The time was May. Yami's group didn't change seas after a month this time, continuing to stay in the weakest sea, East Blue.
During this time, Yami accompanied Nami back to Cocoyasi Village and brought a lot of gifts for the villagers.
They went to various islands, letting Nami explore this sea that was clearly her home, but which she actually hadn't explored much of, despite it being one of the largest seas.
"Fuffuffuffu... I didn't expect the rumor to actually be true!"
One day, Yami was talking with Doflamingo. The Den Den Mushi was mimicking Doflamingo's amazed expression.
Yami, while drinking juice squeezed by Perona's own hands, asked with a smile: "How about it, do you like this gift?"
"Fuffuffuffu... Of course! It's the best gift I've received since I was born."
Doflamingo laughed excitedly: "Pure Gold... really exists. No wonder you've barely changed at all in these years."
"Good that you like it. Aside from this stuff, I don't have much else to give you."
Yami smiled and instructed: "But Pure Gold also has a big drawback. The special rays will slow your body's time by hundreds of times. If you get injured, remember to take off the Pure Gold, otherwise, the injury will never heal."
"I understand. I'll be careful. I'll also help keep it a secret," Doflamingo nodded.
"It doesn't matter. Even if the whole world knows, no one can steal my things."
Just like how he made Carina and the other two women swoon instantly, Yami's casual words deeply shook Doflamingo.
This kind of aura... it's completely different from last month!
"Fuffuffuffu... It seems your harvest this time was unusually large." Doflamingo thought of that "master from the populace" and teased with a wicked smile.
Unlike his cautiousness when facing Kaido, Doflamingo was surprisingly relaxed in front of Yami.
Especially this gift, it made Doflamingo, whose scales had long since tipped towards Yami's side, even more determined to latch onto Yami's thigh, even having thoughts of following him.
"Ah... When I return to the New World, there's no need to hide anymore."
Yami grinned and said proudly: "Next... it's my era!"
"Fuffuffuffu... If there's anywhere you need me, just give the order."
Doflamingo, who had secretly labeled himself as a "little brother" or even a "subordinate force," said immediately.
"Mn, I'll trouble you when the time comes."
After chatting a bit more with Doflamingo, Yami hung up the phone.
Looking at the sleeping Den Den Mushi, Yami couldn't help but shake his head and sigh: "What an easily satisfied guy."
That's right. The gift Yami gave Doflamingo was Pure Gold, which can extend one's lifespan.
But he only gave him a tiny gold bean.
Unexpectedly, such a tiny gold bean bought Doflamingo's loyalty, making him a true "Doffy-bro".
To Doflamingo, it was a massive gift, but to Yami, he just couldn't be bothered to cultivate another "tool," and this just let Doflamingo continue to work for him for a few more centuries.
A "tool" like this, with an extremely strong work ethic, generous and willing to spend, with maxed-out EQ and IQ, but with pitifully weak strength... is really too hard to find.
Just using him for a few decades, Yami felt, was not enough.
Sea Circle Calendar 1520, May 6th.
This day, for the sea, was a very ordinary day.
But in reality, it was a very special day.
Because this day was the countdown to the start of the chaotic era.
Of course... that's if Yami didn't exist!
Yami, drifting in the East Blue, while living a shameless life with Carina and the other two women, would occasionally use his Clairvoyance to observe Bartolomeo in Loguetown, and also Luffy, who had just finished his birthday on May 5th and couldn't wait to set out on an adventure the next day.
Just like the original story, Luffy, sailing a small boat, encountered a storm at sea. He put himself in an empty wine barrel, was picked up by a merchant ship, sent Alvida flying, and met the future Navy hero, Koby.
After that, in Shells Town, he recruited his first mate, Zoro. In Orange Town, he beat up Buggy. In Syrup Village, he recruited the sniper, Usopp. And at the sea restaurant Baratie, he recruited the cook, Sanji.
Even without Nami, Luffy still recruited his original crewmates.
But also because Nami wasn't there, the next adventure was destined to be much harder than the original story.
Because the temporary navigators were Usopp and Sanji, and Luffy didn't just recruit any navigator.
After defeating Krieg, the Straw Hat Pirates headed straight for Loguetown.
Just like the original story, Luffy was "executed" by Buggy in Loguetown and then saved by Monkey D. Dragon.
His smile on the execution platform, and the scene of being immune to the lightning strike, not only made Smoker target him but also gained him the brain-dead fan, Bartolomeo.
A week later, an unbelievable scene appeared before Yami's eyes.
Bartolomeo, who was just a small-time hoodlum, vowed to make a name for himself and follow "Luffy-senpai" to the Grand Line. Like his "Cosmo" had exploded, in just one week, he attacked three small towns on the next island, obtained a treasure map, and while salvaging the legacy of some gangster boss with his underlings, he actually fished up a treasure chest containing a Devil Fruit.
Yami: "..."
Yami, who had personally witnessed Bartolomeo become the user of the Paramecia Barrier-Barrier Fruit, fell into a rare silence.
For a moment, he didn't know whether to marvel at how incredible Luffy's protagonist halo was, or if there really was such a thing as a "protagonist faction BUFF."
As long as you worship the protagonist, follow the protagonist, or fight alongside the protagonist, no matter how weak you are, you can gain plot armor and instantly turn from weak to strong.
If you leave the protagonist's faction, you revert to your original form.
For example, Kid in the original Onigashima arc, and the Kid who challenged Red-Haired Shanks again after leaving Wano, only to be one-shotted.
Yami didn't believe in this kind of stuff.
But the world is just that strange.
Bartolomeo had just started worshiping Luffy, and a few days later, he received an epic power-up.
And it just had to be after meeting Luffy!
No, it must have been after meeting Luffy!
Although Yami had long guessed that Bartolomeo would likely only become the Barrier-Barrier Fruit user after meeting Luffy, which is why he deliberately stayed in the East Blue until now.
But when the guess became reality, Yami couldn't help but complain.
"Protagonist halo... is truly f*cking outrageous!"
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