El pointed toward the Beasts Pirates' ship ahead.
"Those two are being held there… tied up and prisoners!"
"What?!"
Doflamingo was stunned. He never imagined matters would circle right back to concern him.
Ordinarily, he would never dare confront the Beasts Pirates alone, no matter how bold he felt.
But this was different.
If El was telling the truth—and he almost certainly was—then the Beasts Pirates had laid hands on his own officers.
No captain worth his title could accept such an insult.
Even though he was no longer the head of the Donquixote Family… even if their opponent was one of the Four Emperors, Kaido himself—attacking his crew was unforgivable.
His crew was still known as the "Donquixote Family"; however much he might use them, the name meant something more than ordinary ranks.
"How dare those bastards…"
Doflamingo never doubted El's word. If El's Observation Haki had picked up on it, then it was as good as fact.
The Four Emperors' crew—the Beasts Pirates—had dared to seize his men?
Even someone as cautious, even cowardly, as Doflamingo burned with anger.
Long before joining El's crew, he had been a Warlord of the Sea, a force to be reckoned with across the New World.
He would not swallow such a slap in the face lightly.
"Now you see why I wanted to find out what they're up to," El said, glancing at him before turning back.
That was exactly why he had drawn closer.
Passing by was one thing—but capturing members of Doflamingo's crew while doing so made things far more interesting.
"Captain… count me in!" Doflamingo could no longer contain his rage.
His officers were his bottom line—the very foundation of everything he had built.
He would never abandon them.
"Very well," El replied indifferently. He had sensed no overwhelming threat on the enemy ship; he could handle this alone if needed.
But since it meant so much to Doflamingo, he saw no reason to refuse.
"Captain—I'll go too!"
This time it was Crocodile who spoke. Though he and Doflamingo often clashed, they were the crew's twin pillars, trusted to carry out the most important tasks.
Besides, Crocodile had long dreamed of making a name for himself once more in the New World—and what faster way to rise than striking at an Emperor?
El nodded. "Come along then. Though I doubt three of us will have any trouble…"
Doflamingo and Crocodile exchanged a look and shook their heads.
They knew all too well how monstrously strong their captain was—but they also knew exactly what the Four Emperors represented.
Kaido's officers were no ordinary foes.
From a distance, Doflamingo spotted the giant figure standing on the deck.
Even without transforming, Jack towered far above any normal human, draped in a thick fur cloak, with two massive tusks slung over his shoulders.
His mere presence radiated crushing pressure.
"That's one of the All‑Stars—their absolute top commanders!"
Doflamingo could not help but feel uneasy.
The Beasts Pirates were in a league of their own.
Even aside from Kaido himself, their top officers were stronger than almost any so‑called "great pirate" in the New World.
Beneath the three All‑Stars alone were dozens of men capable of leading entire crews.
To put it plainly: even if Doflamingo had surrendered his former rank and begged to join the Beasts Pirates, he would never have earned a place among the All‑Stars.
Their strength far surpassed that of a Warlord.
Realizing who stood before them, Doflamingo's courage wavered.
Even Crocodile's expression grew grim—he knew full well what the title meant.
In truth, if he had known they faced such foes, he might have written off two low‑ranking subordinates like Baby 5 and Buffalo.
But he had already spoken boldly in front of El; backing down now would be humiliating.
He glanced nervously at El, wondering if he grasped the stakes.
But El's expression had not changed in the slightest—he looked as though he faced nothing more than a nameless grunt.
And in that moment, Doflamingo understood.
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