"This is an order," Rodin said, his eyes firm. After a moment's thought, he explained the function of the 'nail polish' to Baki.
"Then why not give it to Crocodile?" she asked.
"You please me more."
Baki's expression shifted. The captain... actually liked her? She struggled with the thought for a moment before sitting down to have her nails painted, her heart a mix of confusion and... something else. The nail polish shined brightly as the last of it was used up on her tenth finger. She quickly put her hands in her pockets, an indescribable feeling swirling within her.
Crocodile watched the scene with amusement. "What are you afraid of? It's normal for women here to do that."
Dove, however, felt a sense of dread. "Are we going to have to live like men now?"
"You'll get used to it," Mihoko said calmly.
Dove was silent, her mind reeling. She, an underground emperor, now had to... wear nail polish? It was a subversion of everything she stood for.
"Just follow the captain, and you'll be fine," Mihoko added.
"Hoo... Captain Rodin..." Dove took a deep breath, then grinned. Following this powerful man was more exciting than anything she had ever done before.
Just then, hurried footsteps and loud gasps echoed from outside the tavern. A man with blond hair and sunglasses burst in, followed by a crowd of pirates. It was Bellamy, the captain of the Bellamy Pirates.
"Isn't that Bellamy?" a pirate whispered.
"What's he doing here? Is he going to challenge them?" another asked.
"You're crazy. That's a 2.5 billion Berry pirate crew. He's probably here to pledge allegiance."
Before the man could finish, a loud "bang" echoed through the tavern as Bellamy dropped to one knee. He saw the familiar flamingo feather coat and lowered his head, his voice filled with reverence. "Lord Doflamingo! I didn't know you were here. I'm late; please forgive me!" He saw Rodin and his crew and was even more in awe that his idol was on such friendly terms with a pirate who had caused so much trouble for the Warlords.
The rest of Bellamy's crew also knelt, their loyalty to Doflamingo clear from the pirate flags on their ship and their clothes.
"What's Bellamy doing?" a pirate whispered.
"He's kneeling to the woman in the yellow feather suit," another replied. "He must have made a mistake."
Dove, with her keen hearing, heard everything. She remembered hearing about a fanatical follower.
With a flourish, Dover turned to face Bellamy, her feathered coat billowing behind her. "Lord Doflamingo," Bellamy said, still kneeling. "I have always remembered my promise, and I have never lost to anyone! I have not disgraced you!" He had once promised Doflamingo that if he was ever defeated, he would return the pirate flag. Bellamy was proud to say he had never been defeated in Mock Town.
Some pirates stifled their laughter. Bellamy frowned, sending them a look of warning.
"Bellamy, look up and see who I am," Dove said, her voice cool and pleasant.
Bellamy's eyes widened. That was a woman's voice! He swallowed hard, his fists clenched on the ground, and slowly raised his head. He saw the blond hair, the feather coat, the shoes... everything was the same, but the face was a woman's. It was a humiliating moment for him.
"Woman... you b***h! You pretended to be him! How dare you humiliate Lord Doflamingo!" Bellamy yelled, jumping to his feet, his face red with rage. "I'll give you one minute to take off that suit and pants and walk out naked!"
Dove laughed softly, crossing her legs. The thought of being stripped naked was absurd to her.
"Damn it! How dare you imitate him like this?!" Bellamy's anger overwhelmed his reason.
Sarquiss tried to stop him. "Captain, don't! She's with the great pirate Rodin! She's dangerous!"
"Get out of the way!" Bellamy yelled, pushing him aside.
"Spring Fist!" Bellamy yelled, his muscles bulging as he prepared to strike. He had changed his mind; he was going to kill this woman who dared to impersonate his idol.
As his spring-loaded arms coiled back, Bellamy's face contorted in confusion. His arms trembled, held fast by an unseen force. "How... how is this possible?" he stammered. He threw all his strength into the attack, a force that in the past would have sent dozens of men flying, but nothing happened. He was completely immobilized.
"Spring... Dead Fist!" Bellamy roared, his eyes wide and bloodshot. Veins bulged on his legs as he strained, but he couldn't move. The pirates in the tavern had backed away, watching in stunned silence.
"What's Bellamy yelling? Why isn't he launching the attack?" one whispered.
"Idiot, he's being restrained by an ability!" another replied.
"But Bellamy's bounty is over 50 million..." a third pirate trailed off, realizing the bounty of the pirates in the tavern was far greater. They watched Bellamy's frantic struggle and the calm, unmoving figures across from him. This was the power of pirates with ten-figure bounties.
"Let's end this quickly," Rodin said, taking a sip of his wine. "I have things to do, and no time to play with him."
"Damn you! Don't you dare look down on me!" Bellamy roared hoarsely. He pushed with all his might, and the floor beneath him cracked. Then, with a loud "poof," a burst of air shot from his lower back.
"Bullet String," Sister Dover said, her face dark. She pointed her index finger at Bellamy.
With a sharp "whoosh," Bellamy was sent flying backward, his abdomen arched like a shrimp. He crashed through the tavern wall and disappeared. His crew, seeing their captain so easily defeated, fled in terror.
"Hmph," Crocodile scoffed, raising her hand to push a cloud of dust and fumes out of the tavern. She then calmly followed Rodin out, crew in tow.
The pirates in the tavern were left in stunned silence. "He didn't even touch him, and Bellamy was defeated," one said. "She really has a monster's strength."
Outside, Sarquiss ran to the unconscious Bellamy, who was bleeding from his stomach. He hesitated for a moment, then, seeing Dove approach, he turned to run away.
Dover flicked her hand, and Bellamy's clothes were stripped off. She then moved her fingers, and Sarquiss, now running, froze. He mechanically picked up his scimitar and turned back to Bellamy. With a gasp, he swung the blade down, unable to stop himself.
"You..." Bellamy's eyes widened in horror.
"Puff!" Blood flew as Sarquiss struck.
"The new era led by Master Rodin is about to begin," Dove said, her voice cold. "A person like you, without strength, should go home and play." She then walked away, leaving Bellamy to bleed on the ground.
In the New World, in Dressrosa, Doflamingo received the news of Bellamy's defeat. He flew from his kingdom, his pink feather coat flapping in the wind. He didn't care about Bellamy. It was the woman who had the same String-String Fruit ability who interested him.
"Rodin... he's full of mystery," Doflamingo said, his voice deceptively calm. The two throbbing veins on his forehead betrayed his anger.
On the sea near Jaya Island, the ocean was a churning mass of broken pirate ships and debris. These were the remains of ships that had been sucked into the sky by the upwelling current and crushed by the vortex.
On their warship, Rodin's crew stood ready. Dove had used her skills to pinpoint the location of the cumulus clouds. Just a few hundred meters away, a massive, dark cloud swirled violently, with a ring-shaped vortex of water beneath it that stretched into the sky. All other ships stayed clear of the danger zone, but Rodin's ship sailed straight for it.
"Sky Island, I've never been there before," one of the crew said.
"I haven't been there in a long time," another replied.
Rodin stood on the deck, his eyes burning with excitement. "Everyone, we're about to rush up," he said. "Be ready."
"Captain, don't worry," Baki said with a smile. "Even if the ship breaks, we'll keep you safe!"
Rodin smiled in return. His crew was strong enough for any challenge. He knew the Marines were looking for him now, and he wasn't going to make them wait. He was ready for the next adventure.