Chapter 292: The Tea Party Invitation
The Fish-Man District, so lively just yesterday, was now desolate.
Arlong and his crew felt utterly humiliated. Not only had they been steamrolled by Katakuri, but their guests—officers of their captain's own crew—had been bundled up and kidnapped right under their noses.
Swallowing his pride, Arlong made a call to Doflamingo. To be safe, however, he first relayed the news to his "good sister," Shyarly.
When Shyarly told Doflamingo, his expression remained perfectly calm, but inwardly he was seething. He hadn't made a move against Big Mom, yet she had dared to target his people first.
Very well. Let's see what kind of game Big Mom is playing.
"Doffy, are you okay?" Shyarly asked, watching him nervously. She felt terrible about what her brother's crew had allowed to happen, as if she were somehow responsible.
Doflamingo gently pinched her cheek and smiled. "It's fine. You don't need to blame yourself. This isn't Arlong's responsibility. It's all aimed at me. Don't worry."
Shyarly didn't pull away. Seeing that Doflamingo wasn't blaming her brother, she let out a small sigh of relief.
"What should we do?" she asked, still worried. This whole mess had started on her brother's watch, after all.
"You don't need to do anything." Doflamingo released her and waved a hand dismissively. "I'm sure I'll be getting a call any moment now."
"Oh." Shyarly sighed, knowing she was powerless to help.
Just as Doflamingo had predicted, it wasn't long before the Den Den Mushi rang.
"Doffy... it's me."
Trebol's voice came through, sounding weak.
"Fuffuffu. Trebol," Doflamingo chuckled, his voice dangerously smooth. "Put Katakuri on."
He wouldn't hold Trebol accountable. Not yet. Not until he had them all back.
"Doffy, you already know..." Trebol's voice was laced with shame.
Doflamingo didn't reply, simply waiting.
"This is Katakuri." A new, deeper voice cut in, breaking the silence. "Doflamingo, Mama invites you to her Tea Party."
"Fuffuffu. Is this how you invite people now?" Doflamingo's voice dripped with menace. "Kidnapping my men? You've got guts, Katakuri."
"My apologies. It was not an honorable move," Katakuri replied, his voice level and devoid of any shame. "But to ensure you would attend Mama's Tea Party, I had to do it."
"Heh. Spoken like the head of the Sweet Commanders." Hearing Katakuri's blunt honesty, Doflamingo's boiling anger actually cooled a notch. "I'll acknowledge that, at least. You're candid, Katakuri."
"Then I will await your arrival on Whole Cake Island." Katakuri's tone was unchanged by the praise.
"You'd better be prepared, then. I'll be coming to collect this debt personally. After all," Doflamingo's voice dropped, "they are my precious family."
"...Family, hmm?"
Hearing that word, Katakuri, a man whose own line in the sand was his family, felt a flicker of understanding. He knew exactly what Doflamingo was feeling. But he had no regrets. The deed was done.
Bound by mochi, Trebol, Lao G, and Jora listened to the call, deeply moved. But that emotion was quickly overcome by shame. They had let their Young Master down.
The brief, tense confrontation ended. It was just a call, after all. If they had been face-to-face, Doflamingo would have guaranteed a much more violent outcome.
Shyarly, who had been waiting anxiously nearby, didn't dare interrupt. Only after Doflamingo hung up did she speak.
"Doffy, is it... resolved?" she asked nervously.
"It's fine. I have everything under control," Doflamingo said, pulling her into an embrace and silencing any further questions.
...
Back on Fish-Man Island, Arlong received an update from Shyarly. She had tried to ask about the situation there, but Arlong had brushed her off, telling her it was none of her business and that she should spend her time "keeping a certain someone company."
Shyarly, snubbed by her own brother, was left frustrated. She truly had no one to rely on but Doflamingo. Arlong was as unreliable as ever.
The chaos on Fish-Man Island was only escalating, leaving Jinbei in a bind. He didn't dare leave, fearing that the moment he turned his back, Arlong would make a move on King Neptune.
Doflamingo, on the other hand, was pleased to let the island simmer in its own chaos. He had other things to consider, namely, who to bring to Whole Cake Island.
Enel was out; he was already on his way to Sky Island to begin the process of moving Angel Island and Birka into the New World's airspace. Pica was also out; Doflamingo needed him to guard Dressrosa while it was still recovering. The others... their strength was still lacking.
In the end, Doflamingo decided on his crew: Monet, Diamante, Law, Baby 5, and Kyros.
He was bringing Kyros to show him the true vastness of the sea. The man needed to be forged in a real fire to elevate his strength.
The glittering waves parted for a new ship, the Flamingo, as it set sail for Whole Cake Island. The Ark Maxim was left behind at Dressrosa; it was far too large and conspicuous for a small, focused team.
At the same time, all across the seas, other guests who had received Big Mom's invitation were also setting sail. This Tea Party was guaranteed to be a lively one. With Doflamingo's "acceptance" of the invitation, Whole Cake Island was going to be... eventful.
On Angel Island, Enel had finally returned to familiar territory. Seeing the beautiful sky island again, his mood brightened considerably.
The people of Angel Island were, by now, more than familiar with the Donquixote Family. The moment Enel was spotted, a report was sent to the "divine messengers."
"Lord Enel, welcome back!" Gan Fall and the old Shandian Chief hurried to greet him.
Enel was in a good mood, seeing his old acquaintances. "Ye hahaha! You two look like you've been doing well all these years."
"It is only thanks to God's light that we have been able to live in such harmony," Gan Fall and the Chief said in unison. They were sincere.
With their old war finally over, Sky Island's population had begun to flourish. While the new God's Guard wasn't particularly strong, they served as a valuable reserve of manpower—all of them future combatants for the Donquxote Family, ready to fight at Doflamingo's command.
Enel, listening to their report, was pleased. He glanced around, not seeing the "little brat" Monet had told him about.
Seeing Enel's searching gaze, Gan Fall understood. "Lady Sugar is at the shrine," he said quickly.
"Ye hahaha! That little brat is probably just enjoying herself. I'll go see her. Her sister and Doffy miss her, you know," Enel laughed.
"Lady Sugar is living very well."
"Right. Let's go see."
When they arrived at the shrine, they found Sugar holding a large bowl of grapes, being waited on by several young attendants, living a life utterly free of all worries.
Damn, Enel thought, even I'm jealous of that lifestyle.
"Little Sugar, you look like you're having a good time!"
Enel's booming, sarcastic voice caught her attention. Seeing a familiar face, Sugar's eyes lit up.
"Lord Enel! You're here! Where's my sister? Where's the Young Master?" She scrambled over on her short legs, full of questions.
"I thought you'd have forgotten all about us."
"No way! I've missed my sister and the Young Master so much!" Sugar said, wrinkling her nose cutely.
"Alright, alright, I believe you." Enel wasn't about to argue with a kid.
"Lord Enel, are you here for something? Are you here to take me back?" she asked, her eyes wide with excitement.
"Of course I'm here to pick you up. But you're just one part of the cargo. I'm here to take the entire Sky Island."
"I knew it! That's great!" Sugar was so excited about seeing her sister that Enel's full statement didn't even register.
Enel rubbed his nose, exasperated. Fine, I'm just the delivery boy.
A few days later, Enel began the operation, preparing to move both Birka and Angel Island. Tens of thousands of meters in the air, the two massive islands slowly began to drift away.
One had to wonder: years from now, when Straw Hat Luffy arrived and found the sky empty, just how disappointed would he be?
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