"The world is both vast and incredibly small. It's immense, with countless uncharted places; yet it's small, broadly divided into the Red Line and the Grand Line, with the Four Blues intersecting them," Doflamingo said, breaking down his words further. "The Red Line isn't a good choice. What's left are the Four Blues and the Grand Line! The World Government's first attempt to capture me failed in the North Blue, so they'll certainly intensify their efforts for the next round. And the New World, the second half of the Grand Line, is absolutely off-limits for us; our strength is too weak. As for the first half of the Grand Line..."
He suddenly noticed hundreds of newspapers neatly stacked beneath the coffee table. One newspaper happened to be partially exposed, and its content caught Doflamingo's attention. He leaned over, pulled out the newspaper, and browsed through it, occasionally glancing at Trebol and Diamante. After a moment, he continued, "That won't do either! Also, I need to re-evaluate your strength."
That newspaper was very old, almost a year since its publication date. Nearly all its sections were dedicated to reporting one event: Marine Admiral "Black Arm" Zephyr's family being murdered by pirates.
If pirates entering the Grand Line each year were called rookie pirates, then during their journey through the seven Grand Line routes to the New World, they competed against each other while evading the Marines' pursuit.
The few who stood out and reached the Sabaody Archipelago, the transit point from the first half of the Grand Line to the New World, became pirate Supernovas.
Undoubtedly, compared to the pirates' internal competition, the Marine's relentless pursuit was the primary reason why the vast number of rookie pirates entering the Grand Line each year dwindled to mere handfuls by the time they reached Sabaody Archipelago.
Of course, this was also, in a sense, a "survival of the fittest" situation. The surviving pirate Supernovas were all ambitious and capable, stirring up trouble as soon as they entered the New World.
Doflamingo mentioned re-evaluating Trebol and Diamante's strength because while they had indeed endured the cruel pirate competition, they fell far short in the even more brutal Marine pursuit phase. This stemmed from the death of Marine Admiral "Black Arm" Zephyr's wife.
Just as CP9 was undergoing a generational change, the Marines had also been undergoing a shift in recent years. Even the crucial Three Admirals positions had consistently been understaffed, with only "Black Arm" Zephyr and "Buddha" Sengoku holding the rank.
The various pirate overlords in the New World, such as Roger, Shiki, and Newgate, were already causing immense trouble, keeping the Marines constantly occupied. Then, with the assassination of "Black Arm" Zephyr's relatives, Zephyr became disheartened and retreated behind the scenes.
It was imaginable that with only "Buddha" Sengoku remaining as an Admiral, the understaffed Marines would be stretched thin. They would inevitably focus on the New World or concentrate on internal Marine system matters like inspecting branch fortresses and recruiting.
The pressure the Marines placed on rookie pirates would undoubtedly decrease, reaching a historic low for the several-hundred-year history of the Marines.
Therefore, Trebol and Diamante's past status as pirate Supernovas had significant exaggeration. Doflamingo judged them to be, at best, two individuals relying on their Devil Fruit abilities to show off.
"East Blue, West Blue, South Blue, which one?" Doflamingo asked, tossing the newspaper aside.
Vergo hesitated. "North Blue really isn't an option?"
"Nyeh, nyehh, that's right! The North Blue is the sea with the fewest World Government affiliated countries among the Four Blues. Plus, the people here have a fierce disposition, making the World Government's control weak," Trebol said, seemingly supporting Vergo, but his tone twisted with a smirk. "If we stay in the North Blue, Vergo and Pica would be very happy, you know? Maybe they even plan to visit their homes if they have time, behehehe~ Just kidding! They don't have homes at all! So funny! It makes my snot run!"
"Trebol!" Pica shrieked, his eyes red, his sensitive psyche provoked by Trebol.
Trebol remained unfazed, swaying his bloated body back and forth mockingly, his right hand half-covering his mouth as if whispering, but actually speaking quite loudly. "Behehehe~ Doffy, Doffy, I'll tell you, this guy's a freak, a giant baby freak abandoned even by his parents! He's only nine, younger than you and Vergo, yet he looks like this, and his voice..."
"I'll kill you!!!" Pica's eyes were bloodshot.
Bang!
A loud thud.
Doflamingo slammed the coffee table. "Enough."
It was a calm command, yet profoundly unsettling. Both Trebol and Pica instantly became docile.
"Trebol," Doflamingo stared at Trebol. "We are the Donquixote Family, we are family to each other! I understand what you mean, rein in your clumsy little tricks. You understand what I mean too, don't you?"
The Donquixote Family group had already established Doflamingo as the absolute leader. Trebol dared not disobey, but having built this small group himself, he harbored ulterior motives.
He shrewdly revealed details about Vergo and Pica, undoubtedly intending to provoke them, assert his authority through them, and show Doflamingo his own importance—he was aiming for the position of second-in-command.
"Behehehehehe~" Trebol chuckled knowingly, no longer causing trouble.
Doflamingo's mouth twitched. "Hey, Trebol, I've heard enough of you amusing yourself at others' expense. How about we talk about you? I still don't know your past, fufufu~ Any unfortunate past stories? Share them, let everyone have a laugh."
"Hunger! My strongest memory is hunger! Behehehe~ The South Blue, you know! A paradise for the rich, a hell for the poor!" Trebol said, laughing freely, his arm unconsciously rubbing his abdomen.
Every pitiful person has something hateful about them, and vice versa, Doflamingo thought to himself.
Doflamingo turned his head. "You? Diamante."
Diamante grinned. "Pretty much the same. I was also a poor person from the South Blue. My only possessions... must have been the tattered pirate attire my irresponsible old man was wearing when the Marines hanged him? Hahahaha! I used them to perform when I was a kid, to attract everyone's attention!"
"Nyeh, nyehh, you're still not that big yourself! A fourteen-year-old narcissistic old man," Trebol interjected.
Diamante wasn't one to tolerate Trebol's antics, even if Trebol used to be his captain. He retorted, "And greetings to you, an eighteen-year-old perverted old man."
Doflamingo: "..."
A long silence followed.
"Pica, you're nine years old?" Doflamingo turned his stiff neck.
Pica nodded sadly, a faint sniffle escaping his nose. "Mhm."
Doflamingo: "..."