It was over. The power structure of the North Blue had been decided. A new ruler had risen. The survivors on the battlefield looked towards the young man responsible with eyes full of passion and reverence. It was he who had led them to conquer the North Blue, forging a new legend.
"Alright, everyone's worked hard," Doflamingo's gaze swept across his assembled forces, his voice carrying clearly. "Thanks to everyone's help this time, we were able to deal with them so quickly. Prepare for a banquet!"
"Alright! A banquet!" "The North Blue is ours now!" "Hahaha! See? Following the Young Master is the only way to have a future!"
Hearing Doflamingo's declaration, cheers erupted, and the atmosphere instantly shifted to celebration. Laughter and excited chatter filled the air.
"Diamante," Doflamingo instructed his executive, who had approached his side, "I leave everything to you. Make sure everyone is taken care of properly." His voice lowered slightly. "Also, clean up the remnants of those families sooner rather than later. In our territory, only our voice should be heard."
"Rest assured, Doffy. You can count on me," Diamante replied, giving Doflamingo a confident look. Doflamingo trusted Diamante's competence implicitly. Without further words, he led Robin and Ibes away from the battlefield, intending to leave the cleanup to his subordinates.
The residents of the town, hearing the sounds of battle cease after a long while, cautiously began to emerge from their homes, assuming the conflict had ended. Activity slowly returned, and the city, scarred by cannon fire, gradually came back to life.
Night fell. Countless stars glittered in the sky, shamelessly clustered around the radiant, moon – a truly beautiful scene.
Beneath the night sky, the cool moonlight illuminated the faces of the Donquixote Family members, each one beaming with joy.
"Drink up, brothers! We accomplished so much today! Wonder what kind of rewards the Young Master will give us?" "Don't worry! The Young Master will definitely remember our contributions!" "Yeah! For now, let's just drink! We can worry about that stuff tomorrow. Tonight belongs to the booze!" "That's right! Watch me drink all of you under the table! Hahaha!" "You? Dream on! Don't you know I can hold a thousand cups without getting drunk?"
In a wide, open space, the members of the Donquixote Family gathered. Cups clinked, meat was devoured heartily, and wine flowed freely. It was a scene of unrestrained revelry, everyone basking in the glow of victory.
Doflamingo and his core executives sat at a separate table laden with fine food and wine. Each was engaged with their meal, though their table manners presented a study in contrasts – some ate with refined elegance, others with boisterous vulgarity. It was a slice of life, all at one table.
Doflamingo elegantly cut a piece of steak, chewed it thoughtfully, took a small sip of red wine, and dabbed his mouth with a nearby napkin. He then leaned back, observing the scene, taking in the state of each of his key people. The women ate gracefully, while the men were generally rougher around the edges. Not that Doflamingo minded.
Raising his wine glass, Doflamingo stood up from his chair. Looking out at the crowd still deeply engrossed in drinking and eating, he prepared to speak.
"Men!"
His clear voice, amplified slightly perhaps by his presence alone, cut through the noise, instantly silencing the entire gathering. All activity ceased. Every eye turned towards Doflamingo, awaiting their Young Master's words.
"This first cup," Doflamingo began, holding his glass aloft, "I raise to all of you. Thank you for your hard work for the Donquixote Family. This time, every single one of you contributed. Every single one of you will be rewarded." He knew that relying solely on intimidation couldn't truly win people's hearts. What Doflamingo desired wasn't just outward obedience from his subordinates; he wanted their genuine allegiance. Only then could the Donquixote Family truly grow stronger. Although their individual strengths weren't that great currently, everyone had their role to play. Besides, cultivating a good reputation would make it easier to gain loyalty and recruit new members in the future. He certainly wouldn't miss such a perfect opportunity to win hearts and minds.
"Young Master! Banzai!" "Thank you, Young Master!"
Hearing their leader's words, the Donquixote Family members erupted in even more enthusiastic cheers, their spirits soaring higher than before.
"Fuffuffuffu… Let the party get even wilder! Eat your fill! Drink your fill!" Doflamingo laughed, encouraging the revelry before downing the red wine in his glass in one smooth motion.
