One and a half years. Not too long, not too short – that much time had simply passed. The seas remained as tumultuous as ever. Countless aspiring pirates set sail for the Grand Line, but none ever seemed to return. Whether they were claimed by the treacherous waters, felled by the Navy, or met their end at the hands of other pirates, no one knew. Yet, even this grim reality couldn't extinguish the burning passion that drove people to sea.
Throughout this period, Doflamingo had maintained a low profile, dedicating every available moment to honing his plans and his people. The structured, fulfilling routine of daily training and instruction brought him a deep sense of satisfaction.
Thanks to his seclusion, the Navy hadn't managed to pinpoint his location. Free from their interference, Doflamingo rather enjoyed the peace and quiet.
He had spent a considerable amount of time in the North Blue now, channeling his energy into training Enel, Pica, and Ibes, alongside his own rigorous self-cultivation. Ibes's development during this time was what pleased Doflamingo the most. Transforming from a defenseless civilian woman into a rookie with tangible combat ability was no small feat. The progress of the other two was certainly acceptable as well. Doflamingo had distinct plans for Enel, Pica, and Ibes, especially concerning their future Devil Fruits. He had already decided which fruits would suit them; the only thing missing now was the means to acquire them. As soon as he received word on their locations, Doflamingo intended to personally secure them, further bolstering his Family's strength.
Ibes, once an ordinary person with negligible fighting prowess, had shown remarkable improvement after a year of intense training. She hadn't buckled under the difficulty; instead, she gritted her teeth and persevered. As they say, effort is never truly wasted. Unfortunately, the timing of her Haki awakening remained uncertain. It could only be nurtured slowly, building a solid physical foundation first, allowing her potential to naturally bloom when ready.
Though her Haki hadn't manifested, Ibes hadn't been without gains. Doflamingo was intimately familiar with the principles behind the Rokushiki techniques Soru and Geppo. Soru involved kicking off the ground dozens of times in rapid succession to generate explosive force for high-speed movement. Geppo, essentially an advanced application of Soru, allowed one to kick off the air itself, granting flight. Doflamingo, naturally, had mastered both – always better to be prepared. The pleasant surprise was that Ibes had also managed to grasp these techniques. While she hadn't technically "graduated" from Doflamingo's intense curriculum yet, she now possessed valuable skills. Her current focus needed to be diligently polishing her physique in preparation for awakening Haki.
Enel, born with powerful Observation Haki, had paradoxically benefited from losing the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. He could now concentrate fully on strengthening his body. Over the year, Enel not only endured Doflamingo's harsh training to awaken Armament Haki but also mastered Soru and Geppo. Awakening Armament Haki had cost him considerable physical suffering, finally achieved just as the year drew to a close. This breakthrough left Enel absolutely elated, and he didn't miss a chance to flaunt it in front of Pica, much to Pica's envy. Their bickering became a constant fixture.
With this, Enel had effectively graduated from Doflamingo's primary training program. His future development was now largely in his own hands. Conveniently, with the North Blue conquest still underway, Enel's restless spirit finally had an outlet.
Pica, truth be told, possessed considerable latent talent for Armament Haki, yet he only managed to awaken it some time after Enel. The moment he did, Pica felt instantly vindicated – Enel could no longer mock him about it. Regardless of anything else, Pica absolutely refused to let that guy stand above him.
Regrettably, Pica's Observation Haki remained dormant. Despite enduring countless beatings over the year and a half – enough to seemingly render him numb – there was still no sign of awakening. Doflamingo felt rather helpless about this. Given the circumstances, Pica could only be considered semi-graduated. Perhaps facing a true life-or-death crisis or battling a powerful opponent would provide the necessary catalyst. Still, Pica had mastered Soru, Geppo, and Armament Haki, which was more than satisfactory in Doflamingo's eyes.
Failing to awaken Observation Haki was a persistent sore spot for Pica, as it meant he was still technically a step below Enel. This deeply irritated him. Of course, one man's frustration is another man's amusement. Enel was naturally pleased. Pica's overall strength was indeed marginally less than Enel's now. In fact, Enel's current power level rivaled many others within the Family's core members. More time was needed for him to deepen his Haki mastery – a long road lay ahead. Add a powerful Devil Fruit to the mix, and Enel was poised to truly take flight, becoming Doflamingo's foremost commander, perfectly aligning with the Young Master's expectations.
Over this year and a half, Doflamingo's own strength had also seen significant progress. Beyond developing the Rumble-Rumble Fruit to the level displayed by its original user, what pleased Doflamingo even more was discovering how lightning could benefit others. From the outset of their training, he had consciously tried to harness electrical power to temper their bodies. The irony, much to his own exasperation, was his own immunity to lightning! Using it for his personal physical conditioning was currently impossible.
Without Seastone readily available to suppress his Devil Fruit powers, and finding seawater ineffective for this purpose, Doflamingo resorted to experimenting on his subordinates. He carefully controlled the electrical current's intensity, gradually increasing it to stimulate their bodies and force physical enhancement. Through repeated trials, he finally established a refined "lightning tempering" regimen. Only then did he apply it systematically to Enel, Pica, and Ibes. The results, undeniably, were excellent. Without this lightning tempering, it was wishful thinking to expect Enel and Pica to awaken Armament Haki so relatively early. Ibes's rapid growth also owed a great deal to this unique training method.
Even the rank-and-file members used in the initial experiments gained some benefits, becoming elites among their peers.
Doflamingo himself wondered when he might begin his own lightning tempering. More critical than that, however, was training his resistance to Seastone. One could never be too careful; addressing potential weaknesses early was crucial.
During this same year and a half, Diamante and Trebol's venture had flourished spectacularly. By absorbing dozens of smaller factions, they forcefully established the Donquixote Family as the North Blue's unofficial Sixth Great Power in the underworld. This development finally made the original Five Families sit up and take notice. They immediately imposed sanctions and suppression tactics against the newcomers. Unfortunately for them, in this world, strength reigns supreme. The trash they sent couldn't possibly compare to Diamante and Trebol and were easily dispatched. This harsh lesson made the Five Families realize this emerging force was not to be trifled with.
Nevertheless, the sanctions and pressure didn't stop. Unable to overcome the Donquixote Family through direct force for the time being, they shifted to economic warfare, attempting to strangle their business operations and limit their living space. This, however, proved largely ineffective. Diamante and Trebol cared little for these minor business dealings anymore. Their sights were set, and always had been, on the entire North Blue. Such petty profits were beneath their notice. If they were going to take something, why not take it all? After all, what's easier than outright plunder? Your industries will become my industries. As the saying goes – like taking care of another man's wife – perhaps this was the simple joy of taking over!
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