Doflamingo flicked his finger lightly.
A pink Parasite Thread shot out like a swift serpent, instantly dragging Momonosuke and the two retainers before him.
Momonosuke, only eight years old, had tear-streaked cheeks, his young eyes filled with terror and helplessness.
The traditional kimono of the Land of Wano was tattered and torn, barely covering his body—a sight that brought Doflamingo immense satisfaction.
Kin'emon and Kanjuro, on the other hand, were tightly bound with heavy Seastone chains, unable to move an inch.
Despite their dire situation, their eyes still burned with unyielding defiance and hatred, glaring fiercely at the Warlord as if they could tear him to shreds with their gaze alone.
"Oh? Aren't these the remnants of the Kozuki Clan from Wano?"
Ron observed the three captives with interest, his fingers lightly tapping the armrest of his throne.
His gaze lingered on Momonosuke for a moment, noticing the boy's bruised and swollen face—clearly, he had received some "special attention."
"Behehehe... Ron-sama, as per your request, we caught this brat in the garbage dump!"
Trebol slowly stepped forward from behind Doflamingo, a sycophantic smile plastered on his face as he explained.
"His name matches what you said—Momonosuke. As for where he came from, we have no idea, behehe!"
Ron nodded slightly, his expression calm and composed.
He spoke slowly. "Even if you did know certain things, it doesn't matter."
Then, everyone's attention was drawn to the heavy footsteps behind them.
Several burly men carried large, reinforced safes.
With a dull yet resonant thud, the safes were firmly placed on the ground, stirring up a small cloud of dust.
"Behehehe..." Trebol chuckled as he handed over an account book stamped with the Donquixote Family's smiley-face seal.
His eyes gleamed with greed, his lips curling into a wide grin.
"This is the earnings from the recent Seastone sales—a total of eight billion Belly!"
Doflamingo stood not far away, a satisfied smile spreading across his face.
"Additionally... I've brought the transaction documents for the next batch of mineral veins."
As he spoke, he slowly retrieved a scroll of parchment from his feather coat.
The parchment glowed softly under the light, detailing the transaction information for the new Seastone mines.
Every line of text was clearly visible.
Just as Doflamingo finished speaking, Momonosuke suddenly began struggling violently.
His eyes widened with fear, yet filled with rage and resentment, as he shouted.
"Let me go! You villains! Father will definitely—"
WHACK!
Before he could finish, Diamante abruptly raised his sword sheath and struck Momonosuke hard on the back.
"Gah!"
Momonosuke let out a sharp cry of pain, his body lurching forward uncontrollably.
He curled into a ball, his face contorted in agony.
Kin'emon, witnessing this, glared with fury and roared, "Stop it! He's just a child!"
Ron, however, paid no heed to the samurai's anger.
Instead, he raised his hand slightly, signaling for silence. His gaze shifted between Doflamingo and the weeping child.
After a moment, he spoke slowly.
"Speak. What do you want? I can't have you come all this way for nothing."
Doflamingo's sunglasses flashed with a reflection. His lips stretched into an exaggerated grin as he let out a chilling laugh.
"Fufufufu..."
He lowered his voice. "We merely wish to maintain a long-term transactional partnership with you, nothing more. Additionally, if there are any suitable Devil Fruit abilities available this time, I'd like to have my executives enchanted as well."
Ron gave a slight nod. Doflamingo's desires were within his expectations.
"Agreed," Ron replied succinctly.
He slowly rose to his feet.
As he prepared to leave, he glanced at his bodyguard. "Enel, as for the enchantment matter, follow the procedure."
"Don't worry, Ron-sama," Enel assured, patting his chest, his eyes filled with determination and loyalty.
He watched Ron's retreating figure until it vanished from sight.
Only when Ron's footsteps had faded away completely did Doflamingo slowly turn his gaze to the God of Lightning.
"Enel... about the enchantment..." Doflamingo's voice echoed in the silent room, carrying a hint of probing.
"Enchantment?"
Enel lifted his chin slightly, raised an eyebrow nonchalantly, and curled the corner of his mouth into a faint, elusive smile.
With his hands casually tucked into his pockets, he replied lazily.
"Ron already said it—follow the procedure and queue up. That's the rule."
He picked at his ear. "But, unfortunately, recent orders have been flooding in like a tide. The queue is already backed up for over a week."
He smirked. "If you want to wait here, it'll take at least a week. If you're unlucky, it might even be half a month... tsk tsk tsk..."
"...That long?"
Doflamingo furrowed his brows, his thick forehead veins tightly knitting together.
A flicker of worry and impatience flashed in his eyes; this waiting time exceeded his expectations.
A moment later, however, the tension on his face suddenly eased.
he corners of his mouth curled into a meaningful smile.
Doflamingo slowly reached out, gently wrapping an arm around Enel's shoulder.
With a slight pull, he guided him to a corner of the hall.
The lighting there was dim, with only a few faint rays seeping through the cracks.
"Fufufu... Enel, rules are rigid, but people are flexible," Doflamingo lowered his voice, making it sound particularly deep and hoarse in the confined space.
His eyes were fixed intently on Enel, gleaming with a cunning light.
With his other hand, he swiftly retrieved an exquisite metal case from inside his feather coat.
The case looked meticulously crafted, its surface smooth as a mirror.
He gently slipped it into Enel's hand, his movements careful and deliberate.
"A small token of appreciation... consider it compensation for expediting the process."
Enel raised an eyebrow, his fingers twitching slightly as he cracked the lid open a narrow gap.
Through the slit, neatly stacked piles of high-denomination Belly notes were visible, with a few dazzling gemstones spread across the top layer.
Under the light, the gems shimmered with an alluring glow, speaking volumes of their value.
"Hmph..." Enel let out a soft snort.
He calmly closed the case and tucked it into his sleeve without the slightest hesitation.
"Don't let it happen again."