The seas churned with treacherous currents. Pirates everywhere were reeling from the successive shocks: first, the Pirate King captured, followed swiftly by Golden Lion Shiki's imprisonment. Every pirate sensed the winds of change; a new era was dawning. The mountains that had once loomed over them were finally crumbling. In the New World, pirates grew even more ferocious, battling to the death over every scrap of territory.
Sengoku and Garp's successful capture of Shiki had significantly boosted Marine morale, restoring a sliver of their battered dignity. They had little time to worry about the pirates' movements in the New World; their top priority remained Roger's execution.
After arranging defenses throughout the New World and the Grand Line, the Marines concentrated their remaining forces in Loguetown, East Blue. They couldn't be sure what schemes Roger might have concocted, after all. Extra preparation couldn't hurt; it was best to be ready for anything.
New World, Whitebeard's territory. On the deck of the Moby Dick, Whitebeard himself was reading the day's news.
After a long silence, he sighed. "Roger... Shiki... Are all the old rivals leaving this sea behind?"
Beside him, Marco, with his distinctive yellow pineapple-shaped hair, saw his captain's mood and asked, perhaps a bit tactlessly, "Pops, are we going to Roger's execution?"
Hearing Marco's question, everyone on the Moby Dick held their breath, hoping for a satisfying answer from Whitebeard.
"Gurarararara! If you boys want to go, then go!" Whitebeard instantly reverted to his usual domineering presence, laughing heartily as he replied to his sons.
Totto Land, territory of the Big Mom Pirates. The second-in-command, Katakuri, voiced the question on his mind to his mother.
"Mama, Roger's execution is bound to be a huge event. Should we get involved in these muddy waters?"
"Mamamama! Roger's execution, you say? Katakuri, I'll leave it to you. It's time the seas heard our voice again!" Big Mom roared with laughter, grabbing another piece of cream cake and taking a large bite.
Great pirates like Whitebeard and Big Mom dispatched their subordinates to Loguetown in the East Blue to witness Roger's execution. They wouldn't attend personally, but sending their commanders was a nod of respect to the Pirate King, a final acknowledgment of the years of struggle between them.
Meanwhile, other pirates across the New World wouldn't miss this opportunity either, all rushing towards Loguetown. Roger's execution promised to be an unprecedented spectacle.
While the Marines were meticulously planning Roger's execution and pirates converged on Loguetown, Doflamingo was still drifting through the White-White Sea.
The Donquixote Pirates' ship sailed swiftly along the High-Speed Sky Route. No creature foolish enough to possess eyes dared disturb Doflamingo's passage.
Staring at the blank, white expanse flanking the sky route, devoid of anything interesting, Doflamingo felt a distinct lack of interest. The initial novelty of arriving in the sky islands had long since faded. Back then, everything seemed fresh, exciting. Though they had lingered in Skypiea for a considerable time, they had taken everything worth taking. Doflamingo held no lingering attachment to the sky islands. Besides, with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, returning whenever he pleased couldn't be more convenient.
Who would have thought the Donquixote Pirates would spend a full month stuck on this High-Speed Sky Route? Doflamingo couldn't help but complain internally. Some 'high-speed' route this is, slow as molasses. If not for Ibes and the others to help pass the time, the endless white void might have genuinely driven him mad.
During this past month, confined to this limited space, Doflamingo found it difficult to act freely. Aside from his daily training regimen, his main pastime was flirting with Miss Ibes. Life was certainly enjoyable!
Enel and the others were quite diligent, seriously mimicking Doflamingo's training routines. Doflamingo had considered using lightning to temper their bodies now, enhancing their constitutions and perhaps awakening their Armament Haki sooner. But in this damn place, if some unexpected accident occurred, it would be difficult to handle. The risk factor was simply too high. Moreover, Doflamingo was anxious to return to the sea below; his mind wasn't focused on their training right now.
"Young Master, we're about to exit the High-Speed Sky Route!" The Donquixote Pirates' navigator respectfully reported to Doflamingo, who sat poised at the ship's prow.
"Finally leaving this godsforsaken place? Now that's good news." Doflamingo straightened up from the prow, gazing into the distance. Though it was still a vast expanse of white, in his eyes, he already saw the blue sea and sky.
Not long after, a pirate ship bearing a distinctively grinning Jolly Roger finally descended from the High-Speed Sky Route. The sight of a vessel emerging from the spiraling sky path after so long immediately attracted the attention of the islanders below.
"Look! There's a ship on the sky route!"
"It's true! Someone actually made it down alive!"
The island residents couldn't contain their curiosity. Many people had attempted the journey up the sky route from their island, but none had ever returned.
Like sliding down a giant slide, the pirate ship nimbly slipped from the sky route's embrace, returning to the long-missed sea.
"We made it! We finally reached the sea!"
"Young Master, we're finally off the sky route!"
The crew members couldn't suppress their excitement. Being away from the sea for so long felt like leaving a mother's embrace; now, finally, they rediscovered that familiar warmth.
