After Arlong left, leaving Doflamingo and Shyarly alone in the cafe, the crew waiting outside began to wonder what they could possibly be discussing that was taking so long.
Arlong hadn't gone far. For the sake of his own ambitions and his sister's future, he was playing the role of guardian angel, making sure no one disturbed Doflamingo and Shyarly's "good thing."
"Why is the Young Master taking so long to come out?" Baby 5 said, bored.
"Perhaps they're discussing something important," Robin mused, glancing curiously at the Mermaid Cafe. She felt a twinge of excitement, a desire to eavesdrop, but with so many people around, it was too difficult. She had to give up the idea.
"Let's just wait a little longer. Arlong has already come out, so the Young Master should be out soon," Monet said, trying to placate them.
"Hehe, why are you all so worried about Doffy?" Ibes teased. "It's not like Shyarly is going to eat him. Haven't you seen how much fun Enel and the others are having?"
Hearing her words, Robin, Monet, and the others looked over at Enel and Diamante. Sure enough, they were having a very pleasant chat with the mermaid ladies of the cafe.
"You're right. Why am I worried about my brother?" Robin said with a self-deprecating laugh.
"Hey, why don't we go and see the sights of Fish-Man Island? I don't think the Young Master would mind," the mischievous Baby 5 suggested to the other three women.
"Well..." Monet was undecided, looking to Ibes and Robin.
"We're leaving soon anyway. Let's take this chance to have a look around. Who knows when we'll be back," Robin decided quickly.
"Alright. I'll go and tell Enel and the others," Ibes, ever the responsible one, said.
"Go on, Lady Ibes!" Baby 5 cheered.
Ibes quickly went over and explained the situation to Enel.
"We've got things covered here. Go on and have a look around. I'm sure Doffy won't mind," Enel said, making the decision for him.
"Alright," Ibes said, satisfied with the answer, and set off with Robin and the others.
"Law, Bepo, Buffalo, why don't you guys go and look around too?" Enel said, noticing the three of them standing around awkwardly.
"Hehe, hello there, handsome young men. Would you like a big sister to show you around?" Flora, the mermaid server, took the opportunity to tease them.
"Really? That would be great, thank you!" Buffalo said excitedly.
Law looked a little shy, but he didn't refuse her kind offer. Bepo was in his usual daze, looking cute and clueless, uninterested in any female who wasn't a bear.
"Yahaha! Fish-Man Island really is a beautiful place!" Enel laughed heartily at the scene.
While Doflamingo and Shyarly were enjoying their time together in the Mermaid Cafe, the Donquixote Pirates were having a rare moment of relaxation.
Arlong, who was standing guard at the entrance, was happy to see this. Once all of Doflamingo's crew had left, he shooed away his own men, leaving Doflamingo and Shyarly in relative peace and quiet.
In the Ryugu Palace, Jinbe, having returned with his report, was granted an audience with King Neptune. Queen Otohime was, as always, by his side, with a small, adorable Shirahoshi in her arms, clinging to her mother.
"Your Majesty, Your Highness, Princess Shirahoshi, I have met with Doflamingo," Jinbe reported respectfully.
"Tell us!" Neptune asked anxiously. Queen Otohime also looked at Jinbe with curiosity. Only the young Shirahoshi was oblivious, nestled in her mother's embrace, greedily breathing in her scent.
"We can rest assured. Doflamingo holds no ill will toward Fish-Man Island. On the contrary, his attitude toward fish-men and merfolk is much friendlier than other humans. He even offered to help us," Jinbe said honestly. The first part was true, and as for the second, in Jinbe's mind, if Doflamingo was willing to help him, then he was willing to help Fish-Man Island.
"Really? That's wonderful!" Neptune said happily.
"A human who is willing to be close to us, to treat us as equals... this... this is truly wonderful," Queen Otohime said, so happy she began to cry.
"Mother, why are you crying?" Shirahoshi asked with concern, seeing the tears on her mother's face.
