Doflamingo is excellent at handling people, especially when he needs to curry favor; his warmth makes it impossible to feel any dislike.
Because he's just that generous.
As someone who straddles both the underworld and the lawful world, Doflamingo knows how to cultivate connections.
If the other party has no value, he discards them without hesitation.
But if they do, he invests without stint.
That profit-first nature has upsides and downsides.
At least, Yami likes people like that.
So long as he stays stronger than the man, someone like Doflamingo will keep serving to maintain the relationship, willing to take losses in exchange for favors.
Favors Yami will hardly ever need—he could even flip the table on him.
Because Doflamingo's enterprise is too successful; unless he faces someone like Joy Boy, he almost can't lose.
Yami only needs to rewrite Doflamingo's ending, and this near-perfect tool will always be his to use.
After receiving the Haki handbook and power-distribution map and converting the gold, Yami's crew were in excellent spirits.
At the banquet, Yami also met the Donquixote Family officers so Carina and the others could get acquainted.
In future dealings, apart from the major matters, Carina and the others would handle most negotiations with the Family.
When the banquet ended, Yami declined Doflamingo's invitation to stay the night, citing business to attend to, and left Dressrosa.
He'd arrived with heaps of gold and departed with a Haki handbook, a roll of parchment, and a bank card.
Yes, a bank card.
There are banks in this world—have been for years.
Back in the North Blue, Senor Pink once lied to his wife that he worked at a bank.
Eighty-one billion beli is no small sum.
A single black case holds one hundred million; eighty-one billion would fill eight hundred and ten cases.
Leaving that much cash on a single ship is far too risky.
One bombardment and fire, and you could go bankrupt in an instant.
Hence, banks.
Watching the Pegasus rise away, Doflamingo stood on the rooftop, grinning. "Fufufufu… the next target should be the Paramecia Teleport-Teleport Fruit."
"As long as he takes the Teleport-Teleport Fruit, then adds that hidden Door-Door user, even if his secret gets exposed, no one will be able to touch him."
"I can't wait to see him fully grown."
"Will those lofty ones finally show fear then? Fufufufu…"
Doflamingo didn't realize that even his mutters were heard by Nami.
"He seems to know your secret, Master."
Nami, toying with the bank card and also the heart in Yami's hand, asked curiously, "He knows your next target is Elliot Borg from Wang Zhi's crew. Is it really okay for him to know so much?"
"It's fine. I meant him to."
"If he can deduce from a few words that I can take Devil Fruits, that proves his capability. Building ties with someone like that will make sailing the New World easier."
"With my strength, before he knows how many people are aware of my secret, he won't dare leak it—he couldn't bear the consequences."
"I see. The adult world, huh?"
"Master, isn't putting all our money on one card a bit dangerous?"
Carina's worry showed. "It's such a small thing—what if we lose it?"
"Don't stress. Joker has a backup on file. If it's lost, he can reissue it."
"Rather than deposit in a bank, I'd rather 'bank' with Joker. Keeping that line open is the key."
"That makes sense."
Carina realized she'd been a bit naïve.
"Turn in early. We start a new training cycle tomorrow."
Yami stretched, then shot Robin a secret look and took the lift down to the bathhouse.
"I'll wash up and rest too. Good night."
Robin smiled gently on the surface, pretended to head to her room, and quietly slipped below decks.
Watching her go, Nami deadpanned to Carina, "Foxy, does Robin really take me for an idiot?"
"Don't ask me—I don't know!"
Carina flustered, cheeks pink, shook her head hard.
"Ugh, shame I'm still too young. I hope I grow up fast."
Nami glanced down at herself and sighed, aggrieved.
"Huh?"
Simple-minded Perona looked between them, baffled.
"Nothing. I'm going to bathe and sleep."
"Master's probably in the bath below. I'll soak in the open-air one up top—perfect altitude to enjoy the stars."
"Approved!"
Soon two very different scenes played out aboard the Pegasus—one on the upper deck baths, one in the bathhouse below—each with a very different mood.
At dawn, Yami, Carina, and Nami began a new phase of training.
Besides conditioning, Rokushiki, and Devil Fruit development, they added Haki.
The two colors.
Nami had Observation Haki already; she only needed to awaken Armament.
Yami and Carina needed to awaken both Observation and Armament.
And before a whole day had passed, something remarkable happened.
In the training hall, Yami stared at his right hand, now sheathed in a pitch-black coating, and said in surprise, "Armament Haki… did I just pull it off?"
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