No one really knew what had happened—only that the man had collapsed just as he tried to flee.
"What did you do?!"Baby 5 yanked the beige jacket off Amano An's shoulders and glared at her.
"Ah—sorry, my hand slipped," An said, looking slightly embarrassed. Then her eyes drifted to the massive pile of chips stacked high on the table. "But, uh… what should I do now? If I cash in all these chips for Berries, I can't possibly carry them out myself. Could you… help me?"
Her words were meant only to distract Baby 5, but instead, the girl froze. Her eyes widened, hands trembling, and her voice wavered with disbelief.
"Y–You… need me?"
Amano An blinked. "…"
Right. She'd forgotten—this was one of those emotionally unstable pirates with an odd personality.
"Of course," An said quickly, offering a warm, gentle smile. "I don't know what I'd do without you."
The sincerity in her tone made Baby 5's face light up instantly, her joy overflowing as though she'd been handed the greatest honor in the world. Without another word, she rushed to help An exchange the mountain of chips for Berries.
By the time An had finished giving orders to have the unconscious gambler hauled away, Baby 5 had already packed every last coin—carrying the heavy bag herself.
The weight made her stagger with every step, and watching her wobble like that actually made An, the supposed "old lady," feel a little guilty.
To make up for it, An plucked the yellow flower from her own hair and pinned it gently onto Baby 5's head. "You really helped me out. I don't know how to thank you. Here—this is for you." She adjusted it carefully, smiling. "Wow, it suits you perfectly. You look even cuter now."
Baby 5's eyes sparkled with happiness. She didn't doubt An's sincerity for a second. The simple fact that she'd been needed filled her entire world with joy.
"Hey! Baby 5, you're so slow today! Don't keep the young master waiting!"
A strange, nasally voice came from above, followed by the heavy thrum of propellers. An looked up—
—and blinked.
"What in the world…?" she muttered. "A man… with propellers?"
It really was. A massive human "airplane" hovered above them, his arms whirring like helicopter blades. The sight was both terrifying and oddly fascinating.
"Buffalo!" Baby 5 waved cheerfully with one hand. "I'm needed today! I'm so happy!"
An sighed and reached out to steady the wobbling girl before she tripped under the enormous bag of money.
Soon after, the two boarded Buffalo and were flown to their destination—a bar owned by the Donquixote Family. Inside waited the infamous pirate himself… and several of his peculiar subordinates.
Doflamingo, however, wasn't quite what An remembered from the comics.
Gone was the ridiculous "second-rate pirate" image—the gaudy pink feather coat over cropped pants and pointy shoes, flashing his abs like a showman. The feather coat remained, yes, but the style was different now.
His hair was shorter but slightly messy, giving him a raw, youthful edge. He wore a crisp black shirt buttoned neatly to the collar, a red tie knotted tight, and—yes—those same narrow pants and pointed shoes.But even with the eccentric fashion, his presence was magnetic. Dangerous. Elegant.
"What on earth happened to you to make you look this good?" An thought, staring despite herself.
And then, before she realized what she was doing—She reached out and touched him.
"I say, I say~ What do you think you're doing to Doffy!"
Before Doflamingo could react, Trebol jumped in front of him, oozing like a mountain of mucus. The grotesque man's dripping, slimy form made An recoil instantly.
She darted several steps back. "Sorry, old lady couldn't help herself! But—wow—still worth it!"
She was smiling like a lunatic.
Looking at Doflamingo's puzzled expression, An straightened and said, completely serious, "Promise me something—your clothes must never, ever get weird again. If you're too lazy to dress yourself, hire a professional. You can afford it."
Silence filled the bar.
Trebol twitched, turning toward his captain. "Hmm~ Dover~ Has this one lost her mind?"
His voice was wet and nasal, and combined with the constant stream of snot hanging from his nose, it took everything in An's power not to lose her polite smile.
"So what's this about?" An asked casually, glancing around. "Is the casino your business? No way, right? You're a big-name pirate, Doflamingo. Don't tell me you can't handle a few winnings?"
Her gaze swept over the room. She recognized almost everyone. She'd never met them formally, but she knew their faces—Doflamingo's core officers.Pica wasn't here, nor were Diamante or Trebol's usual entourage, but she could sense others lurking nearby—perhaps children about Baby 5's age.
"Why does this pirate crew feel more like a nursery?" she wondered aloud.
And as if to prove her point, another kid burst through the door.An blinked. "Another one? Are you people pirates or running a daycare?"
Trebol gave her a look of utter disbelief. "What's wrong with this woman…"
"I called you here for intel," Doflamingo said at last, his tone oddly casual—almost familiar. "No one's heard from Ms. Tsuru's side yet?"
An tilted her head. "You… still remember me?"
He smirked. "It'd be hard to forget a lunatic like you."
It wasn't their first encounter—not even close. The time she'd rescued Rocinante didn't count; by then, everyone had already fled, leaving the poor man half-dead in the snow. Their first real meeting went much further back—back when Vice Admiral Garp had taken her on a mission.
Unfortunately, Garp being Garp, he'd promptly forgotten about her halfway through. Lost and hungry, An had wandered into the black market—and accidentally disrupted one of Doflamingo's illegal trades.
At the time, she'd barely been strong enough to protect herself. If Doflamingo and his men had been present, she would have been done for. But luck—or fate—had been on her side. She escaped, and Doffy's crew never caught her.
Still, she held a grudge. Later, when she learned that Vice Admiral Tsuru was personally hunting Doflamingo, An couldn't resist tagging along.
Given Garp's history of "borrowing" other people's subordinates, no one minded. As long as An wasn't a burden, they let her join.
And what did she do?
She quietly dismantled Doflamingo's ship.
It had been one of his closest calls ever.
And yet, strangely, he hadn't come after her for revenge. Maybe because, after sinking his ship… she'd left him another one to escape on.
She honestly couldn't remember why she'd done that. Maybe because she'd realized how much fun it was to live unrestrained—to go a little crazy once in a while.
If you don't go insane, you'll never know how strong you really are.
"Yeah," Doflamingo said, leaning back with a grin. "You caused us quite a bit of trouble with that ship."
Trebol oozed closer, chuckling. "Hehehe~ You really did, girly~"
An shrank behind Baby 5 in disgust. "Stay away, you walking slimeball!"
"Disgusting, huh?" Trebol laughed even harder, his snot bubbles trembling like jelly. "That's the nicest thing anyone's said to me all week~"
Doflamingo raised a glass of wine, swirling it lazily. His amber lenses reflected the candlelight, and his smile deepened.
"So," he said slowly, "have you thought about my offer? Or have you already forgotten it?"
"Eh?" Amano An froze. "What offer…?"
Her mind spun.Wait—what was he talking about again?
Then it hit her.
A long time ago—or maybe not that long—Doflamingo had spoken to her through a Den Den Mushi she'd left on his old ship. His voice had been smooth, persuasive, dripping with amusement as he made his pitch:
"You're the kind of person who laughs at rules. You don't belong in the Navy, Amano An. Aren't you tired of pretending? Join me."
What had she said back then?
Right—she'd giggled and replied lightly,
"I'll think about it~"