"I will do what I promised you."
Mio said slowly, his eyes falling on Mansherry. Her petite figure made Mio reach out and gently tap her on the head. Imdiately, Mansherry was startled and shrank back into the blanket, covering her head with her arms.
Mansherry was still young—just a few years old at most—but Mio wasn't in a hurry. After all, she was a support-type ability user. She wouldn't be fighting; her role was simply to assist in recovery during critical monts.
No longer interested in teasing the little girl, Mio handed the mini house to Asuka beside him, then looked at Doflamingo and said, "The Kingdom of Dressrosa is a mber of the World Governnt. You should know the consequences of stealing a country. I can help you take back Dressrosa, but you need to pay."
"Please speak," Doflamingo said without surprise, simply listening calmly.
"It's too early now. You'll know in the future, but it's just about requisitioning land," Mio said.
"If it's just requisitioning land, I can agree in advance," Doflamingo replied after so thought. Land wasn't especially valuable in this world—at least not by itself. Of course, the purpose behind its use mattered. If it involved sothing dangerous, that could attract unwanted attention from the kings of the underground world, the Navy, the World Governnt, and others.
But Doflamingo didn't care about those potential troubles. He figured that as long as he remained allied with Black Crow, he would not face those threats alone.
"Yeah." Mio nodded. His intent for the land was to facilitate the future mass production of artificial Devil Fruits. While flawed and lacking the potential of real Devil Fruits, artificial ones still held imnse value—for trade or to arm cannon fodder.
He didn't have the technology to manufacture them himself, but Vegapunk did. After all, the creation of artificial Devil Fruits was based on the bloodline factor research Vegapunk pioneered. It would be easy for soone of Vegapunk's intelligence to reach Caesar's level of research. And since Vegapunk hadn't fully unraveled the secrets of the bloodline factor yet, Mio was in no rush to begin production.
After pondering briefly, Mio looked at Doflamingo and asked, "Do you have a plan? Though you're a Shichibukai, you know many in the Navy don't like you. Once you take over Dressrosa and word gets out, they'll seize the chance to eliminate the Donquixote Family."
"Fufufufufufu, of course I've considered that, which is why I need Black Crow, right?" Doflamingo grinned.
Without the Navy, Doflamingo could easily seize Dressrosa. But, as Mio said, the Donquixote Family's reputation and actions made them a thorn in the side of many in the Navy. Even Sengoku was keeping a close eye on them. With spies planted in both the Navy and World Governnt, the Donquixote Family was viewed as a significant threat.
If the opportunity arose, the Navy would undoubtedly try to wipe them out. Doflamingo's Shichibukai status might spare his life, but that wouldn't prevent him from being imprisoned in Impel Down for life.
"Once I move against Dressrosa, the Navy's intelligence arm will likely catch wind of it. That's why I hope the Black Crow Pirates can stop the Navy from interfering," Doflamingo said.
Dressrosa alone was no match for the Donquixote Family.
Despite being part of the World Governnt, many of its mber nations were seen as nothing more than ATMs by powerful pirates—rich, but defenseless. Dressrosa was no different. The country lacked strong warriors capable of resisting the Donquixote Family.
"Fine. Also, I know the dwarf tribe resides near Dressrosa. I recently made a deal with soone from the Tontatta Kingdom. Once you reclaim Dressrosa, don't interfere with the Tontatta Kingdom," Mio warned.
Doflamingo shrugged and raised his hands. "Okay."
"Then let's do it."
Mio stood up, a smirk forming on his lips. "Once you're ready to make your move, let know. The Black Crow Pirates will be free for the ti being."
"Fufufufufu, I will. But there's one more thing I need your permission for." Doflamingo's eyes glead, a flicker of excitent revealing that this request was perhaps the real reason he ca.
"Let's hear it," Mio said with interest. He noticed the shift in Doflamingo's tone and expression and couldn't help but be curious.
"I want to use the na of Black Crow. Fufufufu." Doflamingo's voice was low. "Those kings of the dark world in the New World probably sent you gifts already, right? You should know one of the perks of becoming an emperor is the ability to collaborate with the underground world. They need to make friends with emperors so they can freely travel through an emperor's territory."
"So, you want to use my na to work with those kings?" Mio asked in a calm voice.
Emperors in the New World controlled territory.
And in any emperor's territory, anyone passing through—other than their own subordinates—had to pay a toll. The fee depended on the emperor's discretion.
If one refused to pay, they'd either have to take a dangerous detour or risk being hunted down.
Mio understood this clearly.
He didn't mind Doflamingo's ambition.
To be honest, Doflamingo was a savvy businessman. By borrowing the Black Crow na, he could easily build connections with the underground kings, establish himself in the New World, and rake in imnse profits.
After all, claiming allegiance to Black Crow ant having Black Crow's protection behind him.
"Alright."
Mio nodded slightly and said, "I'll allow it, but I want fifty percent of the profits."
He extended his right hand toward Doflamingo, palm open.
In essence, Mio didn't need to do anything—just lend his na—while Doflamingo would handle all the dealings and return half the profits yearly. It was a massive gain for Mio.
But Doflamingo agreed without hesitation.
"Thank you very much. Fufufufufu."
"You're welco," Mio chuckled. "Anyone who brings profit is a friend."
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