Doflamingo had come quietly, and he left with a full harvest, taking with him not only Arlong and his crew but also the budding curiosity of two young girls from Cocoyasi Village.
Three days later, Doflamingo was sailing towards the Grand Line aboard the Arlong Pirates' ship.
The brief punishment he had dealt Arlong had left all the fish-men on board terrified. For the past three days, they had been serving Doflamingo and Diamante as if they were their own ancestors, attending to their every need.
Standing at the bow of the pirate ship, Doflamingo gazed at the beauty of the East Blue and asked Hachi, who was beside him, "Is Arlong any better?"
"Arlong-san... he's able to move now," Hachi reported honestly.
"Good. Bring him to me. I want to have a good talk with him," Doflamingo said, putting special emphasis on the words "good talk," which sent a chill down Hachi's spine.
"I... I understand," Hachi stammered and quickly went to fetch Arlong.
A short while later, a resigned Arlong appeared before Doflamingo. Though his body was wrapped in bandages, the arrogant defiance on his face remained.
Doflamingo looked at him and chuckled, saying nothing.
His silence, however, was more than Arlong could bear. Gritting his teeth against the pain of his wounds, he said to Doflamingo, "What do you want, Doflamingo? I'm no match for you, but I will not be easily humiliated!"
"I never intended to humiliate you, Arlong. You're only humiliating yourself. You're just deceiving yourself," Doflamingo said calmly, ignoring Arlong's death-or-glory attitude.
"You...!" Arlong was speechless. Doflamingo had seen right through him.
"What, am I wrong? You're just lying to yourself. Why don't you dare to proclaim the greatness of fish-men in the Grand Line? Can you only act like a tyrant in a place like this?" Doflamingo continued.
"What do you know?! I'm fighting for the rise of the fish-men! If it weren't for you despicable humans, we wouldn't be in such a miserable state! It's all your fault, you damn humans! You forced us to live 10,000 meters under the sea! Why should we be the only ones who have to hide in the deep sea, never to see the sun?!"
Arlong poured out his bitterness and resentment towards Doflamingo. His words resonated with the other fish-men on the ship. Perhaps it was this shared dream that made them follow Arlong so devotedly.
"Or is it that you yourselves are willing to be cowards, hiding in your shells? Don't force the blame for your own circumstances onto humans, will you? If you are weak, you must have the resolve of the weak. Aren't all the disadvantages in this world a result of the person's own lack of ability? If you fish-men were truly capable, would you be hiding in the deep sea, clinging to a meager existence?" Doflamingo countered sharply.
Arlong and his crew fell silent. Doflamingo's words struck them to the core, a heavy blow. They all knew it was the truth, but they were unwilling to believe it, choosing instead to live in deceit and illusion.
"You think the path you've chosen is a struggle for the rise of the fish-men. Living in such a fantasy, don't you feel ashamed? If you truly intended to fight for the fish-men, shouldn't you be in the Grand Line, fighting against the strong, becoming stronger, and carving out a chance for your people's survival? Why are you hiding here, playing the part of a local tyrant?"
"Or perhaps... you've already given up on your so-called dream. You're just using the banner of the fish-men's rise as a pretext to gain some dignity from those pitiful, ignorant people, to satisfy your own guilt-ridden and helpless hearts."
Every word Doflamingo spoke was a sharp pearl, tearing away the fig leaf that covered their shame.
Doflamingo saw Arlong glaring at him with hatred and chuckled. "What, am I wrong? That is the truth. You are only deceiving yourselves. Don't think so highly of yourselves, alright?"
Arlong's clenched fists loosened, and a wave of despair washed over him.
"Perhaps you'll say the enemy is too strong, that you're no match for them. But it is precisely because you don't dare to fight that your fish-man race is so weak, that you are bought and sold as slaves by the Celestial Dragons. You surely think of yourselves as heroes among the fish-men, don't you? In reality, you are all criminals to your own people. It is because of you that the fish-men have become more and more pathetic."
Doflamingo continued mercilessly, listing their crimes.
"We are not criminals! We also want to contribute to the rise of the fish-men!" Hachi and the others shouted in protest.
"Then tell me, what have your actions really done for the fish-men? You've only bullied the weak, trying to satisfy your own need for the respect you can't earn."
