Dimensional Chat Group: Speed-o'-Light

[Meanwhile, in Kizaru's Reality…]

As Kizaru was casually chatting with his idiotic group members, a large pirate ship flying the Donquixote Family flag suddenly blocked his warship's route.

It was obvious—this wasn't a friendly move.

More importantly, that ship was flying a Jolly Roger—a blatant provocation against the Marines by occupying their sea lane.

The Marines aboard the warship were furious, but they didn't dare start trouble—because that flag represented none other than Heavenly Yaksha Donquixote Doflamingo, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea!

"Damn pirates! This is an outright provocation against the Navy!"

"Curse those damn Warlords!"

"Bastards! One day, I'll send all of them straight to Impel Down!"

The Marines gritted their teeth in rage, but there was nothing they could do against this lawless pirate-turned-Warlord.

Fleet Admiral Sengoku still needed the power of the Seven Warlords of the Sea for the upcoming war, so he specifically warned unstable elements, including Kizaru and Vice Admiral Garp, not to cause trouble for the Warlords.

On the other hand, Sakazuki, known for his hawkish and hardline stance, wasn't a concern for Sengoku. Unless the World Government decided to eliminate the Warlords, Sakazuki would never make a move against them.

"Y-Young Master, is this really okay? The Navy will be angry..."

Buffalo spoke cautiously. Even though he was already a high-ranking officer in the Donquixote Family, provoking the Navy near Marine Headquarters still made him nervous.

"Fuffuffuffuffu… Relax, Buffalo. They wouldn't dare make a move."

Wearing his signature sunglasses and pink feather coat, Donquixote Doflamingo stood proudly at the bow of the ship, spreading his arms wide as he let out a loud, reckless laugh.

"R-Really…?"

Buffalo found it hard to believe. In his memory, back when he first joined the Donquixote Family, they were constantly being chased down by the Marines.

With his limited intelligence, Buffalo simply couldn't comprehend why the Navy tolerated Doflamingo so much after he became a Warlord.

"Beh-heh-heh-heh, as long as the Navy still wants to use Young Master's power to fight the Whitebeard Pirates, they absolutely won't dare anger us."

Behind Doflamingo, Trebol let out a loud, snot-filled laugh, grinning with his few remaining teeth.

"A-Amazing! As expected of the Young Master!"

Buffalo looked at Doflamingo with eyes full of admiration. In his heart, Young Master was the most awe-inspiring man in the world.

"Of course! Young Master is a Warlord of the Sea!"

Trebol said proudly. After all, he had recognized Doflamingo's "kingly potential" back when he was still just a child. Choosing to follow him had proven to be the right decision!

"I see. That's pretty impressive~"

At that moment, an unfamiliar voice suddenly spoke behind Buffalo.

"That's right! Young Master is indeed amazing!"

Buffalo nodded in agreement, but as soon as he finished speaking, he felt like something was wrong.

A tense silence suddenly fell over the ship's bow.

Trebol instinctively tried to turn his head, but he felt as if he was sinking into a quagmire—an overwhelming pressure bound him from all directions. Even moving a single finger was impossible.

This terrifying oppressive force was even stronger than what he had felt when they visited Kaido.

---

"Well, well, if it isn't a rare guest! Admiral Kizaru! May I ask why you've suddenly appeared on my ship?"

Doflamingo spoke slowly and deliberately, as if carrying an immense weight that made it hard for him to breathe.

But the moment he spoke, Trebol and Buffalo felt the pressure lighten significantly.

However, Doflamingo himself was still visibly affected—his forehead veins bulged, and his body trembled ever so slightly.

---

"Hmm, well, it's nothing much~ It's just that my route suddenly got blocked by someone I know, and it would be rude not to stop by and say hello, wouldn't it?"

Leaning lazily against the ship's mast, Kizaru—now dressed in a casual Hawaiian shirt and beach shorts—had a somewhat troubled expression.

