Having acquired the man he wanted, Doflamingo now waited with anticipation to see what surprises Tesoro would bring him.
For someone like Tesoro, who understood all too well how precious a rare opportunity was, Doflamingo knew he would never let it go to waste.
As they walked through the Sabaody Archipelago, Law asked curiously, "Mr. Doflamingo, do you really think that Tesoro can surprise us?"
"Law," Doflamingo stopped and looked at him seriously. "We're all the same kind of people, aren't we? Only those who have experienced suffering and pain will claw their way to the top by any means necessary. Even if it means sacrificing their own lives, as long as it brings a glimmer of hope, it's all worth it."
Law pondered this for a moment, then nodded heavily. It was true. They were the same, willing to give up their lives for the sake of revenge.
"Let's go. It's time to leave this place," Doflamingo said, seeing that Law understood.
"Right," Law replied, falling into step behind him.
At the Holy Land of Mariejois, Mjosgard was relentlessly pressuring the Marines. Having lost face in front of Doflamingo, he was now single-mindedly focused on getting it back.
"Damn it! Where is the Marine Admiral? Why haven't I heard anything yet?"
In a lavishly decorated room, Mjosgard was in a powerless rage, berating his guards.
"Saint Mjosgard, Admiral Kizaru is already on the Sabaody Archipelago. It will likely take some time to deal with Doflamingo," the guards said cautiously, afraid of angering him further.
"Then what are you still doing here?! Go and find out what's happening! I want to hear news about Doflamingo immediately! I'll make that bastard pay!" Mjosgard roared.
"Yes, my lord! We'll go at once!"
The guards scattered, not daring to linger.
After venting his anger, Mjosgard looked helplessly at the empty fish tank in his room. It had once housed several beautiful mermaid slaves. The thought of them brought a sharp pang to his heart, momentarily making him forget the humiliation Doflamingo had inflicted upon him.
"Damn you, Fisher Tiger," Mjosgard seethed, grinding his teeth at the thought of the man. If he hadn't freed the slaves, Mjosgard wouldn't have needed to go to the auction house to look for new "goods," he wouldn't have run into Doflamingo, and he wouldn't have been shamed.
He piled all the blame onto Fisher Tiger's head. But since the man was already dead, Mjosgard had no outlet for his rage.
The turmoil on Sabaody inevitably affected the lives of its inhabitants, including the island's auction industry.
In a dimly lit slave pen, the Dark King Rayleigh, his hands in shackles, heard the commotion outside. He had been planning on making a nice profit today, but now he had to abandon his plans.
CLANG.
The shackles on his wrists shattered. Under the stunned gazes of the other slaves, he calmly walked away. As for them, it would be useless to save them. They had already lost all hope. Besides, Rayleigh didn't want to cause any trouble. He had to wait quietly for the one his captain had been waiting for.
Back at the Rip-Off Bar, Shakky, a cigarette between her lips, saw Rayleigh return, and the worry in her heart finally eased.
"You saw it, didn't you? The commotion on the island," she said.
"Who caused it?" Rayleigh asked, sitting down in front of her and taking a swig from his flask.
"Doflamingo," Shakky said, looking at him with a hint of concern in her eyes.
"Haha, so it was that guy? What did he do?" Rayleigh's laughter faded, his expression turning serious as he looked at Shakky.
"I heard he humiliated a Celestial Dragon, killed his guards, and then just walked away," she said, blowing a smoke ring and staring at him intently.
"Is that so?" Rayleigh said, feigning a casual air. "Shakky, you don't have to look at me like that. I'm not going to get involved in the affairs of these young hotheads."
"Good. I got some new liquor in today. Care for a glass?" Shakky's composure returned, her voice once again casual yet elegant.
"I'll have one," Rayleigh replied, his voice a little low.
Meanwhile, the coating of the Ark Maxim was complete. Doflamingo prepared to set sail for Fish-Man Island.
"Is this the coated Ark Maxim? It's so beautiful!" Baby 5 exclaimed, eagerly touching the bubble membrane, finding it incredibly novel.
Doflamingo and the others stood at the bow, admiring the craftsmen's work.
"It's like a dream," Doflamingo murmured.
Such a beautiful sight was, of course, more captivating for the women. Monet and the others touched the membrane with delight. The men, however, were less interested. Law and the others went about their business as usual.
