One Piece: King of the World

Chapter 224: Doflamingo: I Am Also an Acting Master!

North Blue, Minion Island

Marine Chief Staff Officer Tsuru's fleet was stationed near the island, but they hadn't taken any further action. They didn't dare enter the island to confront Barrels directly. It wasn't because Barrels himself posed a major threat, he was far from a match for someone like Tsuru but because the Ope-Ope Fruit was in his possession. Any reckless move could push him to destroy the fruit, jeopardizing the entire mission.

Minion Island was a filthy, lawless place in the North Blue. It served as a hub for pirates, criminals, and other shady figures, a true haven for the worst of society.

On the warship docked at the port, Tsuru was sipping tea, her mind carefully analyzing the situation and running through the plan once more.

By all accounts, everything seemed in order.

The only potential wildcard was Doflamingo. His unique position in the underworld and his knowledge of the Ope-Ope Fruit's true significance made him unpredictable. The fruit's rumored ability to grant immortality might tempt him to take a dangerous gamble.

Fortunately, Marine had reached Minion Island ahead of Doflamingo, reducing the risks. Even if he tried to seize the fruit, Marine would have time to intervene.

"Still," Tsuru murmured, touching her chin thoughtfully, "why do I feel uneasy about this?"

There was no concrete evidence or sign of anything amiss, but her instincts told her otherwise.

Before she could dwell further on her uneasy premonition, the door opened, and Gion stepped inside with a smile. "Doflamingo has arrived."

Tsuru set her cup down, her thoughts pushed aside, and walked out to the deck. From there, she could see the Flamingo Pirates' ship docked in the harbor. Doflamingo himself, dressed in his signature flamboyant style, descended from the ship with his usual confident swagger.

As his eyes met Tsuru's, Doflamingo smiled and made his way up the gangplank to the Marine warship. He first greeted Gion politely, then turned to Tsuru.

"Chief Staff Officer Tsuru, I trust I'm not late?" Doflamingo asked with his trademark grin.

"We've been waiting for some time, Your Highness Doflamingo," Tsuru replied with a faint smile.

Thanks to Claudius's intervention, Marine and Doflamingo hadn't had any recent conflicts. While Tsuru remained cautious around him, she didn't harbor any particular animosity. In fact, their cooperation during the operation in Totto Land had established a certain level of trust.

"Fufufufu, my apologies. Dressrosa is quite far from here, after all," Doflamingo said with a chuckle.

"What's impossible?" Tsuru asked urgently.

"When this commission came to me, I was still on Cake Island. Before I received the document, only my brother, Rosinante, had access to it. After reading it, he left Dressrosa. But it couldn't be him... could it? Damn it! He's my own brother! How could he betray me like this?!" Doflamingo roared, his voice filled with genuine anger.

For a moment, his fury wasn't an act. The thought of Rosinante's betrayal stirred real rage within him, reigniting old wounds.

Tsuru watched him carefully, observing his reaction. After a moment, she concluded that his outburst wasn't entirely fabricated. Her own heart sank slightly. She had known Rosinante through her connection to Sengoku and was aware of his unique position.

But there was no time to dwell on it. Tsuru quickly took control of the situation. "Regardless, we need to assess the situation immediately. Gion, take a team and secure the Ope-Ope Fruit. Don't let it slip through our fingers!"

Doflamingo didn't waste any more time. "Trebol, send our men onto the island. That fruit must not fall into the wrong hands!"

With that, he left the warship alongside his crew. As Tsuru watched him go, she turned to Gion and said softly, "Keep an eye on him."

Gion nodded and led her team toward the island. Meanwhile, Tsuru returned to her cabin and picked up the Den Den Mushi, calling Sengoku directly.

The call was answered quickly.

"Tsuru, how's the operation going? Has it started yet?" Sengoku asked.

"Sengoku, let me ask you something. Did you arrange for a hidden hand in this operation?" Tsuru asked sharply.

Sengoku sounded surprised. "What hidden hand?"

"Rosinante," Tsuru said bluntly. "Did you send him to steal the Ope-Ope Fruit or interfere in any way?"

"That's impossible. Rosinante would never—" Sengoku began but abruptly stopped mid-sentence.

Tsuru's frown deepened at his hesitation. "There's been an incident on Minion Island. Neither we nor Doflamingo have landed yet, but there was a massive explosion. No sound, only fire and smoke. Doflamingo suspects Rosinante, and frankly, his abilities fit the circumstances perfectly."

Sengoku was silent for a long moment before he spoke again, his voice tinged with uncertainty. "Rosinante wouldn't... would he?"

But as the words left his mouth, Sengoku's confidence wavered. Memories of a recent conversation with Rosinante surfaced in his mind, a conversation about Minion Island and the Ope-Ope Fruit. At the time, Sengoku hadn't thought much of it. Now, though, he couldn't shake the feeling that he'd been played.