Once the small cannon finished materializing, Doflamingo immediately picked it up.
Although he tried not to lose his composure, the subtle details in his movements made it clear—he was absolutely thrilled with this weapon.
The cadres all leaned in closer, examining it nonstop.
"Y-Young Master…" Trebol sniffled and asked with a dry laugh, "Could you… maybe give us a demonstration?"
Doflamingo didn't hesitate. "Of course!"
"This cannon now belongs to us, after all!"
"Fufufufufu—!"
Laughing excitedly, he infused stamina into the cannon. "Pica, you'll assist us this time. Let our family see what this cannon can do!"
"Understood, Young Master," Pica replied in his sharp, squeaky voice.
Pfft!
At that moment, a sudden "pfft" echoed across the sea. The atmosphere instantly fell silent.
Inside the fortress, Mork quickly jerked the loudspeaker away, embarrassed. "Crap! I forgot to turn the speaker off!"
Doflamingo valued his family deeply—he absolutely did not tolerate anyone mocking them.
Mork was annoyed by his carelessness. Not because he feared the Donquixote family turning against him, but because—his persona had cracked!
He had set himself up as the lofty, god-like overseer of all beings. One accidental snort, and his entire image crumbled.
But there was still a way to salvage it!
Outside, Pica's expression twisted. Fury brewed in his chest—nothing angered him more than someone laughing at his voice.
The other cadres also turned grim, all lifting their heads toward the steel fortress.
But the moment they looked—
Their gazes froze.
Then widened in terror.
The anger on Pica's face evaporated instantly, replaced by shock.
In the center of the fortress, a colossal cannon barrel slowly extended outward. Its abyss-like muzzle looked like the gateway to hell itself, ready to swallow them whole.
On deck, Baby 5 trembled violently, while Sugar's eyes brimmed with tears. "It's huge… w-we're gonna d-die…"
Doflamingo immediately put on a smile, pretending nothing had happened. "Sir, what do you mean by this?"
Mork's calm voice drifted out. "Oh, nothing. Routine maintenance. If the main cannon stays hidden too long, it might rust. Better to let it air out."
Then he retracted the massive cannon and added casually, "Inspection complete. Everything's fine. Continue."
Doflamingo kept smiling. "Sir, you're very… thorough."
But inside, he was cursing nonstop.
As a seasoned businessman who had controlled a nation for a decade, he was no fool. He instantly understood the meaning behind this move—
Mork was warning them.
The cadres understood as well. Still, with things already at this stage, everyone could only pretend not to notice and avoid conflict.
Besides, that cannon barrel really did frighten them. They had never seen a weapon of such size. One shot and they would be wiped from history.
Even Pica stopped caring about being laughed at. Compared to death, a little mockery was nothing.
And besides… who knew if that sound was even meant as laughter?
Collectively, they decided to drop the matter.
Their attention returned to the small cannon.
Inside the fortress, Mork moved the loudspeaker away again and sighed. "As expected… all peaceful diplomacy comes from superior firepower."
He stopped caring about the group outside and let the fortress transport the newly acquired goods inside.
Outside, Doflamingo began demonstrating the small cannon. Without loading any ammunition, he aimed it at Pica—
Bang!
Trebol, Senor Pink, and the other cadres stared wide-eyed.
"It really fired a cannon shot…"
Pica was also shocked. He tried to activate his Stone-Stone Fruit ability, but before he could turn to stone—
A sharp pain ripped through his abdomen.
His eyes widened. "So fast…"
An explosion engulfed him—but as one of the family's top fighters, Pica was stronger than Buffalo. Although badly injured, he could still move.
But then—
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Under Doflamingo's rapid fire, Pica collapsed.
The cadres were stunned speechless, minds blank with disbelief.
When they finally processed what had happened, exclamations erupted.
"This weapon is incredible!"
"Young Master, I finally understand your excitement!"
"No ammo needed, rapid-fire capability, incredible accuracy—"
"And the power is top-tier! This is the most perfect weapon I've ever seen!"
"No competition!"
As weapons dealers, their praise carried weight.
Sugar suddenly turned to Baby 5. "Baby 5, if our family gets a large supply of these weapons… doesn't that mean your Arms-Arms Fruit becomes useless?"
Baby 5's ability allowed her to transform her body into weapons, also without ammo. But her firepower was far weaker than the small cannon.
Hearing that she might no longer be needed, Baby 5 burst into tears instantly. Because of her childhood trauma, she desperately needed to feel useful to others.
Inside the fortress, Mork couldn't help muttering about Sugar's cruelty.
But before long, Doflamingo used his "three-inch tongue" to pacify Baby 5 once again.
After witnessing the cannon's novelty and power—and being shaken by the main cannon's intimidation—the Donquixote family's attitude toward Mork shifted completely.
Under Doflamingo's lead, they respectfully bid farewell to him.
Mork didn't respond. After complaining about Sugar, he went back to organizing the goods.
Doflamingo, already used to Mork's "cold aloofness," didn't mind. Whether Mork heard him or not, he still said before leaving:
"Sir, I will continue supplying the things you need."
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