very much like a gang boss.
Adley watched, a relieved smile of a proud father on his face.
Adley silently protected them, dealing with some rats in the shadows. He had to be more careful in the future and try not to let Doflamingo go astray, but rather raise him to be a qualified big villain.
Subsequently, Adley took Rosinante directly to the vicinity of Doflamingo's target's residence. In a dark spot, the two disguised themselves.
"Father, what are we going to do?"
"Cultivate your observation skills, and then find a good spot, grab some popcorn, and watch how your brother extorts money."
Adley's tone was a bit mischievous.
Rosinante, however, was somewhat worried.
"Will Brother really be okay? Won't he get hurt?"
"Don't worry, your brother isn't that weak. Besides, it wouldn't be right for a boy not to have some scars. He has to grow up. But rest assured, with me here, your brother won't die."
Although Rosinante didn't quite understand why Adley's brother wouldn't die, he still nodded.
In the afternoon,
The Donquixote family moved out. Their main target this time was a bodyguard of the wealthy man, who was rumored to have once been a bounty hunter.
Doflamingo decided to have Pica and Diamante hold off or directly kill the bounty hunter.
Shortly after Pica and Diamante set off, Doflamingo, leading Trebol and Vergo, directly attacked the wealthy man's home they had targeted.
The luxurious gate of the wealthy man's house was smashed. Trebol directly used his gun to deal with many people, making many inside freeze. Vergo also moved forward with his weapon, taking down several guards.
Doflamingo walked with an extremely cool swagger directly to the wealthy man, who was too scared to move, and naturally, like a master, sat in a comfortable chair.
Trebol, who had already dealt with the people outside, also entered the room and reported to Doflamingo:
"Young Master, it's done."
"Too close to me."
Doflamingo said gloomily. Trebol's snot was almost dripping onto his clothes.
Vergo, who had arrived, had already taken the wealthy man's wife and daughter hostage. But clearly, the wealthy man was still trying to act calm, threatening:
Before he could finish, two figures appeared: Pica and Diamante. Pica's sharp voice greeted Doflamingo:
"Young Master, it's done."
Pica's sharp voice combined with his muscular build made people want to laugh, but in Pica's hand was the head of Naruto, the man the wealthy man had relied on earlier, still stained with fresh blood.
The wealthy man, who had never seen such a sight, immediately went weak in the knees and fell to the ground, raising his hands.
His wife and daughter were even more terrified by the head and began to cry.
Doflamingo rested his chin on his hands, looking calm, his dark sunglasses making it impossible to discern his thoughts.
"We are the Donquixote Family. Hand over all the valuable things in your house."
Trebol, standing beside Doflamingo, spoke.
The Donquixote Family ransacked almost all the wealth in the wealthy man's house. Now, the wealthy man was being forced by Trebol's "friendly" firearm to open the safe. It was either the safe opening or his head opening, as a gun was directly pressed against his forehead.
Meanwhile, Doflamingo, who had been observing from the side with the demeanor of a big boss, instructed the others to pack the "luggage." After the last sum of money, they would make their getaway.
In the shadows, Adley and Rosinante, who had witnessed the entire process, were still watching this "harmonious" scene.
"Rossi, you should know what your brother is thinking, right?"
Rosinante was silent for a moment before silently agreeing.
"Rossi, in the future, if your brother becomes a heinous pirate, what will you do? Will you stop him from falling further?"
"You have to know that there is no pure black and white in the world. Even the Marines, sometimes, are not clean behind the scenes. Do you understand what I mean?"
"You should know the suffering you both endured before. I believe you will understand some things later. Besides, do you remember the Marine Garp, who was mentioned in the newspaper not long ago for beating up Chinjao the Drill? His son is the leader of the Revolutionary Army, who has recently emerged and is an enemy of the World Government."
Rosinante was clearly surprised by this fact.
Adley looked at his wide-open mouth and simply continued to add:
"It's possible for even three generations, like this, to serve different factions."
