After obtaining Crocodile's soul fragment, Edie's mission was complete.
Now, he had his sights set on the next step—obtaining the soul fragment of another Logia user and initiating a groundbreaking experiment: cloning a body capable of wielding dual Logia abilities.
"Let's head back to Beehive Island," Edie declared. Without hesitation, he picked up Robin and leaped into the air.
Beehive Island… Robin's heart raced with anticipation. Was this it? Was her nine-year nightmare of constant running finally coming to an end?
"Yes!" she exclaimed, her voice trembling with excitement. Wrapping her arms tightly around Edie's neck, she felt the weight of her long escape beginning to lift.
Meanwhile, as the sun blazed over Alabasta, night shrouded Dressrosa, a kingdom deep in the New World.
Crocodile dreamed of seizing a nation, but Doflamingo had already acted.
Dressrosa, Royal Palace
King Riku, sleeping soundly in the warm comfort of his bed, stirred as a chill ran through the room. A gust of cold wind blew in, ruffling the curtains.
"Achoo!" The sneeze startled him awake. Who left the window open?
He got up, grumbling under his breath about careless maids, and moved to shut it. As he reached the window, a voice echoed behind him, smooth yet laced with menace.
"Fufufufu... You should wear something warmer, Your Majesty. Wouldn't want to catch a cold."
King Riku froze. His eyes darted to the swaying curtains. Slowly, they lowered, revealing a figure perched on the windowsill. The moonlight illuminated his unmistakable silhouette—a tall man in a garish pink feathered coat, legs crossed, smirking like a predator playing with its prey.
"You're... the pirate from the papers!" King Riku stammered. His voice quivered with recognition. "Donquixote Doflamingo, the new Warlord of the Sea!"
"Ah, you know me? What an honor," Doflamingo replied, his grin widening.
"What do you want, visiting at this hour?" King Riku asked, dread coiling in his gut.
Doflamingo's smirk twisted into something darker. "Fufufu... Let's not waste time. I'll be direct. I want my country back."
"Your… country?" King Riku's blood ran cold.
"That's right. Dressrosa was once ruled by the Donquixote family. Eight hundred years ago, when the Twenty Kings formed the World Government and ascended to Mariejois as Celestial Dragons, my family left this kingdom behind. Your Riku clan—your ancestors—were merely caretakers in our absence."
The words struck like thunder. Celestial Dragons?! King Riku's legs nearly gave out.
"You're one of them?" he gasped.
"Exactly," Doflamingo said with a chilling grin. "So, King Riku, it's time you returned what belongs to me."
Doflamingo leapt gracefully from the windowsill, landing with the casual ease of a predator circling its prey.
"It seems your family has forgotten its place. Allow me to remind you," he continued, his voice dripping with condescension. "You claim power lies in the people's trust? How naive. Power, true power, is nothing but the balance of violence. Those who wield it define its boundaries."
King Riku clenched his fists, anger flashing in his eyes. "I won't let this country become a pirate state! I'll do whatever it takes to protect Dressrosa!"
"Fufufu... Bold words, old man. But let me make something clear: I'm more capable than you ever were. With me in charge, this country will thrive. Factories, jobs, wealth—more than your 'trust' has ever provided."
At that moment, the sound of soft footsteps interrupted the tension.
"Father? Is everything alright? I heard noises," a young woman's voice called from outside.
King Riku's heart sank. "Violet! Don't come in!"
The door creaked open, and there she stood—Princess Violet, her expression shifting from confusion to horror.
"Father…?" she whispered, taking in the scene. Her father, the king, kneeling before a grinning, menacing man.
"Fufufu… Your daughter?" Doflamingo asked, amusement lighting up his face. With a flick of his fingers, invisible strings wrapped around Violet's arms, pulling her into the room.
"Let her go!" King Riku roared, his desperation palpable.
Doflamingo ignored him, his attention fixed on Violet. "You're 16, aren't you? Can you dance?"
Violet's eyes widened in terror. "Y-Yes," she stammered, her voice trembling.
"Perfect," Doflamingo said, his smile sharp as a blade. With another flick of his fingers, a blanket from the bed floated up, wrapping itself around Violet like a cocoon.
King Riku lunged forward. "What are you doing with my daughter?!"
