Doflamingo returned to the Nexus Guild after the Conference of Kings had concluded, accompanied by Kitse, who had remained behind to settle a few matters with the Guild Masters. The conference had been more interesting than Doflamingo had initially expected, and the thoughts it had left him with continued to occupy his mind even after he had returned to Dressrosa. He had spent years studying people, learning what drove them, what frightened them, and what they were willing to sacrifice for their ambitions. Yet the conference had reminded him that even the most accomplished individuals could possess blind spots, and that understanding those weaknesses could be more valuable than understanding their strengths.
There was, however, another matter that had caught his attention.
The Nexus Guild connected worlds, gathered extraordinary individuals, and provided access to opportunities that would otherwise be impossible to obtain. If its members were selected according to their abilities and circumstances, then the people already gathered here represented only a small fraction of the possibilities available across the countless worlds connected to the Nexus. Doflamingo had no intention of ignoring such a resource, particularly when he was beginning to understand how useful the right connections could become.
"Hey, Kitse," he called as they entered the main hall. "I've been meaning to ask you something. Can I invite someone else to join this place?"
Kitse glanced at him before continuing toward one of the empty tables. "Why? Have you already found someone you want to bring here?"
"Fufufu. Would it be strange if I had?" Doflamingo followed him, pulling out a chair and sitting down comfortably. "This place is full of interesting people, and I'm beginning to think that having a few more around could be rather useful. I assume there are rules about who can enter, though."
"There are," Kitse replied, taking a seat opposite him. "But the rules depend on how the Guild develops."
Doflamingo's grin widened slightly. "Now that's an interesting answer. Go on."
"The Nexus is still in its early stages. For now, the Guild itself will select new members at random until there are twelve members in total. These invitations are issued by the Nexus, not by the existing members, and none of us can choose who receives them."
Doflamingo's expression remained cheerful, although his attention sharpened. Twelve members, chosen by the Nexus itself, meant that the initial group was subject to rules beyond the control of any individual. Even Kitse, despite his position as Guild Master, could not simply fill the hall with people he considered useful. There was something deliberate about that limitation, and Doflamingo wondered whether it was intended to keep the early Guild from being dominated by a single faction or personality.
"And what happens once the twelve have been chosen?" he asked.
"Then the Guild opens to the public. Anyone who meets the entry requirements can potentially join or interact with the Nexus, but there will be a minimum threshold of strength. Someone who falls below that standard won't be able to enter the Guild or interact with it directly."
Doflamingo tilted his head. "Strength alone? Or are there other requirements?"
"Strength is the basic threshold for access. Other rules may apply to particular activities, missions, or privileges, but the general idea is to prevent the Nexus from becoming accessible to absolutely everyone. There are too many worlds and too many people for that to be practical."
It was a reasonable restriction, though Doflamingo suspected that its implications extended well beyond convenience. A place that connected countless worlds could become a source of information, trade, alliances, and influence on a scale that no ordinary kingdom could replicate. If access were unrestricted, the Guild would be overwhelmed by people seeking power, shelter, wealth, or simply a way to escape their own circumstances. A strength requirement would narrow the field to individuals who had already risen above the ordinary population of their worlds, making the Guild a gathering place for people capable of affecting the course of history.
The restriction also created an interesting distinction between those who arrived during the Guild's early development and those who joined later. Doflamingo had already noticed that the Nexus treated its original members differently, but he wanted to understand precisely how far those privileges extended.
"You said the Nexus itself would select the first twelve," he said. "Does that mean the rest of us are expected to sit around and wait for it to finish?"
"Not exactly. The twelve members chosen by the Nexus will have a special privilege. Once a member has completed at least one mission or event, they can issue a task directly to the Nexus."
For the first time during their conversation, Doflamingo's grin became noticeably sharper.
"A task?" he repeated. "What kind of task are we talking about?"
"That depends on what the member asks for and whether the Nexus can fulfill it. You could request an investigation, ask for help locating something, or propose a task that involves a particular world or individual. The exact possibilities depend on the request. It doesn't mean every demand will be granted, and it certainly doesn't mean the Nexus will ignore its own rules."
Kitse delivered the explanation without attaching any particular importance to it, but Doflamingo had already begun considering the consequences. The ability to issue a task was not merely another reward for membership. It was a means of directing the Nexus's attention toward a problem, an opportunity, or a person who might otherwise remain beyond one's reach. Even if the Nexus refused certain requests, knowing that one could formally ask it to act was an advantage in itself.
More importantly, the privilege was limited to the twelve members selected during the Guild's initial stage. Those who joined later might possess greater strength, more resources, or more influence within their respective worlds, but they would not automatically receive the same opportunity. The early members would have access to a mechanism that could potentially shape the Guild's development, while everyone else would have to operate within the structure that already existed.
Doflamingo leaned back in his chair, letting the information settle. The Nexus had not promised him unlimited power, nor had it handed him a way to control the organization. In fact, the restrictions made it clear that the Guild would not simply become another tool for whoever possessed the greatest ambition. Nevertheless, the arrangement offered something he valued almost as much as power: an opportunity to influence events without needing to control every detail himself.
"Fufufu. So the first twelve get to ask the Nexus for something after proving themselves through a mission or an event, and everyone else has to meet the entry requirements once the Guild opens to the public. That's quite a distinction."
"Think of it as an opportunity rather than a guarantee," Kitse replied. "Being among the first twelve doesn't mean you own the Guild, and it doesn't mean the Nexus will fulfill every request. You still have to decide what is worth asking for."
"Of course. I wouldn't expect anything less."
Doflamingo's answer sounded casual, but his mind was already moving ahead. He had no intention of wasting such a privilege on something that could be obtained through ordinary means. If he was going to issue a task to the Nexus, it would have to be something that advanced his plans in a meaningful way, preferably something that could give him access to people, information, or opportunities unavailable through the underworld's existing networks.
He also needed to consider whom he might eventually want to bring into the Guild once public access became available. The strongest individuals were not necessarily the most useful, and the most useful people were not always those who stood at the top of their world's hierarchy. Someone with the right knowledge, the right connections, or a particular ability could change the outcome of an entire operation without ever needing to fight. The conference had reinforced that lesson, and Doflamingo was not the sort of man who would forget something simply because it did not offer an immediate benefit.
For now, however, he would have to wait. The Nexus would choose its remaining initial members according to its own criteria, and he had no way of knowing how long that process would take or whom it would select. That uncertainty irritated him only slightly. After all, the most interesting opportunities were often those that could not be forced into existence through sheer determination.
Doflamingo rose from his chair and adjusted his coat, his familiar grin returning as he looked toward the hall. Twelve members, a future public opening, and the privilege of issuing a task to an organization that connected worlds. It was far too early to decide what he would do with such an opportunity, but it was never too early to begin preparing for it.
"Fufufufufu!"