The first half of the Grand Line, is dotted with countless islands across the vast seas.
Even the World Government, which had ruled for over eight hundred years, had no clear idea of exactly how many islands existed across the ocean.
At the harbor of a remote island, a ship bearing the flag of the Donquixote Pirates was quietly docked.
This island was small, with only a single town that could hold a few thousand people.
At the very center of the town, there stood a luxurious estate.
In one of the rooms on the second floor of the estate, Doflamingo — having escaped from Impel Down —was lounging on a sofa, one leg crossed over the other.
Ever since his breakout, Doflamingo and Vergo had been relentlessly pursued by both the
Marines and the World Government.
They had spent this time constantly on the run.
This island was one of the secret hideouts they had prepared long ago —remote, hidden,
and hard for the World Government or Marines to discover.
"Fufufufufufu..." "How ridiculous!"
Doflamingo chuckled as he casually tossed a newspaper onto the coffee table.
Though he laughed, the grin on his face was cold and menacing.
"Three major pirate crews forming an alliance? Those reporters really have guts!"
"Whitebeard, Kaido, and Sanders...
if those three monsters did join forces,
those old geezers in the World Government would have a serious headache!"
Despite the joking tone, his narrowed eyes gleamed with a chilling light.
"Doffy, you don't think they really allied, do you?"
Ghost Bamboo Vergo stood behind Doflamingo, wearing a white checkered coat and black sunglasses.
A rare trace of seriousness flickered across his face as he glanced at the paper.
"Fufufufu..."
"Don't joke."
Doflamingo flatly rejected the idea without hesitation.
He didn't believe for a second that those three would unite.
Because they had no shared goals.
Whitebeard was already old, his only concern was protecting his family —
he no longer cared about becoming the Pirate King.
Kaido was a madman, obsessed either with strengthening the Beasts Pirates or seeking his own death.
As for Sanders...
At the mere thought of that name, a dark glint flashed across Doflamingo's eyes.
He would never forget —
it was Sanders who had shattered years of his carefully laid plans,
and had even killed several of his "family" members.
...In short, Doflamingo refused to believe the rumors about a three-way alliance!
"Whitebeard maybe not,"
Vergo said quietly,
"But Kaido and Thunder God Sanders... that's another story."
At Vergo's reminder, the smile froze on Doflamingo's face.
A bead of cold sweat rolled down his forehead.
"Kaido's thirst for war,
Sanders' hatred toward the World Government and Marines..."
"The two of them joining forces isn't impossible."
Vergo continued in a low tone.
Kaido was a war-monger, through and through.
His endless purchases of weapons and artificial Devil Fruits to bolster his army made that clear.
He was not a man content to remain holed up in Wano.
Sanders' conflict with the World Government was well-known across the seas.
Doflamingo put down his crossed leg and sat upright.
He picked the newspaper back up again, deep in thought about the possibility of an alliance between the Thunder God Pirates and the Beasts Pirates—and what impact that might have on him.
After a moment, Doflamingo looked at Vergo and slowly ordered:
"Get in touch with some of the Beasts Pirates' other members.
See if we can gather any information."
The Beasts Pirates had many members, and among them were people willing to trade information for the right price.
As an underground broker, Doflamingo knew plenty of these sorts of contacts.
Not to mention, he still had old ties with the Beasts Pirates.
Getting some intel shouldn't be a problem.
"Understood, Doffy,"
Vergo nodded.
He hesitated a moment before continuing:
"If Kaido and Sanders really do join forces, will it affect our business?"
"Fufufufufu... No."
"It won't."
"If anything, if they unite, Kaido will need our support even more."
"The only downside is... our plan to borrow the Beasts Pirates' power to get revenge on Sanders may fall apart."
At this, a flash of hatred glinted in Doflamingo's eyes.
His enemy was right there, but he was powerless to strike.
"There will be a chance, Doffy,"
Vergo said softly after a moment of silence.
In truth, both Vergo and Doflamingo knew
Getting revenge was almost impossible now.
Even if the Beasts Pirates moved against Sanders... the man who had just defeated Whitebeard was now widely considered one of the strongest men alive.
His crew included terrifying top-tier fighters like the blind swordsman Issho.
In terms of top combat strength, the Thunder God Pirates were no weaker than any other Emperor's crew.
Seeking revenge against the Thunder God Pirates would be like reaching for the stars.
"Message just came in."
"Not long ago, Mary Geoise was reportedly attacked."
"The likely culprit is Sanders."
Vergo shared the latest intel, hoping to lift Doflamingo's spirits.
"He attacked... Mary Geoise?!"
"Sanders sure has guts!"
Doflamingo's face lit up with shock, then curved into a delighted grin as he burst into laughter.
Two of his enemies fighting—how could he not be thrilled?
"Not a single word of it leaked earlier...
Looks like the Holy Land sealed off all information."
"Sanders probably succeeded, and got away intact.
Otherwise, the World Government wouldn't be so silent."
"Those five old fossils really care about their image, huh?"
"Still, after something like this,
the Five Elders won't let Sanders off the hook.
Looks like the World Government will be making big moves soon."
"By the way..."
Doflamingo shifted gears and asked:
"Any news on my request to rejoin the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"
"None yet,"
Vergo replied.
"Our activities in Dressrosa have been exposed."
"King Riku has been pressing the Marines through diplomatic channels to have us captured."
A dark look crossed Doflamingo's face as he cursed under his breath:
"That damned old man...
Now he's just a lapdog for the Thunder God Pirates."
After a brief pause, Doflamingo continued:
"Forget them for now."
"We need to find a hidden island quickly and rebuild the SMILE factory."
"Caesar's already getting impatient."
"This is our most important business—
we cannot afford any mistakes."
"As for the situation in the New World—leave it alone."
"The more chaotic the world gets, the better it is for us."
"Understood, Doffy."
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