"There's no denying it—my officers in the Donquixote Family are indeed important to me, and I do treat them as family," Doflamingo began, his voice calm but laced with cold resolve. "But do you really think that if my own safety were at risk, I'd care about anyone else's life?"
"You must have heard from Rosinante by now—how, over ten years ago, I personally shot and killed my own father, severed his head, and brought it to Mariejois."
"A man like me—do you really believe that when the time comes, I wouldn't discard my officers just as easily?"
Did Doflamingo value his officers in the Donquixote Family? Absolutely. Otherwise, men like Vergo and the others wouldn't have been drawn to him by his charisma. But to Doflamingo, his officers were also important tools, and even "family" could be discarded if they stood in the way of his survival.
"So Rosinante was right," Wood replied, his tone as sharp as his blade. "You really are a complete and utter demon. I used to think that even pirates had a sense of justice—justice of their own kind. But now, looking at you, it seems you lack even that."
Doflamingo paused for a moment, surprised by Wood's words. Then he remembered that Wood had once been a Marine, though he had since betrayed them. Marines were always quick to talk about "justice."
"Justice? That's just a convenient word used by the victors," Doflamingo sneered. "This whole idea that 'pirates are evil, and Marines are justice'—it's nonsense. Children who know nothing of peace and nothing of war have entirely different values. In the end, only those who stand at the top can decide what is right and wrong."
"You were once a Marine—a part of 'justice.' But now you're a pirate, the 'evil' you once fought against. Is it because of something you learned, something that showed you how narrow-minded that justice really was? Or did you discover a deeper truth, that true evil hides within what people call justice?"
"Wood, you're strong. Even in a world full of powerful figures, your strength would earn you a place among the best. But you lack the ambition to be anything more than a loyal dog of the World Government, like Garp. You'll never be a man who changes the world, like Roger."
If Doflamingo were in Wood's position now, he wouldn't care about Rosinante or Law. He'd focus on killing everyone who stood in his way. To him, family and friends were nothing compared to his own life and dreams.
Doflamingo did value his officers highly, even sacrificing other interests for their sake. But everything had a price. If the balance tipped, he wouldn't hesitate to let go of his so-called family.
Earlier, Doflamingo had worried that Wood might be as ruthless as himself, but now he saw that he had overestimated his opponent.
Wood had fought against the World Government by attacking Enies Lobby and rejected deals with underworld brokers who wanted to sell mermaids. From these actions, Doflamingo knew Wood wasn't a man with the same ambitions as his own.
So Doflamingo laughed—a loud, arrogant laugh—because he realized he wasn't going to die today.
"You can have Rosinante and Law, but the five billion Berries the World Government brought must go to the Donquixote Family," Doflamingo demanded.
The Birdcage continued to contract, but neither Wood nor Doflamingo made a move to fight. Instead, they were engaged in a tense negotiation.
Of course, both men kept their powers active—Wood's "Heart of God" and Doflamingo's awakened Devil Fruit ability—ready to strike if necessary.
The battle had reached a stalemate. If Wood had no other concerns, he could likely kill Doflamingo, despite his newly awakened powers. But Doflamingo had exploited Wood's weakness—the Birdcage, and the lives of Rosinante and Law.
Wood's mission had two stages: First, ensure that Law consumed the Op-Op Fruit, which was already accomplished. The second stage was to ensure that Law and Rosinante survived this conflict.
Killing Doflamingo or continuing his "Multiverse Life Simulator" journey—between these two choices, Wood didn't hesitate to choose the latter.
Killing Doflamingo wouldn't bring much benefit to Wood. At best, he might receive some lukewarm praise from Fleet Admiral Sengoku and a possible promotion in rank. But the "Multiverse Life Simulator" represented endless possibilities, including the potential to grow even stronger.
So, the choice was clear.
"No way! I've set my sights on that five billion Berries, and if anyone tries to take it from me, I'll fight them to the death!" Wood declared, his voice full of defiance.
After the Enies Lobby incident, Wood had obtained the blueprints for the ancient weapon, Pluton. While he didn't intend to build the doomsday weapon itself, he did plan to manufacture some of its powerful weapons. For that, he needed startup capital.
Wood's crew wasn't like a traditional pirate crew—they didn't pillage islands or engage in random violence. Selling seafood wouldn't provide steady income. To grow stronger and expand, they needed a reliable source of revenue.
If not for the mission, the five billion Berries would have been Wood's primary focus. There was no way he was going to let go of that money.
Doflamingo's expression darkened instantly. He felt like Wood was playing him for a fool again.
To be fair, the Op-Op Fruit was worth far more than five billion Berries; otherwise, the World Government wouldn't have offered that much money for it. By letting Wood take Law, who had consumed the fruit, along with Rosinante, Doflamingo felt he was already being more than generous.
"This is a fair negotiation, not an extortion," Doflamingo snapped. "You can have Rosinante and Law, but you can't expect to take the five billion Berries too. Do you really think the Donquixote Family is going to walk away empty-handed?"
Wood's concern for Rosinante and Law's lives had forced him into this truce. It was clear that Wood intended to take both of them with him. But there was a problem—Law, now having eaten the Op-Op Fruit, was already worth five billion Berries.
If Wood wanted both Rosinante and Law, and the five billion Berries on top of that, what would be left for Doflamingo?
*******
P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 350+ at p@treon.com/Betek and change @ to a