"Alright, you scallywags, time to set sail!" Doflamingo announced, turning his gaze from the ship.
"Let's go!"
"Let's go!"
The members of the Donquixote Pirates were in high spirits, eager for the next leg of their journey.
At the coast of the Sabaody Archipelago, Bepo and the others began to maneuver the Ark Maxim into the water. To descend to the ocean floor, they first had to deploy the coating. During this time, the Marines on the island received the news and came to intercept them.
"Doflamingo! Don't even think about running!" a Marine on an approaching warship shouted as cannons began to fire at the ark.
"Room."
Before the cannonballs could even reach the ark, Law redirected them back toward the warship, letting them enjoy their own attack.
"How ridiculous. Which one of your eyes saw our Young Master trying to run?" Monet said coldly, annoyed by the Marines' attitude. They were the ones choosing not to engage, yet the Marines were framing it as an escape.
"Yahaha, Monet's right! We're not afraid of them," Enel added with a laugh.
"Just a bunch of trash. Why bother with them? Let's just get ready to submerge," Diamante said, ignoring the Marines' provocations. Law and the others could handle these small fries.
"Bepo, are you ready yet?" Robin asked.
"Almost! Just a little longer!" Bepo replied.
Since most of the Donquixote Pirates were Devil Fruit users, the task of submerging the ship fell to the non-user subordinates and Bepo.
"Looks like more warships are coming," Baby 5 said, leaning over the railing and watching the approaching fleet.
"What's there to be afraid of? I was getting bored anyway. I've been wanting to warm up with the Marines for a while now," Enel said grandly.
Doflamingo stood at the forefront of the crew, using his Observation Haki to scan for Kizaru, Aokiji, or any other Admirals. He caught a fleeting glimpse of Kizaru on the island, but saw no other major players. It seemed the Marines didn't really want to fight him either, otherwise they wouldn't have just sent Kizaru.
With a clear understanding of the situation, Doflamingo began to give orders. The Marines may not have wanted to provoke him, but he wasn't one to be trifled with. Since they had come looking for a fight, he would have to teach them a lesson.
"Baby 5, I'm leaving this to you. Destroy all of these warships. Can you do it?" Doflamingo said, entrusting her with the important task.
Receiving the order, Baby 5's face lit up. "Don't worry, Young Master! I'll make sure none of them make it back!"
"Then let's see what you've got, Baby 5," Robin said with a wink.
"Watch me!" Baby 5, brimming with confidence, transformed into a missile and shot into the sky, heading straight for the approaching warships.
The crew watched with curiosity, wondering what kind of spectacle she would create.
"Incoming enemy attack!" the Marines shouted, spotting the missile that was Baby 5.
"It's the Arms-Arms woman from the Donquixote Pirates! Shoot her down!" a commander ordered. A barrage of attacks was unleashed in her direction.
"Ready for the explosion?" Baby 5 skillfully dodged the attacks and landed on one of the warships with lightning speed.
"Nuclear Explosion!"
With Baby 5's soft command, a deafening roar echoed across the sea. The powerful shockwave from the blast pushed the distant ark back, and the sound of the explosion could be heard all over the Sabaody Archipelago.
Before everyone's eyes, the missile that was Baby 5 plunged into the heart of the Marine fleet. A giant mushroom cloud rose from the surface of the sea. The Marines had no chance of survival. After the explosion, only the splintered remains of their warships were left floating on the water.
"Law," Doflamingo said, satisfied with Baby 5's work.
Law understood immediately. Although Baby 5's attack was powerful, it had taken a toll on her. The explosion was so intense, and with no place to land, she would have fallen into the water without his help.
Baby 5's small figure appeared on the deck of the ark, panting heavily. The attack had clearly drained a lot of her energy.
"Young Master, did I do a good job?" she asked, looking up at Doflamingo, her face beaming with pride.
"Fantastic. You're almost as good as me," Enel praised.
"Baby 5, it looks like your training wasn't for nothing," Robin teased.
"Of course not!" Baby 5 said with a proud toss of her head.
"Not bad," Doflamingo added his own word of praise.
The atmosphere on the ark was cheerful and lighthearted, a stark contrast to the devastating losses the Marines had just suffered.
"Let's go. The trouble has been dealt with."
Soon, the Ark Maxim was completely submerged beneath the waves, heading for Fish-Man Island.
Beautiful Fish-Man Island, here come the Donquixote Pirates.