"Diaz Barrels, I must admit, you're a bit more resourceful than I anticipated."
"But if you think a little scheme like this is enough to take me down, you're far too naive! Did you really believe that by sending your first mate away with the Ope Ope no Mi, you could ensure your safety? Do you truly think your first mate can escape from me now?"
As he glared at Diaz Barrels from a short distance away, Doflamingo wore a smug grin, confident that he had everything under control.
Diaz Barrels, on the other hand, looked up at the "Birdcage" in the sky with a grim expression. But after a moment, a sense of relief washed over him—thank goodness he had chosen to collaborate with the Navy traitor Wood. Without Wood, none of them—neither the World Government operatives nor his own crew—would have had a chance to escape Doflamingo's deadly Birdcage.
Doflamingo noticed the shift in Diaz Barrels' expression. Despite his plan being exposed, Diaz Barrels didn't appear panicked. This unexpected calmness left Doflamingo with a sense of unease, as if something was happening outside of his calculated control.
He initially intended to finish Diaz Barrels off with a swift "Five Colored Strings" attack, but instead, he adjusted his aim at the last second. The attack missed Diaz Barrels, but several veteran members of his pirate crew were sliced to pieces by the razor-sharp strings.
"Hahaha! So, you've figured it out too, haven't you? What makes you so sure the Ope Ope no Mi in my first mate's possession is even real?" Diaz Barrels taunted, his voice dripping with confidence.
As the blood of his fallen crew splattered onto his face, Diaz Barrels felt a chill run down his spine, a stark reminder of the vast power gap between him and Doflamingo.
Doflamingo's forehead veins bulged with anger as he heard Diaz Barrels speak so nonchalantly. He had personally verified that the Devil Fruit in Diaz Barrels' possession was indeed the Ope Ope no Mi when they arrived on Minion Island. Moreover, Diaz Barrels and his crew had been under the Donquixote Family's watchful eyes ever since. They hadn't had any chance to leave the island.
This meant the Ope Ope no Mi was still somewhere on Minion Island. But whether it was actually in the first mate's hands was now uncertain.
The island wasn't enormous, but it wasn't small either. If Diaz Barrels had hidden the Ope Ope no Mi somewhere, finding something the size of a regular fruit would be like searching for a needle in a haystack.
Determined to get to the bottom of it, Doflamingo grabbed the broken and beaten Diaz Barrels from the ground and leapt into the air. He was heading towards the location Corazon had hinted at, hoping to find the first mate and the elusive Devil Fruit.
Doflamingo's ability to hover in mid-air wasn't due to mastering the "Geppo" technique of the Six Powers. Instead, it was an application of his Devil Fruit, the Ito Ito no Mi (String-String Fruit).
Sky Path. By attaching near-invisible strings to the clouds, Doflamingo could move at high speeds through the air, as if he were walking on invisible pathways. The idea that clouds had any physical substance was absurd, but then again, this was a world where the laws of science often took a backseat to the rules of a shounen manga.
Seeing Doflamingo trap the island in his Birdcage and then take off to chase after the Ope Ope no Mi, the World Government operatives moved to intercept him. They had deduced from his actions that Doflamingo was after the Ope Ope no Mi for himself.
While Diaz Barrels' story might not have been entirely credible, Doflamingo's intention to eliminate everyone present had become abundantly clear.
However, just as the World Government agents were about to make their move, they were intercepted by Pica and the other Donquixote Family officers who had been lying in wait. Even the Vice Admirals of the Navy, who had yet to take action, were ruthlessly betrayed by Vergo, one of their own, and fell dead in pools of their own blood, their eyes wide open in disbelief.
The forces that the World Government had brought to overpower the Donquixote Family were now evenly matched, thanks to Vergo's betrayal and the deaths of several Vice Admirals.
Vergo's inclusion in the World Government's contingent had been carefully orchestrated by Doflamingo. If everyone involved in the deal ended up dead, it would be easier for Doflamingo to pin the blame on the "missing" Diaz Barrels. However, his word alone wouldn't be enough to clear him of suspicion, even with his connections as a former Celestial Dragon.
That's why Vergo, the original "Corazón," was critical. As a surviving Navy Vice Admiral, Vergo would corroborate Doflamingo's story, claiming that Diaz Barrels had hidden his true strength and made off with the five billion Berries and the Ope Ope no Mi during the deal.
Truth be told, Doflamingo's plan was almost flawless. He had even accounted for the aftermath. Even if Fleet Admiral Sengoku, through Corazon, pieced together the truth, the only fallout would be Vergo being exposed as a mole. It would have no real impact on Doflamingo himself.
But what Doflamingo hadn't anticipated was the wild card in his perfect plan—Wood, the troublemaker.
Soaring through the sky with Diaz Barrels in tow, Doflamingo soon spotted the first mate on the ground, clutching a briefcase and desperately trying to evade the shrinking Birdcage.
To Doflamingo, Diaz Barrels and his crew were insignificant, barely worth his attention. He hadn't bothered to learn much about them. When he saw a young pirate scrambling on the ground with the briefcase, Doflamingo unleashed a "Foot String" aimed at the pirate's arm, intending to slice it off cleanly.
The fine, nearly invisible string tore through the ground like a hot knife through butter, leaving a deep gash in its wake.
Doflamingo hadn't aimed to kill the pirate—only to sever the arm holding the briefcase.
Clang!
But just as Doflamingo expected his string to slice through the pirate's arm, something completely unexpected happened!
*******
P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 330+ at p@treon.com/Betek and change @ to a