"Relax," Doflamingo replied, stepping back toward the window with Violet in tow. "She'll be safe—for now. Consider her collateral."
"What do you want?" King Riku demanded, his voice breaking.
Doflamingo grinned. "Let's make a bet, King Riku. One year. If I generate 10 billion beli in income for this country, you will abdicate and hand the throne back to the Donquixote family."
"Ten billion?!" King Riku's face went pale. That was more than his entire royal treasury.
"If I fail," Doflamingo continued, "I'll leave and never return. Simple, right?"
"And Violet? You'll let her go?"
Doflamingo's grin didn't falter. "Of course. As long as you don't break our deal."
King Riku had no choice. Cornered, he nodded. "Fine. One year."
"Fufufu… Glad we could come to an understanding," Doflamingo said, leaping back onto the windowsill with Violet in tow.
As he disappeared into the night, King Riku collapsed to his knees, the weight of the gamble crushing him. Could Doflamingo truly fulfill his outrageous promise? And even if he did, could a pirate ever be trusted?
Doflamingo smirked as the palace vanished behind him. The game had begun. With Jinkela fertilizer, 10 billion was only the beginning. Dressrosa would be his.
Edie returned to Beehive Island with Robin, introducing her to the rest of the girls gathered there.
The group warmly welcomed Robin, their curiosity and sympathy evident as they listened to her story. Robin's difficult life resonated with them, especially with Hancock, who had also suffered at the hands of the World Government. However, Hancock's fate had taken a brighter turn when Edie rescued her. She comforted Robin with the regal confidence of an empress:
"Don't worry, Robin. No one in the Hive will ever bully you—not even the World Government!"
Robin felt a sense of warmth and security. Smiling, she replied, "Thank you, Sister Hancock."
Hancock, a year older than Robin, accepted the affectionate title with grace.
Satisfied with the camaraderie forming among the group, Edie left them to bond and turned his attention to his next task. In the hallway, he summoned Chenlong.
"Go to Wano and bring Caesar back to see me," Edie commanded.
Chenlong nodded firmly. "Understood."
With the order given, Edie descended to the underground laboratory. The clones in the special cloning chambers were nearing maturity, and he was eager to check their progress.
Entering the second underground floor, he headed to the observation room to assess the clones' data. A quick scan confirmed that while Hancock's clone was developing as expected, the one modeled after Rocks had consumed an extraordinary amount of resources.
"Rocks' clone..." Edie murmured, his gaze narrowing. "It's cost more than 40 billion beli—four times the usual amount. This better be worth it."
The No. 0 special cloning laboratory had been redesigned for privacy after Hancock's earlier request. The three cloning chambers now resided in separate rooms.
Edie opened the door to the first chamber and activated the clone inside. A young girl emerged, resembling a miniature version of Hancock as an adult, though her features carried a soft innocence. Her skin was a healthy, rosy white, untainted by the Lunarian blood factor that gave others their chocolate complexion.
The girl opened her eyes, stepped out, and immediately knelt on one knee. "Lord Heavenly Father," she greeted respectfully.
Edie handed her a light blue dress and white heels. Smiling, he said, "From this day forward, your name is Snake Princess. You will become the empress of Amazon Lily and lead the Nine Snakes Pirates."
Dressed and poised, the young girl tilted her head in confusion. "Heavenly Father?"
Edie gestured, his expression expectant. "Unleash your Haki."
"Yes."
Boom!
The surge of Haki was overwhelming, shaking the laboratory to its core. Edie's glasses beeped, displaying rapidly climbing energy levels.
Energy Level: 80 Billion.
Edie nodded in approval. "Comparable to Hancock. You're ready. Go find her upstairs—your prototype awaits you."
"Mother?" Snake Princess's eyes lit with curiosity before she departed.
Edie proceeded to the second cloning room, where Rocks' clone awaited. He activated the chamber, and a boy around ten years old emerged. With white, spiky hair, black wings, brown skin, and eyes that gleamed like golden stars, the clone exuded an aura of raw power.
The boy stepped forward, kneeling with solemnity. "Lord Heavenly Father."
Edie observed him closely, his mind racing with the potential of this extraordinary creation. This one might just surpass them all.