Ohara wasn't far from Mariejois. From the Holy Land, it only took about ten days of sailing to catch sight of this renowned island.
"Truly unique…" Doflamingo remarked, standing tall on the deck of the Flamingo, gazing at Ohara in the distance.
His posture was straight and commanding, exuding energy and vitality. Dressed in a burgundy suit with his signature flamingo-feathered coat draped over his shoulders, one hand rested in his pocket while the other held a cigarette.
Whether this habit was a quirk of his original personality or an aftereffect of his transmigration, Doflamingo found himself constantly with a cigarette in hand.
"Indeed unique. You can recognize Ohara at a glance," Vergo commented, standing beside him.
Vergo, though tall, was not as imposing as Doflamingo. At about 2.3 meters tall, he stood out, but not to the extreme of his young master. Clad in a white checkered shirt, Vergo's cold expression added an air of stoic coolness.
What made Ohara distinctive was the massive ancient tree at its center, dominating the island's landscape. It was none other than the fabled Tree of Knowledge, a treasure trove of human culture and history.
As the Flamingo drew closer to Ohara, the surrounding waters became busier. Numerous ships dotted the sea, evidence of the island's lively atmosphere.
It was hard to ignore the warmth of the West Blue's people. As Doflamingo's ship passed near a fishing boat, the fishermen aboard waved and smiled cheerfully at him.
"Fufufu… seems my infamy hasn't reached the West Blue yet," Doflamingo chuckled.
In the North Blue, Doflamingo's name was synonymous with terror.
Take, for instance, the events of last June on Jonathan Island. Two of his smuggling partners had embezzled a small sum of money—insignificant in value but significant in principle. Doflamingo personally strung them up at the port, systematically carving their legs down to the bone with a dagger, feeding the flesh to the harbor fish.
After tending their wounds to ensure they didn't bleed out, he left them to roast under the sun for three days until they died.
This brutality wasn't about the stolen money; it was about making a statement.
To survive and thrive in the underworld, one had to be ruthless, poisonous, and terrifying.
Doflamingo's calculated acts of cruelty weren't just for his satisfaction—they were tools to cement his reputation as a force to be reckoned with.
But at the core of it, Doflamingo understood one undeniable truth: his current strength wasn't enough. If he possessed the overwhelming power of someone like Whitebeard, he wouldn't need such theatrical displays. His presence alone would be enough to keep others in line.
"Our operations in the West Blue are small-scale, so it makes sense that we're relatively unknown here," Vergo said calmly.
While the North Blue was known as the "Sea of Evil" for its chaos and brutality, the West Blue wasn't much more peaceful. It was steeped in Mafia culture, with most of its residents embodying a mix of romanticism and violence.
In the West Blue, even a humble fisherman at a port might have a Mafia-affiliated uncle or cousin, and their neighbor's dog might belong to a crime family.
Given this culture, the Donquixote Family had long aspired to expand their business into the West Blue. The family had conducted extensive research on the region.
Preliminary studies suggested that the West Blue hosted over 50,000 Mafia families, most operating as familial organizations entrenched in various kingdoms and islands. Except for rare exceptions like Ohara, nearly the entire West Blue was intertwined with the Mafia.
To succeed in the West Blue and grow their operations, the Donquixote Family couldn't bypass the Mafia's influence.
At the top of the Mafia hierarchy were the "Five Great Families of the West Blue." Of these, Doflamingo was particularly interested in the Capone Family.
If circumstances allowed, he hoped to establish a partnership with them.
In approximately twenty years, Capone Bege of the Capone Family would rise to become the Godfather of the West Blue, uniting its Mafia under his rule.
Doflamingo's long-term vision extended far beyond smuggling.
Currently, the Donquixote Family dealt primarily in contraband and minor illicit activities. However, Doflamingo envisioned diversifying their operations, particularly into the arms trade.
While he had made small attempts in the North Blue, the efforts had been modest at best. The primary obstacle? The Germa Kingdom.
In the North Blue, Germa dominated the weapons market with advanced technology and superior weaponry, outcompeting the Donquixote Family by a wide margin.
Despite its decline, Germa's centuries-long legacy made it a formidable rival. While Doflamingo didn't fear them outright, he approached them with caution.
In contrast, the West Blue's Mafia families had established a robust arms market. The Capone Family alone controlled over 30% of the region's arms trade, supported by mature manufacturing lines, weapons factories, and logistical networks.
Doflamingo hoped to collaborate with the Capone Family to sell West Blue-manufactured weapons in the North Blue, positioning himself as the region's premier arms dealer.
Even without production capabilities, Doflamingo believed in "borrowing chickens to lay eggs." By leveraging the West Blue's production and competing against Germa, he could gradually build his own manufacturing infrastructure.
Doflamingo's ambitions to become the king of the world were no joke.
To achieve such a dream, he needed the perfect combination of timing, luck, power, and influence.
Timing was crucial. The coming decades would bring the Great Pirate Era, a period of turmoil and opportunity. Heroes and villains would clash as they vied for supremacy in the waves of history.
Luck was intangible, but Doflamingo was confident in his fortunes. With Conqueror's Haki and the rare status of being a transmigrator, how bad could his luck be?
Power was something Doflamingo relentlessly pursued. His commitment to strength and progress was unwavering.
Influence was equally critical. As the saying goes, "It's not about how well you can fight, but about the power you command."
Baron Tamago could fight, but that didn't compare to the Celestial Dragons summoning an admiral with a word. Power came from influence and connections, not brute strength alone.
The Flamingo soon docked at Ohara's port, and Doflamingo disembarked with his usual composed and elegant stride.
Unlike the exaggerated strut he used in the North Blue, he had refined his walk to exude confidence without drawing unnecessary attention.
Even from the port, Ohara's cultural richness was palpable. Laborers unloading crates casually discussed academic theories, a sight that amused and intrigued Doflamingo.
"A cultured island, indeed," he mused.