He and Doflamingo were old acquaintances. Before Doflamingo became a Warlord, he had once fallen into Kizaru's hands—though he ultimately managed to escape.

Since that day, Doflamingo had feared Kizaru more than anyone else.

Compared to him, even Vice Admiral Tsuru, who had also hunted him in the past, had never actually captured him.

"…"

Doflamingo's face was incredibly grim.

If he had known that Kizaru was part of that Marine fleet, he would have stayed as far away as possible. There was no way he would have come near them to seize their route.

---

"Hmm hmm hmm hmm hmm… Young Master, here's the rum you wanted… Eh? Who are you?!"

A black-haired beauty dressed in a red maid outfit walked out of the ship's cabin, humming a tune while carrying a tray with rum and glasses in one hand. The moment she spotted Kizaru, a complete stranger, she instinctively shouted.

"Is that North Blue rum? Not bad. Mind pouring me a glass?"

Kizaru's nose twitched slightly—even from a distance, he could pick up the faintest scent from the cork of the bottle.

His body enhancements weren't limited to just strength and speed—his sense of smell and hearing had also reached an astonishing level.

Of course, with his mastery of Life Return, he could control every cell in his body almost perfectly. If he didn't want to smell something, even a gas bomb exploding right in front of him wouldn't affect him at all.

"Of course! This is white rum aged for over ten years—one of the most precious collections in Young Master's cellar! Please enjoy~"

To Kizaru's surprise, the maid, who had just been acting like a rebellious delinquent, suddenly changed completely.

She hurried over with quick steps, dutifully poured the rum into a glass, and handed it to him with a bright smile.

"Baby-5!"

Doflamingo was furious. He had long since gotten used to this foolish girl's inability to refuse requests, no matter who they came from.

But watching her hand over his precious rum to Kizaru right in front of him was unbearable.

"Yes! What are your orders, Young Master?"

Baby-5 immediately stood at attention, looking eager to serve, completely oblivious as to why Doflamingo was so angry.

"The rum is nice. Mind pouring me another? Hmm, actually, pouring one glass at a time is too troublesome… Why not just bring me all the best liquor from the cellar?"

Before Doflamingo could say a word, Kizaru spoke with a lazy smile.

He had already remembered this foolish maid under Doflamingo's command—a girl who craved being needed so much that she simply couldn't refuse anyone's requests.

Whether it was lending money, accepting marriage proposals, or being strong-armed into buying something, as long as she felt "needed," she would agree without hesitation.

That was how she ended up with a 98-million-Berry debt, 50 newspaper subscriptions, and countless marriage proposals from shady men.

If Doflamingo hadn't been there to protect her, she probably would've ended up as a top hostess on Pleasure Street.

But what truly made Kizaru remember Baby-5 was the Devil Fruit she had eaten.

Paramecia – Arms-Arms Fruit!

It allowed her to transform parts of her body into any weapon, a low-floor but insanely high-ceiling Devil Fruit.

"No problem! Please wait a moment, I'll bring out all the best bottles!"

Baby-5 beamed with joy. Due to her personality defect, Doflamingo rarely let outsiders interact with her.

It had been a long time since someone had requested so many things from her, and it made her feel incredibly fulfilled.

Completely ignoring Doflamingo, she happily skipped away toward the cellar.

"KIZARU!!!"

Enraged, Doflamingo finally lost his patience and attacked Kizaru directly.

Baby-5 was a cherished member of the Donquixote Family, and Doflamingo would never allow anyone to lay a hand on them—not even a Marine Admiral.

Invisible threads fell upon Kizaru under Doflamingo's control. As a String-String Fruit user, he could use these unseen strings to manipulate his enemies.

However, the Heavenly Yaksha clearly didn't intend to go all-out against Kizaru. This sudden attack was merely to make Kizaru understand his bottom line.

If a Marine Admiral could be hurt by an attack of this level, that would be the biggest joke in the world.

