"Purupuru… Purupuru…"
A sudden, urgent Den Den Mushi ringtone blared, instantly chilling Doflamingo. When he saw the face the snail mimicked—a face that could jolt him awake from nightmares—his heart skipped a beat!
This... jinx... why is he calling again?
Could it be that Law was exposed?!
The thought made Doflamingo's heart pound with uneasiness. He forcefully suppressed the ominous premonition, his face instantly snapping on its most professional mask, switching to a fawning, incredibly enthusiastic smile!
"Oh my, oh my! Isn't this... Mr. Takero?!" his voice was sickeningly sweet. "Fufufufu... What kind of east wind blew your distinguished call my way?"
"It's nothing major," Takero's calm voice came from the other end of the Den Den Mushi. "I just called to ask you for a small favor."
"A favor?!" Doflamingo's eyes instantly lit up! To be able to help a monster like Takero? Didn't that mean... he could make him owe him a favor?! Such a good thing existed?!
Without thinking, Doflamingo loudly guaranteed, "Through fire and water, Mr. Takero! Let alone just one 'small favor'! Even if it's ten, a hundred! Just say the word! If I, Donquixote Doflamingo, so much as frown, I wouldn't be your best friend!"
"It's not that exaggerated," Takero said.
"Fufufu... Then what kind of small favor is it exactly? It's my honor to be of service to you," Doflamingo asked curiously.
Takero, with an extremely casual tone, as if discussing "what to eat for lunch today," slowly said, "Oh, it's that. Don't you have a lot of weapon resources?"
"...I want that."
Doflamingo instantly understood! So... he wants to buy weapons!
He knew, of course, that in the North Blue, while the Golden Group had established an absolute monopoly in most industries, they had never ventured into... the arms trade. This oversight just happened to give Doflamingo room to breathe and develop. Now, relying on his worldwide underground channels and several secret weapon production lines, he had long become the largest arms supplier in the entire North Blue.
So, Doflamingo laughed. "No problem, Mr. Takero! A small matter! Don't worry! To show my sincerity, I'll give you the lowest friend price for all the weapons! You'll definitely be satisfied!"
However... "Is there a possibility," Takero's voice drifted over faintly, "...I want the goods. But the money..."
"...I don't want to pay?"
The smile on Doflamingo's face instantly froze.
"...Mr. Takero," his voice became a little dry. "You... what do you mean?"
"It means exactly what it says," Takero replied with an utterly matter-of-fact tone. "I am Takero, give me the arms."
"..."
"..."
Doflamingo fell silent. The veins on his forehead, hidden beneath his signature sunglasses, bulged like earthworms! He forcefully suppressed his impending rage, squeezing out a few words through gritted teeth.
"Mr. Takero... Don't you think... what you're doing... is a bit too unethical?"
'Damn bastard!' he roared madly in his heart. 'First, he snatched my Amburi Island! Then he monopolized all my resource channels in the North Blue! Now! Even the last bit of arms business that I rely on to survive, you're f**king trying to snatch that too?! So... you're just going to keep fleecing me, the one sheep, until I'm dead, huh?!'
However, Takero said in a thuggish, utterly shameless tone, "What's ethical or unethical? Doffy, I consider you my best friend! Since we're buddies, what's wrong with helping out with a small favor? Are you... being too distant by being so calculative?"
"I..."
Listening to those utterly brazen, thuggish words, Doflamingo could no longer hold back! All the grievances, anger, and unwillingness that had accumulated over the years completely erupted in that moment! He mustered the greatest courage he had ever had in his life!
"I'm telling you, Takero! I've tolerated you for too long!!" he roared into the snail. "You're just relying on having a bit of strength, aren't you?! Don't think... don't think that just because you have a big fist, you're amazing!!!"
"Oh?" Takero's faint voice came from the other end of the Den Den Mushi. "My apologies."
"...A big fist really is amazing."
Then, his voice became somewhat cold, filled with menace. "So... you don't want to help your 'friend' with this 'small favor'?"
"It seems you don't consider me, your 'friend,' at all. Sigh... It seems our 'friendship' isn't deep enough. I'll have to find some time to personally go and... 'deepen' our friendship properly."
"!!!"
Upon hearing the words "deepen friendship," Doflamingo's body instinctively shuddered! His courage and anger, which had just flared up, were instantly doused with a bucket of ice water from head to toe, chilling him to the bone!
In the face of a death threat, what else could he do?
People develop a kind of psychological inertia. Takero had stolen so many things from him before, and this time was no different... Gradually, Doflamingo found himself actually getting used to it.
"...No, no, no! How could that be!" He immediately forced a smile that was uglier than crying. "To be of service to you, Mr. Takero, is my... greatest fortune!"
"Don't worry," Takero said casually. "I'm not an unreasonable person. I don't want your production lines; I just need you to regularly provide some weapons to my 'partners.'"
"And it won't be too much. Half of what's produced each time will do."
"..."
After a moment of silence, Doflamingo finally squeezed out the humiliating words through gritted teeth.
"...I understand. Thank you... for your generosity, Mr. Takero."
Having said that, he hung up the Den Den Mushi with a "kachak."
On the other side, Takero looked at the disconnected call, completely unfazed. He turned to Tesoro and Robin, who were already dumbfounded, and spread his hands, an "it's that simple" expression on his face.
"See, he even has to thank us. This way, isn't the weapon problem solved?"
Tesoro just stared.
Robin just stared.
Takero, meanwhile, was contentedly sighing in his heart. 'Doflamingo, what a good person he is, practically my angel investor. Later, I'll see if I can get anything else from him. But I also need to give him some benefits; I still need to follow sustainable development. Draining the pond to catch the fish is not good.'
And Tesoro and Robin, at that moment, simultaneously felt a profound... sympathy... for the "Heavenly Yaksha."
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