Rubeck Island. Inside the Donquixote Family’s grand hall, where shadows lingered beneath a dome of cold marble and filtered light.
A cigar burned idly on the coffee table, its smoke twisting lazily upward, caught in the slant of sunlight like a phantom exhale.
"So... that’s all it takes?" Doflamingo asked, setting down the Den Den Mushi. His gaze flicked upward, cool and calculating.
Before him stood Momonga, upright and unflinching in his Marine coat. He offered a faint smile. "That will suffice."
A slow sneer curled Doflamingo’s lips, the glint behind his sunglasses sharp as glass.
"Heh heh heh... Who would’ve thought the World Government’s Inspectorate could be bought off with a mere 300 million berries? How embarrassingly cheap."
"Gluttons like them," Momonga said with a light shake of the head, "are never sated. Of course, 300 million isn’t exactly pocket change—but that’s not why they agreed."
"Oh?" Doflamingo raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
Naturally, he’d heard about the extraordinary hearing regarding Darren’s promotion to Vice Admiral—a leap virtually unheard of. But Momonga’s visit wasn’t just to inform him. It was to request a favor.
A simple one, at least by Doflamingo’s standards:
Use the underworld’s network to dig up the secret stashes of those Inspectorate officials—and quietly deposit large sums into them.
For the underworld emperor of North Blue, this was child’s play.
The web of underground alliances stretched far and deep. The Donquixote Family’s tendrils reached not just across the Blues, but into the New World, where even the Underworld Emperors treated Doflamingo as a partner, not a rival.
One word from him, and the necessary channels would open like clockwork.
Momonga let out a chuckle, laced with a strange weariness.
"Their sudden change of heart wasn’t about the money. That kind of sum might mean a lifetime of comfort to an average person—but to them? It’s barely a favor."
Doflamingo’s eyes sharpened.
Then, with a low laugh, he leaned back. "So this... is a warning."
Momonga gave a quiet nod, admiration flickering beneath his composed exterior.
Even without being told, Doflamingo had seen through it.
If Darren hadn’t pointed it out to me himself, Momonga thought, I might have missed it too.
"Exactly. It’s not a bribe—it’s leverage. A message. If Darren could find something as sensitive as their underground accounts, then he could easily dig deeper. Much deeper."
Momonga’s voice turned grave.
"Their mistresses, their secret children. Where they buy their suits. Their favorite wine lists. What brands of cigars they smoke. Who their doctors are. What prescriptions they’re on. Darren can trace it all."
The implication was clear:
He could destroy them. Quietly. Permanently.
Without ever lifting a finger himself, Darren had made himself a threat that couldn’t be ignored.
Momonga didn’t need to spell out the rest—Doflamingo would understand.
Sure enough, Doflamingo crossed one leg over the other, eyes gleaming.
"Heh heh heh... this just keeps getting more interesting."
Momonga stood, brushing nonexistent dust from his coat.
"Thanks for the help, Doflamingo."
Doflamingo chuckled, stretching like a cat who’d just cornered a rat. "An honor to serve the Godfather."
Momonga turned to leave. His footsteps echoed across the cold floor—but as he reached the towering archway, he paused.
There was a silence, thick and hesitant.
Then he said, almost offhandedly, "You know, Doflamingo... Darren actually cares about you."
Behind his glasses, Doflamingo froze.
For a fleeting moment, something unreadable flickered in his eyes.
Before he could speak, Momonga’s form shimmered into a streak of white-blue lightning—and vanished.
"Congratulations, Great Staff Officer Tsuru! The Marines are truly fortunate to gain three such outstanding officers."
"A victory for justice, no doubt!"
"Vice Admiral Darren—what a hero! A rising legend, that one!"
"We’ll be sure to report his achievements to the Celestial Dragons."
After the hearing, Tsuru found herself trapped in a flurry of congratulatory handshakes and saccharine smiles.
The same World Government officials who once carried themselves like aristocrats among peasants now spoke to her as if she were royalty. Their voices dripped with admiration. Their flattery was relentless.
She’d never seen the Inspectorate behave this way.
They were typically aloof, even with her—an elder stateswoman of the Marines. Their smiles had always been thin and forced, like masks stretched too tight. But today?
Warmth. Deference. Almost... fear.
In fact, Tsuru preferred their old disdain.
At least that had been honest.
What exactly had been said through those Den Den Mushi lines to trigger this transformation?
Tsuru mulled it over as she walked the quiet corridor toward her office. One thing was certain—Darren had something to do with it.
She pushed the door open and froze.
Two figures stood waiting inside.
They turned at her voice. Gion’s face was unreadable. Tokikake looked like he’d been pacing for hours.
A smile touched Tsuru’s lips. "What brings you two here?"
Gion hesitated, her brows knitting. She opened her mouth but said nothing.
Tokikake, as always, was more direct.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru—how did the hearing go? Was it approved?"
The urgency in his voice was almost childlike.
Tsuru chuckled, settled into her seat, and nodded.
The moment the words landed, Gion’s eyes lit up with a rare gleam of unguarded joy. Her fist clenched subtly at her side.
"Damn it!" Tokikake burst out, stomping once. "That bastard Darren actually got it?! What the hell are those Inspectorate fools thinking?!"
Tsuru sighed inwardly.
So their expectations hadn’t been aligned after all.
With a shake of the head, she began brewing tea, the quiet clink of porcelain the only sound for a few beats.
"Well, you didn’t just come here for a status update. Out with it."
Gion straightened, resolve solidifying in her voice.
"Tsuru-neesan, I’ve made up my mind."
Tsuru’s eyes narrowed slightly. She turned to Tokikake.
Tokikake’s jaw tightened. "That’s right. I’ve stayed quiet long enough."
"If I don’t move now... that bastard Darren’s going to leave me in the dust."