In One Piece, I Am the Ultimate Doflamingo

The first milestone.

[Kingdom Conqueror]: Seize control of this nation and plunge it into the nightmare you weave.

Reward: Conqueror's Haki Enhancement

This wasn't just a passing thought for Doflamingo—it was a feasible plan.

First, the kingdom of Eskimo was located at the northernmost edge of the world, a non-affiliated state not under the World Government's protection. With no stationed Marines, it had no right to seek aid from the World Government even if attacked.

Second, the Donquixote Family's primary combat force consisted of five key members, four of whom possessed Devil Fruit abilities. Among them, Diamante and another had even traversed the Grand Line as pirates. In such a remote place, they were practically unstoppable.

Simply put, it was a one-sided massacre.

Seizing the kingdom wouldn't just bring wealth—it would establish connections in the underworld ahead of time and serve as a valuable trial run for the eventual takeover of Dressrosa.

The second milestone.

[Spider Miles]: Seize control of this town and let your name echo across the North Blue.

Reward: Observation Haki Enhancement

Spider Miles—a thriving port city with a well-developed industrial sector and untapped armories.

The technological disparity between islands in this world was immense. On the island Doflamingo currently occupied, firearms were scarce, let alone gun factories. He had no intention of climbing the technology tree from scratch when he could just take what he needed.

Some things were simply easier to steal.

'In the original timeline, even while being hunted by Vice Admiral Tsuru, the Donquixote Family remained stationed in a port city for most of the time. That proves how valuable such a base is. Seizing it in advance would be even better.'

However, these rewards felt somewhat underwhelming. It seemed that the difficulty of the task influenced the value of the rewards.

'But considering how generous the rewards were for establishing the family, was that just a beginner's bonus?'

Feeling the surge of power from his newly enhanced Haki, Doflamingo drifted back into sleep.

...

One month later.

Despite his natural physical talent, he wasn't a steel-bodied monster like Big Mom.

Strength wouldn't come by lying around doing nothing.

As a villain who could be taken out at any moment, Doflamingo had a clear understanding of his situation—

Not getting stronger meant walking straight to his own death.

Together with Vergo and Pica, he carried the massive boulders Pica had shaped, bowing low as they began their daily training.

"One, two, three…"

'Too bad there's no Seastone. That would've been even more effective for physical conditioning.'

Finishing his workout, Doflamingo pushed back his sweat-drenched hair, taking the water Pica handed him. Feeling the silent reverence from Pica, he smirked.

After a month of training his newly acquired Observation Haki—modeled after Otohime's sensitivity—he had finally learned to control his perception of others' thoughts.

The moment he awakened it, he was overwhelmed by the constant waves of admiration from Trebol and the others.

It nearly made him break character.

These weren't just flattering words—they were genuine emotions.

Shaking off the lingering drowsiness, Doflamingo turned to Vergo, who was in his usual stone ball form, and asked his daily question.

"Vergo, how is Rosinante doing?"

Through observation, Doflamingo had noticed a peculiar pattern in Vergo's stickiness.

In the mornings, it was usually fried eggs. If he had been near the coast, then it was often shells, octopuses, crabs, sand, or stones.

Vergo handed him a prepared photograph.

"Rosinante has been receiving food from Jason and is managing well."

The picture showed Rosinante curled up in the ruins. Due to his growth, his suit was now slightly too tight on him.

Doflamingo's expression was unreadable as he flipped to the next photo and continued his inquiries.

"And Michael? How many times has he tried to break through this month?"

"Michael has attempted to breach the defenses once. He attacked the port twice. It has been seven days since his last attempt."

The image showed Michael with bloodshot eyes, his expression manic with exhaustion.

Doflamingo's smirk widened.

"Fufufu… looks like the beast in the cage is starting to snap."

"Vergo, Pica, switch shifts with Diamante. Let him come back and rest."

"Doffy, is something up?"

Diamante put down the pirate logbook he was reading.

Doflamingo glanced at him. The prolonged vigilance had left him visibly tired.

His tone was warm.

"Fufufufu… You've worked hard, Diamante."

"No, no, it's nothing. It's my duty."

Doflamingo, in a rather good mood, decided to indulge in some amusement before wrapping up his little human experiment.

"Diamante, I want you to reveal my identity and my connection to Rosinante to Michael and Jason."

"Wait, Doffy, I'm not good at this kind of thing. Let Trebol handle it."

Diamante waved his right hand dismissively.

"No, you're the best choice. Your Ripple-Ripple Fruit is perfect for delivering messages—no one in our family can match you in that regard."

"Aw, come on, don't flatter me."

"Fine, then I'll have Vergo—"

"Alright, alright! If you insist, then I'll do it. I'll make sure they receive the message loud and clear."

Watching Diamante's exaggerated yet secretly proud reaction, Doflamingo chuckled.

This world truly was a madman's paradise—endless entertainment.

"Heheheh… Excellent, Diamante. Go ahead. They'll take the bait for sure."

The moon hung high in the night sky.

Among the ruins, bandaged thugs carrying rifles patrolled the area, keeping a wary eye out for a Donquixote attack.

In the no-man's land between both factions, Michael—who had lost his brothers—and Jason—who had lost his son—gathered once more.

Michael, eyes bloodshot, spoke in a hushed but urgent tone.

"Help me, Father. There are ships in the port—we can all escape."

Jason, his expression unreadable, finally answered in a low voice.

"Alright. I'll clear the way. Take that child with you."

Michael's voice trembled with suspicion.

"You're treating him as a replacement for your dead son, aren't you?"

Jason remained silent.

Just then, two photographs fluttered down from above.

"What's this?"

Upon seeing the images, Jason and Michael's eyes widened in shock.

One showed Doflamingo handing food to Rosinante.

The other depicted Doflamingo escaping with Rosinante in tow.

"The leader of the Donquixote Family… is the Celestial Dragon who was judged in the neighboring town?"

"Then… that child… is a Celestial Dragon. Doflamingo's younger brother."

Jason clenched his fists, his emotions a chaotic mix of fear, rage, and the bitter sting of betrayal. Yet amidst it all, a glimmer of hope flickered in his voice.

"Then… is the child with us truly Doflamingo's brother? Could it be a lie? Why isn't Doflamingo protecting him?"

Michael's bloodshot eyes widened further as he trembled with excitement, his lips curling into a twisted smile.

"Call Rami. She lived here before—she'll know."

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+100 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg