A few days later.
After the celebration had ended, Cricket and Kagasi stood at the end of the descending sky path, exchanging their final farewells.
"Kagasi, next time you come to the Blue Sea, be sure to contact me."
"Cricket, same to you. If you ever decide to visit Skypiea again, make sure to leave a message at the Donquixote Family's base. And please, don't take that crazy sea current again."
"Hahahaha! Alright. By the time I come back, Wiper should be all grown up. See you on the sea."
"See you on the sea."
The ship once again soared through the sky.
The crew wore bright smiles, the source of their joy being the golden ornaments gifted to them by the Shandians.
They had thought all the gold was gone—only to discover they had more than enough!
"Gold! Gold!"
"We're rich!"
"What should we buy first?"
"Hahahaha, Captain! This time, when we return to the open sea, we absolutely have to build a sturdier ship."
"Yeah, the ship is barely holding together."
"Exactly! Next stop—the City of Water, Water 7!"
As he spoke, Cricket glanced at the log pose in his hand.
Just then—
"Whoosh!"
A sharp whistle cut through the air as an octopus suddenly emerged from the white sea below.
Its tentacles wrapped tightly around the ship, its head inflating like a balloon.
Slowly, they began their descent.
...
Sabaody Archipelago.
In the waters near the Red Line.
From a distance, one could even glimpse the ascending staircase leading to Mary Geoise.
At that moment, a transaction between the World Government and the Donquixote Family was underway.
Sailors and slaves moved back and forth on the deck, each transporting their designated cargo.
"Fufufufufu… So, what brings you here this time?"
At the bow of the Numancia Flamingo, Donquixote Doflamingo gazed at the three men in white suits before him, a smirk curling at his lips.
Aramaki was indeed worth a fortune.
"Saint Doflamingo."
The CP0 squad captain maintained a respectful demeanor.
Not all CP0 members possessed the combat strength of an admiral—if they did, the world would've been unified long ago.
And now, with Aramaki, one of the strongest among them, eliminated...
He had no desire to die. Especially not when standing before this man.
A former Celestial Dragon, yet still a Celestial Dragon.
Unlike that fool Spandine, who had no clue about the ways of the world.
Saint? Now that was a title he hadn't heard in a long time. How amusing.
Doflamingo's eyes glinted with interest.
"Alright, speak. What do you want?"
"Saint Doflamingo, we are here to formally apologize for Aramaki's offense."
CP0 made sure to humble themselves.
"As a newly promoted CP0 member, Aramaki failed to show proper respect to the Celestial Dragons. He will be sent to Impel Down as punishment."
"Since it was an offense, and since you're asking for forgiveness… let's talk about what you're offering in return."
Seated upon his self-woven string throne, Doflamingo rested his chin against the back of his hand, eager to hear what nonsense they had prepared.
Of course, he didn't believe a single word of their excuse.
A devoted servant of the Celestial Dragons, a Logia-type Devil Fruit user, sentenced to Impel Down?
The judge, jury, and executioner were all on their side.
What a joke.
And more importantly…
Whether or not Aramaki was sold was entirely his decision.
This was a seller's market, and he was the only supplier.
The CP0 squad captain, however, saw Doflamingo's posture as a sign of willingness to negotiate.
There was hope for success.
"Saint Doflamingo, we are prepared to offer 5 billion Belly in gold or ten Zoan-type Devil Fruits."
"Fufufufufu! 5 billion in gold? Have you never attended my auctions? Ten Mythical Zoan Fruits?"
Wishful thinking.
The CP0 squad captain's face stiffened, barely managing to hold his composure. He took a deep breath before responding in a steady voice.
"The World Government has always maintained a fair stance toward your business enterprises. As for the Devil Fruits, among the ten, five are Ancient Zoans."
"Tesoro, tell them the current market price of Devil Fruits."
From Doflamingo's side, a long-overlooked figure finally stepped forward—Tesoro.
He responded in a deep voice.
"Standard Zoans: 1 billion Belly. Ancient Zoans: 5 billion Belly. Paramecias: Between 5 to 10 billion Belly. Logias: Between 10 to 50 billion Belly. The Mori Mori no Mi, classified as a natural disaster-level Logia, is valued at over 50 billion Belly."
"..."
The CP0 captain's face darkened. This just got a lot more complicated.
Seeing their increasingly troubled expressions, Doflamingo's grin grew even wider.
"Fufufufufu… and besides—Aramaki was quite talented in developing the Mori Mori no Mi.
That's not something you can measure with money.
Do you understand?"
He did.
Of course he did.
More money was needed.
After a brief pause, the CP0 captain asked, "What is your price?"
"Five Ancient Zoans, five Paramecias, and one Logia."
At this absurd demand, the CP0 captain's expression tightened, his heart sinking.
"I will need to consult the World Government."
"Fufufufu… Don't keep me waiting too long."
...
"Splash!"
A massive burst of seawater erupted at the port.
The commotion immediately caught Doflamingo's attention as he returned to Sabaody.
At the same time, newly arrived pirates on the island turned their heads toward the disturbance.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! That's a ship!"
"A ship from underwater?!"
"That must be a big-shot pirate from the New World!"
"Idiot, it could just as well be a slave ship returning from Fish-Man Island."
"..."
As the water settled—
"Sailing, sailing~"
A strange melody echoed first.
Then, emerging from the waves was a figurehead, its mouth open as it hummed softly.
The ship itself wasn't large, but it was decorated with various types of nuts.
Between the gaps of these nuts stood chess-piece soldiers—pawns, bishops, knights, and rooks.
They were created by Charlotte Linlin's Soul-Soul Fruit—sentient mochi homunculi.
Standing at the bow were two women of identical height, both towering at eight feet.
One wore a wide-brimmed hat, under which cascaded long, wavy blue hair. Gold earrings dangled at her ears, a cigarette between her lips, her pale green eyes filled with an air of cold melancholy.
A child raised in a household of domestic violence.
The other, with the same wavy blue hair, wore a white gentleman's hat and a fitted white suit, accentuating her narrow waist and ample curves.
Her face exuded an air of ease and confidence.
Among the onlookers, those with even a shred of knowledge turned pale and fled.
A living ship—only one crew in the world had such things.
Big Mom's pirates.
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+145 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg