Chapter 25: Doflamingo, the Dream Fulfiller

The story splits in two. Doflamingo continued his stroll through the streets alone. Meanwhile, Pica, fuming with anger, returned to the tavern, where the lively atmosphere continued unabated, filled with laughter and chatter.

The small-time thug from earlier was still there, boasting loudly and glorifying his "achievements," contributing to the jovial mood.

Seeing Pica re-enter the tavern, the thug, true to form, didn't hold back his taunts. "Isn't this one of those two wimps from before? What, did you get lost on your way home?"

"Hahahaha!"

The tavern erupted in boisterous laughter. Pica didn't speak, instead walking directly towards the thug.

"What, you wanna fight me? You look big and strong, but I wonder if you're actually strong enough to hurt anyone," the thug sneered, his attitude incredibly arrogant.

Smack!

To everyone's shock, Pica sent the thug flying with a single punch.

"I won't spare anyone who insults our Young Master," Pica's shrill voice echoed throughout the tavern. Although the voice itself was rather comical, no one present dared to laugh.

Because the person who had just been sent flying wasn't just some random thug; he was the pirate with the highest bounty among them – "The Executioner" Sam, worth 30 million Berries.

"How dare you! Kid, do you know who I am?! I'm going to—" The now-airborne Sam shouted as he got back to his feet.

Unfortunately, before he could finish his sentence, Pica's large hand grabbed his face. With a squeeze, a single, fatal blow. Sam's head burst like a watermelon, splattering its contents everywhere, causing screams of terror to erupt throughout the tavern.

"Ah! Executioner Sam, the 30-million-Berry pirate, was just destroyed by him with one hand!" an onlooker cried out in horror.

Pica didn't take any pride in their shock and awe. His only thought was to quickly deal with those who dared insult his Young Master. Nothing was more important than the Young Master's affairs.

He no longer held back, unleashing his full power. No one was to escape. A bloody massacre unfolded within the tavern.

The tavern floor was littered with corpses, and rivers of blood flowed. Even the seasoned bartender was scared out of his wits, deeply impressed by this young man and praying for his swift departure. Pica, however, felt nothing towards the bartender; he only targeted those who deserved it.

His task completed, Pica, covered in blood, left the tavern, leaving behind only the bartender and a few innocent bystanders.

Diamante and Usman, who were searching for Cricket, had made several inquiries without success. Hearing the commotion from the tavern, they rushed towards it, just as they encountered Pica, stained with blood, exiting the building.

"Pica, what happened? Where's the Young Master?" Diamante urgently asked Pica.

"The Young Master left earlier. We came to the tavern to gather information, and some small fry dared to mock the Young Master. Although the Young Master didn't care, I couldn't stand for it. I asked for the Young Master's leave to deal with this trash."

Hearing Pica's shrill voice, Diamante thought it was hilarious, but he held back his laughter. He was, after all, professionally trained.

Having understood the situation, Diamante immediately stated, "Good riddance! It's a shame I arrived late. Though the Young Master himself may not care, remember this: the King shall not be insulted!"

"Yes!" his subordinates responded in unison.

"Let's go. We need to continue searching for Cricket. The Young Master's business cannot be delayed."

The group quickly left the tavern, scattering in different directions.

Doflamingo walked alone through the streets, unfazed, enjoying a rare moment of relaxation. He was trying to recall Cricket's location. He seemed to remember that Cricket lived in a half-finished house by the shore, using wooden planks to make up for the missing walls and decorating it with a castle that appeared in the picture book about Noland the Liar. Zoro had once commented that it was "really cheap." This was also the headquarters of the Saruyama Alliance.

Having remembered Cricket's location, he didn't linger any longer and headed towards it.

By the shore, a young man with a chestnut-shaped head – Mont Blanc Cricket – was banging away at something. He was so engrossed in his work that he didn't hear the approaching footsteps.

"Are you Mont Blanc Cricket, descendant of the great adventurer Mont Blanc Noland?"

Cricket, busy with his work, was suddenly startled by the words "great adventurer Mont Blanc Noland." How many years had it been? Noland was always referred to as "the Liar." Hearing the term "great adventurer" for the first time in so long filled Cricket's heart with excitement. Although he hadn't yet found the City of Gold his ancestor had spoken of, this was the first time in many years that someone had acknowledged his ancestor's title as a great adventurer. This was undoubtedly a form of validation.

"That's right, I am a descendant of Noland," Cricket said, his voice filled with emotion. "May I ask what you need?"

Seeing that he had found the right person, Doflamingo was also excited. "I want to go to Skypiea. I need your help."

"Skypiea?" Cricket was puzzled, his expression skeptical. At first, he thought the other man had come for Noland's sake, but he was clearly mistaken. For so many years, generation after generation continued to hold onto hope, striving to prove the existence of the City of Gold and break the "curse" of the Mont Blanc family, gambling their lives in a struggle against fate. It was truly admirable.

"That's right, Skypiea. I know you have doubts. Haven't you been here all these years trying to prove the existence of the City of Gold?" Doflamingo knew Cricket had his reservations, but he wasn't worried. Cricket wasn't much older than him at this point and probably hadn't formed the Saruyama Alliance yet. He was confident he could persuade Cricket.

"But you've been looking in the wrong place. The City of Gold isn't underwater, but in the sky, 10,000 meters above – on Skypiea."

Doflamingo's words seemed to stir something within Cricket, and his emotions were in turmoil for a long time.

"Does Skypiea really exist?"

"Of course. But I need your help," Doflamingo seized the opportunity to state his terms. "We need to use the Knock-Up Stream to reach Skypiea. Skypiea is up there, 10,000 meters in the sky."

"The Knock-Up Stream is not something to be trifled with. It's incredibly dangerous. Aren't you... afraid?" Cricket asked after hearing this.

"Skypiea is my dream. A man has to make sacrifices for his dreams. And the City of Gold is up there. Cricket, don't you want to see it?" Doflamingo's will was firm, and he extended an invitation to Cricket.

Cricket looked at the determined man before him, awed by his dream, and at the same time, he couldn't contain the restlessness in his own heart. This was an opportunity, a chance to prove to the world the existence of the City of Gold and to clear the shame of the Mont Blanc family.

Cricket, who had lived on Jaya Island for many years, had always been dedicated to salvaging operations, but to no avail. Now, hearing that the City of Gold was in the sky, he could no longer suppress his desire. So what if the Knock-Up Stream was dangerous? He, Cricket, was determined to go to Skypiea.

"Alright, I'll help you. I want to go to Skypiea with you to see for myself."

Hearing Cricket's reply, Doflamingo showed no signs of excitement, because it was all as it should be. The City of Gold had become their curse, and they would spare no effort, even if it meant shattering their bodies to pieces, to break that curse.

Sigh, it seems I, Doflamingo, am destined to be the master of fulfilling pirates' dreams. I'm such a kind person.