Several days prior, after annihilating Red Hair, Doflamingo had led his pirate crew away from the Twin Capes. Their next destination was unknown; no one knew Doflamingo and his crew's precise location. The Twin Capes had been ravaged by the great battle between Doflamingo and Red Hair. The lighthouse that once stood proudly there was long gone; even the sea level seemed to have dropped by a few millimeters. As for Laboon, it had luckily escaped with its life. Doflamingo and his crew hadn't found any trace of it and didn't know where it had gone. Doflamingo had no desire to quibble with a mere beast. Thus, the Donquixote Pirates' fervent hopes for whale meat went unfulfilled, which was somewhat regrettable.
It was unknown if Laboon would continue to ram the Red Line as before. Probably not! After all, this incident must have left a lasting impression on it! It still wanted to wait for the Rumbar Pirates; it certainly wasn't willing to die just like that.
On the Grand Line, the Ark Maxim carried Doflamingo and his crew onward, towards their next destination: Erergo Island.
On the deck of the Ark Maxim, Doflamingo held Gryphon, idly swinging it a few times. Feeling its sharpness, he was very satisfied. As a pirate, how could one not have a few guns and weapons! Otherwise, it wouldn't be very pirate-like at all.
Doflamingo had initially considered giving Gryphon to Diamante. To say Diamante didn't want such a famed sword would be a lie. Unfortunately, Diamante, aware of his earlier mistake, didn't have the face to make such a request. Moreover, this was the personal sword of a strong man; Diamante considered himself unworthy of it. Only Doflamingo was fit for it. Thus, even when Doflamingo offered to give Gryphon to him, Diamante refused.
However, even with Diamante's self-awareness, the punishment from Doflamingo was not to be lessened. Diamante accepted his fault and Doflamingo's penalty. The "lightning baptism" from Doflamingo not only turned one black and crispy but also strengthened the body and provided a stylish hairdo. Diamante, in a way, had lucked out. Diamante not only had to endure Doflamingo's lightning punishment but also accept doubled training. Who asked him to fail at even keeping an eye on an old man, allowing someone to slip from his grasp? In Doflamingo's eyes, this was a sign of insufficient strength, so extra training was required. Only when he was trained to exhaustion could he stop and rest. Diamante accepted Doflamingo's punishment with a mixture of pain and joy. Although it wasn't a severe chastisement, for Diamante, this kind of punishment was more like a reward and an honor. Diamante also sensed Doflamingo's determination; he didn't want to drag Doflamingo down or be a burden on his path to godhood.
After toying with Gryphon, Doflamingo returned to his private quarters. Monet, as his secretary, had thoughtfully prepared everything. She had drawn a bath for him, took Gryphon and the pink feather coat from his hands, and allowed Doflamingo to go soak and relax.
"Young Master, everything is ready. You can relax properly now," Monet said considerately.
"Good," Doflamingo replied and quickly walked into the bathroom.
Naked, Doflamingo leaned wearily against the edge of the bathtub, his head tilted back, enjoying his moment of tranquility. It was a rare instance of relaxation. Just then, a pair of small, fair hands gently placed themselves on Doflamingo's shoulders, beginning to knead away the fatigue from the day's great battle.
"Young Master, you've worked hard," Monet, wearing a grass-green swimsuit, appeared beside Doflamingo. She knelt there, the minimal fabric barely concealing her proud figure. Unfortunately, Doflamingo's eyes were closed, and he didn't see this beautiful and alluring scene. Monet, seeing Doflamingo relaxed, spoke with a heart pounding in her chest.
Monet had come in on her own initiative this time. Naturally, she was somewhat nervous, especially dressed so scantily, and her face was quite flushed. Doflamingo paid no mind to Monet's emotions, allowing her to work her massage magic on his shoulders. His body achieved an unprecedented level of relaxation. Monet, seeing Doflamingo neither speak nor show displeasure, was very happy, and her hand movements became even gentler.
Doflamingo enjoyed Monet's massage, soaking in the bath, contemplating life. He had initially planned to head to Little Garden to recruit those two giants for his own use. But on second thought, he decided against it. Doflamingo currently didn't have any territory in the Grand Line; even if he subdued the two big fellows, he wouldn't have a good place for them for the time being. Moreover, those two giants were probably incredibly stubborn; to duel for a hundred years – that was something else. Doflamingo didn't want two disobedient subordinates. So, he dismissed the idea. Thus, Doflamingo chose a direction and began to sail randomly along the Grand Line. In any case, all seven routes eventually led to the Sabaody Archipelago; it didn't matter which one he took.
