Chapter 54: Working with Doflamingo
"Alright, give me his number," Jiang Qize said with a faint smile.
As for whether he'd be inviting a wolf into his home, that wasn't something he was worried about. The Doflamingo of today wasn't someone he needed to fear—he was still too young, far from his peak in strength or influence.
"Mm."
Crocodile recited a string of Den Den Mushi numbers.
After chatting for a while longer, they ended the call.
Jiang Qize immediately dialed the number Crocodile had given him.
"Gururu… gururu…"
The Den Den Mushi let out its usual ring before its face morphed—its mouth split into a wide grin, revealing rows of white teeth.
"Fuffuffuffuffu…"
That strange, unmistakable laugh came through.
"Doflamingo, hello there," Jiang Qize greeted with a smile.
"Fuffuffuffu… and who might you be?" Doflamingo's eerie laughter carried through the line, his tone enough to send chills down one's spine.
"Me? Just a small-time pirate," Jiang Qize replied casually.
At that, there was a brief pause on Doflamingo's end.
"Fuffuffu… a small-time pirate who managed to find my number?"
"Doflamingo, I'm not here for small talk. I've got a business deal for you."
"Fuffuffu… interesting. Let's hear it."
"I've got some Devil Fruits to sell. You handle the sales. I only want one hundred million per fruit—whatever you earn beyond that is yours."
Jiang Qize went straight to the point.
Far away, inside a luxurious castle in the West Blue, Doflamingo narrowed his sharp, arrogant eyes.
Though still young, he already exuded the presence of a king—his aura radiated a faint, commanding pressure.
"Fuffuffuffu… and why come to me? Aren't you afraid I'll just take them for myself?"
"I trust the head of the noble Donquixote family wouldn't stoop to that," Jiang Qize said evenly.
"Fuffuffu… seems you know quite a bit about me."
A gleam flashed in Doflamingo's eyes, and a cruel smile curled his lips.
"You could say that. So? You in or not?"
"I'm in. Easy money is still money."
At this point in time, the Donquixote Family wasn't yet the powerful organization it would become. Its base of power was still confined to the Four Seas, and even on the Grand Line's first half, Doflamingo's influence was limited.
He was in his growth stage—eager to expand, desperate to make money, to build something bigger.
And Devil Fruits? Those could fetch over a hundred million berries apiece—often more, since demand far outweighed supply. No matter how he looked at it, it was a sure profit.
"Good. I'll be waiting for you on Drum Island. Contact me when you arrive," Jiang Qize said, ending the call.
In the West Blue, Doflamingo's grin slowly faded as he stared at the Den Den Mushi, brows knitting together.
"Someone, come here."
…
Back on Little Garden, a confident smile spread across Jiang Qize's face.
It was settled.
In just a month, he'd be swimming in money.
As for whether Doflamingo would try to cheat him? He wasn't the least bit worried. These Dinosaur Fruits weren't ordinary Devil Fruits—whoever ate them would come under his control.
And he wasn't worried about Doflamingo's ability to sell them, either. That man's connections were formidable. Even though the Celestial Dragons despised him, they still had to give the "Heavenly Yaksha" some measure of face.
Time passed quickly.
Two days later—
"Captain, we'll be waiting for you in the New World!"
"Hahaha, don't forget what I told you!"
"Ka-ba-ba-ba… I won't!"
"Ding-shishi-shishi! Goodbye, Captain!"
On the shores of Little Garden, two ships—one large, one small—were docked side by side. On the massive ship, the two giants, Dorry and Brogy, laughed heartily as they waved to Jiang Qize standing on the smaller vessel.
Moments later, their great ship began to move, picking up speed until it vanished beyond the horizon.
Jiang Qize watched them go, then turned back calmly. "Let's move. It's our turn to set sail."
"Yes, Captain!" shouted Camon. Though still short in stature, his eyes burned with confidence, his gaze sharp, his presence fierce.
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