"It's alright, Shirahoshi. I'm just happy," Otohime said, wiping her tears and affectionately stroking her daughter's head.
"But... Mother, why do you cry when you're happy?" Shirahoshi asked in her sweet, soft voice.
"You can cry when you're happy too. These are tears of joy," Otohime explained.
"Oh," Shirahoshi nodded, not quite understanding, and then fell silent.
"Um, Jinbe, could I possibly meet this human?" Otohime asked, turning her attention back to him after comforting her daughter.
"Well... I don't know if Mr. Doflamingo would be willing," Jinbe said, hesitant to make a decision. Both parties were major figures; if anything went wrong, he didn't want to be responsible.
"Is that so? Then, Jinbe, could you please extend an invitation to Mr. Doflamingo for me? I am very curious about him and would very much like to meet him," Otohime said after a moment's thought.
Neptune supported his wife's decision. He too was curious about Doflamingo. If they could gain his support, then the future of Fish-Man Island would be much brighter.
"I will personally convey your message to Mr. Doflamingo," Jinbe said, accepting the task.
Shirahoshi, still in her mother's arms, was now very curious about this "Doflamingo" her parents were talking about, her large eyes darting around, lively and cute.
"Then I'll be counting on you, Jinbe," Otohime said gratefully.
"I will not fail," Jinbe promised.
The Mermaid Cafe was unusually quiet today. Because of Doflamingo and his crew, it was temporarily closed.
Inside, after a long and intimate conversation, Doflamingo and Shyarly had composed themselves and were ready to face the world again. But when they came out, they found that everyone was gone.
Seeing this, Doflamingo couldn't help but give an embarrassed smile. It seemed he and Shyarly had been "entangled" for quite some time.
"Looks like everyone's gone. Shall we... go back inside?" he teased.
"It's all your fault," Shyarly said with a playful pout, a rare blush appearing on her fair neck. The sight was utterly captivating, and Doflamingo admired her beauty.
Although the members of his crew had scattered, Doflamingo wasn't angry. With his Observation Haki, he could find them all in an instant. It was good for them to relax a little. After all, they would soon be facing fierce battles. The characters in the New World were no easy opponents.
"What is it? Is there something on my face?" Shyarly asked, noticing his stare.
"No. I'm just admiring your beauty," he said sweetly.
"You're terrible. Haven't you had enough of admiring me in there?" Hearing her beloved's sweet words, Shyarly blushed, her commanding presence completely gone, replaced by the look of a young woman in love.
"How could I ever have enough? Shall we go and... discuss life some more?" he said with a smile.
"Mmm," she said, lowering her head and agreeing softly.
Doflamingo was overjoyed and was about to lead her back inside when a voice interrupted them.
"Mr. Doflamingo!"
Jinbe's voice reached their ears. They both returned to their normal composure and turned to see him approaching.
"Jinbe, is something the matter?" Doflamingo asked calmly.
Jinbe saw the two of them standing close together and didn't think anything of it. It was Shyarly's choice, and besides, for her to be with a young and powerful man like Doflamingo was, in any case, a wise move.
Clearing his mind of extraneous thoughts, Jinbe said seriously, "Her Majesty, the Queen, would like to meet you. What do you say?"
"Queen Otohime wants to see me?" Doflamingo asked.
Jinbe nodded.
Queen Otohime, who was born with the ability to sense the hearts of others with her Observation Haki. To be honest, Doflamingo had a very bad feeling about this kind of mind-reading Haki. He hadn't awakened it himself, and having someone else peer into his heart was not a pleasant thought, especially with all the secrets he was hiding. Of course, with his own Observation Haki and spiritual strength, he wasn't afraid of her using it on him, but the feeling of being pried into was still very unpleasant.
Shyarly said nothing, waiting for Doflamingo's decision. Jinbe was waiting as well.
Should I meet her or not?
Doflamingo's mind raced as he weighed the pros and cons.