The small town on the island was now a desolate ruin. Little Oars Jr., his body battered and bruised, dragged himself back to the port. The crew of the Giant waited anxiously, their expressions shifting dramatically to alarm as they caught sight of his heavily injured state. They scrambled down from the ship, rushing towards him.
"Captain Oars, how did you get so hurt?!" his men exclaimed, their voices laced with urgency.
"It's nothing much," Little Oars Jr. shook his head, unconcerned by his wounds. Back on Sky Island, he'd fought monsters daily. There wasn't a spot on his body that hadn't been injured at some point, often far more severely than this. He was long accustomed to pain.
Little Oars Jr. boarded the Giant, casually tossing Doflamingo onto the deck and ordering his men to clap Seastone cuffs on him and his crew.
"Bring me some food. I'm starving," Little Oars Jr. grunted, plopping down onto the deck. His crew members immediately bustled about, hauling massive slabs of meat to him. The ship's doctor hurried over with a medical kit. Crewmates brought a ladder, and the doctor clambered up it to Little Oars Jr.'s back to begin stitching his wounds.
Little Oars Jr. simply focused on eating and drinking, completely ignoring the doctor suturing his injuries.
The Giant departed Borosa Island, sailing out into the vast, open sea. Eventually, Doflamingo and his men regained consciousness.
They lay on the deck, unable to move, their bodies wracked with excruciating pain.
Doflamingo struggled to sit up. Seeing the Seastone cuffs on his wrists, his expression darkened further.
"Oars, where are you taking me?" Doflamingo asked, his voice low and dangerous, as he watched Little Oars Jr. devour his meal.
Little Oars Jr. spared him a glance, then set down the large piece of meat he was holding. He fished a Den Den Mushi out of his pocket. In his massive hand, the snail looked no bigger than an ant; it was tiny.
The Den Den Mushi rang for a while before finally connecting. Bege's voice came through from the other end.
"Bege, Doflamingo's awake," Little Oars Jr. rumbled.
"Put him on. I want a word with him," Bege replied.
Little Oars Jr. placed the Den Den Mushi in front of Doflamingo, then went back to his food and drink, paying him no further mind.
"Doflamingo, you've got some nerve, laying a hand on my crew," Bege's contemptuous laughter echoed from the Den Den Mushi.
Doflamingo's face grew even uglier, so dark it looked like water might drip from it.
"Winner takes all, loser stands small. 'Demon Dragon,' what is it you want?" Doflamingo spat, his voice filled with hatred.
"Haven't quite decided what to do with you yet," Bege said mildly. "Killing you might be a good option. Someone like you could be a real nuisance in the future."
"Kill me? 'Demon Dragon,' you can't kill me. You'll regret it if you do," Doflamingo said, a strange, twisted smile spreading across his face.
"Can't kill you? Oh, are you trying to pull the Celestial Dragon card on me, Heavenly Yaksha, Doflamingo?" Bege sneered dismissively.
Doflamingo's expression changed drastically, veins popping on his forehead.
"You know I'm a Celestial Dragon?"
"It's hardly a state secret. I know all about your affairs. Besides, do you really think I care if you're a Celestial Dragon? In my eyes, Celestial Dragons are nothing more than filthy vermin," Bege's calm voice resonated with an intense, overbearing Haki.
"Vermin? 'Demon Dragon,' you're certainly an arrogant one," Doflamingo scoffed.
Doflamingo's expression flickered as he gradually regained his composure. He spoke in a low voice, "You didn't call me personally just to mock me, did you? What is it you really want?"
"Heh heh heh heh, not bad, not bad at all. Quick on the uptake," Bege chuckled. "Doflamingo, relax. I'm not going to kill you, not for now. You're still useful to me. Killing you wouldn't be a smart move."
"What do you want me to do?" Doflamingo asked, his face devoid of expression.
"I hear you have considerable influence in the underworld," Bege stated. "I'm planning to have you sell weapons for me and help me gather resources."
"Are you proposing a partnership?"
"A partnership? Call it that if you like. You sell my weapons, and you can take a ten percent cut of the profits. Likewise, you help me gather the resources I need, and I'll give you a ten percent rebate. How about it, Doflamingo?" Bege said with a smile.
"Ten percent on weapons is too little. At least thirty percent. As for the resources you need, I want a fifteen percent rebate," Doflamingo, showing no awareness of his status as a prisoner, began to haggle with Bege.
"My, my, Doflamingo, you've got quite the appetite. But do you have the stomach for it?" Bege sneered.
Little Oars Jr. put down his wine barrel and grabbed the giant blade beside him, his gaze fixing ominously on Doflamingo. If Bege gave the word, he would eliminate Doflamingo instantly.
Doflamingo's face was grim, the veins on his forehead even more prominent.
"Twenty percent. I want twenty percent of the profits, and a ten percent rebate. I won't work for you for free."
"Got guts. Not bad. Alright, we'll go with your terms," Bege didn't press further. He knew Doflamingo was ambitious; without sufficient incentive, he wouldn't effectively sell weapons for Bege.
A smile touched Doflamingo's lips.
"However, Doflamingo," Bege's voice suddenly turned cold, causing Doflamingo's expression to change in an instant. "You dared to attack my crew. Shouldn't you pay a price for that?"
"What do you want?"
"Hee hee hee, do you know a man named Caesar Clown?" Bege asked.
Doflamingo's expression darkened, but he said nothing.
"Looks like you do know him. Tell me where he is, and we'll call it even for you attacking Oars," Bege chuckled.
"He's one of my men. You can't touch him," Doflamingo said gravely.
"Your man? Heh heh heh heh, Doflamingo, you really don't know what's good for you. Oars, grab Diamante for me," Bege scoffed.
Little Oars Jr. moved instantly, his massive hand shooting out to seize Diamante, gripping him so tightly that Diamante howled in agony from the brutal force.
"'Demon Dragon,' let him go!" Doflamingo barked.
"Doflamingo, it seems you haven't grasped the current situation. Don't think for a moment that just because I want to 'partner' with you, you can make demands. If it weren't for your Celestial Dragon status having some use, do you think I would have chosen you?"
"Now, I'll give you a choice. You want Caesar, don't you? Fine. Choose between Caesar and Diamante. If you choose Caesar, I'll kill Diamante," Bege said with a sinister laugh.
"Bastard!" Doflamingo clenched his fists, his face a mask of fury. The next moment, his fists unclenched, his expression one of utter dejection.
"'Demon Dragon,' you win. I'll tell you Caesar's location."
"Now you're talking," Bege laughed. Little Oars Jr. casually tossed Diamante back onto the deck.
"Can you let us go now?" Doflamingo asked grimly.
"Not yet. Once I've captured Caesar, I'll naturally release you. If you dare to deceive me, Doflamingo, I guarantee you'll die a very miserable death," Bege said before hanging up the Den Den Mushi.
On Sky Island, a smile spread across Bege's face.
"Caesar, so you're still with the World Government's scientific unit. No wonder I couldn't find you anywhere."