With their business in Water 7 finally concluded, Doflamingo and his crew set a smooth course for the Sabaody Archipelago.
Paradise was, in the end, still just Paradise. It posed no real challenge. Doflamingo was already impatient to reach the New World and cross swords with the titans of the older generation.
He stepped onto the soil of Sabaody once again.
The archipelago was no strange land to him, but his memories of it were from a lifetime ago, back in his childhood. He remembered strutting through the streets as a Celestial Dragon, a procession of slaves in his wake, basking in the bows and scrapes of the common folk as he flaunted his power.
Thinking back on it now, Doflamingo could only scoff at his own foolishness.
Sabaody Archipelago was a place steeped in chaos. Despite its proximity to Marine Headquarters and the seat of the World Government, it was a festering pit of darkness and disorder. A true irony, he thought. The outlaws of Sabaody were a slap in the face to the self-proclaimed justice of the Marines. But then, it was understandable, wasn't it? Most of them were in service to the World Nobles, the Celestial Dragons. The Marines were powerless, their duty always, ultimately, to fight pirates.
Aboard the ark, the crew looked out at the strange sights of the archipelago with curiosity.
The most distinctive feature of Sabaody was, of course, the bubbles. The roots of the giant Yarukiman Mangroves secreted a special natural resin that, upon contact with the air, inflated into bubbles that floated up into the sky. The bubbles could only exist within the specific climate of the archipelago; if they drifted too far, the resin would lose its integrity and they would pop.
The sight of the endlessly rising bubbles was an irresistible novelty.
"Young Master, will the bubbles pop?" Baby 5 asked curiously, sticking close to Doflamingo's side.
The others also looked to Doflamingo for an explanation. They knew he had once been a high and mighty Celestial Dragon, that this place had once been his home, so he would naturally be more familiar with it.
"Why don't you try it and find out?" Doflamingo said with a teasing smile, tapping her on the head.
"Yahaha, that's a great idea! Why don't you give it a shot, Baby 5?" Enel chimed in playfully.
"Lord Enel, why don't you try it?" Baby 5 complained.
"Hahaha!"
The crew laughed at her retort.
Robin, intrigued, reached out and touched a nearby bubble. No matter how hard she pushed, it wouldn't break. Seeing her test it out, the others began to experiment as well, with Baby 5 having the most fun of all.
Watching Baby 5's cheerful display, Monet couldn't help but feel a pang of melancholy.
Doflamingo noticed the sorrow in her eyes. "What's wrong? Missing Sugar?"
"Yes, Young Master," Monet nodded. "If Sugar were here, I'm sure she'd be just as happy as Baby 5."
"Don't worry, there will be other chances," Doflamingo reassured her. "If you really miss her, you can always give her a call."
"No, that's alright. We have important things to do. There will be plenty of time in the future," Monet said, composing herself.
"Once we've secured our territory in the New World, our family will all be reunited."
"Mm," Monet nodded gently, her tender gaze fixed entirely on Doflamingo, the wondrous spectacle of the floating bubbles completely forgotten.
"Whoa!" Buffalo suddenly yelped.
Everyone turned to look at him.
He was wearing a miserable expression, looking helplessly at Robin. "Lady Robin, I'm not a hand towel."
It turned out that Robin, after curiously touching the ground and getting her hand covered in sticky resin, had decided to wipe it on the nearest person, which happened to be Buffalo.
"I was merely conducting an experiment," Robin said with a perfectly straight face, not looking the least bit embarrassed.
Doflamingo chuckled to himself. As expected of the ever-scheming Robin. She hasn't changed a bit.
"Alright, time for a little shore leave!" Doflamingo announced. "Separately, the ship needs to be coated for the journey to the New World. I'm leaving that to you, Enel."
"Don't worry, Doffy, I'll get it done!" Enel promised.
Doflamingo nodded. He had complete faith in Enel.
"Lord Enel, I'll go with you," Law said, having nothing else to do.
"Fine by me," Enel agreed without a second thought.
With that, the Donquixote Pirates dispersed for their free time. These were always the moments the crew looked forward to the most.
"Monet, Robin, Ibes, Baby 5, care to join me?" Doflamingo offered.
"I think I'll stick with you, brother," Robin said, looking around the island. She felt a strange sense of unease, as if someone were watching her from the shadows.