"We... we're not like that," Hachi and the others' voices grew weaker. Though they denied it, they had to admit that Doflamingo was speaking the truth.
"Have you ever truly considered your own people? You swagger around here, enjoying yourselves, but you've forgotten your kinsmen in the deep sea who are waiting for you. You've even forgotten the fish-men who are enslaved by the Celestial Dragons. They are still waiting for you to save them. Is this how you answer their hopes?"
"Stop it! Stop talking!"
Arlong clutched his ears in agony, his eyes filled with a desperate struggle. He knew everything Doflamingo said was true, but what could he do? He didn't have the strength. All he had learned was to run away and bully the weak.
"Arlong, you are a coward. Is running away all you know? Don't you want to do something for your own people?" Doflamingo pressed on with his psychological attack.
"What... what else can I do? The enemy... they're too strong," Arlong murmured, his eyes vacant.
"Go back to Fish-Man Island. Consolidate the power of all your people. Unite all the fish-men. Only then will you have hope," Doflamingo said, his voice weaving a new path for him.
"Fish-Man Island?" Hearing Doflamingo's words, a light flickered in Arlong's eyes. He had chosen to run away before precisely because he felt humiliated and couldn't face the expectations of his people. That was why he had brought Hachi and the others to the East Blue to live a life of self-deception.
"That's right. Only when you are united can you prevent outsiders from taking advantage of you," Doflamingo nodded, affirming his statement.
The other fish-men also looked at Arlong with hopeful eyes. They had wanted to return to Fish-Man Island for a long time, but had not done so because of Arlong.
"Doflamingo... I have to admit, everything you've said is right. I have been deceiving myself," Arlong said. "Returning to Fish-Man Island and consolidating our power is indeed my best option. But... why would you be so kind? Tell me the truth. What do you want from me?"
This Arlong wasn't so stupid after all. He still had some sense.
"Fuffuffuffu. The Celestial Dragons treat you as slaves, as playthings. The World Government does nothing. The king of Fish-Man Island stands by and watches his own people being captured. This is the reality you face. And the root of it all is the World Government. As long as the World Government exists, you fish-men will forever live in the deep sea, treated like pets, with no freedom to speak of!"
"You!" Arlong snarled, but he was defeated by Doflamingo's piercing gaze.
"And we have a common enemy. Only when the World Government is overthrown can you fish-men live freely in the sun. Don't you want to be a pioneer in this? To fight for a future for your people on Fish-Man Island? That way, even if you die in the struggle, you will be remembered. In the history of your people, everyone will remember your righteousness and your deeds."
Arlong stared at Doflamingo, clearly moved by his words. If he could live a glorious life, who would want to live in obscurity?
"I understand, Doflamingo. Tell me what I must do," Arlong said with gravity.
"I've already told you. Return to Fish-Man Island, consolidate your own power, purge the internal strife, and unite under one voice. Then, develop your strength and ally with other forces to resist the World Government," Doflamingo said coolly.
"I understand. Thank you, Doflamingo. You've shown me the way. Otherwise, I would have truly walked down a dark path to the very end," Arlong said, offering his sincere thanks.
"Thank you!"
The other fish-men followed suit, thanking Doflamingo.
"You should thank yourselves. Whether you have the strength to do it is up to you. Only when you have succeeded will you be worthy of being my ally," Doflamingo said with a wave of his hand.
"I will unite Fish-Man Island! Doflamingo, you just wait and see! I won't let you look down on me," Arlong said, psyching himself up after Doflamingo's blunt words. On the surface, however, he maintained a cheerful facade. "Shahahaha! Of course!"
"Then I will wait for your good news."
Doflamingo said no more and turned to leave. He had said what needed to be said. How much Arlong could achieve was now up to him.
"You will see it," Arlong said with determination, watching Doflamingo's retreating back.
Doflamingo's advice for Arlong to return to Fish-Man Island and his proposed strategy were, of course, viable. But Arlong certainly didn't have the power to accomplish it. Not to mention the lawless elements in the Fish-Man District who wouldn't necessarily submit to him, he would also have to face Jinbe and the king. Fish-Man Island would surely become even more chaotic.
In any case, there was a good show to watch.
Doflamingo, however, was happy to see these events unfold. Fish-Man Island... of course, a little chaos was a good thing.
That way, he could be the fisherman who profits from the conflict.