The wind howled with greater fury, and the swirling snow blinded the eyes of all who remained. The battle on the ice had finally drawn to a close.
Doflamingo and the others watching from above had not intervened. This was their crew's battle to fight, and unless a life was truly on the line, they would not have interfered.
Tens of thousands of bodies lay strewn across the endless expanse of ice, their blood frozen solid in the frigid air.
"It's over."
Standing on the deck of the Ark, Doflamingo looked down at the handful of survivors on the ice and sighed.
Soon, Monet and the others returned to the ship, bringing the captured Whitebeard-allied captains with them. They tossed their spoils onto the deck like garbage.
THUD!
The sound of bodies hitting the deck was sharp and clear. Makugai and the others glared at their victors.
"What? Still not convinced?"
Seeing their defiant expressions, Enel scoffed in annoyance.
"Doflamingo, you've won. Just give us a quick death," Makugai said, his voice hard.
"Heh. You've got some backbone, at least," Doflamingo praised.
But to Makugai and the others, his words were nothing but a sharp sting of mockery.
"Relax. I'm not going to kill you."
Noticing their displeasure, Doflamingo offered them a piece of reassurance.
"Hahaha! So, Doflamingo, you're afraid of Pops after all! I guess that's to be expected, given his reputation!"
Squard, who had just regained consciousness, heard Doflamingo's words and burst into arrogant laughter. All his previous tension and panic had vanished.
"Tsk, tsk. You find this funny, do you?" Diamante sneered, his mood souring.
He strode over to Squard and delivered several sharp kicks.
"Aaargh!"
Squard, already severely injured, coughed up a large mouthful of blood.
"Hmph. Listen here, brat. You're in no position to bargain," Diamante said with contempt.
Squard glared at Diamante, his eyes wide with hatred. "Go on, kill me then! I dare you! You don't have the guts! You're terrified of Pops's power!" he shot back defiantly.
"Hahaha! Oh, I'm so scared," Diamante mocked. "You're a loser who calls for his daddy when he can't win. You think this is a game? I don't know how you can say that with a straight face!"
"You... you..." Squard was so enraged that he coughed up another mouthful of blood and passed out again.
"Coward," Diamante muttered, looking at the unconscious Squard with disgust.
"Squard!"
"Squard!"
Seeing their brother pass out again, Makugai and the others called out his name in worry.
"Hey, hey! Stop your whining! He just fainted, he's not dead. You sound like you're at a funeral!" Enel said, digging a finger in his ear, clearly annoyed.
"Doflamingo, what do you want from us? Name your price. What will it take for you to let us go?" Whitey Bay, who had also woken up, asked, her face pale and her voice weak.
"What do I want? I didn't provoke you. You're the ones who came knocking on my door," Doflamingo said, looking at her and the others with amusement.
"I..." Hearing his words, Whitey Bay was at a loss. He was right; they were the ones at fault.
"I'm not interested in small fry like you. Don't worry," Doflamingo taunted. "I'm more interested in seeing how Whitebeard reacts when he finds out about your pathetic performance."
"You bastard!"
Any guilt Whitey Bay had felt vanished in an instant, replaced by a burning rage as she glared at Doflamingo.
"You arrogant fool! Just wait for the wrath of Pops!"
"Fuffuffu... I'll be waiting. I'm looking forward to it," Doflamingo chuckled.
"Doflamingo, I admit you're strong," Whitey Bay said, her composure returning as she tried a different tactic. "But if you think you can take on Pops, I advise you to give up that unrealistic fantasy. If you let us go now, we won't hold this against you. We can just say we got to know each other through a fight. How about it?"
"You foolish woman. A loser should act like a loser," Doflamingo said, his face turning cold. "Don't you think it's a little late to be playing mind games with me?"
"You..." Whitey Bay's finger trembled as she pointed at him, clearly incensed by his words.
"Big Sis, don't waste your breath on him. I'm sure Pops will come to save us," Makugai and the others tried to comfort her.
"You have a way to contact Whitebeard, don't you?" Doflamingo said, a cheerful smile on his face. "Good. I'd like to see for myself just how strong the World's Strongest Man really is. Contact him for me."
"Are you sure?" Whitey Bay and the others looked at him in disbelief. This is Whitebeard we're talking about! His confidence was astounding. Countless challengers had tried to take on Whitebeard over the years, and all of them were dead.
Doflamingo just smiled, his gaze cold and unwavering.
"If you're so eager to die, I'll be happy to oblige, you arrogant fool," Whitey Bay sneered.
"Enough talk! Get on with it. You're our prisoners now," Enel said, giving Whitey Bay a light kick and ignoring the murderous look she shot him. He didn't care if she was a man or a woman; as long as she was alive, she could make the call.
With that, under the watchful eyes of the Donquixote Pirates, Whitey Bay took out a Den Den Mushi and dialed a number deep in the New World.
Deep in the New World, on the Moby Dick, the colossal figure of Whitebeard sat majestically, watching his sons roughhouse and enjoying a rare moment of peace.
Purupurupuru...
The sound of the Den Den Mushi rang out, and Marco, with his distinctive pineapple-shaped hair, answered it.
"Big Sis?" Marco asked with a smile.
"It's me," Whitey Bay replied, her voice weak. She was so ashamed, she didn't know what to say.
"Big Sis? What happened? You sound so weak," Marco, ever perceptive, noticed the change in her voice and pressed for an answer.
"I... Marco, I've brought shame upon Pops," she said, her voice filled with remorse.
Marco's heart skipped a beat. Did my dear sister do something terrible?
"Big Sis, what happened?" he asked, his voice growing urgent.
His raised voice caught the attention of everyone on the Moby Dick. They all stopped what they were doing and listened in.
Whitebeard, however, remained calm and unperturbed, waiting for Marco to relay the news.
"We've been captured," Whitey Bay finally managed to say, the words tasting like ash in her mouth.
"You've been captured?" Marco repeated in disbelief.
"Marco, what's going on?" a fat, dark-haired man asked, seeing Marco's stunned expression.
"Big Sis, who did it?" Marco asked, ignoring Blackbeard and focusing on the call, his voice grave.
"The Donquixote Pirates. Doflamingo," she said weakly. "He wants to speak with Pops personally."
"Doflamingo?"
Marco wracked his brain, trying to recall information about him.
"Marco," Whitebeard said, giving him a look. Marco understood immediately and handed the Den Den Mushi to his father.
"Pops?" Whitey Bay asked tentatively.
"Gurararara! My daughter, of course it's me," Whitebeard laughed.
"Pops, we've failed you."
Hearing Whitebeard's voice, Makugai and the others hung their heads in shame, confessing their failure.
"Gurararara! What have you done wrong? You are my sons."
"How commanding. Whitebeard."
Doflamingo's voice cut into the touching family moment, sounding completely out of place.
"Gurararara! Doflamingo, you brat. Are my children alright?" Whitebeard was laughing, but those who knew him could tell he was furious.
"They're doing just fine," Doflamingo replied nonchalantly.
"Very well. What will it take for you to release them?" Whitebeard's face turned cold, his voice sharp.
"Simple. Let's have a fight. The prize will be your sons," Doflamingo responded.
"Then you'd better take good care of my children."
"Don't worry. I'll make sure they're well-fed and plump."
"Gurararara... you brat!"
"Fuffuffu... you old fossil!"