Flevance was known throughout the world as the White Town.
It was the only country in the world blessed with deposits of Amber Lead, and its complete monopoly over the valuable mineral had made it one of the wealthiest nations in the North Blue.
Inside the courtyard of an estate in Flevance, a man with short, pale-blond hair rested in a rocking chair.
He appeared rather young.
His features had not fully matured, leaving him with the youthful appearance of someone around sixteen or seventeen.
Yet there was something about his presence that did not match his boyish face.
At first glance, one might easily mistake him for a man in his twenties.
As he relaxed in the quiet courtyard, the faint sound of approaching footsteps came from beyond the gate.
A moment later, a man entered the courtyard.
He wore a black suit and dark brown sunglasses, with a cigarette resting between his lips.
His movements were composed and refined, giving him the air of a courteous gentleman.
Hearing him approach, the blond man tilted his head slightly.
He reached for the orange-tinted sunglasses on the table beside him and placed them over his eyes.
“Señor…” He sat up as he spoke.
The newcomer was none other than Señor Pink, an officer of the Donquixote Family in the North Blue.
At this point in his life, Señor Pink was still handsome, calm, and impeccably dressed.
He had yet to adopt the absurd appearance he would become known for after the tragedy that awaited him.
“Young Master,” Señor Pink greeted, stopping a few steps away.
The man he addressed as Young Master was, without question, Donquixote Doflamingo.
Doflamingo’s life had been anything but ordinary.
He had been born a Celestial Dragon before becoming one of the most influential figures in the North Blue’s underworld.
In time, he would become a broker in the criminal world, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, the king of Dressrosa… And eventually, a prisoner of Impel Down.
None of that mattered now.
The Doflamingo standing here had ceased to be the man from the original story when he was ten years old.
He could still remember the moment he regained consciousness in Mary Geoise.
An unfamiliar soul had awakened inside Doflamingo’s body, surrounded by a crowd of grotesque Celestial Dragons who pointed at him, condemned him, and showered him with insults.
In his hand, he had been holding a severed head.
It belonged to his father.
Having finally reached his limit with his naïve and foolish parent, the ten-year-old Doflamingo had murdered Donquixote Homing with his own hands.
He then carried his father’s head to Mary Geoise, believing it would earn him the right to return and live as a Celestial Dragon once more.
Reality had proved otherwise.
He had been humiliated and driven out of the Holy Land in disgrace.
Strangely enough, the inexplicable arrival of another soul had caused no obvious complications.
No one noticed anything unusual about him.
Even Doflamingo himself felt entirely at home within his new body.
His memories, instincts, and even the Conqueror’s Haki he had possessed since birth remained fully accessible.
After being cast out of Mary Geoise, he did not act recklessly.
He returned to the North Blue, where Trebol and the other misfits who had witnessed his Conqueror’s Haki hailed him as their king.
Together, they established the Donquixote Family and steadily expanded their influence across the sea.
On the surface, everything seemed to be unfolding much as it had in the original story.
Yet there were a few important differences.
For instance, when Trebol and the others presented their treasured String-String Fruit to the young Doflamingo, hoping he would become a Paramecia Devil Fruit user, he rejected it with undisguised contempt.
The Young Master had no interest in eating the String-String Fruit.
As a result, the current Donquixote Doflamingo was not a Devil Fruit user.
Doflamingo stretched lazily, loosening his shoulders before asking, “How did it go?” “We successfully bribed several of Flevance’s ministers,” Señor Pink reported calmly.
“Trebol has already signed a five-year Amber Lead mining agreement with the country’s mining authority.
We also secured the rights to six newly surveyed mines with exceptionally rich deposits.” The Donquixote Family had come to Flevance because the mining agreement they signed two years earlier had expired.
Doflamingo also intended to expand the operation, so he had personally brought several of the Family’s officers with him to oversee the negotiations.
So far, everything appeared to be progressing smoothly.
Doflamingo tapped his slender fingers against the small round table beside him.
After thinking for a moment, he said, “Good.
Follow the original plan.
Once the World Government’s share has been deducted, move all remaining Amber Lead through the underworld.” The royal family of Flevance maintained close ties with the World Government, and no Amber Lead mining operation could avoid involving them.
It did not matter who operated the mines or what status they possessed.
Anyone granted mining rights in Flevance was required to hand over thirty percent of the extracted Amber Lead to the World Government without compensation.
Anyone unwilling to comply would never receive permission to mine in the first place.
Neither Doflamingo nor the Donquixote Family currently possessed enough influence to challenge the World Government.
Even the rising tyrant of the North Blue had to follow their rules—for now.
“That won’t be a problem,” Señor Pink replied immediately.
“Our operations over the past two years have already proven that smuggling Amber Lead through the underworld is far more profitable than selling it through official channels.” The Donquixote Family was already the largest smuggling organization in the North Blue.
Although they could legally extract and sell Amber Lead in Flevance, legality had never been their primary concern.
To maximize their profits, they intended to funnel the mineral into the black market.
Not only would it earn them more money, but Amber Lead’s rarity and restricted supply would also help them expand their network of connections throughout the criminal underworld.
“Fuffuffuffu… This deal went far more smoothly than I expected.” The corners of Doflamingo’s mouth lifted into a pleased smile.
“It proves that under your leadership, the Donquixote Family has become far stronger and more influential than it was two years ago,” Señor Pink said with an easy smile.
“At least here in the North Blue.” “We still have a long way to go.” Doflamingo shook his head before glancing around the courtyard with visible distaste.
“The dust in Flevance’s air never fails to make me uncomfortable.” “The toxins from Amber Lead are only released at the instant the mineral is exposed to the air during excavation,” Señor Pink said teasingly.
“I believe this particular discomfort exists only in your imagination, Young Master.” “And you believe everything the World Government tells you?” Doflamingo scoffed.
As far as the public knew, extracting Amber Lead was no different from mining any other mineral.
There were supposedly no exceptional dangers involved.
Only a small number of people knew the truth.
The World Government had discovered long ago that Amber Lead released trace amounts of poison when newly excavated ore first came into contact with the air.
Worse still, the toxins accumulated in the body and could be passed down through generations.
Doflamingo had never been foolish enough to accept the World Government’s claims without question.
No matter what assurances they offered, it was best to limit his exposure to Amber Lead.
As Doflamingo and Señor Pink continued their conversation, the Den Den Mushi sitting on the nearby table suddenly began to ring.
Doflamingo glanced toward it.
Behind his orange-tinted glasses, his eyes immediately lit up.
He snatched up the receiver.
“Diamante… I hope you’re calling with good news.” “Doffy!
I found a lead on Sleeping Ancient Town!” Diamante exclaimed from the other end of the line.
Doflamingo’s breathing quickened.
A rare look of anticipation entered his eyes as he immediately asked, “What did you find?” “An antiquities smuggler from Minion Island told me that when he was younger, he once saw books mentioning Sleeping Ancient Town inside the Tree of Knowledge in Ohara, the archaeological sanctuary of the West Blue.
There may still be records about the island there!” Doflamingo fell silent for a moment.
Then he clicked his tongue in frustration.
“I should have thought of that sooner.
Of course a place like Ohara would have clues!” Sleeping Ancient Town was a lost island, long forgotten by history.
Hidden somewhere on that island was a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit coveted even by the Red Count, Patrick Redfield.
And Donquixote Doflamingo intended to claim that Devil Fruit for himself.