After dealing with Moria's matter, Rosinante returned to the villa atop the sea of clouds. Doflamingo, on the other hand, couldn't wait a second longer—he immediately dragged Bins away to begin their experiments on seastone and Devil Fruits.
"You're back," Katakuri said coolly, leaning against the window, his eyes calm and sharp as always.
"Yeah, just got back," Rosinante replied, sinking into the sofa. "I was planning to conduct an experiment first, but that didn't quite work out."
"This time your opponent is no pushover," Katakuri said flatly. "You'd better stop thinking about those unnecessary things."
Katakuri already knew Rosinante had tried to use Moria as an experimental subject, and he understood what Rosinante was aiming for.
"That's the Float-Float Fruit we're talking about," Rosinante said, his gaze gleaming with ambition. "If we can get our hands on it, not only would Gray Country gain a powerful new force, but it would also be a massive boon to our expansion here in the Sky Islands."
"Golden Lion is Golden Lion not because of the Float-Float Fruit," Katakuri replied calmly. "He is who he is because he's him."
"I get your point," Rosinante said with a faint smile. "But I'm not trying to create another Golden Lion. I just want Gray Country to gain another pillar of power. The Float-Float Fruit is a strategic treasure. Once it's ours, the core of the BloodSworn Guard will have another champion added to its ranks."
"Do you have the confidence to pull it off?" Katakuri asked.
"Don't worry," Rosinante said, his tone light but resolute. "I value my life too much to gamble it recklessly. If it were before the Battle of Edd War—if it were back when Shiki was locked in Impel Down—I wouldn't even dare think about this. But the Shiki who crawled out of Impel Down… he's no longer the Golden Lion he once was. A man who relies on crutches isn't someone I need to fear."
"Do you need my help?" Katakuri asked, his voice calm, but a spark flickered in his eyes.
"Yes," Rosinante said without hesitation. "If the plan proves viable, I'll need you to join me in holding him down."
Katakuri gave a small nod. "Understood."
Just then, Bins entered the room. "Your Majesty, Enel and Denissa have returned. They've located the Golden Lion's position. However…"
Rosinante looked up. "However what?"
"When they found Shiki and were preparing to return, Enel overheard him insulting you, Your Majesty. So… Enel unleashed a Judgment of the Thunder God—he struck at the Golden Lion directly. Unfortunately, Shiki sliced the lightning apart. Enel managed to escape with his lightning speed, but his presence has been exposed. I'm worried the enemy might be on guard now. They may move or fortify their position."
Rosinante chuckled. "No need to worry. This is the Golden Lion we're talking about. With his pride, running away isn't in his nature. He's probably sitting up there waiting for us to come for him. But since Enel acted on his own, lock him in the black room for an hour."
Bins blinked. "An hour?!"
Still, he quickly saluted. "Understood!"
It wasn't much of a punishment, really. Enel had acted out of loyalty—attacking because Shiki had insulted Rosinante—so Rosinante wouldn't truly punish him. A short time in the black room was just a reminder to keep discipline.
"Did Enel manage to get a read on the Flying Pirates' strength?" Rosinante asked.
"He did," Bins said gravely. "But the situation isn't exactly optimistic. According to Enel's observations, even after their heavy losses at Edd War, the Flying Pirates remain formidable. Just the officers he saw included ten pirates with bounties over 500 million, and twenty to thirty more over 100 million. As for the rest—three to four thousand elite sailors. They may have declined, but they're still the Flying Pirates."
Rosinante frowned slightly. Even he hadn't expected the fallen Flying Pirates to still possess such terrifying power. But then again, when he thought about it, it made sense.
They had once been known as the Flying Fleet, the largest pirate armada of the Roger era. Even after being crushed at Edd War, it was only natural that a beast that once ruled the skies would still have claws left.
Back in those days, their members were all veteran pirates—contemporaries of Rayleigh and Garp. The reason they were reduced to scraps twenty years later was simple: time. Age. Attrition. Betrayal. Death.
But now was not that future yet. The Flying Pirates still stood tall among the clouds.
"Tell Lachi to coordinate with the BloodSworn Guard," Rosinante said. "Based on Enel's intel, draft a detailed battle plan immediately."
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Bins said, bowing before hurrying off.
Moments later, Doflamingo strode into the room, his laughter already echoing through the hall.
"Fuffuffuffu~ Rosinante, guess what I've found?" he said, flopping onto the sofa with his usual swagger, propping his legs up on the table.
"Judging by your face," Rosinante said mildly, "I'd say the experiment was a success."
"Fuffuffuffu! Not a complete success, but the success rate is over eighty percent. Your theory works perfectly!" Doflamingo grinned, his sunglasses glinting.
"In such a short time, to get results that precise… You must've used quite a few test subjects. To find that many Devil Fruit users so quickly—I underestimated your intelligence network," Rosinante said with a hint of surprise.
Doflamingo chuckled darkly. "The seas are crawling with small fry who've eaten Devil Fruits. Finding a few for experiments isn't hard. Though I'll admit, most of them were useless—animal types, mostly. Fuffuffuffu!" He looked very pleased with himself.
Rosinante's expression grew serious. "Then it's time I start preparing for a real battle."
"Oi, Rosinante," Doflamingo said, his grin fading into a rare look of solemnity. "I know how tempting the Float-Float Fruit is—but you'd better go into that fight ready to kill him. If you hesitate, you might not make it back. And if you sink… remember, I'm on your ship now. I'd rather not go down with you, hm?"
Rosinante leaned back slightly, a small smile curving his lips. "Cowardice only brings decay. Fear invites death. Stability may be comforting—but it also kills the will to move forward. The Float-Float Fruit is worth having, isn't it?"
Doflamingo paused, momentarily taken aback. Katakuri, too, lifted his head and gave Rosinante a long, deep look.
Then Doflamingo burst into laughter. "Fuffuffuffu! You really are insane… But I think I finally understand why you've achieved what you have. It's because you're just crazy enough to keep reaching higher."