"Doffy! Are you sure about this? BIG MOM is nothing short of a lunatic. When she loses control, she attacks even her own children. Her rampages during tea parties are well-documented."
Upon learning that Doflamingo was gathering Sky Islanders and rare goods for a visit to Charlotte Linlin, Diamante's face darkened, cold sweat trickling down his forehead. However, intimidated by Doflamingo's imposing presence, he only dared to express his concerns indirectly.
Machvise, despite his hulking frame, looked as nervous as a frightened child.
"That's right, Young Master! BIG MOM has destroyed entire nations over a piece of dessert. She sinks islands on a whim—she's a complete maniac!"
"Young Master—!"
"..."
"Boss, I'll handle everything in Sabaody. As for Saint Mingdalos, and Saint Faldo, I'll have full control over them by the time you return."
Tesoro, having long understood his boss's nature, didn't try to dissuade him. Besides, it would have been pointless.
Seeing the others voice their opposition, Enel jumped in.
"Exactly! With me at Young Master's side, BIG MOM is nothing more than another stepping stone. She's destined to lose."
Young and reckless, Enel had no grasp of the true strength among top-tier pirates, but his words pleased Doflamingo. He shot both of them an approving look before turning to the tense, anxious Diamante and the others.
"Relax, it's just a tea party with BIG MOM. We're not declaring war on her, so stop being so nervous, Diamante. And the rest of you—this is merely a small negotiation. Show some confidence, like the future subjects of a king should."
"Doffy, it's not that we don't believe in you, but we're still young. We can afford to wait before dealing with the true powerhouses of this world."
Diamante refused to give up, continuing his heartfelt plea.
"I understand."
Doflamingo turned toward the Numancia Flamingo Mini, speaking without looking back.
"You're saying we should wait until we're strong enough to face BIG MOM head-on, right?"
Behind him, Diamante and the others nodded furiously.
"You just don't get it, Diamante."
Securing the Log Pose to Totto Land, Doflamingo and Enel landed on the deck. He cast a meaningful look at Diamante.
"It's precisely because we're young that we need to move faster."
With that, the Numancia Flamingo Mini took off into the sky.
As for why they weren't taking the route through Fish-Man Island? A wise man avoids unnecessary risks. Who knew if a super-sized Sea King might catch their scent?
"Did we disappoint the Young Master again?" Machvise murmured, uncertainty in his voice.
No one answered him.
Diamante, Pica, and the others who had followed Doflamingo from the very beginning simply gazed in worry at the departing ship. They all agreed—dealing with BIG MOM at this time was a terrible idea.
But Doflamingo saw things differently.
To others, BIG MOM was a terrifying, unpredictable monster, one of the hardest people in the world to deal with.
To him, however, she was nothing more than an old lady waiting to be scammed out of her resources.
If Caesar could do it, why couldn't he? And as Caesar's boss, he could certainly do it better.
Of course, Doflamingo wasn't without standards. He preferred to call himself a "dream facilitator."
...
Soaring through the sky aboard the Numancia Flamingo, Doflamingo stood confidently at the ship's flamingo-shaped bow.
Seven years had passed, and now he finally had the confidence to probe the true powerhouses of the world.
Pointing down at the hazy silhouette of the Holy Land, nestled atop the Red Line, he decided it was time to give Enel a proper introduction to the rulers of this world.
"Do you know what that is, Enel?"
Following Doflamingo's gaze, Enel's eyes widened as he saw the vast, boundless land even from ten thousand meters high.
"This… This is the 'Endless Land' you spoke of?! So it really exists in the Blue Sea!"
Doflamingo chuckled, not bothered by Enel's misunderstanding.
"Fufufu~ Not quite. Look over there."
He pointed toward a sprawling cluster of lavish, extravagant buildings in the distance.
"That's… the Celestial Dragons?"
"Correct. The pigs who currently sit on the throne of the world."
Excited sparks crackled around Enel's body.
"Young Master, should we—"
Bang!
...
New World – Totto Land
At this point, Totto Land had yet to expand into the massive empire of thirty-five islands it would become in the future. Currently, only fourteen main islands were connected, one of which was Nuts Island.
Massive peanut-shaped Homies stood across the island, murmuring among themselves.
One of them even bore a striking resemblance to the Wall-Nut from Plants vs. Zombies.
Doflamingo, having seen all sorts of strange sights, remained composed.
But young Enel stared in awe, muttering under his breath.
"Are these edible? Do they talk? Are they sweet?"
Yes, kid, they do.
Doflamingo answered silently in his mind.
...
On the island below, two figures—Amande and Mondée, the current Ministers of Nuts—were preparing to head to Whole Cake Island for BIG MOM's tea party.
As Amande stepped onto the Mochi-Nut Ship, a familiar voice rang out.
"As an old acquaintance, I trust you won't mind showing me the way?"
Only then did the chess soldier guards react, hastily sounding the alarm.
"Intruder alert! Intruder alert!!!"
"Unidentified vessel approaching—dangerously close!"
"Minister Amande, please retreat immediately!!!"
This time, the ship had come even closer than before.
Why hadn't the Homie guards reacted sooner?
And why was he arriving with an entire ship?! Were these guards blind?!
Amande and Mondée turned to see Doflamingo standing there once again, his ship floating silently above them. Even with their typically indifferent expressions, their lips twitched slightly.
Suppressing the urge to attack, they signaled the guards to stand down. There would be plenty of people waiting to "handle" him once they reached Whole Cake Island.
Feigning composure, Amande responded coldly.
"Fine. Just make sure you're not deceiving Mama."
"Fufufufu~ Of course not. Lady Linlin will see my sincerity firsthand."
Doflamingo smirked. He could sense their fluctuating emotions with ease.
As for why he was able to slip past the Homie sentries undetected? That was simple.
Homies were all created from the fragments of souls given by BIG MOM's Soul-Soul Fruit.
And like any ranking system, some were much weaker than others.
While the islands' sweets and plants contained mere scraps of soul, the lower-ranked chess soldiers had only slightly more.
It was easy for him to manipulate them using his advanced Observation Haki, transmitting emotions to lull their fragmented souls into complacency.
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+145 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg