One Piece: A King's Path Anew

Doflamingo and Ibes's relationship had grown increasingly close over the past month. As Doflamingo's secretary, Ibes naturally dedicated herself to managing all of his affairs with the utmost care.

Of course, the subtle intimacy between the two hadn't gone unnoticed by others. Ibes's status had risen considerably, and she was now considered someone not to be trifled with within the Donquixote Family.

Ibes was indeed incredibly diligent, and Doflamingo was full of praise for her work.

Regarding the construction of the Ark Maxim, Birka had quite a few skilled craftsmen. Unfortunately, Birka currently lacked sufficient gold resources. And what better conductor for electricity was there than gold? Speaking of gold, what better place to find it than Angel Island? The Ark Maxim was undoubtedly the ship best suited to unleash the full potential of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. Its construction couldn't be delayed any longer. It seemed Angel Island needed to be conquered as soon as possible.

During this month, Doflamingo hadn't been idle. Aside from chatting about life with his beautiful secretary, he had spent most of his time immersed in developing his Rumble-Rumble Fruit abilities.

With Enel's previous development as a template, Doflamingo had an excellent reference point. It had to be said that Enel's initial development of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit had been truly exceptional. Aside from his lacking physical combat skills, ignorance of Armament Haki, and unawakened Conqueror's Haki, he would have been considered a top-tier powerhouse even in the Blue Sea. After all, the power of lightning was a unique and formidable force.

Besides adapting and mimicking some of Enel's techniques, Doflamingo was also planning to broaden the applications of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. It had to be acknowledged that the Rumble-Rumble Fruit's biggest weakness was Monkey D. Luffy. The fact that the Rumble-Rumble Fruit was countered by the Gum-Gum Fruit was something Doflamingo was well aware of. But Doflamingo refused to accept defeat. Absolute insulation, you say? Fine, I won't use lightning against you. I'll find another way to fight you. I don't believe you can counter everything I, Donquixote Doflamingo, throw at you!

"60 Million Volt Discharge!"

The small mound of earth in front of Doflamingo was instantly obliterated by the power of the lightning. Ibes, standing behind him, was always awestruck whenever she witnessed Doflamingo's power. She truly believed that Doflamingo was a god, for only a god could wield the power of lightning. After all, everyone held a sense of awe and reverence for lightning – it was divine punishment, a majestic display of heavenly power. How could mere mortals hope to contend with it?

"Is this it? Am I only capable of this much?" Doflamingo was deeply dissatisfied with himself. He still couldn't surpass the maximum output of 60 million volts. It seemed he was still a long way from Enel's 200 Million Volt Amaru.

The Rumble-Rumble Fruit was indeed powerful. Not only were its techniques flashy and stylish, but they were also incredibly destructive. However, it consumed a tremendous amount of stamina. If a weakling ate it, they'd be exhausted after just a few attacks, leaving them unable to fight.

"My God, you mustn't belittle yourself so. In my eyes, you are the strongest," Ibes said, her tone like that of a caring older sister, always providing Doflamingo with timely comfort and support.

"Fuffuffuffu... You're right. After all, I've only just obtained this power. I will become stronger," Doflamingo said, his gloomy mood instantly lifting after hearing Ibes's words. In high spirits, he walked over to Ibes, pinched her delicate cheek, and laughed cheerfully.

"My God, you...please don't," Ibes protested, blushing.

Doflamingo promptly released her cheek, finding her pouting expression utterly adorable.

"Let's go. I'll show you the outside world. Birka is far too small," Doflamingo said, suppressing the flutter in his heart. After speaking to Ibes, he turned and left.

"My God, wait for me!" Ibes cried out, quickly jogging to catch up.

Life had been quite peaceful for the Donquixote Family members over the past month. Enel, the newcomer, had integrated well with the crew, with the exception of Pica. The two constantly clashed, unable to stand each other, though neither could currently overpower the other.

Vergo's injuries had also healed significantly, allowing him to resume training. The recent battle had been a valuable learning experience for Vergo, further solidifying his desire for the power of Haki. Unfortunately, he still couldn't awaken it. If he had possessed Haki during that battle, he wouldn't have been so helpless.

Currently, only a handful of people in the Donquixote Family wielded Haki. Aside from Doflamingo, Trebol, and Diamante, everyone else was clueless, yearning for a power they couldn't grasp. Of course, Enel now had to be added to that list. After Diamante's explanation, Enel understood what Haki was. Now, Enel was the most enthusiastic about physical training. Naturally, Pica, refusing to be outdone, often sparred with Enel.

Doflamingo considered this a positive development. These individuals all had the potential for Haki, yet their strength in the original timeline had been utterly pathetic. They were useless at everything. Not only was their Devil Fruit development garbage, and their Haki mastery nonexistent, but they also constantly relied on Doflamingo's reputation to act tough. Truly pathetic. Having such subordinates was a burden for Doflamingo. He had to personally handle almost every fight. He had no choice! His subordinates were all incompetent. Aside from Vergo, no one was truly capable. They were either braggarts constantly getting their faces slapped or traitors to the family. Enel's arrival, however, had introduced a unique, positive catalyst.

Doflamingo was delighted to see this change. He had high hopes for Enel, Pica, and Vergo. These three possessed genuine talent that shouldn't be wasted. Aside from finding powerful Devil Fruits for the other two, he needed to ensure they trained their Haki diligently. Their strength needed to reach at least the level of the Three Disasters. As for the other two, frankly, their talent was mediocre. Trebol's Devil Fruit ability was disgusting, and his Haki was weak; Diamante's swordsmanship looked impressive, reaching the level of a swordsman, but in the eyes of experts, he was a second-rate swordsman who didn't even bother to properly train. And as for his Haki... the less said, the better. If these two couldn't improve their strength, they were destined to be nothing more than warehouse and water cooler custodians. No one could change that.

Today was the day the Donquixote Family departed from Birka. Birka was too small to contain a true dragon like Doflamingo. The citizens of Birka came to see them off, as if nothing had happened a month ago. The Birkans had become obedient, peacefully going about their lives. After all, whether there was a God or not, their lives went on as usual.

The former God of Birka was imprisoned in the great jail. There were still those loyal to him who attempted to rescue him, but on that day, they witnessed what true divine power was. The majestic, terrifying might was so overwhelming that they lost all will to resist. Instead, they willingly submitted to Doflamingo's rule, striving to maintain the peace and stability of Birka.

Doflamingo had no interest in governing Birka. Before leaving, he specifically left Kapac Usman in charge. After all, Usman had experience as a leader, so managing Birka on Doflamingo's behalf wouldn't be a problem. However, Usman was reluctant, even willing to die rather than be separated from Doflamingo. Doflamingo after much persuasion and heartfelt words, explained to Usman that Birka would serve as their base, and he was only temporarily managing it. He assured Usman that there would definitely be a place for him in the future, and only then did Usman agree to take over. With everything settled, Doflamingo, having arranged everything in Birka, departed with Ibes, the family members, and Birka's skilled craftsmen for their next conquest.

Angel Island. It was time to begin a new chapter.

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