The wild celebration continued, but now it truly belonged to the members of the Donquixote Family. Doflamingo had already departed after his toast. Without their leader present, the men relaxed even further, the atmosphere becoming looser, more convivial. Even some of the newer recruits, who might have initially joined with impure motives, found themselves caught up in the infectious camaraderie, beginning to truly accept their new identity as part of the Family.
"Robin, why did you stop eating?" Doflamingo asked the little one beside him sometime later, having found her away from the main festivities.
"It's nothing, Big Brother. I just don't have much appetite. Besides, I'm already full," Robin replied, blinking her large eyes playfully.
"Is that so?" Doflamingo easily guessed some of her thoughts – she likely felt uncomfortable among the boisterous strangers, having little in common with them, naturally preferring his company. He didn't point it out, however. Time will take care of it. She'll get used to them eventually.
Doflamingo led Robin away, and gradually, the other executives began to excuse themselves from the main party as well.
The banquet raged on for three days and three nights, a thorough celebration allowing the crew to completely unwind. The continuous festivities certainly caught the attention of the town's residents, though none dared to pry too deeply, contenting themselves with curiosity. Such grand events were rare, after all.
Doflamingo was true to his word. The promised rewards were distributed, generous amounts of Beli finding their way into the hands of his subordinates. Most ordinary people who turned to the mafia or piracy did so simply to survive, to feed themselves and their families. This rotten world was notoriously harsh on those at the bottom. If not forced by desperation, who would choose a life of constant danger, licking blood off knife-edges? Wouldn't a peaceful life with a wife, kids, and a warm hearth be infinitely preferable?
Upon receiving the hefty stacks of Beli, the Donquixote Family members were grinning from ear to ear, their eyes curved into crescents. Every single one of them was extremely satisfied.
Doflamingo entrusted the task of cleaning up the remnants of the Five Families to Diamante. Diamante promptly set out with his forces to absorb all their territories and remaining power structures. The North Blue would remain unstable for a short while, but it was merely the death throes of the old regime – minor ripples in the grand scheme of things.
A few sunny days later, the Donquixote Family had settled into a new rhythm, with everyone assigned specific tasks. Diamante and other executives were busy hunting down the last vestiges of resistance, leaving only Ibes and Robin relatively idle at the base.
Doflamingo had left Robin in Ibes's care, but Robin, being independent by nature, simply retreated into her books whenever Doflamingo wasn't around. Ibes found her attempts to look after the girl largely unnecessary. Doflamingo himself, meanwhile, was planning his next move: recruitment.
Although the Donquixote Family now possessed immense prestige and apparent power, Doflamingo knew it was mostly superficial. He was the only truly formidable individual they could present. The others still lagged far behind. His immediate priorities were clear: first, establish his own underworld network to generate substantial profits (a task Diamante was handling, much to Doflamingo's relief). Second, recruit more talent. The underworld connections were progressing, but recruitment required his personal attention. While he had plenty of fodder, mid-to-high tier strength was severely lacking. Finding suitable talent was difficult; powerful individuals were often proud and wouldn't necessarily be impressed by his current standing.
Therefore, Doflamingo decided to settle for the next best thing: he set his sights on the original Donquixote Family executives from his past.
Truthfully, Doflamingo didn't hold overwhelmingly positive feelings towards all of them, but their loyalty was an undeniable asset, something he couldn't ignore. The Family's development desperately needed more capable people. As the proverb says, "A just cause attracts much support," and great ambitions required many helpers.
Doflamingo put out the word that the Donquixote Family was recruiting, hoping to attract skilled individuals. He didn't hold high expectations, though; anyone with real strength usually had considerable pride and wouldn't be easily swayed. In addition to this open call, Doflamingo began compiling a list of known strong individuals within the North Blue. He planned to pay each of them a personal visit… and have a very pleasant chat to persuade them.
The war for supremacy in the North Blue was over, but for the newly crowned Donquixote Family, the work was just beginning, and they remained extremely busy consolidating their power.