Birka was a scene of utter chaos. The town echoed with screams and cries that were so loud, they could be heard even in the forest far beyond its borders.
At the edge of the forest, Doflamingo and Enel had just finished dealing with four winged men. The uproar from the town, however, immediately caught their attention.
"Looks like the show's about to start. Let's hurry!" Doflamingo said to Enel, a teasing tone in his voice as he gazed towards the distant town.
"Doffy, what should we do with these guys?" Enel asked, nodding towards the four unconscious winged men he'd taken down.
"Just killing them would be too easy," Doflamingo said with a smirk. "How about we take them along and play a little game? There's nothing better than letting them live! We'll give them hope, then crush it, over and over. Constant torment… that's the true pleasure of revenge."
"Yahahaha! Doffy, now that you put it that way, I realize how… basic I've been. My perspective was way too narrow. Revenge should be exactly as you describe! Letting them off easy would be an insult to all the suffering I've endured." Enel's eyes lit up, his laughter echoing his agreement.
"Glad you're enjoying yourself. But, there's something I wanted to ask you," Doflamingo said, a hint of urgency in his voice.
"Go ahead, Doffy. If I know it, I'll tell you everything," Enel assured him, thumping his chest.
"Do you know where I can find any fruit with… peculiar patterns on them?" Doflamingo took a deep breath before voicing his question.
"Fruit? Peculiar patterns? Doffy, are you craving fruit? There's plenty of fruit around here," Enel replied, utterly bewildered.
"No, no, no. I'm not looking to eat any fruit. I'm searching for Devil Fruits," Doflamingo explained, slowly and deliberately, after taking another deep breath.
"Devil Fruit? What's that? What does it do? What's it got to do with fruit?" Enel, a curious child, stared up at Doflamingo, full of questions.
"Devil Fruits are known as the 'Treasures of the Sea.' They're worth at least 100 million Berries on the market. They're said to be the incarnation of the Sea Devil. Eating one grants you a unique ability, but as a price, the eater is forever cursed by the sea and becomes unable to swim. Devil Fruit abilities are divided into three categories: Paramecia, Zoan and Logia. Devil Fruit abilities are unique; there are no duplicates. As for their appearance, they look like ordinary fruits – bananas, melons, and so on – but the difference is that they're covered in swirling patterns, from the skin to the flesh," Doflamingo patiently explained.
"Is that so? But I've lived here my whole life and I've never seen any fruit with those strange patterns you're talking about," Enel replied, shaking his head.
"I see… It seems the most likely place to find one now is at the shrine," Doflamingo stated calmly.
"Doffy, is there one of those… Devil Fruits… here?" Enel asked, his curiosity piqued.
"Yes, there is. That's precisely what I'm here for. With it, my strength will grow even greater, and my path to becoming a true powerhouse will be much smoother," Doflamingo said, his voice laced with anticipation.
"I see… So, Devil Fruits are a pretty good thing, huh?" Enel's eyes shone with longing.
"Fuffuffuffu, Devil Fruits are a good thing. But blindly eating one without knowing its ability is a gamble. If it turns out to be a useless power, you'll be in for a world of hurt. Don't worry, Enel, everyone will get their chance. Not just me, but everyone in the Family. I'll make sure of it. Devil Fruits might be rare in the Sky Islands, but they're much more common on the Grand Line," Doflamingo reassured Enel, seeing his excitement. He used a mix of warning and promise, a stick and a carrot, to guide the young man.
Doflamingo wasn't truly worried about Enel developing any ill intentions regarding the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. Anyone foolish enough to try something under his nose was just asking for death. Still, a little caution and a big promise were always good tools to use.
Enel's heart was in turmoil. Devil Fruits granted immense power, and right now, he was still a weakling. His desire for a Devil Fruit intensified; it would give him better control over his own destiny. But he also understood that the Devil Fruit in Birka was definitely not his to claim. He wouldn't dare entertain any treacherous thoughts, especially since Doflamingo had practically given him a second life. Enel held a deep respect and admiration for Doflamingo.
"Enel, wake up those four winged men and let them go," Doflamingo said, interrupting Enel's contemplation.
"Yeah, okay," Enel quickly responded. His thoughts of a Devil Fruit faded, replaced by the immediate desire for revenge. There would be time for power later.
Doflamingo saw that Enel was back to normal and walked over to the four unconscious men, ready to rouse them.
"Hey, hey, hey, wake up!" Enel, not known for his gentle touch, employed a rather… unique method of awakening.
"Smack! Smack! Smack! Smack!" The sound of slaps echoed through the air. The four winged men were guaranteed to wake up looking like swollen pigs. Enel felt a surge of satisfaction.
"Ow, it hurts!"
"Not just my body, but my mouth too! What happened?"
"What's going on?"
"Am I dead?"
The four winged men slowly regained consciousness, chattering amongst themselves. Their swollen mouths made their words sound hilariously distorted.
"What are you blabbering about?"
Enel's voice instantly silenced them. They turned to face the source of the sound.
"En…el…"
"You…"
"It's all our fault!"
"Don't kill us!"
The four winged men were terrified, all traces of their previous arrogance gone.
"Get out of here, the four of you!"
"What?" The four looked at each other, sure they'd misheard.
"What, do you want me to kill you?" Enel threatened.
"Run! Run away!" As if spurred by Enel's threat, the four scrambled to their feet and fled in a panic.
"Yahahaha! They really do look like dogs!" Enel watched their pathetic escape, his thirst for revenge growing stronger.
Doflamingo had no interest in these small fry. He left their fate entirely up to Enel, letting him do whatever brought him joy.
"Let's go. The real show is about to begin," Doflamingo urged Enel to move on.
"The real show, huh? I'm looking forward to it."
The two then followed the path the four winged men had taken, tailing them from a distance.
Meanwhile, the four who had just escaped Enel's clutches huddled together in their disarray.
"Traitor! That damn bastard!"
"What do we do? Enel has definitely betrayed us!"
"Let's report this to God immediately!"
"Yeah, that's right! Let God deal with that traitor, and that sunglasses-wearing bastard, too!"
The four men gathered together, venting their frustration and anger towards Enel, and agreed to seek help from their "God."
What they didn't know was that Doflamingo and Enel were nearby, silently watching their pathetic display.
Their discussion concluded, the four men raced towards the shrine at the center of Birka with all their might, vowing to make Enel and Doflamingo pay. Little did they know, Birka itself was sinking into a quagmire, facing imminent danger.
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