Furthermore, in Doflamingo's mind, El surely viewed the Marines as troublesome enemies as well.
Therefore, if he didn't make it clear that he had already resigned from the Seven Warlords… he was genuinely afraid.
He feared that El might suddenly attack and kill him simply because he was serving the Marines. After all, as a Warlord, he would essentially be considered an enemy to El.
"Where is the Op-Op Fruit?"
El demanded directly.
He didn't care in the slightest whether Doflamingo had resigned or not.
Right now, he didn't even consider the top powerhouses of the Marines worth his attention. So why would he care about someone like Doflamingo?
El was certain the fruit was on this island. And since Doflamingo was here too, it meant he must know exactly where it was.
"Law took it. He probably got knocked out by your Conqueror's Haki. He should still be somewhere on this island right now." Doflamingo answered truthfully.
If even his own executives were knocked out instantly by El's Haki, there was no way Law could resist it.
In the future, Law would indeed become incredibly powerful and talented. But right now… he was still just a teenager. There was no way he could withstand pressure of that magnitude.
El glanced at Doflamingo indifferently, then turned and walked deeper into the island.
Watching El's figure disappear into the distance, Doflamingo let out a long sigh of relief.
Thank goodness El had no interest in him. If El had even an ounce of killing intent toward him… there was no way he would have left this place alive today!!!
Doflamingo turned around and walked back into the house.
By now, almost all his subordinates who had been knocked out by the Haki had woken up. They stood up shakily, looking around in confusion.
"What happened, Doflamingo?" Trebol asked, looking around bewilderedly.
He only remembered seeing Doflamingo shoot and kill Rocinante. But the very next second, his vision went black. When he woke up, he found himself inside this small hut.
"Just now… why did I pass out?" Pica asked, equally confused.
"That monster El is here. You all… were knocked out by his Haki."
Doflamingo sat down on a chair, opened a bottle of wine, and took a sip.
"E… El?!"
Hearing that name, all the pirates present couldn't help but gasp in shock.
They had heard the name countless times before, but facing a being of that level… they still felt nothing but absolute fear and awe!
"So the Op-Op Fruit is really that important to him…" Diamante said with a serious expression.
"It's terrifying to imagine what would happen if he gained immortality… the seas would be thrown into total chaos!"
"Actually… if that really happens, I think it might be very beneficial for us." Doflamingo smiled slightly.
Right now, El was already an enormous threat, feared deeply by the World Government and the top Marines.
One could only imagine how much greater that threat would become if he obtained eternal life!
Doflamingo guessed that if El became immortal, the World Government and the Marines would throw every single resource and soldier they had into fighting him.
The result would inevitably be a war where both sides suffered heavy losses… or perhaps even one where either El or the Marine top brass would die.
If the strongest fighters in the world were removed from the board… that would leave much more room and opportunity for people like them in the middle.
Doflamingo's ultimate goal was to become the Pirate King. Naturally, he would be more than happy to see the current top powerhouses disappear.
"By the way… if El arrived here at this time, doesn't that mean the Marines… are probably also on this island right now?" Trebol asked.
Both El and the Marines possessed incredibly powerful intelligence networks.
El had arrived here immediately upon hearing the news. And given how important this fruit was to them… the Marines must have sent their strongest men as well!
"If the Marines are here too… maybe we're about to witness a battle that will shake the entire world!" Pica said.
El wanted the fruit to live forever. The Marines wanted it to stop El from becoming immortal.
If they met, neither side would back down an inch!!!
A fight was absolutely guaranteed to break out!
Hearing Pica's words, everyone else fell into deep thought.
If they stayed here, they might get to witness a legendary battle. But… watching a fight at that level was extremely dangerous. They could easily get caught in the crossfire and lose their lives.
"Even though it's dangerous… how could we possibly miss a battle of this scale?!" Diamante said excitedly.
"That's right! To see something like this with our own eyes, we could die happy! And if they really fight, we can just stay far away and watch, right?"
The others agreed wholeheartedly.
They didn't know for sure if El and the Marines would actually meet and fight. But for now, they had no intention of leaving.
If they fought, they got to see history being made.
If they didn't… well, they would only have wasted a little bit of time. They wouldn't lose anything.
....
Meanwhile, in another area of the island.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Garp, Sengoku, Zephyr, and Tsuru led a large group of Marines to the center of the island.
"There seems to be a child lying over there."
Zephyr was the first to notice Law, who was lying unconscious on the ground.
"Look! He's holding a fruit in his hand… it looks like… it's the Op-Op Fruit!" Sengoku exclaimed.
They had come here specifically for this fruit, so they knew exactly what it looked like from the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia.
Based on Sengoku's observation, there was no doubt about it. The fruit in the boy's hand was exactly the one they had been searching for!
"There's no mistake! That is definitely the Op-Op Fruit!" Garp said, his eyes lighting up.
"Quickly take the fruit and let's leave this place immediately!" Tsuru urged.
From the moment they arrived at the coast, they had felt that overwhelming Conqueror's Haki spreading across the entire island.
That meant El was definitely here too!
But surprisingly, they hadn't run into him yet. Instead, they had found the fruit first.
That meant their mission was already accomplished! There was no need to stay any longer; they could take the fruit and return successfully.
The group quickly rushed over to Law and carefully took the Op-Op Fruit from his hand.
Sengoku looked down at the boy, stroking his chin thoughtfully.
"If I'm not mistaken… this little guy is one of Doflamingo's subordinates. His name is Trafalgar Law."
"Not sure why he's here like this… but what should we do with him? Take him back with us or…?"
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