Meanwhile, on the Donquixote pirate ship docked at the port, Diamante stood at the bow, stretching lazily.
He had just returned from a long, arduous trip to the West Blue.
This time, he had successfully delivered a ship full of high-grade weapons and ammunition to a rival faction in the Kano Country, earning a huge profit for the Family.
However, the West Blue had become extremely turbulent, precisely because of their involvement.
Some areas were embroiled in conflicts even more intense and chaotic than those in the New World.
Therefore, every trip required considerable effort and risk.
Sometimes, they even had to face sudden, desperate attacks from the Kano Country's official forces.
After all, Kano Country wasn't foolish—they had long figured out that it was the Donquixote Family supporting their rivals from the shadows.
Naturally, they harbored a deep, simmering hatred for Doflamingo and his crew.
"Hah..."
Now that they had left the treacherous West Blue and reached the relative safety of the first half of the Grand Line, he finally felt a sense of relief.
Diamante let out a deep sigh, and his tense heart relaxed.
In this place, he was practically invincible.
With a burst of strength in his long, thin legs, he leaped from the pirate ship and landed ashore.
With utter ease and a rolling, arrogant gait, he strode toward Whiskey Peak and soon arrived in the familiar, bustling town.
He knew this place well and made his way to the finest, largest tavern.
Clearly, this wasn't his first time here.
After all, the Donquixote Family had been doing business in the West Blue for quite some time.
Naturally, he had escorted arms shipments more than once or twice.
Every time he passed through, he would come to Whiskey Peak to enjoy a good meal and, more importantly, good drinks.
It was his way to relax his tense heart.
He knew exactly what kind of place Whiskey Peak was—a den of bounty hunters.
But he didn't care.
The bounty hunters and the like in Whiskey Peak only targeted rookie pirates who had just entered the Grand Line and some weak-willed merchant ships.
To make them dare to challenge him, an executive of the Donquixote Family? Even if they had a hundred times the courage, they wouldn't dare.
"Creak..."
Diamante pushed the tavern door open and entered.
He walked straight to the bar counter, tossed down a heavy stack of Berries, and said softly.
"Give me your finest liquor."
He didn't even bother to look the bartender in the eye.
In his eyes, the people of Whiskey Peak were nothing but trash, unworthy of his attention.
The bartender, who was secretly Mr. 5 in disguise, naturally noticed Diamante's arrogance and couldn't help but curl his lips into a faint, mocking smile.
But it vanished in an instant, replaced by a mask of professional servitude.
Then, with a cheerful expression, he said, "Wait a moment, sir! I'll bring you the finest liquor right away. Our Whiskey Peak 'Shark Whiskey' will surely satisfy you."
Diamante nodded, satisfied. "The whiskey here is truly exceptional. No wonder even the mountain this small town is built on is called Whiskey Peak."
The bartender turned his back, bent down as if retrieving an aged bottle from a low shelf.
At the same time, he discreetly picked his nose, leaving a small, explosive booger on his finger.
He stood up, poured the dark, coppery whiskey into a special, ornate glass, and, with a flick of his finger, flicked the small booger into it.
The whiskey was a deep, coppery color, so the booger blended right in.
Unless one looked closely, it was nearly impossible to notice.
Then, very naturally, he placed it in front of Diamante.
"Shark Whiskey, sir. The strongest and finest whiskey we have here. It's a bit pricey, though..."
"Oh?" Diamante's interest was immediately piqued.
Looking at the drink before him, he grew impatient.
He had been here dozens of times, but this was his first encounter with "Shark Whiskey."
He picked up the glass and took a small sip.
The strong liquor burned his throat like fire.
"Good whiskey..." Diamante couldn't help but praise.
Then, he directly downed the wine in his hand in one gulp.
With that strong liquor going down, all his troubles seemed to vanish along with that burning sensation.
That feeling... it truly couldn't be accurately described in words.
He slammed the glass down.
"Pour another!"
The bartender immediately, respectfully, poured him another glass, while discreetly adding a little something extra to it—another, slightly larger, booger bomb.
One glass, two glasses... three glasses...
The more Diamante drank, the more energized he felt, and at the same time, the alcohol started taking effect.
His face had already flushed red, and his eyes carried a heavy, tipsy look.
"Welcome to our Whiskey Peak."
Just as a whole bottle of whiskey had entered Diamante's stomach, Mr. 3, Galdino, walked in, flanked by Miss Goldenweek.
"Huh?" Diamante looked over, somewhat surprised, his eyes still carrying some confusion from the alcohol.
When he saw Mr. 3, he became even more puzzled.
He had never seen this person before.
Putting together what Mr. 3 had just said, Diamante couldn't help but ask.
"Are you the new owner here?"
Mr. 3 nodded, his waxen smile in place. "You could say so!"
Diamante: "What's the matter?"
Mr. 3 chuckled lightly.
"Whiskey Peak is no longer the same as before. Under the orders of the Celestial Dragons, the Four Seas Exchange has been established here. Anyone passing through must either leave their goods here for our fleet to deliver to the Four Seas, or... pay a toll fee."
"What?" Diamante looked completely bewildered, then showed an expression of disbelief.
It was as if he had heard the most unbelievable thing in the world.
At the same time, his slight tipsiness instantly disappeared.
When he looked at Mr. 3 again, his gaze became extremely unfriendly.
"So according to you," Diamante growled, "since I'm returning from the West Blue, I still have to pay an additional toll fee?"
Mr. 3 nodded, his smile unwavering. "Exactly so."
"Heh... Hahaha..." Diamante first let out a cold chuckle, then burst into loud, mocking laughter.
It was as if he had just heard the most ridiculous joke in the world.
As his laughter faded, the aura around him instantly shifted.
His eyes filled with killing intent.
"In all my years dominating the Four Seas, no one has ever dared to set their sights on our Donquixote Family. I must say, you've got quite the nerve."
As he spoke, he set down his wine glass and slowly rose to his feet.
His hand moved to rest on the sword hilt at his waist.
Mr. 3 raised an eyebrow at this.
"It seems you didn't properly listen to what I just said. Let me repeat myself. We established the Four Seas Exchange under the orders of the Celestial Dragons. So now, are you planning to oppose the Celestial Dragons?"
"Celestial Dragons?!"
Upon hearing this, Diamante's pupils contracted sharply, trembling visibly.
In this world, the Celestial Dragons held immense, almost absolute, deterrent power over everyone.
Then, he laughed again, a harsh, grating sound.
"You claim it's the Celestial Dragons' order, so it must be? I think you're the one looking for death!"
'Celestial Dragons!' he thought with contempt.
'Our young master, Doffy, was a Celestial Dragon. Though one who had lost his status, he was still a Celestial Dragon by blood.'
How could he, Diamante, be so easily intimidated by such empty claims from these... clowns?'
"Swish..."
His long, rippling sword left its sheath in an instant, slashing toward Mr. 3 with blinding speed.
In the blink of an eye, the blade was already before Mr. 3's shocked face.
"BOOm..."
But at that precise moment, a violent explosion sounded, not from Mr. 3, but from Diamante's stomach.