Giolla was a garrulous, middle-aged woman afflicted with severe narcissistic personality disorder and intermittent symptoms of auditory hallucinations. Yet, at the same time, she was also full of passion and warm-hearted, unlike the prim and proper lady her refined appearance and self-proclaimed title suggested. She was skilled at cooking, washing clothes, housework, and even knew a little nursing. Of course... all of this was selective.
Giolla couldn't be bothered with "sloppy old men" like Trebol, "country bumpkin uncles" like Diamante, or "ugly giant babies" like Pica. Her attitude towards them was dreadful. She only liked caring for the well-behaved "little bowl-cut" Vergo and her "cute Young Master," who was always sweet-talking her and lavishing her with compliments.
Regardless of the inner thoughts of the other family members, Giolla's arrival truly allowed Doflamingo to breathe a massive sigh of relief. He no longer had to worry about being poisoned by Diamante's dark cooking one day, or constantly keeping an eye on Trebol to prevent him from approaching the kitchen and accidentally splashing his slime into the food. Just thinking about it made him nauseous.
Moreover, under Doflamingo's intentional guidance, Giolla demonstrated some of her strength. While not as powerful as Trebol or Diamante, it was respectable enough to exert a certain deterrent and restraint over them. After all, the composition and relationships within their small group were too complex.
Although he held central authority, and Vergo and Pica were his loyal companions, their youth meant their strength was limited. Sometimes, he had to defer to the relatively stronger Trebol and Diamante, such as during the recent act of piracy.
But with Giolla, whom he personally recruited, joining them, things were different. His position was consolidated.
In short, with Giolla aboard, Doflamingo's mind completely settled. He dedicated himself wholeheartedly to physical training, pushing himself to exhaustion day after day before stopping.
Doflamingo was so completely absorbed in his training that he didn't even keep track of time. Until one day, he suddenly asked, "Why haven't we reached Reverse Mountain yet?"
This question left the entire crew stunned, as they had crossed Reverse Mountain three days prior. After several months, they had finally, by the end of Marine Calendar Year 1491, entered the waters of the South Blue.
"Young Master, it's almost New Year's! You don't have to work so hard, do you? You should relax now, oh~ hohohoho~ I'll make lots and lots of delicious food, okay!" Giolla said, looking at Doflamingo, who remained still, thinking he was in a bad mood.
Doflamingo scratched his gradually lengthening golden hair, then looked at his hands, which had subtly grown larger. He let out a strange laugh. "Fufufufu~"
"Huh? Young Master? Are you saying I'm a noble lady?! Oh, you're just terrible~ absolutely terrible~" Giolla intermittently threw a fit, her face blank.
Doflamingo laughed even harder. "Yes, Giolla, you will live like a noble lady. Believe me."
Giolla dropped her act. "Young Master, are you... alright?"
"I'm fine, I'm just hungry, Giolla," Doflamingo waved his hand, a rare display of interest in something other than training. He walked to the bow of the ship and gazed out.
Diamante nudged Trebol, muttering, "What's wrong with Doffy? Something's definitely up."
"Nyeh, nyehh~ Doffy isn't that weak," Trebol scoffed. He then wriggled like a slug, inching closer to Doflamingo, peering around. "Nyeh, nyehh~ Doffy? Doffy? I say, we're in the South Blue now. What's the next step?"
Doflamingo closed his eyes, took off his sunglasses to wipe them, and tilted his face back to enjoy the sea breeze. "We'll go deeper. Find a place that's not a World Government affiliated country, where the Marines can't reach, somewhere chaotic yet prosperous, to lie low for three to five years, fufufufu~ Trebol? You know exactly where that place is, don't you?"
"Nyeh, nyehh, Doffy, people from the South Blue often say, 'If you love someone, send them to Arinland; if you hate someone, send them to Arinland,' nyeh, nyehh~" Trebol said, licking his sparse teeth.
Doflamingo put his sunglasses back on, then turned to meet Trebol's gaze. "Arinland, Neverland? 'City of Dreams'?"
"Nyeh, nyehh~ 'City of Dreams'? Doffy, your jokes are too funny, too funny! I can't take it, I'm laughing so hard my snot's running!" Trebol roared with laughter, rolling on the ground.
Doflamingo turned his attention to Diamante, who was also laughing uncontrollably. "Is it really that funny?"
"Sorry, Doffy, but it really is funny," Diamante said, forcefully suppressing his laughter. "Actually, calling Arinland a 'City of Dreams' isn't entirely wrong. It's an entertainment island, a hub of fashion, home to the headquarters of countless world-leading commercial oligarchs... But, that's the view of the upper crust. For us paupers? Hehe, it's a City of Sin! It encompasses gambling, loan sharking, human trafficking, arms dealing... every kind of filth you can imagine."
Doflamingo nodded. "Oh? Interesting. It's like two sides of the same coin, two opposing halves born from one."
"Nyeh, nyehh~" Trebol finally stopped laughing. "I say! At least for us, if we seize even one street in Arinland, even the most peripheral one, we'll get rich!"
"This time, you are not to act rashly. We're going to be permanently stationed in Arinland, not just hit and run," Doflamingo stated unequivocally, then changed the subject. "How much farther?"
Diamante calculated for a bit. "Arinland is located in the center of the South Blue. If all goes smoothly, it will still take us two months to reach."