"In that case... let him do whatever he wants."
"You're not going to bother with him?"
"Trebol, we don't have enough manpower, and compared to mercenaries, arms and artificial fruits are our main sources of income. Since he's willing to snatch that piece of cake, let him go for it."
Whether it's the human trafficking market in the Shampodi Islands or war mercenaries, they were Doflamingo's early business ventures.
In the developmental stage of the Donquixote family, he used this method to accumulate his capital.
Once he had the identity of a member of the Seven Warlords of the Sea and an intermediary of the Underworld, some things naturally got abandoned by him.
Whether it's the human trafficking market or the mercenary business, they became tasteless chicken ribs to him, not worth eating but a pity to discard.
This is also why, without hesitation, Doflamingo abandoned the Shampodi Islands business when it faced problems.
The Donquixote family's manpower is limited, and there's a limit to how much mercenary business they can conduct. Comparing to the chaos of the current Sea, the mercenary business is in a state of demand exceeding supply, enough for more people to share this business.
"But this guy's pricing... it's ruining the market."
Buggy Express is a newly established organization, and although it is backed by the flag of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, this organization is different from others.
Whether it's the Seven Warlords or the Sea Emperor, they have terrifying power to defend their reputation, while Buggy relies solely on prestige to defend his.
Were it not for his pirates being seemingly brainwashed, Buggy himself could not control them.
Under such circumstances, Buggy couldn't wage a fame war to attract business, so he had to start with a price war.
That's how Buggy managed to snatch Doflamingo's business. Originally, the Donquixote family intended to charge a hefty price, so they raised the mercenary price.
As a result, Buggy seized the opportunity with his ridiculously big name and the identity of a Warlord, along with a more suitable price, and completed the snatch.
"Trebol, send someone to negotiate with him, there's room for discussion on this matter."
"Doffy, do you mean to unify the pricing?"
"Not just that. His men are mostly escaped prisoners with nothing good on them. If he wants to be a mercenary, he has to buy weapons, right? And it has to be on a long-term basis.
If we can reach an agreement, the profits might be even higher."
Even with the current mercenary business being overburdened, it's not just Doflamingo, but also the Hundred Beasts, BIG MOM, and remnants of Whitebeard's crew taking similar jobs.
Besides them, there are organizations like Germa and countless unknown entities. If Buggy hadn't happened to snatch Doflamingo's business, he wouldn't have cared about such things.
If an agreement can be reached, the profits from selling arms are more direct, and it's easier, as it's only necessary to deliver the goods.
Peers are rivals, and in this Sea, the means of resolving rivalry usually involve fists.
Due to Buggy being Roger's crew member, Red Hair's brother, and the Star Clown, Doflamingo can't figure him out, so he doesn't plan to become enemies with him and considers accepting him into the Underworld market.
But there is a stringent condition – he must adhere to their unspoken rules, such as mercenary pricing.
This pricing isn't uniform; the Hundred Beasts and BIG MOM have the highest mercenary prices, and they have the power to scare away many people simply with their flags.
In contrast, Buggy offers higher quality services at lower prices, damaging their mercenary market. If Buggy rejects the negotiation, it might not be Doflamingo coming after him next time.
"What if he disagrees?"
"Fufufufufu, then things will get interesting. Those who break the rules either rebuild the rules with their own skills or get obliterated. I'm curious to see how audacious this person is."
Shouting about taking Whitebeard's head, giving no face to Red Hair, live-streaming Top War privately when Sengoku cuts the broadcast – these are Buggy's daring feats. Doflamingo also wants to know why someone seemingly weak like Buggy dares to do these things.
...
New World, Kale Bali Island – the new base of Buggy's Pirates, and also the headquarters of the Pirate Dispatch Company, Buggy Express. Buggy's body was so excited it had split into several pieces.
"What?? You snatched the Donquixote family's business??"
Doflamingo thought that his business being snatched was Buggy's decision, but in fact, Buggy knew nothing about it.
It wasn't until after his crew completed the first deal and brought back the proceeds did Buggy receive the news.
"Yeah, wasn't that Captain Buggy's intention?"
"When did I ever give such an order?!"
"But that's exactly what you said back then.[Buggy Express is open today! Go diligently, little ones, snatch all the business at any cost! Show this Sea how mighty Lord Buggy is!].
We put a lot of effort into snatching this business.
This move has also made our name more known, and recruited some stronger guys, so we can find more business. I hear the Hundred Beasts and BIG MOM..."
"Shut up!!! Do you even know what you're saying?!"
Listening to his underling's further plans, Buggy couldn't sit still any longer. While his body remained in place, his head and two hands flew over to grab his collar and start scolding him ferociously, causing his underling to cry under the shower of saliva.
"Captain Buggy, you needn't be moved; it's my duty.
I can't believe someone as great as you is moved to tears by such a small matter; I'll follow you for life!"
"?"
A question mark rose on Buggy's face.
He was so emotionally charged just now that he bit his tongue, making his speech somewhat slurred. Coupled with his crew's generally poor hearing, they imagined something bizarre.
As for the tears, they weren't from the pain; he was scared.
Buggy dared to challenge Red Hair because he understood him, but Kaidou and Charlotte Linlin...
Buggy had witnessed Kaidou's terror during the Top War, and long ago, when the Roger Pirates stole Poneglyph information on Cake Island, he also saw the enraged Charlotte Linlin. Those two monsters weren't ones he could handle.
Now, Buggy didn't even know how to deal with Doflamingo. If he provoked those two, he could already picture himself being torn apart.
As a user of the Chop-Chop Fruit, mimicking this state is simple for him, but whether he could piece himself back together afterward was uncertain.
Buggy relied on this group of followers; his foothold here was due to them. However, their actions always made Buggy feel as though his destiny was flickering in the dark...