The shimmering light in the mirror continued to surge into his body.
Watching this mysterious phenomenon, Doflamingo fell into deep thought.
'The skeleton supports the body and determines its upper limit. Muscles dictate strength and explosive power. The bone marrow is responsible for cellular regeneration, while the heart governs endurance.
These four elements represent a strong physique—makes sense.
The criteria for this achievement must involve multiple factors.
I should test it out. If I could draw Big Mom's iron balloon physique, wouldn't I be invincible?
But if I remember correctly, that old hag has already given birth to over forty kids by now. What a sweet, sweet bounty.
As time passed, the light within the mirror gradually faded, and the mirror itself slowly merged back into the lighthouse.
Doflamingo turned his gaze toward the newly updated status panel.
Donquixote Doflamingo [Minor Infamy]
Era: Year 1491 of the Sea Circle Calendar
Birthplace: Red Line, Holy Land Mary Geoise
Skills: Conqueror's Haki [Beginner Level]
Devil Fruit: String-String Fruit [Beginner Level]
Talent: Innate Strength [Achievement Reward]
Achievement: Filial Son Through Patricide
The status panel, as if responding to his thoughts, thoughtfully provided a description of his newly acquired ability.
Innate Strength: A tougher, more resilient physique, superior strength, enhanced speed, greater endurance, and faster recovery. With your unyielding and formidable body, show the pirates what true dominance means.
'Not a bad start. But now, how do I escape this dark sea?'
Just as the thought crossed his mind, the status panel vanished, and the fog behind the lighthouse slowly began to disperse.
Two massive stone tablets—one red and one blue—stood before him, both equal in height to his own. Beside them, two unknown routes extended into the distance.
Doflamingo's expression turned strange as he looked at the tablets.
'Oh, come on. You think I won't recognize you just because you're smaller now? What's with this cosplay of the Road Poneglyphs?'
He approached the red tablet first, where rows of small text were engraved upon its surface.
[Celestial Dragon]: The noble Celestial Dragons reside in the Holy Land Mary Geoise. You, a traitor cast out from their ranks—do you wish to return? Do you long to reclaim your status as one of the world's elite? Bring the head of Donquixote Homing as an offering to your former brethren, and you shall be reinstated as a Celestial Dragon.
Reward: Blackbeard's Unique Physique
Doflamingo skimmed over the reward and promptly moved on to the next stone tablet.
Being a Celestial Dragon certainly had its perks. The fond memories of his childhood still lingered in his mind, and having an Admiral as a bodyguard wasn't bad at all. As long as you didn't actively provoke the main characters, you could practically do whatever you wanted in Mary Geoise—even insulting the Five Elders would just get you a slap on the wrist.
As for the reward—Blackbeard's Unique Physique—the moment Doflamingo read it, his mind flooded with wild ideas.
String-String Fruit + Rumble-Rumble Fruit = Electrical Wire Fruit, essentially turning me into a walking railgun, raining divine punishment upon Pangaea Castle.
String-String Fruit + Magnet-Magnet Fruit = Magnetic Wires, transforming me into a magnetism-wielding tyrant capable of ruling the world.
String-String Fruit + Luck-Luck Fruit = Fate's Thread, an ability to control others' luck undetected—Pirate Edition of Final Destination in the making.
So why not go for it?
It wasn't about feeling guilty over offering up his father's head.
The problem was that the Celestial Dragons considered the Donquixote family as traitors—they wouldn't accept his allegiance.
His father's desperate pleas had already proven that.
It was a futile endeavor from the start.
He then turned to the second, blue stone tablet, where different text emerged.
[Donquixote]: The Celestial Dragons are nothing but traitors themselves. Forge your own family, gather those you deem worthy, seize your own territory, and build the glory of Donquixote Doflamingo.
Reward: Otohime's Observation Haki
"Now that's a good reward! Is this a newbie benefit? I love it."
Doflamingo's face lit up with joy.
Otohime's Observation Haki allowed her to sense people's thoughts and emotions, transmit her own consciousness to others, influence their minds, and even alter their values and beliefs.
Take the Celestial Dragons' raid on Fishman Island as an example.
From the perspective of the Celestial Dragons, as he was raised to believe in this life, a lowly fishman treating an injured Celestial Dragon wasn't just their duty—it was an honor. Sending them to Mary Geoise afterward? Otohime should have been grateful for the chance to play 'noble's pet' in a roleplay session before being discarded.
But what happened in the original timeline?
Donquixote Mjosgard—a true-born Celestial Dragon—was completely reformed by Otohime's power, turning into an upstanding man.
This ability wasn't just persuasion—it was mind control.
Essential for building a crew.
'This time, let's see if Rosinante still dares betray me. If he does, well... a traitorous little brother is just another stepping stone to greater rewards.'
As for the difficulty of this mission?
Piece of cake.
After reading through both tablets, Doflamingo more or less understood their purpose.
These 'signposts' were reflections of his own thoughts and current predicament.
If he followed his original path, he'd go through hell and back just to return to Mary Geoise, get beaten and exiled, stumble upon the Celestial Dragons' secret, and end up hunted down before fleeing to the North Blue to establish the Donquixote Family.
But now? No need for all that hassle.
The Celestial Dragons' secrets meant nothing to him—no matter how big the secret, they weren't exactly punching out Rocks or kicking Roger into submission.
Most of them were just pampered pigs living in Mary Geoise.
For Doflamingo, in his current situation, anything that didn't directly contribute to his strength was worthless.
Kaido slaughtered Oden and reigned over Wano unchallenged.
Big Mom ruled Totto Land with an iron fist—who would dare defy her?
In this world, as long as you had enough strength, Celestial Dragon or not, you could do whatever you pleased.
And besides, knowing too much could put you on Cipher Pol's hit list—not ideal for a man who values survival.
...
The Next Morning
Dawn.
Doflamingo woke up feeling completely refreshed.
Through a hole in the roof, he could see the hazy moon hanging high in the sky.
'It's probably around 1 or 2 AM. Is this the stamina boost from Innate Strength? Am I never going to need sleep again?'
He instinctively patted himself down, realizing that his body was the same as it had been before bed.
'Damn, guess my favorite bodily functions are still normal.'
Carefully moving away from the sleeping Rosinante, Doflamingo tiptoed outside.
It was time to test the limits of his newfound strength.