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"Neh, neh, Doffy, are you alright?"
"Doffy..."
Covered in sticky mucus and looking rather disgusting, Trebol, along with the flamboyantly dressed Diamante, noticed the Seastone handcuffs on Doflamingo's wrists. Their expressions immediately darkened.
"Fufufu~~~ Trebol, Diamante, stay calm, both of you..."
Doflamingo glanced at his two subordinates, now completely composed, as if he harbored no anger despite being a prisoner. "I'm currently negotiating a deal with the future leader of Germa."
"Y-yes..."
Exchanging glances, Trebol and Diamante moved behind Doflamingo, eyeing Ichi cautiously. Despite knowing that the Vinsmoke family's "demon" wasn't old, they were still shocked upon seeing him in person.
It was hard to believe that the one who had dealt Doflamingo such a crushing defeat was this red-haired young man.
"Fufufufu~~~"
Doflamingo crossed his legs, scrutinizing Ichi. He didn't believe Ichi had no ulterior motives. "Once, you controlled the entire North Blue with overwhelming force. After three hundred years of dormancy, the 'Evil Army' is finally showing its fangs again, huh? Fufufu~~~ I'm growing more and more intrigued..."
The Heavenly Night Fork burst into laughter. Why would he reject such an opportunity?
This Germa monster undoubtedly harbored grand ambitions. The reason he hadn't been killed was clear—he valued Doflamingo's immense influence in the underworld.
If it meant turning the world upside down and dragging those celestial gods from their thrones, Doflamingo wouldn't hesitate for a second.
"However, before that..."
His tone shifted sharply as Doflamingo's gaze turned icy, focusing on Law standing nearby. "We need to settle the issue with Law first. You must hand him over to me!"
To Doflamingo, if he couldn't control Law, killing him would at least leave a chance to find another Ope Ope no Mi user in the future.
"Doflamingo!!"
Law clenched his teeth, glaring furiously at Doflamingo.
"This time, I came specifically for him. There's no room for negotiation..." Ichi shook his head firmly, rejecting the demand without hesitation.
Even without mentioning the "Immortality Operation," Ichi understood the value of the Ope Ope no Mi far better than Doflamingo. He also knew how to maximize its potential.
In fact, if Law had already developed the ability to switch minds, Ichi would have killed Doflamingo without hesitation to secure his loyalty.
"The Ope Ope no Mi's ability, huh? Fufufu~~~ So you're after that..."
Doflamingo's brows furrowed as he smirked bitterly. "In that case, I see no 'sincerity' from Germa..."
Of course, he fully understood that the other side wouldn't back down.
After all, this conflict arose because of the competition over Law, which resulted in Doflamingo suffering a significant loss.
"Law is a subordinate of the Donquixote Family!"
Diamante clenched his fists, angrily shouting at Ichi.
As one of the highest-ranking executives of the Donquixote Family, he deeply understood the importance of the ultimate operation tied to the Ope Ope no Mi for Doflamingo.
"Of course, sincerity can be seen... but don't forget one thing..."
Completely ignoring Diamante, Ichi smiled warmly, speaking to Doflamingo without a trace of hostility. "Heavenly Night Fork, for now, your life is still in my hands..."
Instantly, Doflamingo's face clouded over, veins bulging on his forehead as he suppressed his rage. After taking a deep breath, he coldly replied, "Fine, we'll discuss Law's matter later!"
"So, can you remove these Seastone cuffs now?"
He rattled the cuffs binding his wrists slightly.
"Of course..."
Ichi stood up, pulling out a key.
"It's the Seastone key..." Trebol grew excited, almost unable to resist rushing forward to grab it, though he managed to restrain himself given the circumstances.
"But as a condition for our cooperation, you'll need to leave a 'hostage'!"
"What do you mean?"
Doflamingo's expression darkened as he frowned at Ichi, his voice laced with menace. "Don't push your luck too far, brat."
The implication was clear—Ichi didn't intend to release him easily.
"There's no helping it. A monster like you, if freed without restraint, might destroy even this War House..."
Ichi's meaning was obvious—it wasn't personal, but he couldn't trust Doflamingo not to turn hostile once freed. "I need something to keep you in check, don't I?"
"You want to keep Trebol and the others as hostages?"
Doflamingo's expression shifted, struggling to suppress his rising fury. Being repeatedly threatened by a brat infuriated someone as prideful as him.
"What!?"
"Doffy, don't listen to him..."
Both Trebol and Diamante paled, glaring fiercely at Ichi.
Accustomed to their high-and-mighty lifestyle in Dressrosa, even though they were loyal to Doflamingo, neither wanted to become a hostage at someone else's mercy.
"Quiet, both of you..."
Doflamingo scowled, irritated.
"Don't worry, they'll be safe. This isn't about threatening you. If we truly intended to oppose the Donquixote Family, we wouldn't let you live..." Shrugging, Ichi spoke bluntly to the stoic Doflamingo. "You know this well enough."
"Fine..."
After much deliberation, Doflamingo reluctantly agreed.
Though annoyed at being manipulated, he believed Ichi wasn't playing games. There would be opportunities in the future to settle the score.
"No need for such trouble!"