Adley's tone was like a joke, drawing Rosinante's skepticism:
"How is that possible? Could there really be three generations, grandfather, father, and son, serving as a Marine, a pirate, and a revolutionary respectively? If that were true, how strange would that family be!"
"Yes, I think so too. So, you don't need to be so opposed to your brother. All right, it's about time we head back."
Adley directly picked up Rosinante and hurried home. He had to get home before Doflamingo finished cleaning up the money.
Sure enough, not long after they got home, Doflamingo's laughter echoed:
"Fufufu."
Closely following, Doflamingo swaggered through the door, his steps arrogant and confident, walking towards Adley.
"Looks like things went pretty smoothly for you, huh?"
Adley teased.
"Of course! Do you know how much we earned from this deal?!"
Doflamingo's face was brimming with pride as he sat on the sofa, legs splayed, arms resting on the back, a smug smile on his face.
Rosinante echoed, asking,
"Nii-san, how much?"
"Fufufu, a full one hundred million."
Doflamingo held up a single finger, gesturing repeatedly.
Seeing Doflamingo's proud expression, Adley felt a warmth spread through him; this rascal still knew to share good news with the family.
Adley cleared his throat slightly, and with a feigned solemnity, he praised Doflamingo:
"Not bad, Doff. But can such a small amount of money make you lose your composure? Didn't I tell you to always control your expressions, so others can't guess your thoughts?"
Upon hearing this, Doflamingo snorted coldly:
"Tch, I can't even show off at home?"
"You can, you can, you can, Doff. That's why I've already arranged for the maids to prepare your favorite lobster."
Adley simply picked up Doflamingo and walked towards the dining room.
"Hmph, for the sake of the lobster, I'll let it slide!"
"Little Rosi, catch up."
"Mm, coming!"
Doflamingo's Birthday Mini-Theater:
October 23rd
When Adley came to Rosinante a few days prior to discuss Doflamingo's birthday, Rosinante was slightly surprised. Ever since they had been on the run with their biological father, both brothers had long forgotten about celebrating birthdays.
Now, with Adley taking the initiative to suggest celebrating Doflamingo's birthday, Rosinante was more than willing to cooperate. He also wanted to give Nii-san a birthday, so they were already prepared for today.
Doflamingo was still completely in the dark. His life of wandering had made him never dream of such things, nor had he ever imagined that his life could suddenly be as warm as it was now.
Doflamingo arrived at the dining room, which was completely dark, immediately making him feel that something was amiss.
Suddenly, candlelight flickered in the gloom, and under its glow, the number "11" was remarkably clear.
A song drifted in:
"Happy birthday to you~, Happy birthday to you~"
Rosinante and Adley suddenly appeared on either side of Doflamingo, leading him directly to the cake with the number "11" candles, and at the same time, putting a birthday hat on him.
At this moment, Doflamingo also noticed that he wasn't the only one being sung to; several maids were also present.
In the dim candlelight, Doflamingo was momentarily stunned.
When the song ended, Adley reminded him:
"Make a wish, Doff."
Doflamingo looked reluctant, but after silently making a wish, Adley picked him up and helped him blow out the candles.
After the candles were blown out, the lights in the hall instantly illuminated every corner. The hall was adorned with various balloons and colorful ribbons, and in the center of the hall, the words "Happy Birthday Doflamingo!" were spelled out with balloons.
Several maids stood on either side, turning party poppers.
Dozens of maids around, as well as the guards at the door and the servants on the second-floor corridor, at this moment, hundreds of people simultaneously bowed and offered their blessings towards Doflamingo:
"Happy eleventh birthday, Young Master!"
The loud sound echoed through the hall, still reverberating. Rosinante, happily tugging at Doflamingo's clothes, also congratulated him:
"Nii-san, happy birthday!"
"Doff, happy birthday."
After the lights came on, Doflamingo also noticed that behind the cake, many gifts of various sizes were displayed on the table.
