At dusk.
The sunset was like a blaze, setting the sky aflame and painting half of it red.
The sea was perfectly still, like a vast mirror reflecting the colors of the sunset above.
From high above, a pirate ship appeared as though it were gliding through the clouds.
Aboard the ship bound for Dressrosa, Rebecca had finished her training and stood on the deck.
She gazed out at the sea, marveling at the beauty before her. "What a beautiful view. Soon, the people of Dressrosa will be able to enjoy scenes like this together."
The ship moved swiftly through the water, but meanwhile, in the castle of Dressrosa, Doflamingo smashed a bottle in rage.
"Damn it, that bastard Chiba! What did he do to me?" Doflamingo roared furiously. Ever since Chiba had "freed" him, he'd noticed that controlling his String-String Fruit powers was becoming harder.
He and the String-String Fruit had once been a perfect match, but since Chiba's so-called experiment on him, a strange disconnect had developed. His String-String Fruit, which had once been fully awakened—allowing him to turn the earth into strings he could manipulate—was growing weaker and weaker by the day.
If this kept up, he'd lose his awakened state, reverting to a weaker version of himself. His power would plummet.
"Dover, I've heard that Jozu from Chiba's crew recently acquired String-String abilities too, producing threads so strong that even a Marine Vice Admiral can't cut them," Virgo said with concern.
"Damn it, that bastard Chiba must be behind this too," Doflamingo growled, fuming with hatred.
That damned scoundrel tricked him with a Devil Fruit contest, using the Mera-Mera Fruit as bait, and then gave it to Rebecca. He'd even let those little people and that soldier doll steal valuable information on the Mythical Zoan Yellow Dragon model, as well as the essence of Doflamingo's own String-String Fruit powers.
"Damn him! That bastard!" Doflamingo cursed bitterly.
"Dover," Virgo said cautiously, "if Rebecca does come for revenge, how will we defend ourselves?"
Doflamingo's face darkened. "You think she'll strike while I'm weakened?"
Virgo nodded. "That's what worries me. Rebecca's not on our side; she won't miss this opportunity. And she's probably learned of your weakened state from Chiba himself. She's acquired the Mera-Mera Fruit in its Golden Crow form and has likely grown much stronger by now. She's probably been preparing in silence, waiting for the right moment."
"If she comes now, she'll be a serious threat. Dover, you need a plan, and fast."
Doflamingo pondered this for a moment, then said, "Get me in touch with Jack from the Beasts Pirates."
"Dover, are you really planning to seek help from the Beasts Pirates?" Virgo asked.
"Yes. They owe us a significant amount in loans. I'll make them settle the debt by helping us handle this problem. This way, we can also pull them into our fight."
"Chiba's strength is overwhelming. Only one of the Four Emperors has a chance of matching him."
"Dover, you're suggesting that Rebecca's movements are tied to Chiba's influence?"
"Maybe, maybe not. But if we fall to Rebecca, Chiba stands to gain significantly. He may be waiting for her to succeed so he can reap the rewards."
"But what's his motive? How does our downfall benefit him? Without us, who will he use to sell his Devil Fruits?"
"Hah! He's already built his reputation off of us, and now he sells each Devil Fruit for two billion Berries. If he wanted to capitalize further, he'd just partner directly with a major buyer, cutting us out completely."
"The nerve of that man! We helped build his name, and now he's betraying us. But why would he do this just to help Rebecca?"
Doflamingo frowned, deep in thought. Virgo interjected, "If Rebecca defeats us, she'll gain worldwide fame, and we'll become her stepping stones."
Doflamingo's eyes widened, realization dawning on him. "Of course! That bastard Chiba—it's all part of his scheme!"
"What scheme?" Virgo asked, confused.
Doflamingo clenched his fists. "That damned Chiba plans to exploit my reputation to inflate the value of his Devil Fruits!"
"What do you mean?"
"Think about it! If I fall to Rebecca, a Warlord of the Sea losing to her—a mere girl who was once just a fledgling swordswoman—then people will believe Chiba's Devil Fruits can turn anyone into a powerhouse. The Devil Fruits he sells could be worth four billion Berries each after that!"
"Can he really pull this off?" Virgo was stunned.
"Yes! This damned Chiba is so greedy and ruthless that he'd sacrifice my lifelong reputation just to hike the price of his Devil Fruits. I'll never let him succeed! Gather all the commanders. I'll personally visit Jack of the Beasts Pirates and ensure Rebecca never makes it here to spoil his scheme."
"Understood. I'll contact Jack from the Beasts Pirates."
Virgo quickly pulled out a Den Den Mushi, dialing Jack's number. After a moment, a lazy voice answered from the other side, "Hello?"
"Jack, it's me, Virgo."
[•———•——•———•]
𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧
✨ • 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝟲𝟬+ 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.