Hearing his crew's cheers, Doflamingo felt pleased as well. He immediately led Ibes and the others to the ship's rail, taking in the view.
The island before them was wreathed in white clouds and surrounded by blue water, appearing as if it grew at the very junction of sea and sky. Lush green trees covered the land. The combination of white clouds, blue sea, and green trees created a breathtaking, almost dreamlike scene.
However, before Doflamingo could even disembark, he found himself the focus of the islanders' curious gazes.
"Is this the Blue Sea? It's truly beautiful," Ibes murmured softly, awestruck by the stunning scenery.
"The view here is indeed beautiful. Welcome to the Blue Sea," Doflamingo praised, then smoothly welcomed Ibes and Enel to the world below.
"Yahahaha! Now this is a place where I can truly make my mark!" Enel declared excitedly, eyeing the island.
"Hey, pirates! Did you really come down from the sky route?"
There are always those unafraid of death, bold enough – or perhaps ignorant enough – to ask questions.
Doflamingo glanced at the residents lining the shore, staring intently at his ship. He didn't stoop to their level, replying magnanimously, "That's right. We came down from the sky route."
"Really?"
"Then... then... are the sky islands real?"
The residents grew excited by Doflamingo's answer, carefully seeking confirmation as if verifying a legend, hoping for an affirmative response.
"Of course, they're real," Doflamingo confirmed, not wanting to spoil their excitement.
Hearing this, the crowd erupted in even greater excitement, some practically dancing with joy.
"Let's go. Time to disembark and feel solid ground beneath our feet again."
Doflamingo didn't disturb their celebration, leading his group off the ship.
Seeing Doflamingo and his crew step onto the land, the residents quickly composed themselves, their smiles vanishing, replaced by nervousness. These were pirates, after all! Although Doflamingo seemed easygoing, appearances could be deceiving.
"Who's the mayor here?" Doflamingo noted their apprehension and spoke up opportunely.
"S-Sir... That would be me." An old man with a hunched back, leaning on a cane, separated himself from the crowd and approached Doflamingo's group, speaking nervously.
"Old man, no need to be so tense. Relax, I don't bite," Doflamingo teased, seeing the elder's anxiety.
"Sir, please don't joke like that. We can't handle the fright. If you have any requests, I'll be sure to take care of them for you," the mayor replied perceptively.
Seeing the mayor didn't appreciate the banter, Doflamingo dropped it and asked directly, "Mayor, have there been any major happenings on the sea recently?"
"Ah, speaking of that," the mayor began methodically, "I wonder if the news about Pirate King Roger's impending execution and Golden Lion Shiki being thrown into Impel Down counts as major?"
"What?!" Behind Doflamingo, Diamante and the others gasped, shock and disbelief flooding their eyes. "The Pirate King, Roger, captured and sentenced to execution? And even the Golden Lion thrown into Impel Down? What in the world did we miss? Is this even the same world we left?"
"Pirate King? Who's that? Golden Lion? Who's he?" Enel and Ibes looked utterly confused, unaware of the significance of these events.
Roger is going to be executed? It seems the rampaging era is about to truly begin, Doflamingo thought, ignoring his crew's reactions as he silently processed the news.
He didn't dwell on it for long before asking, "Mayor, do you know the name of this place? Also, how much time is left until Roger's execution? Can we make it from here in time?"
"Rest assured, there are still two months until the Pirate King's execution," the mayor reassured him, sensing his urgency. "As for where we are, this is White White Island. It's a rather remote island on the Grand Line, seldom visited by pirates, so it's not well-known. You should be able to reach Loguetown in time if you depart from here."
"Is that so? White White Island..." Doflamingo mused, intrigued. It seems there are still many unknown islands in this world.
Who cares? He cleared his thoughts, refocusing on the mayor. As long as we can reach Loguetown in time. This world is vast, filled with countless islands. Who could possibly explore them all?
"Thank you, Mayor. We'd like to procure some supplies from you for our voyage."
"Certainly, certainly! I guarantee I'll handle your request properly, sir," the mayor assured him readily.
"Much appreciated. Diamante, go with the mayor. Once the supplies are ready, we depart immediately," Doflamingo ordered promptly.
"Right away, Doffy! I'll take some men now," Diamante replied, understanding his Young Master's urgency, and left in a hurry.
With the Pirate King's execution fast approaching, Doflamingo and his crew's thoughts were already elsewhere. Even the undeniable beauty of White White Island couldn't hold their attention now.
Seeing that the Donquixote Pirates weren't as vicious as other crews, the residents on the shore began to relax. Some grew bold enough to approach crew members and ask questions. Coincidentally, some of the pirates were itching for an outlet after the long journey, and the two groups struck up surprisingly lively conversations.
Doflamingo paid them no mind. He simply sat down on the spot, legs crossed, and began contemplating the future.
Seeing Doflamingo's posture, Enel promptly mimicked him. Ibes, however, remained ladylike, refraining from any ungraceful movements. The other executives stood behind them, looking very much like bodyguards.
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