One Piece: Crown of Darkness

Considering that the family didn't have a proper navigator, and to avoid the embarrassment of getting lost in the Florian Triangle again, Doflamingo decided to reverse the Grand Line this time by choosing a route adjacent to the South Blue, bypassing the Florian Triangle.

This decision instantly doubled the journey and also brought them close to the Marine's core power areas: Marineford, Impel Down, and Enies Lobby... The result was being "escorted" by the Marines, who maintained a wary distance the entire way.

Upon reaching the first island in the true sense, Doflamingo witnessed a good show—a good show in his eyes.

The Marines were pursuing a tall, "fourth-generation" blond youth who, like Doflamingo, wore a feathered coat, only black in color, a hat, and clown-like makeup around his right eye and mouth...

Boom boom boom!

Rumble rumble rumble~

"..."

Around them:

"Don't let him get away!"

"That damn pirate bastard, daring to steal Marine property!"

"Pirate Rosinante, you can't escape now!"

"..."

The Marines yelled, continuously firing their guns and cannons, but their aim was remarkably poor, with most shots landing near the speedboat the blond youth was driving.

The blond youth, in turn, kept making faces and slapping his butt at the Marines, a comical, foolish display of mockery and teasing.

"Rosi...nante? Eh?!" Upon hearing the Marines call the blond youth's name, Pica was startled. He quickly grabbed his monocular and peered through it, saying, "It really... looks like him?! Could it be..."

Diamante had stayed behind at the Sabaody Archipelago and didn't continue with Doflamingo on the reverse course of the Grand Line towards the North Blue. The business of the combat tournaments still required his and Burgess's management. He had only traveled with Doflamingo through a portion of the New World to the Sabaody Archipelago to coordinate business with Trebol.

Thus, the family's helmsman was now Pica, and he was the only one present besides Doflamingo who knew Rosinante.

"Fufufufu~ Why don't you go over and ask?" Doflamingo chuckled playfully. "Maybe it really is my adorable, clumsy younger brother."

"Doffy has a younger brother?"

"The Young Master's younger brother? His blood brother?"

"Never heard of it!"

"..."

The family members were astonished.

"We got separated when we were kids, about nine years ago?" Doflamingo closed the medical book in his hand and gestured for Pica to steer the Flamingo closer to the blond youth's speedboat. "After all that time, with no news, who knows if he's dead or alive? Fufufufu~ If it truly is him, I'd be very happy. After all, we once went through tough times together, rummaging through garbage, getting scolded and beaten, fleeing, and wandering."

He spoke of being very happy, and indeed there was laughter, but Doflamingo's face remained expressionless... an unusually jarring and eerie blankness.

Soon after.

"Are you Rosinante? Donquixote Rosinante!" Pica, afraid his high-pitched voice would be mocked, asked Urouge, with whom he had a good relationship, to repeat his words. He shouted loudly from afar, also angrily roaring at the Marines, "Are you blind?! Get lost, Marines! He might be the Young Master's own brother! According to the agreement between the World Government and the Warlords of the Sea, he's someone you absolutely cannot lay a hand on!"

"Young Master?"

"Hey, hey, look at that pirate flag! The Donquixote Family?"

"The 'Sea Scourge,' Warlord of the Sea's... younger brother?"

"..."

The Marines, after being scolded, stopped pursuing and moored their warships, watching as the blond youth boarded the Flamingo.

"Are you Rosinante, Donquixote Rosinante?" Pica asked again.

The blond youth nodded, his eyes turning to Doflamingo.

"Did you come specifically looking for Doffy?" Pica seemed excited, examining Rosinante, and spoke more than usual. "Why aren't you speaking? Is it... 'that incident' that traumatized you and made you lose your voice? I guess so."

"Fufufufu~ Hey, hey, hey, my dear brother, finally, finally, finally I see you again!" Doflamingo emphasized with exaggerated gestures, then stood up and embraced Rosinante, patting his back. "After all these years, I really don't know how you managed to survive. You're so careless and slow, it must have been incredibly tough! Now, you don't have to worry. You're home..."

Rosinante's body trembled almost imperceptibly, he felt no warmth from Doflamingo; he even felt that the person before him wasn't human at all, but a cold monster with no body heat!

"Come! Let me introduce you. This is Smoothie, my fiancée," Doflamingo casually gestured. "Giolla, Mama Giolla, she's the one who raised us helpless folks! Fufufufu~ Tesoro, Weevil, Urouge, Lao G, Gladius, Robin... I won't introduce Pica, you already know him! And Trebol, Diamante, and Burgess aren't here; they're managing my businesses."

Rosinante awkwardly pulled away from Doflamingo's arm around his shoulder, stepped forward, and wrote on the paper Doflamingo used for notes: "Vergo?"

"Vergo... Sigh, he..." Doflamingo sighed mournfully, as if Vergo were dead.

Pica and Giolla looked at Doflamingo in confusion, then seemed to understand and fell silent, keeping the secret.

Smoothie had also met Vergo. She mumbled, "I see, no wonder I haven't seen that little watermelon head."

"Forget it! Everyone has their own destiny! Fufufufu~ What a rare joyful occasion, let's have a party!" Doflamingo declared with a grand wave of his hand.

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