In the waters around Dressrosa, Monroe and his men, having already retreated, circled with their delightful spoils, awaiting the Donquixote Family's next command.
"Sir, we have completed the task you assigned us," Monroe and the others said, looking at the Den Den Mushi with hopeful eyes, waiting to hear the words they longed for.
"You've done well. Await our next orders," the voice on the other end replied, calm and emotionless, showing no sign of excitement or sorrow.
"Yes, sir!" Although they didn't get the response they wanted, Monroe and his men were still disappointed. But what could they do? Their lives were in the other party's hands; they had no choice but to obey.
"You can keep the treasure."
"Huh?" Monroe and the others were surprised, but their minds were quickly flooded with joy.
"Thank you, sir!"
"It's what you've earned. As long as you serve us well, we will give you what you deserve."
"Yes, yes, of course!"
"That is all."
With that, the line went silent, leaving Monroe and his men in a state of euphoria. Ten billion Berries! They had never seen so much wealth in their lives. How could they not be overjoyed?
Aboard the Ark Maxim, Doflamingo had recently been dedicating all his efforts to awakening Life Return. He had delegated all other matters, large and small, to the others.
The unity of heart and mind, mind and spirit, spirit and strength. The unity of shoulder and hip, elbow and knee, hand and foot. This was the principle of the inner and outer three harmonies. Combining the knowledge of Life Return he had gained from Vergo with some of the theories left behind by the sages of his old world, Doflamingo's own rudimentary understanding was that it was a unification of heart and mind, a mastery of the body from the inside out, controlled entirely by the will.
Simply put, Doflamingo's spiritual power and consciousness far surpassed his physical body. Therefore, Awakening Life Return, a difficult feat for others, was relatively easy for him. Of course, this was only a basic awakening. To reach a higher level would require long-term effort. It was a craft that required patient grinding and could not be rushed.
The human body was a treasure trove, but very few could ever unlock its secrets. Having come to such a wondrous world, Doflamingo naturally hoped to achieve what his ancestors had spoken of. While he couldn't fly on a sword or achieve immortality like in the worlds of cultivation, unlocking the treasure of his own body was still an attainable goal.
Doflamingo had another hope. When he could completely control every cell in his body, how powerful would he be? Could he regenerate lost limbs? Could he truly achieve long life without the Op-Op Fruit? The answers to these mysteries were tantalizing, and Doflamingo was eager to uncover them.
But for now, he had barely scratched the surface. Like Vergo, he could only control his hair. Even using it to fight was difficult. Regenerating limbs was still a distant dream.
The size of your ambition determines the size of your stage. The power of the will! Wasn't that the essence of developing a Devil Fruit's power? The bigger the imagination, the greater the power! This was the insight Doflamingo had gained during this period: never underestimate the power of the mind.
Knock, knock, knock.
The sound of knocking interrupted his thoughts.
"Enter."
"Brother, things over there are almost finished," Robin said, opening the door and hurrying over to the cross-legged Doflamingo.
"I know. You've worked hard, Robin."
Doflamingo's hair moved without any wind, dancing like a frenzy of wild snakes, capturing Robin's attention. She paid no mind to his words of thanks.
"Is this Life Return?" she asked curiously.
A playful urge seized Doflamingo. His golden hair suddenly shot out, coiling around Robin's body like a serpent.
Robin watched with curiosity, unafraid. She trusted that Doflamingo would not harm her.
In an instant, the golden serpent had wrapped around her slender, graceful form, leaving only her lovely face peeking out from the golden cocoon.
"What a strange ability!" Robin exclaimed.
"If you want to learn, I can teach you. But whether you can awaken it is up to you," Doflamingo said in a low voice. He then quickly retracted his hair. Since he was controlling it, his consciousness was linked to it, and he could naturally feel the warmth of Robin's body. Doflamingo had no intention of taking advantage of her and hastily pulled back.
"Ah! Is it that difficult?" Robin said with a disappointed look.
