"Wh–What are you doing…?"
Diamante curled up on the deck, trembling as he shielded his head, terrified that another round of beatings was coming.
Shiro looked down at him, his tone heavy with authority.
"Enough whining, Diamante. Get up. Order your helmsman to turn the ship around. We're heading for the North Blue — straight to the Donquixote Family's base."
"You… you're going to see our Young Master?"
Diamante cautiously peeked up at him, confusion flickering in his bruised eyes. He couldn't understand it — Shiro clearly knew how powerful the Donquixote Family was. So why would he willingly walk into their territory?
"That's right."
Shiro stepped closer, grabbing Diamante by the chin and forcing him to meet his gaze. His voice dropped, calm but unmistakably threatening.
"You don't need to know why. Just do what I say. Try anything clever… and you already know what happens next."
The chill in Shiro's eyes made Diamante's whole body shake. He nodded frantically.
"Y–Yes! I'll order it right away!"
He scrambled to his feet and staggered toward the wheelhouse, his every step cautious and stiff, terrified of provoking Shiro's wrath.
From the bow, Shiro watched him go and exhaled, shaking his head slightly.
"Heh… guess it's true — sometimes 'virtue conquers all' means you've gotta teach them a little fear first. Some people only understand after they've been properly educated."
For the next several days, the Virtue trailed the Donquixote cargo ship as they cut through the turbulent waters of the Grand Line, heading north toward the colder seas.
Finally, one misty morning, the horizon revealed an island Shiro recognized — the Donquixote Family's stronghold.
The cargo ship limped into the harbor, its sails torn and hull scarred from battle. The Virtue followed close behind, anchoring on the opposite pier. Shiro's crew gripped their weapons, their eyes sharp and alert as they scanned the imposing buildings that marked the Family's headquarters.
Meanwhile, on the Family's flagship, Donquixote Doflamingo stood at the railing, idly twisting the pink feathers of his coat between his fingers. Behind the tinted lenses of his sunglasses, his gaze was locked on the approaching ships.
The returning cargo ship — the one meant to be bound for Wano with a full load of weapons — now looked battered, beaten, and shamefully off course. It drifted into port like a wounded dog.
"Heh… how interesting."
Doflamingo's smirk was faint, but his pupils narrowed dangerously. The lazy calm on his face hardened into something razor-sharp.
Through the strings of his Ito Ito no Mi, he could already sense it — a presence aboard that ship that didn't belong.
"Trebol. You feel it too, don't you? That aura… something's off."
The slimy, sniffling Trebol immediately stopped toying with his cane. He shuffled closer, lowering his voice.
"You're right, Doffy. It's strange! Diamante's always been reliable. For him to turn the ship around halfway… could it be the Marines?"
"No. The Marines don't have what it takes to make my people crawl home like that."
Doflamingo's grin widened into a sharp crescent. His long legs carried him forward as his feathered coat flared in the sea breeze.
"Come on. Let's see which fool thought they could mess with my family."
As they stepped onto the cargo ship's deck, the sight that greeted them made even Trebol grimace.
Diamante was sitting on the ground, his once-pristine cape now tattered and filthy. His face was pale, still carrying the fear from earlier. His sword hand trembled uncontrollably.
The moment he heard their footsteps, he looked up. The instant he saw Doflamingo, his eyes lit up with desperate relief.
"Y–Young Master! He—he hijacked our ship! He forced me to come back!"
His shaking hand pointed toward the figure standing calmly at the center of the deck — Shiro.
Doflamingo followed his gaze… and froze.
Even behind his sunglasses, the shock in his eyes was unmistakable. That golden hair. That overwhelming presence. That wild, untamed aura — it all matched the legends.
His pupils contracted sharply. Instinctively, the threads of his String-String Fruit began to form between his fingers before he stopped himself with effort.
"You… you're from the Roger Pirates. The Tyrant, Jabal Shiro."
For once, Doflamingo's voice carried a weight that few had ever heard from him. He stared hard at Shiro, searching for any hint of deception — but the man before him radiated confidence, his pressure alone enough to make the air grow heavy.
Shiro leaned casually against the mast, hands tucked into his coat pockets. At Doflamingo's recognition, he chuckled lightly, glancing down at the cowering Diamante with open disdain.
"Not bad. At least you recognize me. That already makes you smarter than your idiot subordinate."
His words weren't loud, but every syllable carried — sharp and clear. Diamante's face flushed red with humiliation, but he didn't dare make a sound.
Doflamingo straightened, his muscles tense beneath his coat.
"Why did you hijack our ship? What's your purpose here?"
He wasn't foolish. The aura rolling off Shiro told him plainly — this was someone he couldn't defeat, not even close. One wrong move, and the Donquixote Family could be wiped out in an instant.
But Shiro only smiled faintly and raised a hand in a placating gesture.
"Relax, Doflamingo. I didn't come here to fight you… I came to propose a partnership."
"Partnership?"
Doflamingo's brow furrowed, his grin faltering as confusion crept in. In his mind, it made no sense — a former member of the Roger Pirates, one of the strongest men of the old era, asking him to cooperate? There had to be a catch.
"That's right. Partnership."
Shiro took two steps forward, his voice steady, his gaze unwavering.
"I know what you're doing in the underworld — selling weapons, amassing wealth, building influence. My offer's simple: I'll help you rise. I'll make sure the Donquixote Family dominates the black market. You'll become the undisputed king of the underworld."
He paused — then his tone hardened slightly.
"In return, you'll become a subordinate power under me, Jabal Shiro. Each year, half of your profits will be handed over to me. That's the deal."
"Nani…?"
Doflamingo's eyes widened beneath his glasses. He shot a quick glance at Trebol, who looked just as stunned.
"Half our profits?"
That was daylight robbery — even by pirate standards.
T/N: If you would like to read up to 20 chapters ahead for all my works, check out my P@treon: patreon.com/GhidorahWriter
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