Although Hancock had built a special dark room for Alucard in the Kuja Palace, Alucard still didn't like the lively atmosphere of Amazon Lily. He spent most of his time at his main base, the castle of the former Arderay Kingdom.
Suddenly, the giant face of Wolf appeared at the window next to Alucard's room in the abandoned castle, like a scene from a big movie, except in this scene, the "small person" inside was the strong one, while the "big person" outside was the weaker one.
"Captain, Doflamingo is here and wishes to see you," Wolf said in his usual drawn-out tone. "Doflamingo… that Sea Scourge?"
Alucard recalled the information from the newspaper. His expression remained placid. "What does he want?"
"He said he's having an auction with some good items and has an important matter to discuss with you, Captain," Wolf replied.
Alucard poured the virgin blood from the bottle on the small table next to his throne into a tall wine glass. "I'm bored anyway. Let him in."
"Got it~"
Wolf moved his gigantic body. Less than half an hour later, Doflamingo, who had ditched his signature red suit from his younger days for a white shirt and patterned capri pants, swaggered in with his hands in his pockets, like a crab. As he walked, he grinned and muttered, "Fuffufuffu, it's so dark in here. The taste of a Yonko really is different from ordinary people~~"
When he reached the foot of Alucard's throne, Doflamingo stopped and smiled sinisterly. "Your female subordinate demanded that I come in person, what a hassle. After I arrived at Kuja, she wouldn't let me set foot on the island. It took me a lot of trouble to get here."
"Sea Scourge, why did you come to see me?" Alucard asked, looking down at Doflamingo with his legs crossed. In the dark room, his blood-red glasses reflected a faint gleam.
"Well, I sincerely hope the Yonko can attend the Donquixote Family's first auction in the New World. There's a very rare Devil Fruit there, and I hope you'll accept it as a gift." Doflamingo stated his purpose, but this was only part of it.
"Why are you telling me this? Aren't you afraid I'll just kill you and take it?" Alucard said with a light smile.
Doflamingo's eye twitched behind his sunglasses, but he just laughed. "Fuffuffuffu… you won't do that. Not if you're a true pirate."
Often, killing is the most basic approach. Letting things go can create greater profits. This was Doflamingo's way of thinking.
"Your purpose is more than that," Alucard said, no longer mentioning the idea of killing Doflamingo.
Doflamingo's eye twitched again. He waved his hand and gave a forced smile. "Your insight is truly sharp. You're right. My bigger goal is to rule the underworld of the New World, and I need an island to serve as my base. I've chosen… Dressrosa!"
Dressrosa was not currently under the control of any of the Yonko. Eight hundred years ago, before the Donquixote Family joined the Government, they ruled that kingdom.
The reason Doflamingo set his sights on it was not just the sentimentality for his ancestors. Dressrosa was not a Yonko territory, it was located in the first half of the New World, far from the Yonko territories. Although the country itself was poor, the royal land had a wealth of resources. Most importantly, the Tontatta tribe were said to be able to grow any kind of plant. Using them would create unimaginable profits.
And if he were to get the Warlord of the Sea title… he'd be able to thrive in the New World while also looking for an opportunity to advance to the next step.
Normally, Doflamingo would have just found a way to take the country by force immediately. But there was a problem: the two daughters of the current King Riku, Scarlett and Viola. Viola, in particular, was a trusted executive of Alucard's subordinate, the Empress Hancock.
Doflamingo needed to think twice before making a move. His original plan was to establish his underworld power in the New World for a year or two before making a move on Dressrosa. But since Alucard had exposed his plan, there was no need to hide it anymore. Alucard would find out sooner or later anyway, so it was better to be upfront.
After stating his purpose, Doflamingo waited for Alucard's response. "So?"
Alucard's flat three-word reply made Doflamingo freeze for a moment. He then put a hand to his forehead and laughed to himself. "Fuffuffuffu… is that so? It seems I was overthinking it. He really is the pirate with the most kills in history; why would he care about what happens to his subordinates?"
Doflamingo believed he had figured out Alucard's attitude toward his plan to take over Dressrosa. He simply didn't care what happened to his subordinates' homeland. It made sense; why would a pirate who had killed so many people care about something like that?
But then Doflamingo thought again. To Alucard, he was just a stranger, or perhaps even an enemy. What if he took over Dressrosa, and then Viola and Scarlett, King Riku's daughters, asked Alucard to attack him?
After ten seconds of thought, Doflamingo decided to make a proposal. "I've noticed that the Alucard Pirates' resources are not as abundant as the other Yonko crews. I'm often involved in Devil Fruit trades. How about we form a partnership? I'm willing to offer the Gold-Gold Fruit from this auction as a sign of my sincerity."
"Oh?"
Alucard tilted his head slightly. Doflamingo continued, "It's a high-class Paramecia-type Devil Fruit. I originally planned to sell it for 400 million Berries, but as a sign of my good faith, I'll let the Alucard Pirates buy it for only 100 million Berries. How does that sound?"
Doflamingo wasn't offering to give it away for free because he was cheap; it was a matter of his business. If he gave something away for free, what would his other clients think?
In Doflamingo's view, once he formed a partnership with the Alucard Pirates, both sides would gain maximum benefits, and Alucard wouldn't easily attack him. While Scarlett and Viola were strong, they weren't irreplaceable. What could a partnership with them possibly offer him?
Wouldn't the profits Doflamingo could bring be far greater?
Alucard was smart enough to get to his current position, so he'd know which choice was the smarter one.
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Happy Holidays everyone!
Six chapters after not updating for a few days, haha. Enjoy it!
And if you want to read ahead of schedule? Head over here ——— pa-tre-on.c-om/AlexandrusTL [remove the hyphen for normal access]
I also have a ko-fi, in case you got some christmas gifts for me, lol. → ko-fi.c-om/juanfiction