"Otherwise, why do you think so many Marines who practice Rokushiki have never awakened it?" Doflamingo suddenly appeared in front of her, affectionately patting her head. "The strength of both the body and the soul are indispensable. You... you still need to train properly. I see you're always busy reading, you've been neglecting your training."
"How can training be as good as reading?" Robin pouted and mumbled under her breath.
Doflamingo put a hand to his forehead. He decided not to press the issue with Robin. Although her strength, under his supervision, was already countless times greater than her original counterpart at the same age, giving her the ability to protect herself, she was still no match for top-tier fighters. But then again, Doflamingo never expected her to reach the level of a Calamity. The men of the Donquixote Family were not dead yet; it wasn't Robin's turn to take the lead.
"Alright, go on and read your books. But don't neglect your training either," he reminded her.
"I know, brother is the best," Robin said, hugging his arm coquettishly. They were like a real brother and sister, with no barriers between them.
"Robin, how are things with White Dove?" Doflamingo asked, looking at the fawning girl.
"White Dove? Brother, that's Trebol and Sister Ibes's responsibility. I wouldn't know if you ask me," Robin said, confused.
"Right. I forgot," Doflamingo said, embarrassed. "Speaking of Trebol, I suppose he should be arriving soon."
"He should be. The last time we spoke, he said they weren't far from the Sabaody Archipelago," Robin recalled.
"I see. That's good. Let's go find Ibes. There's something I wanted to ask her."
"Alright!"
The two of them went to Ibes's room. Ibes was a very busy woman these days. As the one who commanded the entire Donquixote Family's network of connections, both overt and covert, she was responsible for directing everything. Through this network, she could quickly find out anything she wanted to know.
"Sister Ibes, are you still busy?" Robin asked, approaching Ibes and affectionately hugging her arm.
"There's a matter in the North Blue. Senor Pink specifically requested our input," Ibes said gently.
"The North Blue? Are there still restless troublemakers there?" Robin asked.
"There are unruly people everywhere. Ambition makes them ignore danger," Doflamingo said calmly. "If they could overthrow the Donquixote Family, they would become the new rulers of the North Blue. How could they not be tempted by such supreme power?"
"There are so many greedy, ambitious people," Robin sighed, hearing his words.
"This is the real world. Weakness is a sin. If you want to control your own destiny, you must become stronger than anyone else. Otherwise, we will be the ones who are hurt and humiliated."
Robin and Ibes nodded in agreement, clearly concurring with his words.
"Ibes, is everything alright on Senor's end?" Doflamingo asked.
"Don't worry, Senor can handle it," Ibes replied.
"That's good. Also, Ibes, do you know if there are any White Dove members in Dressrosa right now?"
Ibes thought for a moment before slowly answering, "Doflamingo, according to your previous orders, White Dove has already advanced into the New World. We currently have a small team in Dressrosa. I believe they should be able to meet your needs."
"It seems White Dove is making good progress. Even faster than us," Doflamingo said with a smile.
"After all, we've invested so much money to support them. Most of the revenue from the North Blue has been given to White Dove. If they couldn't even accomplish this much, then there would be no need for White Dove to exist," Ibes said ruthlessly.
Doflamingo didn't mind her coldness. After everything she had been through, Ibes had successfully become a queen of the underworld. The names 'Queen' and 'Joker' were known to all.
"Then let them make their move," Doflamingo said calmly. "Don't you think Dressrosa is a little too quiet? Let's make the fireworks there bloom a little more beautifully."
"It is indeed a bit quiet," Robin and Ibes said in unison, exchanging a glance.
Peace had returned to Dressrosa, but it was a quiet, uneasy peace. The people, having just endured the flames of war, needed time to recover. King Riku and his followers had a simple idea: time was the best medicine. It would smooth over everything, and Dressrosa would surely return to its former glory.
However, what they didn't know was that there were far too many people who were dissatisfied with him. Sometimes, it isn't swords that kill, but rumors, which can be far more deadly, slaying in silence.
Everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion, according to Doflamingo's plan.
_______
+100 chapters on: patreon.com/Shinobi_Scrolls