I met Diamante's gaze but chose to remain silent. I understood that everyone in this room would become fiercely loyal to Doflamingo in the future, and challenging Doffy's decisions in front of everyone like that could have severe consequences. Having been part of the mafia in my past life, I knew how these dynamics worked. My intervention was an act of defiance, one that would have cost me dearly if it had been directed at a normal member of the group.
"Forget it; let's not dwell on the past. It's time we think about the future. It's time you eat this, Doffy."Trebol intervened, shifting the focus to the devil fruit he held out to Doflamingo.
Doflamingo, still lost in contemplation over recent events, snapped out of his thoughts at Trebol's words. He reached out to take the devil fruit, but my voice interrupted the momentary silence.
"Do you at least know what kind of Devil fruit it is?" I questioned, causing both Doflamingo and Trebol to pause, confusion evident on their faces.
"Brother, let's set aside the matter of devil fruits until we can get our hands on a Devil Fruit encyclopedia. Don't rush to eat a devil fruit."I advised my brother, though I could sense the disappointment in Trebol, Diamante, and Pica's expressions. They had likely put in considerable effort, possibly even staking their lives, to acquire this rare treasure. Devil fruits were scarce commodities, even in the treacherous waters of the New World.
"Rosinante, devil fruits are super rare. Eating one will make Doffy instantly stronger. Don't you want your brother to become strong?" Trebol pressed, acknowledging the truth in my words while urging for immediate action.
However, I knew the fruit before us: the string fruit. Though there was a saying that there were no weak devil fruits, in my eyes, this particular one was not worthy of my brother. Before committing to it, I needed to confirm if my knowledge of the canon held true. If so, as an avid fan of One Piece, I had knowledge of undiscovered devil fruits, some of which were Logia types. To fulfill my brother's dream, we needed strength—enough to challenge even the World Government, which had held power for centuries.
"My little brother is right. If I want to fulfill my ambitions, I cannot settle for mediocrity. Trebol, keep the fruit safe until we can acquire the encyclopedia. But before anything else, I want to personally go to Mary Geoise and uncover the truth," Doflamingo declared, his words resonating with determination. Deep down, he still harbored hope that the Celestial Dragons would welcome them back, absolving them of their father's mistakes.
"Doffy, you can't be serious. Going back there will simply spell your doom. You are no longer part of the Celestial Dragons. They wouldn't hesitate to remove you from the equation for convenience's sake." Trebol sprang up from his seat, urgency evident in his voice as he tried to persuade my brother to change his mind. It was clear that despite their recent allegiance to Doflamingo, they still believed in and cared deeply for him.
"No, I want to go. No matter what, the blood of the Donquixote family runs through my veins. They simply cannot deny me my birthright," Doflamingo stated firmly, his Celestial Dragon upbringing still influencing his mindset. He believed that a single word from him could move the world.
Understanding what motivated my brother's decision, I couldn't let him walk willingly into the lion's den. I wanted to ensure that even if his request was denied, we would have a chance to retreat from Mary Geoise unscathed. My knowledge of the canon might give us an edge, so I immediately began formulating plans in my mind.
"Young master, if that's the case, then let us follow you to Mary Geoise. If something untoward happens, at least we can try to get you out safely," Diamante suggested, aware of the dangers that lay ahead on this journey.
"No, it's better if it's just me and my brother making the trip. If I'm not mistaken, our visit will be short, and we'll soon return. We'll need you guys here to help us if things go awry up there," I countered, rejecting Diamante's suggestion. I knew it was better to keep our small force hidden, ready to facilitate our escape if necessary.
Doflamingo was surprised by my sudden assertiveness, but he realized that the recent hardships we had endured had changed me for the better. He understood that his once-meek little brother wouldn't survive in this cruel world unless he adapted.
"But..." Trebol began to protest, but a glance from Doflamingo silenced him. Doffy signaled for me to continue, placing his trust in me as his last blood tie.
"Do you guys have any transponder snails on hand?" I inquired, turning to the three future executives. They exchanged glances before shaking their heads in unison.
"Although we don't have any at hand, we can obtain a few given some time. Is it important? If so, we can arrange it within two days," Diamante offered, realizing that my abilities were underestimated.
"If possible, try to get young snails that haven't been registered yet. I don't want them traced back to this location. If we're ousted by the dragons, this will be our new home for the foreseeable future." I shared my thoughts with the group in the cramped house. Vergo had stood beside Doflamingo throughout the meeting , resembling a loyal bodyguard. I made a mental note to ensure that everyone's fate would change. Though I couldn't fulfill my brother's wish in the last life, I was determined to make it happen in this one.
If history were to go unaltered, I knew my brother would be denied by the Celestial Dragons, and the people around me would become the foundation of the future Donquixote family. Although I was not averse to the actions my brother took in the canon, except for a few, I knew they were weak—pitifully weak. At best, they could be called minor antagonists in a major arc. But with my intervention, I wanted to change all that. I aimed to subdue the world and crown my brother the King of the World. To achieve that, we needed power, fame, wealth, and, most importantly, strength to vanquish anyone who defied us. I also wanted to ensure that my brother didn't repeat the same mistakes in the world I only knew as fiction.
