"Since that's the case, let him do whatever he wants."
"You're not going to stop him?"
"Trebol, we don't have that much manpower. Besides, mercenaries aren't even our main source of income, weapons and Artificial Fruits are. Since he's willing to take a slice of that pie, let him go ahead and try."
Whether it was the Human Auctioning House on the Sabaody Archipelago or the war mercenary business, those were part of Doflamingo's early ventures.
Back when the Donquixote Family was still growing, he used those methods to build up his capital.
Once he gained his position as both a Shichibukai and an Underworld broker, some things were naturally discarded.
Whether it was the Human Auctioning House or the mercenary business, they had become like a chicken rib to him, tasteless to eat but a pity to throw away.
That's also why, when his business on Sabaody Archipelago ran into trouble, Doflamingo discarded it without hesitation.
The Donquixote Family had limited manpower, so their capacity to run the mercenary business was also limited. Compared to the chaotic seas today, mercenaries were in high demand, more than enough for others to share the market.
"But this guy's pricing... he's wrecking the market."
Buggy's Delivery was a newly formed organization. Although it flew the banner of the Shichibukai, it was unlike other forces.
Whether it's the Shichibukai or the Emperors of the Sea, they rely on terrifying military strength to protect their reputation. But Buggy's way of maintaining his reputation is purely based on hype.
If it weren't for his subordinates acting like they were brainwashed, Buggy's own strength wouldn't be enough to control them.
Under these circumstances, Buggy couldn't rely on fame-building battles to attract business, so he resorted to a price war.
That's exactly how he snatched Doflamingo's deal. Originally, the Donquixote Family planned to squeeze the client hard, so they jacked up the mercenary price.
As a result, Buggy seized the opportunity. With his absurdly inflated reputation, his Shichibukai status, and more appropriate pricing, he successfully undercut the deal.
"Trebol, send someone to talk to him. There's still room for negotiation here."
"Doffy, you mean to get him to agree on a uniform price?"
"Not just that. His subordinates are all escaped convicts with nothing of value on them. If he wants to be in the mercenary business, he'll need weapons, and on a long-term basis."
"If we can strike a deal, that kind of revenue might actually be higher."
The mercenary business was too much for anyone to handle alone. Not just Doflamingo, even the Beasts Pirates, Big Mom Pirates, and the remnants of Whitebeard Pirates were taking similar business.
Aside from them, there were also groups like Germa, and countless lesser-known organizations. If Buggy hadn't happened to snatch Doflamingo's deal, he wouldn't even be on their radar.
If they could make a deal, the profit from selling weapons would be more direct and hassle-free; they just have to deliver the goods.
In this vast sea, rivals in the same trade are enemies, and fists are usually the way to settle things.
Due to his various titles, Roger's crew member, Red Hair's brother and Buggy the Clown, Doflamingo couldn't figure out Buggy's true background. So he decided not to make him an enemy, instead accepting him into the Underworld market.
But that came with a hard condition: he had to play by the unspoken rules, such as standardized mercenary pricing.
The prices weren't uniform, with the Beasts Pirates and Big Mom Pirates undeniably charging the highest. They had the power to justify it, as sometimes even just their flag could scare others away.
But Buggy was offering better service at a cheaper price. That was wrecking their mercenary market. If Buggy refused to have the discussion, then the next person who came knocking might not be Doflamingo.
"And if he refuses?"
"Fuffuffuffu, then things get interesting. Anyone who breaks the rules either has the power to make new ones, or gets wiped out. I'd love to see just how daring this guy really is."
Shouting that he would take Whitebeard's head, not giving face to Red Hair, and even live-streaming the Summit War on his own after Sengoku cut off the official broadcast; these were all among Buggy's feats. Doflamingo also wanted to know why someone as seemingly weak as Buggy dared to do such things.
New World, Karai Bari Island, the new base of the Buggy Pirates and the headquarters of the Pirate Dispatch Organization, Buggy's Delivery. Buggy was so agitated that his body had already split into several pieces.
"What?? You guys snatched business from the Donquixote Family?!"
Doflamingo thought that Buggy was the one who decided to snatch his business. But in reality, Buggy had no idea anything like that had happened.
It wasn't until after his subordinates completed the first job and brought back the payment that Buggy got wind of it.
"Yeah, wasn't that your idea, Captain Buggy?"
"When did I ever give that order?!"
"But that's what you said back then! 'Buggy's Delivery officially launches today! Go all out, boys! Snatch all the business! Show this seas the power of Lord Buggy!'"
"We put a lot of thought into poaching that deal."
"That mission also helped us build up our name. We even recruited some stronger guys, so now we can go after more jobs. I heard the Beasts Pirates and Big Mom Pirates also—"
"Shut up!!! Do you even know what you're talking about?!"
Hearing his subordinate's future plans, Buggy couldn't stay seated anymore. His body was still in place, but his head and two hands flew over and grabbed the crew member by the collar, shouting angrily. His spittle flew everywhere, and the subordinate actually started crying.
"Captain Buggy, you don't need to be so touched! This is what I'm supposed to do."
"A big shot like you getting emotional and shedding tears over something so small... I'll follow you for life!"
"?"
A question mark rose on Buggy's face.
He had just been so agitated that he bit his tongue, making his speech unclear. Combined with his subordinates' generally poor hearing, they completely misinterpreted what he was saying.
As for the tears, they weren't from pain. He was frightened.
Buggy dared to yell at Red Hair because he knew Red Hair. But Kaido and Charlotte Linlin...
Buggy had witnessed Kaido's terror at the Summit War. Years ago, when the Roger Pirates stole the Poneglyph's information from Whole Cake Island, he'd also seen a raging Charlotte Linlin. Those two monsters were not people he could touch.
Right now, he didn't even know how to deal with Doflamingo. If he pissed off those two as well, he could already imagine himself being torn to pieces.
As a Chop-Chop Fruit user, imitating that state wouldn't be hard, but whether he could put himself back together afterward was another matter.
Buggy couldn't do without these subordinates. His current foothold entirely depended on them. But their actions kept making Buggy feel like his death omen star was flashing brighter every day.
****Please support on pat*eon for extra chapters; there is date to date subscription enabled on patreon. [There is a 7-day trial version availabe on patreon.]
https://www.pat*eon.com/dmtranslations
You can read ahead upto 75 chapters on my pa*reon.