Don had vanished.
After Kizaru made his move, the Navy didn't pursue Don further, but they never stopped keeping an eye on him.
They had assumed Don would raze all of Doflamingo's weapons factories across the North Blue. Instead, the man suddenly disappeared without a trace.
Yet attacks on those factories continued.
According to Navy intelligence, however, the ones now moving in were Germa. They weren't destroying the sites, but rather seizing them for themselves.
On an island near the Calm Belt, a Marine warship was docked.
Most of the soldiers aboard were women.
It was the flagship of the Navy's Chief of Staff—Vice Admiral Tsuru.
After hearing the latest report, Tsuru's face showed a rare hint of contemplation.
"Big Sis?"
Gion, standing beside her, called softly.
"Mhm. Borsalino already made his move, but that Don gave him no face at all. And now—he's just… let him go?"
Tsuru turned her gaze toward Gion as she spoke.
"Big Sis, are you saying Don has some kind of connection with the Germa Kingdom?"
Always stationed by Tsuru's side, Gion was well-informed about Don's activities, which only deepened her curiosity.
From what she knew, Don hardly seemed like someone easy to deal with.
"Not necessarily a connection, but they must have had contact. Likely struck some sort of deal."
Tsuru reasoned it out calmly.
Don had traveled from East Blue to West Blue, and only then to the North Blue. Unless he'd had ties with Germa before showing up in East Blue, there was no real chance for earlier contact.
But now, with Don disappearing and Germa stepping in to seize Doflamingo's factories—there had to be some kind of exchange.
So, what exactly had been agreed upon?
"Big Sis, do we really need to pay this much attention to Don?"
Gion pressed again as Tsuru fell into thought.
"A young Logia user… awakened Conqueror's Haki… already skilled in both Observation and Armament Haki—and a swordsman on top of that."
Tsuru turned her sharp eyes toward Gion.
"Someone like that deserves every bit of our attention. In a few years, he'll surely become one of the most influential figures on the seas."
Even Tsuru herself sighed with emotion as she said it.
"If such a person chose the path of piracy, he'd be a nightmare to deal with. Fortunately, for now, it doesn't seem that way."
Her gaze shifted suddenly.
"They're here."
The moment Tsuru spoke, Gion followed her line of sight, raising her hand in signal.
The female Marines leapt into action—arming themselves, turning the warship, and steering it straight toward the incoming vessel.
"A Marine warship?!"
On board Doflamingo's ship, a shout of alarm rang out, and every crew member tensed.
Doflamingo strode to the bow. When his eyes fell on the emblem of the approaching warship, his face immediately darkened.
"Young Master!"
Several of his officers rushed forward, faces bright with anticipation.
"Quiet. It's someone I know."
Doflamingo resisted the urge to turn tail and run.
After all, this very warship had once hounded him relentlessly. If not for becoming a Warlord of the Sea, he might still be on the run even now.
The Navy's Chief of Staff, Vice Admiral Tsuru!
The warship drew close, and Doflamingo stared grimly at the familiar figure standing tall upon its deck.
Once they halted, Doflamingo was the first to speak.
"Madam Tsuru!"
Gone was his usual cocky grin. He restrained himself, wearing instead an unnervingly quiet expression.
"What a good child. I half-expected you to come at me swinging."
Tsuru's words carried the weight of age and authority.
The title made Doflamingo's face twitch darkly, but he let the slight pass without fussing over it.
"Madam Tsuru, were you waiting for me?"
Doflamingo narrowed his eyes, already guessing at her purpose.
"The North Blue has been restless of late. So, Doflamingo—why don't you turn back the way you came?"
Tsuru smiled as she spoke.
"You know what's been happening."
Doflamingo frowned.
"Yes, I know. But he's no longer in the North Blue."
Her words caught him off guard.
Then Tsuru tilted her head.
At her signal, Gion waved a hand, and three figures were escorted out.
One of them was covered head to toe in bandages.
"Doffy, good children listen. I'm giving your men back to you. Now return to Dressrosa."
Doflamingo's gaze darted past her to the figures—Lao G, Violet, and the bandaged man… Pica?
"And if I refuse?"
Even knowing circumstances had shifted, Doflamingo's greed burned.
The profits at stake here were massive. If he turned back now, he'd lose them completely. And recreating such an empire in the underworld would be far harder the second time.
But under Tsuru's gaze, after weighing his options, he relented.
As he turned away, his face darkened like storm clouds, veins throbbing on his forehead. He was already furious beyond words.
Tsuru, of course, didn't care in the slightest.
She escorted Doflamingo all the way back toward the Calm Belt, watching him depart before finally withdrawing.
"What the hell happened?"
Doflamingo's voice was low and dangerous as he faced the three rescued officers.
"He's… terrifyingly strong."
Pica's weak, muffled voice spoke through his bandages.
"When I confronted him, Admiral Kizaru arrived too. The two of them fought. I was caught in the crossfire and ended up like this. I don't know the outcome, but… that man wasn't stopped. He just kept destroying our operations."
Pica's words froze Doflamingo in place.
"You're saying he fought Kizaru… and walked away unaffected?"
For a moment, he could hardly believe it.
He knew about Don's exploits in East Blue. Back then, he hadn't considered the man much of a threat.
But now—this report chilled him to the bone.
The fact that Kizaru had returned empty-handed said enough.
"Return to Dressrosa."
Doflamingo's eyes swept over the three, then hardened as he gave the order.
At the same time Doflamingo was being forced home by Vice Admiral Tsuru, Germa's negotiations with the World Government had collapsed. Their bid to become a member state was rejected, but they managed to seize the remnants of Doflamingo's weapons factories.
As for Don and Robin—by then, they had already reached the seas near the Red Line.
Their small craft stilled upon the waters as they gazed upward.
The Red Line towered above them, its summit beyond sight, though Don's Observation Haki easily reached the landmass above.
"Are you seriously planning to let Germa's people join your guild?"
On the quiet sea, Robin looked sideways at Don, curiosity spilling into her tone.
She still hadn't grasped why he would make such a decision.
"It doesn't really matter. I just don't want to waste time on tedious tasks. If others are willing to do the work, let them. As long as the outcome is what I want, that's enough."
Don lowered his gaze from the towering continent, answering Robin with calm certainty.
END OF CHAPTER
patreon.com/MrBehringer
Fireborne Legends
🔹 Rising Bounty – Read up to 15 chapters ahead
🔸 Legendary Bounty – Command up to 35 chapters ahead