Meanwhile, Doflamingo continued to walk alone down the street. Pica, in turn, furiously returned to the bar, which was still noisy and lively.
The moment Pica entered the bar, the troublemaker from earlier still hadn't left, boasting and recounting his "great deeds" in a joyful atmosphere. Upon seeing Pica enter, the troublemaker, as usual, didn't hold his tongue and mocked: "Isn't that one of the two cowards from earlier? What's up, did you lose your way home?"
"Hahahaha!"
The bar erupted in laughter. Pica didn't say a word and went straight for the troublemaker. "What's wrong, wanna hit me? You're big, but do you have the strength for it?" the troublemaker said arrogantly, not caring.
"Bang!"
To everyone's astonishment, Pica punched the troublemaker, sending him flying. "I won't spare anyone who insults our Young Master," Pica's high-pitched voice echoed through the bar. Although the voice was hilarious, no one dared to laugh. That's because the man who had just been knocked out wasn't a simple troublemaker; he was the pirate with the highest bounty among them — Sam the Executioner, valued at 30 million Berries.
"Nonsense! Kid, do you know who I am? I'll..." Sam the Executioner, knocked out, got up and shouted. But before he finished the sentence, Pica's enormous hand grabbed his face and crushed it forcefully, like a watermelon exploding, splattering fluids and provoking hysterical screams in the bar. "Ah, Sam the Executioner, a 30 million Berry pirate, was annihilated by a single hand of his!" the horrified onlookers exclaimed.
Pica didn't boast about their surprise. His only concern was to quickly deal with those who dared to insult the Young Master. Nothing was more important than the Young Master's affairs. Without further hesitation, he unleashed all his power, ensuring no one escaped. A bloody battle unfolded inside the bar. The bar was covered in bodies; blood flowed like a river. Even the manager, who had seen it all, was terrified. He was impressed by the young man and prayed for him to leave as quickly as possible. Pica didn't care about the manager; he only attacked who he should attack. Service finished, Pica, covered in blood, left the bar, leaving behind only the manager and a few innocent people.
Diamante and Machvise, who were unsuccessfully searching for Cricket, heard the commotion in the bar and headed there. There, they met Pica, who had just come out, still stained with blood. "Pica, what happened? Where's the Young Master?" Diamante asked, worried. "The Young Master has already left. We were in the bar gathering information, and some thugs dared to mock the Young Master. Although the Young Master didn't care, I couldn't stand it and asked permission to deal with these wastes." Upon hearing Pica's high-pitched voice, Diamante thought: "It's funny, but I resisted. I'm a professional." Understanding the situation, Diamante immediately declared: "Well done, dead! Too bad I arrived late. Although the Young Master doesn't care, remember: the king cannot be insulted!" "Yes!" the subordinates replied in unison. "Come on, keep looking for Cricket. The Young Master's matters can't wait." The group left the bar in a hurry and dispersed.
Doflamingo walked alone down the street, calmly, enjoying a rare moment of relaxation. Doflamingo tried to recall where Cricket lived. It seemed to be in a beach house, half-built, with planks in place of missing walls, and decorated with castles from the children's book about "Norland the Great Liar." Zoro once described him as "very petty." This was also the main stronghold of the Saruyama Alliance. Bearing Cricket's location in mind, Doflamingo didn't delay and headed there.
On the beach, a young man with chestnut-shaped hair — Montblanc Cricket — was hammering something, immersed in his task, without hearing the footsteps behind him. "You are Montblanc Cricket, descendant of the great adventurer Montblanc Norland?" Cricket, busy with his work, suddenly stopped upon hearing the words "great adventurer Montblanc Norland." For so many years, Norland had been called "the great liar," and suddenly hearing "great adventurer" filled Cricket with emotion. Although he still hadn't found the Golden City his ancestor mentioned, it was the first time in many years that someone affirmed his ancestor's title as an adventurer. It was, undoubtedly, a validation.
"Yes, I am Norland's descendant," Cricket said, emotional. "Can I help you with anything?" Realizing he hadn't mistaken the person, Doflamingo was also quite excited: "I want to go to Skypiea, the Sky Island, and I'd like to ask for your help." "Skypiea, the Sky Island?" Cricket asked, doubting, maintaining his suspicion. He knew Norland had found a "golden city" in Jaya, but the concept of an island in the sky was new. "I thought you came because of Norland, but I was wrong." For so many years, his descendants never lost hope, fighting their entire lives against fate to prove the existence of the golden city and break the "curse" of the Montblanc family. This was truly worthy of respect.
"Yes, Skypiea, the Sky Island. I know you have doubts, but haven't you spent all these years here to prove the existence of the golden city?" Doflamingo knew Cricket's doubts but wasn't worried. Cricket wasn't much older than him at the time, and probably hadn't formed the Saruyama Alliance yet. He was confident he could convince Cricket. "But you're looking in the wrong place. The golden city isn't underwater, but 10,000 meters high, in Skypiea, the Sky Island." Doflamingo's words seemed to stir Cricket's thoughts, whose heart couldn't settle down.
"Skypiea, the Sky Island, really exists?" "Of course, but I need your help," Doflamingo took the opportunity to present his conditions. "We need to use the Knock-Up Stream to go to Skypiea, the Sky Island. Skypiea is 10,000 meters high." "The Knock-Up Stream isn't easy to deal with; it's extremely dangerous. You... aren't you afraid?" Cricket asked. "Skypiea, the Sky Island, is my dream, and a man always has to pay a price for his dreams. Besides, the golden city is up there, Cricket. Don't you want to go see it?" Doflamingo, with unwavering determination, invited Cricket.
Cricket looked at the determined man in front of him. While admiring his dream, he couldn't contain the excitement in his heart. This was a chance, a chance to prove to the world the existence of the golden city and to wash away the shame of the Montblanc family. Living on Jaya Island for many years, Cricket dedicated himself to underwater salvage, but without success. Now, upon hearing that the golden city was in the sky, he could no longer contain himself. No matter how dangerous the Knock-Up Stream was, he, Cricket, was determined to go to Skypiea.
"Okay, I'll help you. I want to go to Skypiea with you." Upon hearing Cricket's answer, Doflamingo showed no emotion. For him, everything was as it should be. The golden city had become an obsession for them, and to break this obsession, they were willing to do anything, even if it meant death. "Ah, I, Doflamingo, am becoming a great dream enabler. I'm truly a kind-hearted person. My dear friends, won't you give me a boost with a recommendation vote?"