This time, Doflamingo had completely lost any trace of irritation.
From the bottom of his heart, he acknowledged Mork's technological power.
Three shots—
just three—
had been enough to defeat two of his Family executives.
Even normal artillery couldn't do that, not even large-caliber cannons.
On a battlefield, this turret would be an absolute slaughter machine.
Compared to this, all the weapons he'd been selling before were child's toys—
nothing more than playthings.
So when Doflamingo said that Mork's Small Turret was astonishing, he meant every word of it.
Right now, all he wanted was to build a good relationship with the mysterious man inside that fortress.
As long as he could keep buying these high-tech weapons, he believed he could dominate an entire region— perhaps even stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Four Emperors.
After all, if a "hand-cannon-sized" turret was already this powerful…
then what about the bigger ones?
The giant cannons mounted atop the fortress?
Or the terrifying weapons that had blasted Blackbeard out of existence moments earlier—
launching projectiles he had never even heard of?
As long as he maintained ties with the fortress owner, his path to supremacy would move forward another step.
Doflamingo immediately grabbed a Den-Den Mushi and ordered his Family members
to collect everything Mork had requested—
manga, video discs, and all sorts of entertainment items.
After giving the orders, he lifted his head with a bright smile.
On his face, though, that smile always looked sinister—
just part of who he was.
He said:
"Sir, I wish to establish a long-term connection with you.
Will you allow it?"
He paused, then clarified:
"I mean long-term, large-scale weapon purchases."
"Denied."
Mork rejected him immediately through the fortress speakers.
This time, Doflamingo didn't show the slightest displeasure.
He kept smiling calmly.
"Understood, sir."
"But I hope you reconsider.
Whatever you want, I will do my best to obtain it—
even Explosion Rock, no matter how strictly it's controlled…"
In his mind, someone capable of creating such advanced weapons would surely be interested in a destructive material like Explosion Rock.
Although the fortress owner had rejected him now, Doflamingo wasn't worried.
They had completed one transaction—
that meant there would be a second, a third.
He only needed to seize those moments.
For now, he needed to maintain composure and avoid pushing too hard.
Thinking this, he became even more polite.
"Sir, I'll take my leave.
Please wait here—
I will return as soon as I gather the items you requested."
"Hold on. Send the Small Turret back first," Mork said.
And before Doflamingo could respond, a beam of transmission light engulfed him, retrieving the Small Turret from his hands.
Doflamingo froze.
He wanted to ask Mork to trust him— but in the end, he swallowed that thought.
He could only silently endure his heartache as the turret vanished from his grasp.
Once the beam faded, he bid farewell again, promising to return as soon as he had all the requested supplies.
The massive fortress, however, remained completely silent.
Inside, Mork had already left the control room
and gone to the dining hall.
Doflamingo waited for a while, confused.
No response?
Is the person inside really this cold?
Thinking of the lofty tone he'd heard earlier, combined with the current chilly attitude, Doflamingo felt he had grasped the fortress owner's personality.
Someone with extremely advanced technological knowledge— so an arrogant temperament was only natural.
But what he didn't know was that—
Inside the dining hall, Mork was sitting there licking ice cream.
"Nice, nice!
After building the freezer, life really feels twice as good!"
Meanwhile—
Outside, Doflamingo returned to Dressrosa with Baby 5 and Buffalo.
The moment they entered the palace, Trebol, Pica, and the other executives rushed over.
"Young Master, how did it go?" Trebol asked first.
"That steel fortress at sea—friend or foe?" Pica screeched in his sharp voice.
"If it's an enemy, we should mobilize the Family and destroy it immediately.
A nearby unknown force is always a threat."
Doflamingo snorted.
"Destroy them? Forget it.
With the strength of the Donquixote Family… we're nowhere near capable of that."
Everyone froze in shock.
Their Young Master—
their Doflamingo—
just said that!?
Even with his Celestial Dragon lineage,
Doflamingo feared almost no one except the world's absolute top powers.
He could rampage everywhere without hesitation.
For him to say something like this…
Did that fortress really rival the Four Emperors!?
Everyone doubted it inwardly—
Surely not…
But Buffalo spoke up:
"Blackbeard was wiped out by that steel fortress."
That stunned everyone.
Most of them weren't very familiar with Blackbeard— until Buffalo explained he was the traitor who had killed Whitebeard's Fourth Division commander and possessed the Dark-Dark Fruit.
The executives' expressions changed instantly.
A man bold enough to kill a Whitebeard commander —and strong enough to survive that—
being obliterated so effortlessly…
That alone proved the fortress was no ordinary power.
As they learned more details, and heard that Doflamingo was collecting entertainment goods to trade for weapons, they fell into confusion again.
"Weapons?"
"Isn't our Family the ones who sell weapons?"
"Why buy them from someone else??"
Buffalo laughed.
"Their weapons are levels above ours—several levels."
He then explained the Small Turret in detail.
Moments later, the palace hall filled with gasps.
Trebol shook his head in disbelief.
"Buffalo, are you joking with me?"
"Yeah! How could such outrageous technology exist in this world!?"
"Forget Caesar—
even Vegapunk, who's said to be five hundred years ahead, couldn't make weapons like that!"
"Impossible!"
At that moment, Doflamingo spoke:
"Buffalo told you the truth."