"Hey, hey, hey, don't worry."
Doflamingo's eyes flickered behind his sunglasses, the corners of his mouth curling into a wicked smile, making it impossible to tell what he was truly thinking.
"No need for you to remind me," Judge said coolly in response to the implied threat. Unlike Doflamingo, he lacked a devious personality. Curling his lips, he shifted his gaze to the Black Shadow Corps and asked, "Can I go and see it now?"
"Please." Mio shrugged casually.
Seeing this, Judge didn't hesitate and walked eagerly toward the Black Shadow Corps, his eyes glued to the items they were holding.
Doflamingo didn't care about Judge's reaction. Instead, he looked at Mio with a meaningful glance and asked slowly, "I've always been curious about one thing… what exactly is your ability?"
He wasn't ignorant. The Black Shadow Corps clearly weren't individuals with Devil Fruit powers but summoned entities.
Mio's ability seemed related to space manipulation—but this summoning?
Doflamingo had read through most of the Devil Fruit encyclopedias and was familiar with the majority of abilities recorded, but he had never encountered something as strange as this.
"This is my secret," Mio replied with a grin.
"Is that so…" Doflamingo's eyes flickered again, and after smiling, he didn't press further. But his curiosity only grew deeper.
Judge soon returned from inspecting the Black Shadow Corps, his face full of excitement. "It's incredibly powerful! Like some sort of energy conversion device. I'll need to study it more carefully once we get back to the North Sea. I'll also need more detailed information about Pluto."
"No problem," Mio said with a light smile and nodded. "These things will be sent to you."
As he finished speaking, Mio snapped his fingers.
Instantly, the Black Shadow Corps picked up the devices and vanished into the ground, becoming pure shadows as they disappeared.
Before Judge could even react to what had happened, the Den Den Mushi in his pocket began to ring.
Bulu Bulu.
Bulu Bulu.
Judge frowned and quickly answered.
A voice came through immediately.
"Commander-in-chief, some guys who looked like samurai just arrived. They brought some items, saying they were sent by you. I just wanted to confirm, you're aware of this, right?"
Upon hearing this, Judge's eyes widened, his pupils shrinking slightly.
Even Doflamingo's face showed a brief flash of shock.
What speed was this?
In an instant, they had crossed the Grand Line to reach the North Sea, delivering the dismantled parts of Pluto directly to the Germa Kingdom's headquarters?
If so, as long as Mio wanted, he could obtain information from any corner of the world within moments.
Even if discovered while gathering intelligence, it wouldn't matter—as long as Mio's shadow warriors collected the information and disappeared immediately, it would be nearly impossible to stop them.
Doflamingo quickly realized the deeper meaning behind this demonstration.
It was a warning.
"Fufufufufu."
This was Mio's way of telling him—and Judge—that if they dared to play tricks, Mio would know instantly and retaliate without hesitation.
But even after realizing this, Doflamingo didn't care.
For him, as long as there were benefits—power, wealth, influence—he would push forward. Warnings and threats no longer mattered to someone like him.
Only tangible benefits could make the Donquixote Family stronger, improve his own power, and increase his influence in the New World.
Doflamingo understood this well.
Meanwhile, Judge's expression was dark as he spoke into the Den Den Mushi, his voice low. "Don't stop them. Take the items straight to my laboratory."
"Yes, sir!"
A respectful response came from the other side before the call was disconnected.
Judge turned to Mio with a serious expression but remained silent.
Mio, meanwhile, took a casual sip of wine before placing the glass down and standing up slowly.
"Alright, that's enough for today. You both should know what to do next. I'll be leaving."
As he spoke, he casually tossed a Den Den Mushi toward Judge.
It was a direct line to contact Mio.
Doflamingo's eyes flickered with interest, and he chuckled. "Hihihihi, why not stay for a few more days? There's not much excitement here, but it's still a decent place to enjoy yourself."
As he finished speaking, a voluptuous woman strolled in from the tavern—one of the many pirate women hanging around.
But Mio only pouted disinterestedly and shook his head. "Forget it. We're heading to Sabaody Archipelago next, and it's a long trip from here."
Hearing this, Doflamingo raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You're heading for the New World next?"
Mio's arrival in the New World would certainly draw the attention of major forces. It also clearly indicated that the Black Crow Pirates were officially making their move into the New World.
"That's right," Mio confirmed with a nod.
"Hey, hey, hey, then… good luck," Doflamingo said, his voice carrying a faint, hidden reminder.
Mio waved his hand nonchalantly, not caring about the warning, and walked out of the tavern.
Erica and the others immediately turned and followed him.
Once Mio was gone, Judge didn't linger either. Rising to his feet, he said coldly, "I'm leaving too."
"Hey, hey, hey, we'll meet again in the North Sea soon. After all, our next steps require cooperation, right?" Doflamingo said with a smirk.
Manpower, resources, site selection—all aspects of replicating Pluto required collaboration between the Donquixote Family and the Germa Kingdom. Naturally, the imitation of Pluto couldn't be hidden within Germa's headquarters.
"We'll talk when the time comes," Judge said indifferently before walking out of the tavern.
Soon, only Doflamingo and his men remained.
"Interesting…" he muttered to himself.
"Hey hey hey hey, my friend is getting more and more interesting. If he can find parts of Pluto, then…" Doflamingo's eyes gleamed. "Maybe he also knows the whereabouts of the other Ancient Weapons."
After all, he hadn't forgotten that Mio's ship carried the sole survivor of O'Hara.
"Poseidon… Uranus…" Doflamingo murmured thoughtfully. But after a moment, he shook his head slightly and stood up to leave.
Before stepping out, he turned to Trebol and said in a flat but chilling tone, "This information must not leak out."
The coldness in his voice left no room for mercy. Anyone who leaked it would meet only one end.
Trebol nodded respectfully. "Understood."
As Doflamingo and his group left the town, screams soon echoed through the streets.
It was the final cleanup—a bloody silence that fell over the town once more.