Doflamingo felt a mix of surprise and joy. He had been prepared to just casually celebrate his birthday, simply to mark another year older, but now his lips couldn't help but curl into a slight smile, as he "complained":
Even with his glasses on, his happiness was hard to conceal.
Rosinante pulled out a small box from behind him and handed it to Doflamingo. Opening the box, inside was a beautiful seashell, and crookedly carved into the shell were the words: "May Nii-san always be happy."
"Nii-san, I carefully selected this shell on the beach!"
"Mm, thank you."
Doflamingo held the shell in his hand, smiled softly, carefully placed the shell back into the small box, and then, imitating Adley, ruffled Rosinante's hair.
"Ow, Nii-san, why are you like Uncle Adley? You're going to mess up my hair!"
Doflamingo ignored Rosinante's protest and turned to look at the two-tiered, crooked cake under the candlelight.
Rosinante immediately eagerly interjected:
"Uncle Adley and I made this together by hand."
Rosinante's tone carried a hint of pride. After all, it had taken him several days of learning before he and Adley could barely make a cake that actually looked like a cake.
Doflamingo hadn't paid much attention when he was blowing out the candles, but now, seeing it, he couldn't help but stare blankly, casting a suspicious glance at Adley, who was trying to avoid his gaze.
He couldn't be blamed; Adley and cake-making simply didn't compute in Doflamingo's mind.
Adley looked at the cake he had made, a blush appearing on his face, and with a light cough, he changed the subject:
"Let's eat the cake first."
Although the cake was a bit shabby, one could still see the effort put into it. The cake was decorated with pink, and pink cream was used to roughly create the shape of an animal. Doflamingo looked at the cream animal, then at the slightly embarrassed pair.
"It's a flamingo."
Adley explained to Doflamingo, resting his chin on one hand, then called for the maids to help cut the cake.
"Young Master, this is the first slice."
A maid handed a slice of cake to Doflamingo, then to Rosinante, and then Adley.
Under Rosinante's expectant gaze, Doflamingo tentatively took a bite, then a second. It was completely different from the unpalatable taste he had originally imagined.
Although it was poorly made, the ingredients for the cake were not cheap, and it tasted exceptionally sweet and delicious.
"How is it, Nii-san!"
Rosinante anxiously asked from the side.
"It's delicious."
"Oh yeah!"
Overjoyed, Rosinante immediately hugged Doflamingo and high-fived Adley.
Servants brought chairs, making it convenient for everyone to slowly enjoy the cake.
Adley savored the cake in his hand, while reminding Doflamingo:
"You can open these gifts on the table while you eat."
Doflamingo then realized the large pile of gifts on the table.
"Who sent all these?"
"They're from people who want to establish good relations. We intentionally leaked information that the young master of our trade guild would be celebrating his birthday."
"Although most of them are junk, you might find something you like."
Adley gave Doflamingo a strange look.
"Actually, there's still a pile of them in the corner."
Adley said no more, instead pushing forward an exquisite, long, narrow box.
"This is my gift to you. Take a look."
Doflamingo opened the box, revealing a pair of sunglasses: blood-red lenses, a pure white frame with elegant curves, and on the inner side of the temples, his name was etched in golden, handwritten English script:
"Don Quixote · Doflamingo"
"How do you like them?"
Doflamingo silently removed the glasses he was wearing and promptly put on the new sunglasses.
"Fufufufu, I love them."
These sunglasses made Doflamingo feel as if they were designed just for him. It was a wonderful feeling.
Night
In his room, Doflamingo, overwhelmed by the sheer number of gifts he couldn't unwrap, called Rosinante over.
Doflamingo kept some of the gifts he could use and intended to give the rest to Rosinante.
However, Rosinante refused, giving the reason that:
Adley had said that when it was his turn to celebrate his birthday next, even more gifts would arrive.
Doflamingo felt a pang of envy.