After hanging up, Monet traced circles on Doflamingo's chest and asked curiously, "Was that Vergo just now?"
Doflamingo nodded. Seeing his confirmation, Monet knew when to stop and didn't press further. That was the clever thing about her; she never wanted Doflamingo to grow tired of her.
CRASH!
Just as Doflamingo was about to continue his... deep exchange with Monet, the ark was rocked by a violent jolt.
"What was that?" Monet asked with concern, clinging to Doflamingo's waist.
"It seems a sea creature has attacked us," Doflamingo said, easily supporting Monet's light frame. "As I thought, reaching Fish-Man Island in one piece is never that simple."
"Young Master, we should go take a look," Monet said, releasing her hold on him and sliding off his lap.
"Alright," Doflamingo agreed with a nod.
The two of them headed for the deck together.
By the time they arrived, Enel and the others were already waiting.
"Young Master, we've been caught in a fight between a giant octopus and a big, ugly fish!" Baby 5 reported hurriedly as soon as she saw him.
Doflamingo took in the scene and recognized the giant octopus. It was the same one Luffy would encounter in the future, the Kraken. The ugly fish fighting it, however, was covered in scars and was holding its own against the Kraken, a testament to its considerable strength. Still, in the vastness of the sea, creatures like this were not particularly strange. The Sea King Shirahoshi could summon Sea Kings hundreds of meters long; these two were nothing in comparison.
The problem was that being underwater put Doflamingo and his crew at a disadvantage. They were all landlubbers; contact with seawater would leave them weak and powerless.
"I'll handle this," Doflamingo announced.
Although the seawater made it difficult for him to act directly, he had plenty of other methods.
"You beasts... do you wish to dance as well?"
Doflamingo's voice boomed with authority as he unleashed a wave of his Conqueror's Haki, pressing down on the two creatures. The two beasts, who had been in the heat of battle, were struck by a heart-stopping pressure. They immediately ceased their fighting and, under Doflamingo's piercing gaze, hastily fled.
"Brother, your Conqueror's Haki is certainly useful," Robin teased.
Thump!
Doflamingo gave her a light flick on the forehead. "Are you teasing me now, Robin?" he said with a smile.
"Giggle," Ibes and the other women laughed, delighted to see Robin get a taste of her own medicine.
"I wasn't wrong!" Robin pouted.
"Your Flower-Flower Fruit is quite useful too. It wouldn't have taken you much effort to deal with those two, would it?" Doflamingo countered.
"Hehe, how could I possibly compare to you, brother?" Robin said, smiling as she playfully shook his arm.
"I know what you're capable of. No need to be so modest, Robin," Doflamingo said.
"But with everyone else here, it wasn't my turn to act," she explained.
"Yahaha, if Doffy hadn't stepped in, I was about to," Enel said with a laugh, lightening the mood.
The others nodded in agreement.
"Let's keep moving," Doflamingo said, his expression turning serious. "The dangers of the deep sea are many. We were lucky this time, but we might not be so lucky next time."
Seeing his serious demeanor, the crew's mood sobered as well. The dangers of the deep were no joke; it was best not to be so careless.
While Doflamingo was on his way to Fish-Man Island, Saint Mjosgard, far away in the Holy Land of Mariejois, received the news of his successful escape. He was livid.
"Damn Doflamingo! Damn the Marines! Is a Marine Admiral that useless? They can't even catch a single Doflamingo?" Mjosgard raged at his guards.
The guards trembled, not daring to speak.
"Well? Say something, you useless trash!" Mjosgard roared.
"Saint Mjosgard, th-the Admirals... they must have done their best," one of the guards stammered cautiously.
"A bunch of good-for-nothings!" Mjosgard cursed, his anger unabated.
The guards immediately fell silent, kneeling on the floor. The slaves in the room were half-dead, their eyes lifeless.
After venting for a while, Mjosgard's gaze fell upon the slaves, which reminded him of his beloved mermaid slave.
"Where is the mermaid slave I ordered?" he demanded of the kneeling men.
"S-Saint Mjosgard, the auction house doesn't have any in stock right now!"
"Then why don't you go and hurry them up?! I'm in a very bad mood right now, and I need a mermaid slave! I don't care what you have to do, just tell them to find a way! Money is no object!" Mjosgard shrieked.
"Yes, yes! We'll go right away!"
"A bunch of useless fools!" Mjosgard cursed as the guards scrambled away.
The slave auction house on the Sabaody Archipelago was in for a rough time. Under pressure from Mjosgard, they were at a loss. Mermaids weren't easy to catch, and they could only stall for time.
Finally, one day, Mjosgard could bear it no longer. He decided to go to Fish-Man Island and capture a mermaid himself, an act that would later set the stage for the assassination of Queen Otohime.
The goings-on of the Celestial Dragons had nothing to do with Doflamingo. After a tireless journey, the Ark Maxim finally arrived at Fish-Man Island.
Many pirates came to Fish-Man Island every year, but nowadays, almost none of them dared to cause trouble. Since the island had come under the protection of the World's Strongest Man, Whitebeard, a semblance of peace had returned. It was a false peace, however. Though the pirates feared Whitebeard's power and wouldn't dare to harm the island, one could only imagine what would happen once he was gone.
After all, it was a land of treasure that everyone wanted a piece of. It was only because of Whitebeard that they had suppressed their desires.
Doflamingo, for one, had already considered Fish-Man Island his property by default. He was just letting Whitebeard look after it for a while. When the time came, he would take it back. Others, like Big Mom, also had their eyes on the island. It was a prize piece of territory, and what's more, it was home to the Ancient Weapon, Poseidon. It was a place that could not be lost.
Stepping onto the beautiful soil of Fish-Man Island, Doflamingo and his crew were immersed in this stunning paradise.
"So these are the beautiful mermaids," Enel said with a shy smile, watching them swim gracefully.
Pica was silent, but the excitement in his eyes betrayed him. Diamante and Gladius also admired the charming figures of the mermaids.
"Is this heaven?" The reactions of the lower-ranking crew members were even more unrestrained, with hearts practically popping out of their eyes. It seemed every man had a dream of mermaids.
Doflamingo, having seen mermaids before, was much more composed than the others. His calm demeanor made Monet and the other women look at him with even greater admiration. The Young Master was truly in a league of his own.
"What a beautiful place," Robin said, taking in the scenery of Fish-Man Island.
"Yes, it's truly beautiful. It must be wonderful to live here," Ibes agreed.
In a way, Fish-Man Island and Skypiea were two sides of the same coin, each with its own unique beauty.
"Let's go. Let's see the sights of Fish-Man Island. Who knows when we'll be back," Doflamingo said. "I wonder what surprises it has in store for us."
"They'll definitely be wonderful surprises," Enel said.
"Lord Enel, what if they're scary surprises?" Baby 5 said playfully.
"Impossible!" Enel shook his head, refusing to believe her.
"They'll definitely be wonderful and beautiful," Law muttered to himself.
Bepo, meanwhile, was curiously looking around for any creatures like himself. Unfortunately, there were none.
Under Doflamingo's lead, the group headed deeper into the island. A group of uninvited guests had arrived in the beautiful Fish-Man Island.
"Beautiful mermaid ladies, here we come!"