Jora stepped off the land of Upper Yard and onto the white clouds.
Violet let out a sharp cry. "Auntie, that's the sea of clouds! You'll fall!"
"Call me the World's Number One Beauty!" Jora stood firmly on the island cloud. "This is an island cloud, I won't fall. Come along, little guests."
"Eh? Is this the same as Father's Clouds?" Yamato followed Jora toward the gathering place for the younger members of the family.
As they approached, the sight of unfamiliar characters on a building and the enticing aroma wafting from within made Yamato's eyes shine brighter and brighter.
Gradually, the voices of young children filled the air, growing louder and more fervent.
"Who saved us from suffering?!"
"Young Master!!!"
"Who allowed us to survive?!"
"Young Master!!!"
"Who brought peace to this place?!"
"Young Master!!!"
"Who provides us with every meal?!"
"Young Master!!!"
"And who is our Young Master?!"
"Lord Doflamingo!!!"
Thud, thud, thud! A formal member named Colin, distinguished by the golden emblem on his chest, swept his gaze across the 200 young recruits wearing silver badges.
Not one of them flinched.
Seeing their burning determination, Colin nodded in satisfaction.
"Very good! In one week, the third selection competition will begin. The top ten will have the right to choose a Rokushiki technique to learn."
The eyes of the young recruits gleamed with anticipation. The more they learned, the more they could gain. The faster they became full-fledged members, the greater their rewards.
"The bottom hundred will be demoted back to the Bronze rank."
Expressions varied among the recruits—some sneered, others looked fearful.
But one thing was certain: none of them wanted to return to the so-called Bronze rank. They had clawed their way up from among the countless Bronze-level members.
Bronze rank—the lowest tier in the Donquixote Family.
It meant fewer resources, fewer opportunities.
"And one final rule," Colin continued. "Attacking a fellow member's brain or vital organs is strictly forbidden. Anyone who violates this rule will be expelled from the family."
He gestured toward the tables stacked with food behind him.
"Prepare yourselves..."
"Oh-ho-ho-ho! Such energy!" Jora's plump body swayed as she entered.
"Lady Jora!" N
"Lao G-sama!" N
"Such fine spirit! Young Master will be very pleased!"
Yamato watched, utterly baffled but deeply shaken.
Jora handed the curious Zoffy and Ace to two caretakers created by her Devil Fruit ability, then crouched down in front of Yamato.
"Yamato, you've heard the rules. Want to join in and play?"
Yamato glanced at the modest amount of food and the group of children standing around.
"What if there's not enough for everyone?"
With her appetite, these rations wouldn't be enough even for herself. Back on Onigashima, food was always delivered to her—wasn't it supposed to be endless?
"Oh-ho-ho-ho! Young Master says that all resources in this world are limited. The strong claim the larger share—that's the natural order!"
Jora cupped Yamato's confused face in her hands.
"If you don't take it, you'll go hungry. But, you know... it's not impossible to change things."
Yamato's eyes lit up. "How?!" She didn't want to starve, but she didn't want her peers to go hungry either.
"Everything here is decided by the Young Master, and I execute his will. If you defeat me, you can talk terms with him."
Jora stood up, her gentle expression vanishing as she pointed at Yamato and declared,
"Begin! Defeat her, and the Young Master will reward you all!"
Two hundred pairs of eyes locked onto Yamato, glowing with a predatory light.
"Arrogant brat!"
"Spin-Spin Cannon!"
Buffalo spun like a whirlwind, his tremendous centrifugal force sending the surrounding crowd flying in an instant.
...
Meanwhile, their Young Master—
Doflamingo watched the scene unfold with an amused grin.
So, samurai teach about sharing? About sacrifice?
Well, I'll teach her to take.
I'll make her understand.
You want to share? Fine.
But first, you have to take enough to share in the first place.
You don't want to play the game? Then get beaten.
His smirk widened with excitement as he turned, draping his coat over Bacara's shoulders, and made his way back to the Palace of God.
...
One grueling day and night later—
After the temple attendants had all taken their turn, Doflamingo, feeling refreshed, made his way toward the laboratory.
Inside, Judge was already waiting, cradling a tiny, pink-haired infant in his arms.
"Boss."
"Waaah!" Baby Reiju let out a toothless giggle.
Sensing the faint consciousness of the newborn, Doflamingo gave his verdict.
"Hmm. She looks healthy. Emotional responses seem normal too. I take it you've abandoned your previous twisted methods?"
Rip!
"Hiss—!!!"
Before Judge could answer, a tiny hand grabbed a fistful of his mustache and yanked it clean off!
"Hehehe!"
Judge winced, clutching his reddened chin as he carefully pried Reiju's fingers away.
"She's healthy, alright. But this isn't a true Devil Fruit ability transplant."
His expression darkened. "It's just genetic screening and selective enhancement. The fewer test subjects, the higher the success rate."
"Fuffuffuffuffu~"
Doflamingo's grin widened as he thought of another curly-haired son.
"I heard Sora is pregnant again?"
Judge's head snapped up, shock flashing in his eyes at how precisely his intentions had been read.
"Y-Yes!"
Doflamingo pinched Reiju's chubby cheek, his tone playful.
"Tell me, have you considered what will happen? Sora isn't modified like you. What if it all goes wrong?"
"Boom?" His voice dropped to a whisper. "Or just a pile of rotten flesh?"
Judge broke out in a cold sweat. "I... I understand, Boss."
Reiju, feeling her cheek getting squished, went from giggling to pouting, her big eyes welling up with tears.
Seeing this, Doflamingo finally let go of her face.
"Sometimes, we need to move fast. Other times, we must slow down—like with this new generation."
Saving Sora wasn't about the current batch of Vinsmoke children.
It was about ensuring there would be more Vinsmokes.
A normal woman like Sora had already given birth to five children.
Combine that with Judge's directed genetic modifications, and every child could be an asset strong enough to rival the Charlotte family's forces.
If she could be kept alive to birth more, why waste such valuable potential?
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+220 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg