One Piece: Crown of Darkness

"Nyeh, nyehh, Doffy? Why did you call us here this time?" Trebol, having grown quite plump from his life of comfort, despite being all bluster, couldn't wait to ask as soon as he entered the room. He wiggled around like a slug, restless and a bit lewd.

Trebol was lewd, and Diamante was ostentatious, dressed in eye-catching red leather jacket and pants, topped with a feathered hat characteristic of his hometown, like a strutting peacock showing off his plumage.

In the lounge, the family members were finally gathered, along with an outsider, Peclo.

Doflamingo unhurriedly finished reading his newspaper, then looked up. "No reason in particular. Tomorrow's New Year's Day; can't we celebrate it together, Trebol?"

"Uh..." Trebol was choked by Doflamingo's cold, jesting reason for the summons. He wanted to erupt but didn't dare, so he choked out indignantly, "Behehehe~ We're in the middle of arranging a huge deal for someone, a really big one! Our commission alone is two hundred million Berries! Doffy~ Can't you wait until we finish the business first...?"

"We are family! We are also pirates!" Doflamingo "thwacked" the newspaper down, his expression unreadable.

But it was precisely because Doflamingo's mood was unreadable that Trebol fell silent, suddenly realizing how long he had been away, how unfamiliar he had become with Doflamingo, and how little he understood Doflamingo anymore. This was a very dangerous sign.

"Sorry, Doffy! Behehehe~" Trebol said, fawning, "We, we just wanted to buy more gifts. Nyeh, nyehh, it's New Year's! Of course, everything has to be the best."

"Fufufufu~ That's right, Trebol! We are the Donquixote Family. If we don't celebrate New Year's together as a crew, what kind of family would we be?" Doflamingo beamed, clapping his hands. "You've worked hard; welcome back! Trebol, Diamante, thank you for all your efforts."

Diamante waved his hand. "No, it wasn't hard at all."

"No, no, you truly worked hard," Doflamingo insisted.

Diamante waved his hand and turned his head, overly modest. "No, no, no, it truly wasn't hard at all! Doffy."

"Alright..." Doflamingo played along.

Seeing Doflamingo about to retract his praise, Diamante immediately blurted, "Since you say so, then I'll admit it!"

Everyone: "..." Is this amusing?

"Before New Year's, I need to talk to you about the future," Doflamingo leaned back on the sofa. "Peclo."

Peclo carefully lowered his head, listening.

"Try to take full control of Arinland, and independently build good relations with the Big Mom Pirates," Doflamingo said softly. "Don't forget to pay me my rightful share, and never forget—who gave you everything you have now! Fufufufu~ That's all."

Peclo quickly bowed. "Yes, I absolutely won't forget, Joker-sama."

"Trebol, Diamante. Starting today, you no longer need to run around personally arranging transactions for those people!" Doflamingo dismissed Peclo and continued, "My reputation, use my reputation to connect them. Whether they succeed or not is up to them. We aren't babysitters; we're intermediaries! I believe my accumulated reputation in the underground brokerage world over three or four years can achieve this."

Diamante hesitated. "Doffy, this model will lose us a lot! People value us precisely because we're willing to not only connect them but also personally arrange transactions and ensure safety and fairness."

"I know, but it doesn't matter! Let's look at it from another angle: what we lose are merely fair-weather friends, while those who remain are the loyal clients who trust us," Doflamingo said calmly. "Besides, this model won't last long! My plan is to establish roots in the chaotic New World. This model will certainly become obsolete, so it's better to update it now, so we and they can both adapt."

Trebol strangely shrunk into his cloak, trembling. "Nyeh, nyehh, Doffy? Are you planning to venture into the Grand Line already? Isn't it too, too early, nyeh?"

"I'm preparing. I know what kind of power is needed to venture into the Grand Line," Doflamingo smiled. "After all, I've witnessed Big Mom and the 'Golden Lion,' especially the 'Golden Lion.' He even visited me once, fufufufu~ It's a shame you didn't get to meet him up close."

Trebol shivered. "Gol-Golden Lion! Where, where?"

"He already left. He's a man of important affairs; he doesn't have leisure to bother with small fries like us," Doflamingo changed the subject. "Trebol, Diamante. Your next task is to build a ship, a pirate ship belonging to our Donquixote Family! I don't like this one we took from the World Government! Also, recruit reliable shipwrights."

Diamante stood up, exclaiming passionately, "Leave it to us!"

"Get rid of those rotten habits of yours and restore the proper swagger of pirates," Doflamingo half-scolded.

Trebol and Diamante couldn't retort.

"Vergo," Doflamingo deliberated, then said, "My apologies, my brother. We probably won't have the chance to venture into the Grand Line together. I have a difficult mission to entrust to you."

Vergo stood perfectly straight. "Yes."

"Join the Marines," Doflamingo took a file folder from his side. "Your name won't change, and your identity has been forged by my 'friend.' You're going to a small place, but please keep pushing yourself! If nothing unexpected happens, the world will face enormous upheaval in the next two years, and the Marines will be forced to change. Seize that opportunity... and climb the ranks."

"Yes! I will complete your orders, Doffy!" Vergo remained as stoic as ever.

Trebol "behehe"-ed, teasing, "Looks like you're going down the same path as your scumbag father, Vergo, nyeh."

"Watch your mouth, Trebol!" Doflamingo's eyes flashed with a cold glint, and he said sternly, "Only the five of us know about this. Even future family members are not to hear a single word of it until they've earned my true trust!"

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