Whoosh—
In the corner of the lounge, Alucard's silhouette gradually materialized. Baccarat, standing to the side, jumped in fright, her startled gasp drawing everyone's attention.
Alucard!
"Impossible..."
Treasure, perched on the billiard table, spoke in disbelief. "Psycho P just sent word, he should be at Ursaharo!"
Ursaharo was in the first half of the Grand Line, while the Gran Tesoro was currently sailing through the New World. These two locations were separated by nearly half the globe, and Psycho P's report had come in only ten minutes ago. How could Alucard be here?
"So that's the world's strongest man? The one who erased the Government and whom even Doflamingo has to curry favor with?" The songstress Carina sat on the sofa, not daring to twitch.
"The Tremor-Tremor Fruit. I truly didn't expect this."
Alucard ignored the astonished stares and walked to Doflamingo's side. The latter, ever the shrewd operator, proactively offered up the Tremor-Tremor Fruit.
"There are many things in this world that do not go according to one's desires," Alucard soliloquized, looking at the fruit in his hand.
Originally, he had intended to destroy all the Ryumyaku to reclaim his state as the River of Death from two years ago. However, the fact that the Tremor-Tremor Fruit had manifested here proved that Whitebeard's soul could not be recovered; he had likely ascended to the Pure Land.
Looking at the fruit now, Alucard found himself without an immediate use for it. Eat it himself? Impossible. Neither the souls in the Styx nor the bodies in the River of Death possessed such a capacity. Unless... he had a new ability user eat it first, and then absorbed them.
Alucard's eyes narrowed slightly. He liked the idea.
Originally, after Whitebeard's death, this power belonged to Teach, but his own intervention had caused that man to fail. It was only fitting that the fruit be used to its final bit of utility.
"You have an arena here, don't you?" Alucard asked.
"Yes," Doflamingo replied. While the Corrida Colosseum was a tradition of Dressrosa, here at Gran Tesoro, the arena was a lethal stage for gambling with lives and gold, one of their primary revenue streams. However, Doflamingo was puzzled as to why Alucard was asking.
"This is the prize."
Alucard tossed the Tremor-Tremor Fruit back into Doflamingo's hands and vanished instantly.
"What is he playing at?"
As one of the leaders of Gran Tesoro, Tesoro only dared to speak once Alucard was gone. They understood what Alucard wanted to do, use the Tremor-Tremor Fruit as bait to lure the powerhouses of the world into a death match at the arena. But why? It was incomprehensible.
"To kill boredom, or perhaps to draw out all the ambitious trash in the world. Both are possible."
Doflamingo spoke in a heavy tone, then grinned. "The first ones who won't be able to sit still are Fire Fist and Phoenix. That guy Blackbeard, who missed his chance at Marineford, won't let this slide either. Fuffuffu... things are getting interesting."
Pere pere pere...
Just then, a Den Den Mushi with curved sunglasses and a feathered mantle, matching Doflamingo's look, began to ring on the bar counter. Tesoro hit the speaker button on the shell, and a high-pitched voice wailed from within.
"J-Joker! Come save me!!"
Caesar!!
The faces of everyone present darkened. Tesoro signaled Carina and the other outsiders to leave immediately, then asked coldly, "What the hell is going on, Caesar?"
Immediately, the Den Den Mushi's weeping expression shifted into a cold sneer. "Joker... I assume the rest of the Donquixote Alliance is there as well?"
Veins throbbed on Doflamingo's forehead. "Law... you brat!"
"Hehehe..." Law's cold laugh echoed through the line. "Your most important subordinate, Caesar, and Monet are now in my hands."
"What do you want, Law?" Doflamingo forced himself to remain calm.
"Nothing much. It's just that your deal with Kaido is over. The S.A.D. and the SMILEs are finished. What I need now is for Kaido to come after you. But first, a warning."
Suddenly, the Den Den Mushi's expression changed again, becoming one of righteous indignation. "Hey! Mingo! Are you the big boss who let that jerk Caesar do all those bad things? Listen up, I'm definitely gonna kick your and Kaido's asses!"
"Hah?" Tesoro's brow twitched.
Doflamingo remained silent for a moment before a realization dawned. "Oh, Straw Hat... I'm surprised you're actually working with Law, a member of the Immortals."
"You're the one who should be surprised, Doflamingo." It seemed Law had snatched the receiver back. "Word will reach Kaido's ears soon. You'll be his next target."
"Fuffuffu... we'll see about that, brat."
Doflamingo hung up and barked out orders. "Treasure, go to Punk Hazard and check the situation. I'll handle Caesar. Tesoro, start planning the tournament."
"If Fire Fist is lured in, Straw Hat won't sit idly by either. Fuffuffu... You're too young, Law. You acted without even knowing your own Captain's true intentions."
Even with Caesar captured, Doflamingo remained brimming with confidence.
"Joker, I'm not your subordinate. Stop ordering me around!" Treasure snapped angrily, though he still moved to follow the instructions.
"A death match tournament? It seems things will get very interesting, and I can make a fortune three times over..." Tesoro mused, cracking his knuckles with a cruel grin. "But Joker, is Kaido really going to be okay? That guy doesn't exactly listen to reason."
Doflamingo adjusted his glasses, his tone deep and inscrutable. "Just do your job. Leave him to me!"