After his bath, Monet thoughtfully brought Doflamingo some clothes. Doflamingo didn't put on a suit again, changing into casual attire. His shirt was unbuttoned, revealing a broad chest and a ferocious scar that was clearly visible. Although the wound on his chest had long since healed, the pain the scar brought remained fresh in Doflamingo's memory.
Monet, looking at Doflamingo's chest, couldn't help but walk towards him, lean against his chest, listen to his strong heartbeat, and gently trace the scar on his chest with her fingers. After a long moment, she lifted her head, her eyes, like pools of spring water, looking at Doflamingo. "Young Master," she said, her voice filled with heartache, "does it still hurt?"
"A scar is a strong man's honor. It remains on my body, constantly reminding me of the fate of my past opponents. No matter how painful the injury, it cannot compare to the enlightenment it has brought me. This is the testament to success!" Doflamingo embraced Monet with one arm, his other hand tightly gripping her delicate white hand. Looking into Monet's captivating eyes, he spoke with some emotion about his understanding of scars.
"Young Master, I also want to become strong. I also want to be scarred. Young Master, can you let me experience the taste of becoming strong too? I also want to obtain the testament to success," Monet, hearing Doflamingo's words, leaned against his chest, her face flushed, and uttered these somewhat perplexing words.
"Becoming strong isn't so easy, you know. It involves bloodshed, and scars aren't pretty. Monet, have you thought this through?" Doflamingo caressed Monet's blushing cheek, looking into her eyes that shimmered with a spring-like allure, and reminded her teasingly.
"Young Master, I want to become strong. Can you teach me?" Monet now wrapped both her arms directly around Doflamingo's waist, her face pressed against his chest, avoiding his burning gaze, as she shyly expressed her desire to become strong in his embrace.
"Of course, I can, Monet. After today, you will become a strong person!" Doflamingo didn't hesitate at all, directly sweeping Monet up into his arms and heading towards the large bed. Things had already reached this point; he was no Liu Xia Hui, how could he remain unmoved in her embrace? Moreover, this was Monet's determination to become strong! As her Young Master, how could he refuse? How could he shatter a beautiful young woman's wonderful aspiration to become strong?
The next day, Doflamingo appeared early on his throne aboard the Ark Maxim, his expression calm, eyes closed, contemplating the battles of the past. Last night, he had properly fulfilled Monet's request, helping her become a "scarred strong person," and had thoughtfully stopped her bleeding afterward.
"Young Master, you're up so early?" a crew member passing by the deck remarked curiously.
"Well, of course! The Young Master is so strong; it's inseparable from his diligence and hard work," another crew member said respectfully, looking at Doflamingo.
"I really want to learn from the Young Master!"
"The Young Master is truly so hardworking. He just went through a major battle, yet he's still working so hard."
Doflamingo, hearing his crew members' chatter, couldn't help but purse his lips. Who are you all subtly gossiping about? He knew he had deliberately kept his distance to prevent Monet from being singled out. Besides, he had used electromagnetic soundproofing last night; no sounds from the room had escaped. Doflamingo's expression remained normal, not letting his subordinates see anything unusual.
Those recuperating recuperated, those training trained; everyone had their own tasks. Doflamingo was also internalizing the inspiration and improvements brought by the recent battle. Indeed, after fighting a strong opponent, Doflamingo had also progressed exceptionally. The "soul power" from Red Hair was extraordinarily nourishing, allowing Doflamingo's Observation Haki to achieve a new breakthrough, successfully entering the gates of Future Sight. The current Doflamingo could be said to possess advanced Observation Haki, advanced Armament Haki, and advanced Conqueror's Haki.
The only thing currently restricting Doflamingo's development was the development of his own body. The physique was the foundation of everything; only a stronger physique could allow for even greater improvement. Mind and intent in harmony, intent and qi in harmony, qi and force in harmony; hands and feet in harmony, elbows and knees in harmony, shoulders and hips in harmony. Doflamingo also relied on his soul power, wanting to control every bit of strength in his body, to achieve a state of perfect flawlessness. The human body is composed of forty to sixty trillion cells. The power brought by each cell is unparalleled. What Doflamingo wanted was to control all his cellular power, to achieve a subversion of his own life. However, Doflamingo couldn't achieve this yet; he was still missing something.
As Doflamingo was thinking about his "good brother," little did he know that a World Government ship was already not far from them, heading in his direction. Whether it was good or bad, for Doflamingo, he was fearless.
Note: Liu Xia Hui: An ancient Chinese nobleman famous for his extreme moral purity and self-control, especially his ability to remain a perfect gentleman even in tempting situations with women.