"We'll come too," Monet and the others agreed. Being right under the nose of the World Government, it was only natural for Robin to feel some pressure.
Doflamingo had initially considered asking Rayleigh to coat the ark, but then he remembered that he'd killed one of the man's beloved crewmates, Red-Haired Shanks. Who knew what kind of "accidents" might happen if he did? For safety's sake, he dismissed the idea.
Still, now that he was on Sabaody, he had to pay a visit to the Dark King Rayleigh and see this "Rip-Off Bar" for himself.
Doflamingo led the four women and Bepo to the entrance of the bar. Their procession—a handsome man, beautiful women, and an adorable pet—drew more than a few stares from passersby.
"Young Master, is this where you wanted to take us?" Baby 5 asked.
"Shakky's Rip-Off Bar? What an interesting name," Robin mused, studying the sign.
"There's a big shot inside," Doflamingo said mysteriously.
"A big shot?" The women and Bepo were all intrigued.
"Let's go."
Doflamingo led the way, and the others quickly followed.
Creaak.
The bar door swung open.
"Welcome."
Shakky stood behind the counter, watching Doflamingo and his group enter. When she got a clear look at his face, her eyes narrowed almost imperceptibly, and her posture tensed before she quickly relaxed again.
"What can I get for you all?" she asked, a cigarette dangling from her lips, her voice smooth and elegant.
"Give us your recommendation," Doflamingo said, stepping up to the bar and looking at her with an appraising gaze.
"Heh. Then it'll have to be something strong. You're big shots, after all," Shakky said, her tone unflappable. "Of course, not for the little one. A glass of orange juice for her."
"Hey, I can drink alcohol too, you know!" Baby 5 muttered indignantly.
"Is that so, Baby 5?" Robin said with a sly smile. "I think the lady is right. Little kids should stick to orange juice. Or maybe some milk."
"What's that supposed to mean, Robin? You're not that much older than me!" Baby 5 protested.
"But I am older," Robin said, effectively shutting her down. Baby 5 was speechless.
"Young Master, look at her..." Baby 5 whined to Doflamingo.
"Little kids really shouldn't drink," Doflamingo added.
"Even the Young Master is against me," Baby 5 said, her face falling.
"There, there, they're just teasing you," Ibes, the peacemaker, said comfortingly.
"Here you are. Your drinks and orange juice," Shakky said, placing the glasses on the counter. "And I brought some milk, too."
Hearing Shakky's teasing remark, Baby 5 slumped even further.
"Ma'am, there's a flaw in what you just said," Doflamingo commented, taking a slow sip of his drink.
"Oh? And what might that be?" Shakky asked, raising an eyebrow and blowing a smoke ring, completely at ease.
"We're not big shots."
"Donquixote Doflamingo, the most talked-about pirate on the seas right now. And you're not a big shot?" Shakky stated calmly.
Doflamingo shook his head, then said something utterly shocking.
"Compared to the legends of the old era, I'm nothing. Tell me, is the Dark King Rayleigh here by any chance?"
Silence. A dead silence fell over the bar. Everyone held their breath, waiting.
"Heh. You must be joking, Doflamingo-boy," Shakky said, her expression unreadable. "There's no Dark King Rayleigh here."
"Is that so? What a disappointment," Doflamingo sighed, downing the rest of his drink.
Shakky watched him calmly, saying nothing more.
"Let's go," Doflamingo said to his group.
"That will be one hundred million Beri," Shakky said coolly.
"What? How can it be that expensive? You could sell me and I wouldn't be worth that much!" Bepo exclaimed.
All eyes turned to the polar bear.
Feeling the heat of their stares, Bepo hung his head in embarrassment. "Sorry."
"Heh, how cute," Shakky chuckled. "Alright, on account of this adorable bear, let's make it one hundred thousand Beri."
"Well then, we really have our Bepo to thank," Doflamingo teased.
Bepo's face turned an even deeper shade of red.
As Doflamingo and his group left, Shakky's playful demeanor vanished, replaced by a serious expression. She had no idea what Doflamingo was planning.
It seemed a storm of blood was about to sweep across the seas.
"You old fool, when are you coming back?"
The old fool in question was at the slave auction house, trying to swindle some money for a drink.
"Achoo! Is someone thinking about me again? Mmm, must be Shakky. I'm going to be in for it when I get back," Rayleigh, still in shackles, rubbed his nose and chuckled to himself.
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