The two figures standing at the center of power had ceased their clash in unspoken agreement, tension crackling in the air.Amano An's face was a mix of exasperation and disbelief.
"You bastard!" Doflamingo's forehead veins bulged, fury darkening his already grim expression.
He wasn't surprised that Amano An possessed Haoshoku Haki—the Conqueror's Haki—but he hadn't expected her mastery of it to rival his own.
"You really are a piece of work, you little brat."
Doflamingo was only twenty-nine this year. In contrast, Amano An's mental age was nearly nine years older.
To be honest, most people around her now felt like immature kids in comparison, so she didn't intend to sound condescending—it just came naturally.
She genuinely thought she was being kind by treating these "little brats" as her equals.
Still, she couldn't shake the weird, almost comical feeling that came from wearing the skin of a little girl.
"Fufufufufufufu…" Doflamingo's laughter broke out sharp and low, the kind of laugh that meant he was pissed enough to kill. His fingers curled dangerously, as if he'd unleash a devastating Overheat whip at any moment.
"If a monster like you grows up unchecked, you'll be nothing but trouble for us."
"Alright, alright, ease up. You're really that eager to kill me?"
Amano An knew her own strength well. Aside from those few who stood at the absolute peak of power, she was confident she could face almost anyone head-on. Even if she couldn't win, she could always escape unscathed.
She was still young. Her time to crush the oxygen out of these so-called monsters would come.
And she wasn't bluffing—Doflamingo knew that too. His hostility quickly faded, his expression softening into a calm smile, as if they were old comrades chatting over tea instead of opponents trading blows.
"Since you said you'll think about it," he said lightly, reaching toward her, "then think carefully."
Before Amano An could process his words, she caught sight of his movement—and it felt oddly familiar.
A moment later, she found herself lifted clean off the ground.
Doflamingo held her effortlessly with one arm, the other hand still casually tucked in his pocket as he loosened his tie. The man didn't seem to think there was anything strange about holding someone who'd just been trying to kill him.
Even though Amano An wasn't short for her age, compared to Doflamingo's towering three-meter frame, the height difference was absurd. A stray memory from her past life flashed through her mind: "I'll jump up and kick your knee!"
Damn it—why did her thoughts always wander like this?!
She finally realized why the action seemed so familiar—Rosinante had once rescued her like this, too. Back then, she'd nearly been dropped headfirst into a pit.
"Hey!" Amano An glared up at him, teeth gritted. "Do I look like I need to be carried?!"
It definitely wasn't because she was still traumatized from Rosinante's "rescue." Definitely not.
"Tsk…" Doflamingo clicked his tongue, clearly annoyed by her complaints. Without a word, he shifted her again—this time holding her under one arm like luggage.
Amano An: "???"
That was not what she meant!
But… damn it, he really did look cool doing it.
No, stop it, An!
"Where the hell are you taking me?" she demanded.
"You're too dangerous to leave wandering around. Until you agree to join the family, I'll be keeping you under my nose." His tone was so casual it made her blood boil. He didn't even seem to find it strange that he was planning to drag a Marine officer back to his base.
"I already said no!"
"You're not an adult," he replied simply.
"Don't be ridiculous!" Amano An jabbed a finger at herself. "I! Am! Navy! I refuse to be poached! Look at my eyes—do these look like the eyes of a future pirate to you?!"
Doflamingo studied her seriously for a few seconds… then smiled in that slow, dangerous way that sent chills down her spine.
Amano An suddenly had a very bad feeling about this.
When they arrived, Diamante and Trebol were already waiting. Their expressions turned strange the moment they saw her.
"Well~ I say~ Dover~" Trebol's voice was as nasal as ever, snot glistening as he leaned forward. "What's~ the deal with this one~?"
Amano An instinctively leaned back in disgust, fists clenching tighter.
"In order not to disrupt our next plan," Doflamingo said smoothly, "it's better to keep her close for now."
"Behehehe~! That's right," Trebol agreed, snorting and wheezing. "If the next plan fails, we'll be in deep trouble."
Amano An blinked, incredulous. "You guys do realize I'm a navy intelligence officer, right? Maybe don't discuss your plans in front of me?"
Trebol's laughter grew so intense his nose practically exploded. "I say~ Dover~ Should I tell her~? That thing~?"
Before Amano An could even guess, Doflamingo answered directly.
"You can tell Vice Admiral Tsuru," he said with a cruel grin, "that we plan to hijack the Heavenly Tribute Gold that the nations pay to the Celestial Dragons. We'll use it to threaten the World Government until they give us what we want."
Amano An: "..."
Were they seriously not treating her as an outsider anymore?
As if reading her thoughts, Doflamingo added lightly, "You'd find out soon enough anyway."
Amano An: "..."
"Thanks for the confession, I guess!" she muttered under her breath.
She could already imagine the report she'd have to file.
Dear Fleet Admiral Sengoku,You won't believe this, and honestly, I don't either. Doflamingo personally informed me that he's planning to hijack the Celestial Tribute Gold to threaten the World Government…
Yeah. She could already picture Sengoku's face when he read that.
I've never seen intelligence gathered like this before!
Still, Doflamingo wouldn't have said it outright unless he'd already sent people to carry out the plan. Even if she hadn't been ordered to investigate, news of the hijacking would reach Navy HQ soon enough.
This wasn't some small-time pirate heist—this was an international crisis.
And it wasn't like the World Government could assign elite combat units to protect every single tribute convoy across the globe.
As for why Doflamingo wanted to hijack the Heavenly Tribute…
Amano An wasn't stupid enough to think it was for money. Unlike Luffy—the idiot who never even had enough to eat—Doflamingo's underground empire generated absurd profits.
Wait a second…
She suddenly understood how he'd earned the title of Shichibukai.
This hijacking wasn't just an act of rebellion—it was leverage. A move to force the World Government's hand into granting him that title.
Normally, the Government's choice of Warlords considered many factors: power, influence, global reach…
Take Boa Hancock, for example. She was offered the position after her very first voyage as an Empress-pirate, despite nearly annihilating the Navy unit sent to "negotiate." Amano An still regretted missing that spectacle due to another mission.
Then there was Jinbe—rumor had it that the Government was already eyeing him for recruitment as well.
Of course, one could also recommend themselves for the post, provided their reputation and strength were intimidating enough.
Plenty of pirates coveted the title. After all, compared to the World Government's restrictions, the privileges of being a Shichibukai were far more appealing.
No matter how many crimes you'd committed before, once you became one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, your bounty was frozen. Past offenses were wiped clean.
The Government even turned a blind eye to your future acts of piracy—so long as you offered "tribute" when caught.
Sometimes, they even granted personal favors, just to keep relations smooth.
And in exchange, all the Shichibukai had to do was answer the Government's summons when called.
Of course, only a fool would believe they could control pirates of that caliber. Most ignored the call completely, and the worst consequence they faced was losing the title.
A ridiculous system, really.
Pirates with power that could shake the seas—given official approval to keep causing chaos.