"Ne-ne, Doffy, what should we do next? What about this fruit?" Trebol asked.
Having just finished expounding his grand ambitions, Doflamingo knew he needed to put them into action. Empty words were useless, and he was keenly aware that the next steps were crucial. Without strength, he couldn't hope to claim the throne.
"Young Master, what kind of fruit are you looking for? No matter how difficult it is, we'll get it for you," Diamante said, looking at the contemplative Doflamingo.
"Fuffuffuffu," Doflamingo chuckled after a long pause. "Let's give this fruit to Vergo. As for me, I already have a fruit in mind. It's just that we can't get our hands on it yet. The time isn't right."
"Next, I need your help with training. I need to master greater power. To obtain the fruit of victory, one must first endure enough pain. We'll lie low for a while, and then I'll be able to get what I want."
"Ne-ne, then this fruit is for Vergo. Come on, Vergo, eat it. Become the Young Master's right-hand man. Make our family even stronger!" Trebol handed the String-String Fruit to Vergo.
Vergo didn't hesitate. He took the fruit and bit into it. Devil Fruits were said to be disgusting, but Vergo's face showed no change in expression. Doflamingo watched him curiously. This was his first encounter with something so magical; every person from the Blue Star yearned for superpowers. Vergo flicked his hand, sending out strings that instantly sliced a nearby boulder into several pieces.
"Fuffuffuffu, not bad. Let's go. Let's go and meet our future." Doflamingo walked over to his father's corpse. Looking at Homing, he remembered the naive Doflamingo from the original story, who had taken his father's body to the Celestial Dragons only to be driven away and nearly killed. Fortunately, through a series of mishaps, he'd learned the Celestial Dragons' secret. Although that old thief Oda hadn't revealed what that secret was, he had no intention of being humiliated like that again. What secret could it be, anyway? They were just bigger ants. Without power, you'd eventually be crushed. He didn't want to become the "Heavenly Yaksha" of the original story, who looked imposing but was ultimately trash. He wanted to grasp the truth. He was justice.
With that in mind, Doflamingo began to dig a grave next to his father's body, his hands becoming stained with blood, but he didn't frown. Trebol and the others stood by silently, not offering to help. After some time, he'd dug a hole large enough to hold a person. He laid his father's body to rest and then left with his unconscious younger brother.
Doflamingo, knowing everything that would happen in the future, had complex feelings about his own brother. He knew Rosinante wasn't like him, that Corazon, who had inherited their parents' kindness, would eventually be killed by his own hand. Oh well, he'd deal with it when the time came. Whether he wanted to leave or stay, he'd give him a chance. But, his foolish little brother, he hoped he'd know what was good for him. Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to blame him.
"Fuffuffuffu."
Doflamingo, having settled his emotions, didn't want to wait a moment longer. He was desperate to increase his strength. But since he hadn't obtained the Devil Fruit he wanted yet, he couldn't immediately boost his power. He could only train his body. No matter what fruit he got, his body was the foundation of everything. Only by making his body stronger could his power increase. Otherwise, he'd end up like a certain rubber monkey, and that would be a disaster.
Four or five years remained until Roger reached the top. The Golden Age—the Great Pirate Era—was about to begin. He had to seize every opportunity to strengthen himself and realize his ambitions. That fruit probably hadn't been eaten yet, right? It was a pity. He didn't have a unique body like Blackbeard, and there was too much time before its appearance, too many uncertainties. Otherwise, the Dark-Dark Fruit would have been his first choice. Blackbeard was a restless one, too. He looked forward to clashing with those guys!
Doflamingo cleared his mind, his eyes hardening behind his glasses. No matter how strong those monsters were, he would make them submit. There could only be one king.
The previous Doflamingo might not have dared to make such a bold claim, but after killing his father, something surprising had happened. He did have a cheat, after all! Although it was faint, he'd clearly felt his mind become clearer when he killed his father. His senses seemed to have sharpened. It was only a minuscule amount, but it felt like he'd devoured someone's soul and strengthened his own, although he wasn't sure if that was real.
"Fuffuffuffu, this feeling is addictive. Should I thank you, or should I thank you?"
"Fuffuffuffu, for now, I'll focus on my basic training."
Time slipped away. A month passed. The mixed stench of garbage, decay, and salty seawater still lingered on that stretch of coastline.
"100, 200, ...5000... 10,000. I'm still so pathetic. Too weak. So weak I disgust myself," Doflamingo mocked himself mercilessly.
"Ne-ne, Doffy, you're doing great," Trebol said from the side. Over the past month, Doflamingo's insane, self-punishing training regimen had shown Trebol and the others just how crazy their Young Master was, and they had come to truly respect him.
Honestly, Doflamingo didn't think much of Trebol and the others. In the original story, they didn't have exceptional talent or strength. They'd invested in Doflamingo simply because of his potential. Without him, they'd just be third-rate characters. Their only redeeming quality was their unwavering loyalty to Doflamingo.
But this wasn't an anime. These were living, breathing people standing before him. What good were people with great potential if they weren't loyal to him? Some of his absurd thoughts from his previous life faded away. Loyalty was the most important thing in the Donquixote Family. No, loyalty to him, Doflamingo, was the most important thing.
"I'm still weak. Trebol, you guys can't slack off on your training either. If I catch up to you, I won't go easy on you, fuffuffuffu," Doflamingo said, getting up after finishing his last push-up.
"Ne-ne, Doffy, we're training hard too. You're still a long way from catching up to me."
During this month, Doflamingo hadn't just arranged a grueling training schedule for himself; he'd also made the other family members train. To avoid repeating the mistakes of the original story, Doflamingo was pushing them hard. They were all loyal to him and had great potential, so he couldn't let them be easily defeated.
"I'll beat you all one by one. It won't take long."
"Ne-ne, Doffy, it's good to have confidence. You're our king. I look forward to the day you defeat me," Trebol said, his nose dripping as he moved closer to Doflamingo.
"Hey, hey, hey, Trebol, you're too close," Doflamingo said, veins bulging on his forehead.
"Ne-ne, Doffy, what's the big deal?" Trebol was completely unfazed.
"Young Master, bad news! Your brother's been captured by those lowlifes!" Diamante's voice called out from afar.
"Fuffuffuffu, I haven't gone looking for them, and they dare to provoke me? A bunch of scum. It seems I've been too merciful. It's time for revenge." Without waiting for Trebol, he headed towards the town, dragging a rusty sword he'd found in the garbage heap.
Trebol and Diamante exchanged a look and quickly followed, fearing that something might happen to Doflamingo. No matter what, the Young Master was the most important.