"One Piece:The True Codex"Chapter 374: Donquixote Doflamingo
Doflamingo stood tall at an imposing three meters. His short golden hair, paired with his flamboyant pink feather coat, made him a striking figure. Beneath the coat, he wore an unbuttoned white shirt that revealed his well-defined chest muscles. His outfit was completed with cropped pants and pointed leather shoes, worn without socks.
At first glance, it was hard to believe that this man was not only a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea but also the king of Dressrosa. He looked more like a street thug than a sovereign ruler.
His current actions further diminished any sense of royal dignity.
Doflamingo's fingers moved as if manipulating marionette strings. In front of him, a group of workers wielding hammers and steel rods were locked in a chaotic melee, screaming and resisting as they fought each other.
The workers' cries and wails brought a gleeful laugh from Doflamingo. Without even turning around, he knew that Gladius had returned with Dampier. With a slight twitch of his fingers, the two remaining workers' heads suddenly flew into the air, leaving their headless bodies to stagger forward a few steps before collapsing onto the ground.
Turning to face Dampier and Gladius, Doflamingo's smile remained unrestrained. He addressed Gladius first, saying, "These workers were utterly useless. They dared to slack off. Replace them immediately, and leave these corpses here for the new workers to clean up."
Gladius nodded in acknowledgment.
Only then did Doflamingo shift his attention to Dampier. With a grin, he said, "So, the 'Pirate Scholar,' Dampier. It's a pity your captain isn't here. When he killed 'Golden Lion' Shiki in the East Blue, I wanted to meet him, but the opportunity never arose. Now that he's become a Warlord, we finally have a chance to talk."
"What does King Donquixote wish to discuss with William?" Dampier asked.
Doflamingo didn't answer immediately. Instead, he turned and began walking toward the other side of the construction site. Gladius gestured for Dampier to follow.
As Dampier rounded the corner, he saw a sunny area where several lounge chairs had been set up. Nearby, umbrellas provided shade, and crates of alcohol were stacked beside them.
Doflamingo reclined on one of the chairs and, gesturing casually, said, "What I want to discuss with your captain is, of course, business. The train business, among other things. It's rare to find someone in the Seven Warlords who isn't all brawn and no brains. I appreciate clever and interesting people. I'll be here for the next few days, so if your captain arrives at the Sabaody Archipelago, let him know to come find me."
Adjusting the angle of his umbrella, Doflamingo suddenly turned to Dampier, whose furrowed brow indicated his displeasure at the casual dismissal. "Alright, if there's nothing else, you may leave now."
Dampier's frown deepened, but he complied and left.
The fact that Doflamingo had taken notice of William so early and sought to collaborate with him was telling. That he could receive word from within the World Government and the Marines even before the newspapers published the news of William's appointment as a Warlord demonstrated his sharp insight and extensive influence.
However, his whimsical cruelty—forcing workers to kill each other over minor grievances—and his capricious behavior, summoning Dampier only to dismiss him after a few words, painted him as erratic and overly self-indulgent.
Dampier's first impression of Doflamingo was neither particularly good nor particularly bad.
The next day, William and his crew arrived at the Sabaody Archipelago much sooner than Dampier had anticipated.
Even before reaching the island, William used a Transponder Snail to contact Edmond and the others stationed in the Calm Belt. Through them, he established communication with Dampier.
The Sabaody Archipelago was actually a massive mangrove forest, also known as the Dry Mangrove Red Trees. The so-called islands were the trees themselves, with a total of seventy-nine in number. Each tree hosted a town.
Due to the rampant pirate activity along the Grand Line, and because Sabaody was a critical junction leading to both the New World and Fish-Man Island—the former a destination for ambitious pirates and the latter a goldmine for slave traders—the archipelago was a chaotic mix of various factions. It was divided into zones based on the numbering of the seventy-nine trees, with specific areas dominated by the Marines, pirates, or other groups.
Tree #44 served as the main entry point for ordinary civilians, and it was here that Dampier waited. Before long, William's ship arrived.
Meeting William, Dampier relayed everything he had seen and the details of his negotiations with the Five Elders. He also informed William that Doflamingo was on the island and had expressed a strong desire to meet him.
William was intrigued. He hadn't expected another Warlord to seek him out before he had the chance to approach them about the train company project.
Still, he saw no reason to refuse. His proposal to form a joint-stock company wasn't just a gesture to appease the World Government. It was also a strategy to unite the Seven Warlords of the Sea, one of the three major powers of the Grand Line, through shared interests.
Doflamingo's proactive approach aligned perfectly with William's intentions.
The area encompassing Trees #1 to #29 was infamous as a lawless zone, and Doflamingo's construction site was located within this region.
As William and Dampier made their way through the area, they encountered numerous slave traders openly parading their captives. Some opportunistic individuals, unaware of William and Dampier's identities, even attempted to attack them. The result, of course, was a few more corpses littering the streets.
Upon reaching the construction site, they found Gladius still at Doflamingo's side. At last, William came face-to-face with the flamboyant Warlord.
The two kings exchanged formal introductions in an atmosphere of superficial friendliness. Under Doflamingo's guidance, "King Morgan" and "King Donquixote" reclined together on lounge chairs—basking in the sunlight.
"I didn't expect you to take an interest in the train network project before it even began," William remarked. "At this stage, Dampier has only mentioned it to the Five Elders."
Doflamingo let out an exaggerated laugh. "I'm interested in any plan that can make money. But the train network project is still in its infancy. It will require a massive amount of funding to get off the ground. Fortunately, I have a plan that could help solve that problem."
"What plan?" William asked, his brows furrowing slightly.
"What did you see on your way here?" Doflamingo replied with a sly smile.
William's mind raced before he tentatively answered, "Slave traders?"
Doflamingo's grin widened. "Exactly. Do you know what I admire most about you and your organization?"
William remained silent, prompting Doflamingo to continue. "It's your Four Seas Trading Company. The way you use force to monopolize an industry and seize all its profits—it's brilliant."
"You want to partner with me to monopolize the slave trade?" William's tone was indifferent, his interest clearly lacking.
"Apologies, but I've already claimed that business for myself," Doflamingo said, unfazed by William's attitude. Still smiling, he gestured toward the construction site behind him. "Once completed, this will be the largest slave auction house on the Sabaody Archipelago—and the entire first half of the Grand Line. From now on, all slave auctions on the archipelago will be conducted here."
"What I want is to collaborate with you—and the other Seven Warlords—to monopolize other markets." Doflamingo raised his right index finger and drew a circle in the air. "Your train company could serve as the linchpin that brings the Warlords together through shared interests. Most importantly, the World Government implicitly supports this. With this as our foundation, we could work together to monopolize all underground businesses in the first half of the Grand Line."
Propping himself up, Doflamingo locked eyes with William, who had also turned to meet his gaze. "In the first half of the Grand Line, is there any pirate or faction, aside from the World Government and the Marines, that can rival us? There isn't! This territory should belong to us—the seven of us!"
(End of Chapter)
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