One Piece: My Crew is from Other World

No wonder Doflamingo felt conflicted.

After all, his past dealings with Kaido had always left him feeling stifled and cornered. Every term of their agreement—how the transactions were handled, who paid what, even the additional costs—were dictated solely by Kaido. Doflamingo wasn't just paying for artificial Devil Fruits. He was paying for subordination.

The only reason he ever agreed to such unfavorable conditions was because Kaido was, undeniably, stronger. If Doflamingo didn't comply, he would've been pushed out of the underground world entirely.

But now? Things were different.

Doflamingo was no longer just an arms dealer or a middleman. He was a full-fledged member of Ryuunosuke's Dragon Hunter Pirates. Under Ryuunosuke's banner, continuing any trade under Kaido's terms would be beyond foolish.

"I get that you're hesitant," Ryuunosuke said calmly, his voice steady as he leaned against the ship's railing. "But Kaido's with me now. You saw how we fought. There's no need to stick to the old ways."

He glanced at Doflamingo, then added, "We move forward with our own business model."

After a pause, his tone shifted slightly. "By the way, is Dressrosa stable now? Any more trouble?"

It had to be said—Ryuunosuke was a remarkably hands-off captain. Across their territories, it was the same pattern: each base had its own operation team, and regular reports were funneled through Najenda. Dressrosa, however, was unique. It remained under the management of the Donquixote Family, and Ryuunosuke hadn't assigned anyone new to interfere.

And honestly, he didn't need to. The Donquixote Family had been running the island for years. They knew the system. Ryuunosuke only needed to guide the overall direction—they handled the rest.

"King Riku has resumed his position as our steward," Doflamingo answered with a chuckle, clearly satisfied. "He handles the internal affairs now."

He added with a smirk, "We've never been great with the gentle approach."

"Our focus is on external matters—defense, trade, expansion."

Doflamingo's grin widened. "Right now, Dressrosa has the highest happiness index in the New World. Economically, politically... we're thriving."

He wasn't wrong. Even the civilians, fully aware that Doflamingo was a pirate, didn't seem to care. Why should they? They were fed, protected, and prosperous. To the common folk, lofty ideals like national revenge or noble vendettas meant little. Survival, happiness, and security—those were the things that truly mattered.

Ryuunosuke nodded. "Good. Kaido's side will send someone soon to discuss the upcoming trade. You'll handle it."

Then his voice lowered slightly, almost amused. "Speaking of which... any new movements from the World Government?"

Doflamingo's face twitched slightly.

He understood what Ryuunosuke meant. A large part of the World Government's secret trade used to go through Doflamingo's black market network. And even now—despite Doflamingo being officially tied to the Dragon Hunter Pirates—they hadn't shut that door. Instead, the Celestial Dragons were enduring higher costs and tighter logistics just to keep those trade lines open.

They had no choice. Creating their own dark world networks was easier said than done. The underworld didn't welcome government interference. In fact, anyone flaunting World Government ties often found themselves politely—and sometimes violently—refused.

"Right now, they're still maintaining normal trade with me," Doflamingo replied. "But there's something odd."

He paused, then rustled through a few documents beside him.

"They've been placing massive orders for refined metals. All of it is going into savings—stockpiling, not distributing. When I quoted the price, they didn't even try to haggle. Just told me to keep acquiring more."

"The first batch is already on its way to the Red Line."

Ryuunosuke's expression darkened ever so slightly. "Metal, huh... I see."

He went quiet for a moment before speaking again.

"Alright. I'll take it from here."

His tone became firm. "Doflamingo, if there's anything else—anything important you haven't mentioned yet—now's the time to think it over. Secrets, intel, anything related to the World Government. I'm not asking for an answer today. But don't make me wait too long."

And with that, he ended the call.

Doflamingo stared at the Den Den Mushi in front of him, its voice now silent.

His expression was tangled in conflicting emotions.

Ever since becoming an official member of the Dragon Hunter Pirates, Doflamingo's loyalty had been sealed—literally, bound by the system. But the question lingered: should he really reveal everything?

If Ryuunosuke learned what he knew... there would be no turning back. That kind of information wouldn't just start a war—it would shake the world.

And he wasn't sure if he was ready for that.

…

After hanging up, Ryuunosuke turned toward Kaido, who stood nearby.

"The trade continues," he said with a smirk. "But we stick to our own pricing model. If Kaido doesn't like it... well, we can always fight again and settle it that way."

Kaido let out a low laugh and took a huge swig from his sake gourd.

"No more fights for now," he replied gruffly. "There'll be time for that later. You've got bigger things to worry about."

"As for the deal... we'll go with your method for now."

With that, Kaido turned and headed back to his ship, his massive figure disappearing over the horizon.

Once the sea had swallowed Kaido's silhouette, Najenda approached quietly.

"Captain," she said, "Should we interfere with what Doflamingo mentioned?"

"The World Government's stockpiling metal. It's clearly for something big. If we intercept it now, it could deal them a heavy blow."

Ryuunosuke smiled and shook his head.

"No need."

He turned to look at her with a hint of amusement in his voice.

"Doflamingo's one of us. If we start stealing from our own clients, how will he continue doing business? We're professionals, Najenda. Let's act like it."

"But someone will interfere," she asked curiously. "You're saying..."

"Kaido," Ryuunosuke said simply, pouring himself a drink. "He left so suddenly—he's clearly off to 'relieve' someone of their cargo. Pirates will be pirates, after all."

As he sipped from the jug, his gaze wandered toward the sea, calm and confident.

Everything was going according to plan.

Their next move? Find what Rocks D. Xebec left behind. Something hidden in the aftermath of the God Valley Incident—something powerful enough to tip the balance of the world.

Only one month remained. With the eternal log pose guiding them, they had time.

"Let's go, Najenda," he said, his eyes narrowing.

"Let's find Rocks' legacy... and maybe uncover the truth behind God Valley."

Najenda nodded and went off to find Nojiko.

Left alone, Ryuunosuke leaned against the ship's edge once more.

As the sea breeze rustled his coat, he thought back to Kuina and Akame's recent behavior… and fell into silent contemplation.

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