Currently, in the family, we only had Trebol as the sole Devil Fruit user, and we had the String Fruit in stock, but we set it aside for the time being. Now that I was in this new body, my soul was a blend of Ross and Rosinante, and I had found a balance between the two souls.
I stood up to make the necessary arrangements, but Pica stood up and stopped me, indicating that I should just let him know what was needed. He, like Vergo, had kept silent throughout the meeting. I quickly shared my plans with the rest, and we ironed out the details, further polishing the plan. Trebol, known for his intellect, couldn't help but praise me for my plans, and Diamante and Pica left to carry out the preparations.
Within a week, all our preparations were set. It was decided that Diamante would accompany us to the Red Port in the North Blue as an added layer of security. Vergo chose to follow my brother, even when asked to stay back, so it was decided that he would accompany us until the Red Port.
Young Diamante and three children boarded the little caravel that we had taken from a group of small-time pirates. The size of the craft was perfect for our mission, and we had provisioned ourselves well enough to reach the Red Port comfortably without any stops in between. Trebol had also acquired two pairs of young transponder snails, providing one each to Doffy and Diamante.
As we set sail towards Mary Geoise, Doffy was patiently looking forward to his chance at redemption, but I held no such hope. Instead, I dedicated the time towards my training, understanding that in this world, without enough strength, we would be nothing but bugs waiting to be crushed at any time.
"Here, young master Ross." Vergo handed me a strip of black cloth. I had specifically asked for his help in my training. I blindfolded myself and tossed an iron rod towards Vergo.
"Hit me, Vergo," I requested, asking him to strike me with the iron rod. Doflamingo, by my side, although distracted, was eyeing my actions curiously. Even Diamante was observing my antics as the sea was calm and the winds were steady.
"Are you sure about this, young master?" Although Vergo asked me the question, his gaze was directed at Doffy, who had now turned his complete attention towards my action. With a nod from my brother, Vergo launched a quick overhead strike. As if by magic, before the attack could connect, I sidestepped, dodging the incoming attack completely. Vergo was confused for a second, and he couldn't help but scratch the back of his head.
"Again, Vergo, but a bit faster this time. You are as slow as a snail. Even my grandmother can swing the rod better, and don't stop this time," I taunted. As I dodged the first attack, I understood that somehow my transmigration had spiked the mediocre talent of the original host, and the observation Haki had already crossed the threshold of the reaching a unprecedented stage.
Suddenly, Vergo turned serious at my blatant mockery and unleashed a barrage of attacks. He swung each strike with ferocity, and the more attacks I dodged, the more frustrated he became. I observed as his face turned ugly because he couldn't perform in front of Doffy. Doffy was already standing in sheer excitement, seeing how his young brother was dodging all these attacks blindfolded. Only Diamante, a failure who couldn't survive the New World, understood the true significance of my actions.
After a few minutes of aggressive swinging, Vergo fell to his knees, defeated. He was huffing and puffing, trying to land a hit on me while I casually dodged each attack. Although I looked relaxed on the outside, I knew internally that I was struggling to keep my Observation Haki continuously for a few minutes. If I wanted to be a true powerhouse in the future, I knew that I needed to hone my Haki to a stage where it was as simple as breathing. As Vergo fell, my brother rushed forward to check if he was alright.
"Little brother, what was that? What kind of trick was that? You dodged every single attack blindfolded for the past few minutes." Doffy wanted to know exactly what technique I used, and if possible, he wanted to learn it too.
"That, Doffy, is one of the three Haki powers inherent to human beings, known as Observation Haki. It is a form of Haki that grants the user a sixth sense, allowing them to sense the presence, strength, and emotions of others, as well as gain limited precognitive abilities when trained to the extreme." However, it was Diamante who answered first.
Young Diamante had still not recovered from his shock at my display of Observation Haki prowess. Although he had come across Haki users during his short time in the New World, he had never heard of anyone mastering Observation Haki to such an extent at such a young age.
"Diamante, is there a way to learn it? I want to learn this if it's possible." Doffy wanted to grow strong, and his interest in Haki showed that. But Diamante's answer only gave him disappointment.
"Doffy, though it's rumored that there are ways to train in two types of Haki, I am not aware of it. Even I am not trained in Haki yet." Diamante couldn't help but put down his head in shame because he couldn't provide what Doffy had asked for.
Doffy clenched his fist and gritted his teeth in frustration, disappointment etched on his face.
"Doffy, it's not a surefire method, but I can think of a crude way to help us train in Observation Haki," I interjected, sharing my opinion. If the Donquixote family wanted to reach the pinnacle, then we needed to master Haki, as in the One Piece world, Haki reigned supreme; even Devil Fruits could not match their importance.