As both Gyutaro and Ume chose their Devil Fruits, Miguel then removed the curse of the sea from the fruits before they ate them. Miguel also removed the limits placed on Gyutaro and Ume to ensure that they would continuously grow with every fight or training session, just like he did for himself and Borsalino. Miguel then attempted to use the Abyss Mark on Borsalino, Gyutaro, and Ume, a system he designed to grant users the ability to teleport to any place they had previously visited.
Miguel customized the mark to resemble a skull with a sword piercing it from above through the chin. He then stabbed Borsalino on the arm, shocking him, but Borsalino noticed that there was no bleeding or pain—only the mark appearing on the spot where he was stabbed.
Miguel felt a connection with Borsalino and used one of the mark's abilities, creating an Abyss Mark that differed from the unreadable writings used by the Elders and God's Knights. Instead, it bore the same skull symbol that appeared on Borsalino's arm.
"Hahahaha, it works," Miguel said, suddenly laughing. Borsalino looked at him with a confused expression.
"What does this do?" Borsalino asked, curious about the magic Miguel had just used, especially since he knew Miguel's powers were unusual—even capable of removing the curse of the sea.
"It's a mark that connects you to me and anyone else bearing it. It gives the second-highest authority, allowing you to summon lower-ranking marked individuals to you. Plus—" Miguel began to explain, then paused.
"I can talk to you telepathically," Miguel added, projecting his voice directly into Borsalino's mind. Borsalino's eyes widened—an out-of-character reaction, as he was rarely one to show any emotion beyond boredom. Miguel then gave similar marks to Gyutaro and Ume, wanting all of his crewmates to bear this kind of connection.
The following weeks of sailing were interesting, to say the least, as both Gyutaro and Ume began their combat training by joining Miguel and Borsalino in sparring sessions. Ume, having spent her entire life sick, was eager to move freely—something she could never do without pain before.
Gyutaro and Borsalino's fighting styles began to resemble each other, as Gyutaro started mimicking the light constructs Borsalino created. He realized their Devil Fruit abilities shared similar utility: Gyutaro could form hardened swords and summon bullets from blood, while Borsalino used light-based weapons—the main difference being Borsalino's superior speed. In just a few weeks of sailing, the trio continued to grow stronger together.
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After two weeks of sailing, Miguel and the others spotted another island in the distance. Instead of greenery, thick smoke billowed from multiple buildings built into the mountains, giving the entire island an industrial appearance. As the ship drew closer to the port, Miguel saw the true state of the island—littered with piles of metal scraps and dotted with factories that were clearly the source of the smoke.
Isn't this Doflamingo's original base before he moved to Dressrosa? Miguel thought, recalling the flashback of Trafalgar D. Water Law. Activating his Observation Haki, he sensed a person nearby, hidden by the fog. Leaving the group to explore other parts of the island, Miguel went to investigate.
"YO!" Miguel shouted when he reached the location of the presence. A loud clanking echoed, and suddenly the surrounding scrap metal shifted, pulling together to form a cannon-like weapon aimed directly at his face. Miguel's interest was piqued—this was clearly a Devil Fruit ability, though its type was still unknown to him.
"What do you want?" came a deep, raspy voice. The figure before him was completely encased in armor, reminding Miguel of the Warhammer models he'd seen on Pinterest. The armored figure towered over him.
"Woah, so cool. Are you a robot, mister?" Miguel asked enthusiastically. The armored person didn't share his excitement and lunged forward, throwing a punch with a massive metal fist. Miguel caught the strike effortlessly without even using Haki, startling the figure, who struggled to pull their hand free.
A burst of electricity crackled as more scrap metal was drawn in, forming an even larger hand on the figure's free arm. The second attack came fast, but this time Miguel countered, delivering a full-force punch to the armor. The result was immediate—plates shattered and metal scraps clattered to the ground as the suit disassembled.
Standing in the wreckage was not the large, burly man Miguel had expected, but a woman. She was covered in masks and goggles, but her frame gave her away instantly.
"Oh, you're a woman. I thought you were mad because I called you a robot, but it seems you got mad because I called you 'mister,'" Miguel commented.
The woman immediately unleashed a torrent of insults and foul language, spewing every curse known to mankind. Her barrage of words hurt Miguel's ears more than anything he'd experienced—even in his past life. He stood in silence as she ranted endlessly about his rudeness and attitude, her voice never faltering for over twenty minutes straight.
"So, what do you want?" she finally asked, leaving Miguel with the weary expression of someone utterly done with life.
"Finally, you stop talking. Hahahahaha. I just wanted to ask where we are, and you suddenly started yapping," Miguel said. The woman began to flare up again, but before she could speak, he covered her mouth with his hand to shut her up. This didn't work; she continued to rant for another twenty minutes straight.
"You're in Spider Lily, dumbass," she finally replied. Miguel's earlier suspicion was confirmed—this was Doflamingo's original base.
"Did you eat a Devil Fruit? I saw you controlling metal earlier," Miguel asked, recalling how the flow of electricity had drawn in the surrounding scrap metal.
"Oh, is that what it's called? Yeah, I ate a strange fruit before that lets me control metal. I don't know what it's called, but it's a neat trick, I can build my babies without lifting a finger," the woman replied.
"Kinda crazy thought, but would you be interested in becoming a pirate with me?" Miguel suddenly asked.
The woman shouted in confusion.