"Whether he's worth it or not, I don't know. But what I do know is that I'm not losing out in this deal. After all, I've fulfilled my promise—Trafalgar Law, who ate the Ope Ope no Mi, has had his Amber Lead Syndrome cured. There's no reason for me to play nanny for him for the rest of his life."
Wood's reason for abandoning Trafalgar Law was simple. On one hand, he genuinely valued the 5 billion Berries more than Law. On the other hand, Wood knew that even if Doflamingo took Law, who had the potential for immortality, it was unlikely that Doflamingo would be able to do anything significant with him.
Wood's mission was only to ensure that Corazon and Law survived. As for anything beyond that, he wasn't interested in getting involved. This was the real world, not some anime, and to Wood, both Trafalgar Law and Corazon were just passing acquaintances. If he could help them, he didn't mind lending a hand, but if it conflicted with his own interests, Wood wouldn't hesitate to make a different choice. After all, he wasn't some kind of saint.
After agreeing on the terms, Wood and Doflamingo, despite their obvious distrust of each other, headed to the prearranged meeting spot.
The situation there, while not as intense as the battlefield between Wood and Doflamingo, was still quite fierce. The World Government, understanding the importance of the Ope Ope no Mi, had sent a formidable force, strong enough to contend with the entire Donquixote Family.
Unfortunately, no one had expected Vergo to be a double agent. Before the battle even began, he had already backstabbed several powerful Marine Vice Admirals on their side.
The tragic deaths of these Vice Admirals significantly weakened the World Government's fighting force. However, what puzzled everyone was why Doflamingo, the leader of the Donquixote Family, hadn't joined the battle but instead engaged in a fight with someone else elsewhere on the island.
Judging by the aftermath of their battle, which could be felt even from a distance, whoever was fighting Doflamingo was undeniably strong.
With Doflamingo's prolonged absence, the feelings of the Donquixote Family members and the World Government agents were naturally different. The World Government agents hoped that the mysterious figure would defeat Doflamingo, while the Donquixote Family members were deeply concerned for their leader's safety.
It was clear to anyone that the Donquixote Family had been set up. The fact that their powerful leader hadn't immediately defeated his opponent suggested that the enemy had deliberately lured him into a trap.
If not for the presence of the "Birdcage" overhead, proving that Doflamingo was still relatively unharmed, Pica and the others would have rushed to his aid long ago.
As the battle dragged on, both sides were waiting for a decisive moment. It was at this critical juncture that Doflamingo and Wood appeared together.
Seeing Doflamingo filled the Donquixote Family members with joy and relief, while the expressions of the World Government agents visibly darkened.
"Doflamingo, are you really going to turn against us? You should know very well that without the World Government's support, you wouldn't have risen to your current position so quickly!"
Facing only the Donquixote Family's officers had already been a struggle for the World Government agents. Now that Doflamingo had returned, they knew their chances of victory were slim.
It wasn't just about losing the fight—the "Birdcage" covering the entire island left them with no chance to escape, and the signal interference cut off all communication with the outside world.
Unable to win the battle and with no means of escape, the World Government agents could only resort to threats, trying to intimidate Doflamingo into backing down.
But before Doflamingo could even respond, a figure suddenly flashed in front of the speaking CP0 agent.
This CP0 agent, clearly a strong fighter, instinctively activated his most trusted defensive technique, Tekkai (Iron Body), upon sensing the danger.
However, the reality was that under absolute power, the so-called Tekkai was utterly useless.
A brilliant flash of a blade tore through the air, leaving a beautiful arc across the agent's throat. The Tekkai shattered instantly, and blood spurted out in torrents from the gaping wound.
Despite being the closest to the CP0 agent, Wood's clothes remained spotless. The blood had been eerily absorbed by his cursed blade, Tenku.
"Spouting nonsense... Think about it: after all the planning the Donquixote Family has done, do you really believe they'd let you leave here alive? If you choose to die in battle now, at least you'll go out with some dignity."
Although it was Wood who killed the agent, he did so under the banner of the Donquixote Family, which caused Doflamingo's expression to darken. However, he quickly brushed it off, reasoning that with no witnesses left alive, the blame would fall on Diaz Barrels, not the Donquixote Family.
Seeing Wood swiftly and efficiently eliminate a CP0 agent, Pica and the others glanced back at Doflamingo. With a nod from their leader, the other Donquixote officers joined the fray alongside him.
What had been a balanced battle quickly turned into a one-sided massacre with the addition of Wood and Doflamingo.
As the fight progressed, Doflamingo observed Wood closely, finally dispelling any lingering doubts he had about him.
Because of Rosinante's affiliation, Doflamingo had suspected that Wood might be connected to the Marines. But seeing Wood ruthlessly slaughter World Government agents, even more so than his own men, Doflamingo dismissed those suspicions.
The Marines were the World Government's lapdogs. If Wood were really a Marine, he wouldn't be mercilessly butchering World Government personnel like this.
Moreover, considering everything Wood had done—offending both the Marines and the World Government to the point of no return—Doflamingo simply couldn't envision Wood as a Marine.
Of course, what Doflamingo could never imagine, even in his wildest dreams, was that Wood was indeed a Marine—just not a conventional one.
Wood harbored no affection for the World Government. Killing CP agents was something he did without hesitation, and he would have gladly welcomed more of them to slaughter.
In fact, there were probably more CP agents who had perished at Wood's hands than pirates…
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P/S: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 350+ at p@treon.com/Betek and change @ to a