"Fufufufufu!" Doflamingo's laughter grew wilder, his voice buzzing with manic excitement.
He gestured wildly in the middle of his cabin, as if he'd just seen a vision of the future.
"Just think about it, Crocodile!" he crowed into the Den Den Mushi.
"The people standing with Captain Mike right now… from what I know, we've got Admiral Kuzan. Now, add you and me to the list. And of course, the super monster himself, Captain Mike, who's as strong as an Admiral. That's two Admirals and two Warlords! A force like that is already big enough to rival any of the Four Emperors! No, we'd be even stronger!"
He held the snail-phone tighter, his voice oozing confidence.
"Crocodile, you're one of Captain Mike's men now. Funny thing is, so am I! Let's team up and wreak some havoc!"
"..."
On the other end of the line, Crocodile was silent.
He slowly lowered the Den Den Mushi, his gaze shifting to the man sitting across from him: Mihawk.
'What the hell is going on?' he thought, a cloud of suspicion rising.
He had just made a deal with Mihawk to protect Alabasta, and now Doflamingo was calling out of the blue with this insane proposal.
How did Doflamingo even get involved with Mike? The Captain was supposed to be on his way to Skypiea.
Crocodile took a deep drag from his cigar, his eyes narrowing in thought.
He raised a questioning eyebrow at Mihawk.
Mihawk, who had been listening silently to Doflamingo's rant, had a faint glimmer of interest in his sharp, golden eyes.
He didn't care about Doflamingo's schemes.
What intrigued him was the name that kept popping up: Mike.
'Interesting', Mihawk thought.
He'd heard from Crocodile that the kid had shown off some new sword techniques in Alabasta.
Rather than trying to hunt him down at Marine Headquarters, it would be much easier to just wait for him in Alabasta.
After all, Crocodile had mentioned that Mike had taken a particular liking to the local women and would definitely be back for more… "quality time."
Besides, the new Warlord system was a problem, and he needed an affiliated nation to vouch for him.
Alabasta would do just fine.
Now, with Doflamingo in the mix, things were getting even more interesting.
With a slight curl of his lips, Mihawk spoke calmly into the Den Den Mushi, his voice cutting through Doflamingo's excitement.
"Doflamingo… since when did you get involved with that kid, Mike?"
"???"
"!!!"
The question hit Doflamingo like a physical blow.
His heart sank, and he froze in shock.
That voice… it was the man with the eyes of a hawk.
"Hawk-Eyes… Mihawk?!" Doflamingo stammered, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"You're there too?!"
*****
Night at Fish-Man Island.
Inside the Ryugu Palace, the grand banquet was in full swing.
Dazzling lights from coral chandeliers illuminated the hall, a beautiful contrast to the deep blue ocean visible through the massive windows.
The tables were laden with exquisite undersea delicacies, like grilled sea-snake satay and spicy coral-sambal dips.
Mike and his companions were seated, enjoying the lavish feast.
Kuzan sat beside him, quietly observing the scene.
As a Marine Admiral, he should have been the guest of honor, but in reality, he was only here because of Mike.
It was a bitter pill to swallow, but it only strengthened his resolve to build his New Navy.
The gold from Skypiea was a good start, but the "Deep-Sea Gold Rush Project" was the real key to their future.
His gaze drifted to Enel, who was currently stuffing his face, oblivious to everything.
He was a crucial piece of the plan.
At that moment, Whitebeard's eyes also landed on Enel.
"Kid....," he said, his voice a low rumble that cut through the cheerful noise of the banquet.
"Is this the one you were talking about?" He looked past Enel, his gaze fixing on Mike.
"The one who can guarantee that not a single slave trader sets foot on Fish-Man Island again?"
The hall fell silent.
Mike casually wiped his mouth with a napkin and smiled.
"Yeah," he said simply. "That's him."
Though his words were simple, they sent ripples through the room.
"Mike-san, forgive my bluntness," Jinbei said, unable to stop himself from standing up, his voice heavy with concern.
"You must understand, the slave traders are everywhere. Their influence is terrifying, and it's the reason our people are afraid to even go to the surface. We still lose people to them…"
"Hmm," Mike nodded, his expression calm.
"Enel, show them what you've got."
Enel, who had been halfway through a giant clam skewer, paused.
He quickly set down his food and stood up, stretching his arms.
"Hmph, finally! It's time for this god… er, for me to take action!"
"—Zap—"
A sharp crackle of electricity filled the hall.
Dazzling arcs of lightning coiled around Enel's body, and with a thunderous BOOM, a wave of electric current swept out from the palace, tearing through the darkness of the deep sea.
"Let me see who dares to act recklessly in my territory!"
At that moment, Enel's Observation Haki activated, spreading out like a vast, invisible net, instantly covering the entirety of Fish-Man Island and the surrounding seas.
"Yahahaha!" Enel's voice was filled with a savage excitement, his eyes gleaming with pride.
"Found them!!!"
----------------------------
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