On Minion Island, covered in ice and snow, in the North Blue.
Corazon, who had successfully acquired the Ope-Ope no Mi, held up the small, heart-shaped Devil Fruit: "Be happy, Law! This is the fruit that can save your life!"
Law's expression was terrible; most of his body had turned white, and his face was flushed with an unhealthy redness.
His body having reached its limit, Law struggled to say, "Even if I eat this fruit, it might not necessarily cure me, right?"
"What are you saying? It will definitely cure you!" With that, Corazon, disregarding Law's wishes, forcefully shoved the fruit, worth five billion Berries, into his mouth.
"Come on! Eat it! Eat it quickly!"
Law struggled continuously: "Wait! It's disgusting!"
"What are you saying? Eat it and you'll be fine!" Corazon held his jaw: "Chew it up and swallow it! Eat it! Swallow it all!"
Law's struggles were useless. Finally, under Corazon's force, the entire fruit was pushed down his throat.
His eyes bulged, almost choking. He continuously pounded his chest, and the Ope-Ope no Mi was finally swallowed into his stomach.
A strange sensation came over him. Law looked at his white hands.
"Mr. Corazon! I wasn't ready to become a Devil Fruit user, and you just..."
Before he could finish, he saw Corazon's tall body collapse with a thud.
"Mr. Corazon?" Law, not understanding, stepped forward and saw blood seeping from under Corazon's black feather cloak, staining the white snow.
Law then realized something was wrong. He quickly turned Corazon over and was shocked to find seven or eight gunshot wounds on his body, all bleeding.
"Get better! Get better!...Stop the blood from flowing out! Damn it! Why isn't it working?"
Hot tears welled in his eyes. Law screamed desperately, but it had no effect.
"Haha, didn't I tell you? This fruit isn't magic; it's not used like that."
Corazon smiled with relief. Compared to when they first met, Law had changed a lot. At least, the old him would never have shown such an expression.
"Listen to me, Law! I have some intelligence here. Give it to the Marine surveillance ship stationed on the west coast, and it can save a distant country called Dressrosa."
"But... but, Mr. Corazon... I hate the Marine!"
"Don't overthink it, Law! Just give it to the Marine and leave this island. That's all."
Corazon struggled to grasp Law's hand and offered a smile: "Then, we'll travel the world together!"
Law, however, did not smile. He looked at Corazon with worry but finally agreed.
Watching Law's retreating back, Corazon smiled, then wearily leaned against the wall and managed to sit up.
Not long after, he saw Vergo, dressed in a Marine uniform, returning after Law had left on a secret mission with the Donquixote Family.
"..."
"..."
Vergo said nothing, directly opening the secret intelligence Law had given him.
Then he delivered a flying kick to Corazon's face, the immense force directly collapsing the wall behind him.
"So you are the traitor, Corazon?"
Vergo, whose entire body was covered in Armament Haki, turned purplish-black.
"How dare you betray the Young Master?"
Reading the intelligence, Vergo's expression grew increasingly grim.
"Give it back to me! Give me the intelligence!" Corazon was still trying to get the intelligence back. This secret information was too important, related to the fate of a country, and he instinctively wanted to snatch it back.
"I see. If you had really managed to deliver this intelligence, the Family might have truly been finished, right?"
After reading the intelligence, Vergo's tone also carried a hint of relief; it was truly a rare coincidence.
"Give it back to me!" Corazon still roared.
Another kick to the chest. The enraged Vergo unleashed a flurry of punches and kicks on Corazon, venting his anger.
"Cora... Mr. Corazon? Hey! Vergo! Let go of Mr. Corazon!" Law, seeing this, tried to intervene.
But it was no use. Vergo also recognized Law, the kid who had already joined the Donquixote Family.
"Since you've joined the Family, you must show respect to your elders! Call me Mr. Vergo!"
One punching bag turned into two, and soon both were beaten to a pulp, lying in the snow, unconscious.
Vergo took out a den den mushi: "moshi moshi, Young Master? It's like this..."
On the other side of Minion Island, the Donquixote Family had also landed.
"So that's how it is? That Corazon guy..." Doflamingo held the den den mushi, the veins on his forehead deepening a few more shades.
"Are Corazon and Law alright?"
"They're barely clinging to life... maybe half a breath left?" Vergo looked at the two lying on the ground, the pristine white snow around them stained red with blood.
"That's good. Make sure they don't die just like that! Especially Corazon!"
As Doflamingo spoke, just to be safe, streams of strings shot up into the sky from his hands.
They exploded like fireworks, neatly enveloping the entire island, like a birdcage.
"The Ope-Ope no Mi and Corazon! They both still hold immense value! Fufufufu!"
Doflamingo laughed. This might just be the best possible outcome.
He could claim a righteous cause and trade Corazon away as an item, and the deployment of the birdcage meant that the Ope-Ope no Mi would also soon be his.
"Fufufufufu..."
This double good fortune made him burst into joyous laughter, while everyone else nearby was as silent as cicadas in winter.
They dared not make a sound, all thinking Doflamingo was laughing out of extreme anger.
"Yes! Young Master, I'll be leaving now. My current situation doesn't allow me to be gone for too long." Vergo on the other end of the phone, however, nodded, completely oblivious.
"Ah, just tie them up. In this birdcage, they won't be able to escape!"
When Vergo turned back, he was surprised to find that Corazon and Law had disappeared.
He frowned, about to go search, but Doflamingo heard his displeased click of the tongue and immediately guessed the situation there.
"Did they escape? It doesn't matter, the outcome won't change!"
He laughed indifferently. In this birdcage, no one other than the Donquixote Family could leave alive.
"Are you Doflamingo?"
Just then, a man appeared in front, clad in dark armor, with an exaggerated greatsword strapped to his back.
This man, whose face resembled a ferocious beast, grinned, revealing a mouth full of sharp fangs, yet his words were surprisingly polite.
"Hello, I am Loerke Granfield, the lord of Winter Island in the Nicuss Empire! I heard the Silence-Silence Fruit user is with you?"
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