"Oh no! I'm injured!"

What Doflamingo never expected was…

Kizaru just stood there, letting the strings fall on him without resistance.

Then, with an overly dramatic fake scream, he completely ignored Doflamingo's attempt to control him with the strings.

Instead, he casually pulled out a miniature Den Den Mushi from his jacket pocket.

"You bastard…!"

Doflamingo's entire body trembled with rage.

He knew Kizaru too well—he could already guess what was coming next.

"Y-Young Master is amazing! He even injured a Marine Admiral!"

Just then, Buffalo, who had been a step slow, suddenly exclaimed in awe.

"Idiot!"

Trebol couldn't help but facepalm.

Buffalo was good at many things, but thinking wasn't one of them.

If he weren't already family, Young Master would have beaten him to a pulp by now.

"The evidence is solid. So, what will it be?"

Kizaru slipped the Den Den Mushi back into his pocket and smiled at Doflamingo.

"Are you going to surrender and let me beat you up? Or resist… and let me beat you up even harder?"

A Marine Admiral couldn't just attack a Warlord without reason.

But if a Warlord attacked an Admiral first… getting beaten up in return wasn't exactly unjustified, was it?

"Five-Color Strings!"

Doflamingo hesitated for a moment, then suddenly lashed out.

It was obvious—the Underworld Tyrant had no intention of just standing there and taking a beating.

Inside the ship's wine cellar, Baby-5 suddenly felt the entire ship tremble violently.

However, before long, everything calmed down again.

Fortunately, the bottles in the cellar were all secured on the shelves, with thick straw padding for shock absorption.

A little shaking wasn't enough to make them fall to the ground.

"Rum, gin, Gold Label whiskey…"

Baby-5 showed no mercy as she eagerly ransacked Doflamingo's precious liquor collection.

Only when she had piled an entire cart full did she excitedly rush toward the deck.

What she didn't expect, however, was the scene awaiting her.

As soon as she stepped onto the deck, she saw Donquixote Family members lying all over the place.

Even more shocking—Young Master was down too!

His beloved sunglasses were even shattered on the ground.

"Young Master! Are you okay?!"

Baby-5 cried out in panic, yet her body moved on its own, pushing the liquor cart straight toward Kizaru.

She was worried about Doflamingo, of course.

But—the tall gentleman was still waiting for his drinks.

"B… baby-5…"

Doflamingo struggled to speak, but before he could finish—

A finished bottle of liquor came flying straight at him.

It smashed against his forehead, coated in Armament Haki, and with the last of his strength already drained

Doflamingo collapsed unconscious.

"Bastard! How dare you attack Young Master—"

Baby-5 furiously turned, having just finished delivering the cart to Kizaru.

Her long, slender leg morphed into a massive battle-axe, poised to swing down at Kizaru's neck.

"Miss Baby-5, would you be so kind as to introduce these fine drinks to me?"

Kizaru spoke leisurely, just as the battle-axe was about to make contact.

And then—

Baby-5 froze.

Hard-stopped her attack.

"Of course! No problem at all!"

As if she had completely forgotten about her anger, Baby-5 cheerfully switched modes.

She lined up the bottles and enthusiastically began explaining their qualities and origins.

Had Doflamingo been awake, he'd probably pass out from rage all over again.

"Mmm, good stuff."

Kizaru nodded as he listened, already planning where to send them.

"I'll send a few bottles to old man Zephyr… one each for Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Kong… Hmm. As for the rest, I better find a good hiding spot."

He muttered to himself, already aware of a certain problem.

If Nami ever discovered these, she'd swap them out for cheap knock-offs and sell the real ones.

That was not paranoia—it was cold, hard truth.

After all, even the cheapest bottle from Baby-5's haul was worth over 100,000 Berries.

And the rarest vintages?

At auction, they could fetch tens of millions.

If Nami got wind of their existence—

There was no way she'd let that money slip through her fingers.

°°°

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