While Fleet Admiral Kong discussed important matters with the Five Elders, the Donquixote Pirates finally entered the Grand Line and headed towards Whiskey Peak, the future meeting point of Luffy and Vivi.
In the Grand Line, navigation is inseparable from the Log Pose.
The Log Pose records the magnetic field between the islands of the Grand Line, correctly guiding pirates to the next island.
The magnetic strength of each island is different, and the Log Pose needs to record the local magnetism for a while. Only when it's fully charged will it point to the next island.
If a ship arrives at an island different from the one the Log Pose was pointing to, the magnetism will be overwritten.
Some islands require a very long charging time (like Little Garden, which takes a year, and Doflamingo didn't want to waste that much time). In such cases, if they don't want to wait, they must use an Eternal Pose to reach the island designated by it, overwrite the magnetism, and only then proceed to the next island.
Already aware of the Log Pose's importance, Doflamingo thought about it before setting off. He went to the black market and spent a fortune to find Eternal Poses for the islands on Luffy's future route. Although he didn't get the Eternal Pose for Jaya, he obtained the one for Drum Kingdom. After all, as a medical kingdom with advanced technology and many patients, Drum Kingdom's Log Pose was much easier to acquire.
The pirate ship advanced slowly, unhurriedly, towards its destination.
Whiskey Peak, the future first stop for the Straw Hat Pirates. On the surface, it seemed like a welcoming town for pirates, but in reality, it was a bounty hunter lair.
Located at the entrance to the Grand Line, Whiskey Peak was dominated by bounty hunters from the Four Seas. They decapitated the rookie pirates, full of ambition, who had just entered the Grand Line, to profit from their bounties. Furthermore, it was also one of the branches of the future secret criminal organization Baroque Works.
Aboard the ship, everyone's tasks followed their normal course. Doflamingo continued with his physical training, building a solid foundation for the future awakening of his Armament Haki.
Approaching Whiskey Peak, Doflamingo, after finishing his training, thought about the bounty hunters' paradise he was about to enter. His calm heart immediately stirred, and he felt the blood in his veins boil.
"Am I a battle maniac? No, I just lament my weakness. They are just my nutrients. I just want them to rest well, they are very tired," Doflamingo muttered. He would never admit to being a battle maniac. The world was so beautiful, why bother fighting and killing? Instead, it would be much more interesting to talk about life with beautiful women.
After all, Doflamingo affirmed himself as someone who loved world peace. He would avoid action whenever possible. Who would want to fight and kill? This world is so beautiful. Wouldn't dating and appreciating the beauty of landscapes be more pleasant? Unfortunately, he had no choice. He had no choice.
The dangers of the Grand Line naturally surpassed those of the Four Seas. One had to be fully prepared, or shipwreck would be a catastrophe.
The pirate ship slowly sailed into Whiskey Peak. The pirate hunters in the town acted like flies smelling food, gathering in groups of three or five, their hungry eyes fixed on the new prey.
Patty Ryder had been a pirate hunter for over a decade. He faced countless dangers, big and small. He was considered a master in the Whiskey Peak bounty hunter team. Thanks to his caution and shrewdness, he lived a relatively prosperous life.
He would never touch those whose bounty was too high. He knew his own limitations well and valued his life greatly, avoiding any unattainable targets. However, there were many rookies who had just entered the Grand Line, and most became victims of his blade. Occasionally, he encountered tough opponents, but he always managed to overcome the dangers.
Eventually, he earned the nickname "Sly Ryder" in the bounty hunter circle. With his fame established, Ryder began recruiting and gathered a group of skilled bounty hunters under his command. They settled there to seize the opportunity to get rich, but they dared not venture deeper into the Grand Line.
In a tavern at the foot of Whiskey Peak's small town, Ryder, with a satisfied expression, embraced a half-naked woman. Half-drunk, he flirted with the woman while his hands incessantly touched her. The atmosphere was perfect, filled with a sweet aroma.
With a creak, the tavern door opened, and a dusty man entered, walking towards Ryder, who was in a good mood.
It was one of Ryder's subordinates, who approached and whispered in his ear: "Boss Ryder, another fat prey has arrived."
Upon hearing the news, Ryder immediately adopted a serious posture: "Did you find out everything? Is the target difficult?"
"I found out everything, boss. He's a complete rookie. I heard the captain is still a kid," the young follower replied.
"Oh, really?" Ryder felt that the wine in his hand suddenly lost its flavor. After a moment of silence, he said, somewhat awkwardly, to the woman beside him: "My dear, I'm sorry, work has come. It seems I won't be able to stay with you tonight."
The woman cast a seductive glance at Ryder and said charmingly: "Oh, my lord is going to make a big deal, don't forget about me." Having said that, she gently caressed Ryder's broad chest with her delicate hand, then rested her small face on his chest, showing her reluctance to let him go.
"Wow, this woman is really exciting. Boss, you have to take it easy. Boss, can you handle it? Ah, I'm still young. Let me do it," the young follower beside them thought, observing the scene. Of course, he would never dare to say that to Ryder.
That gentle touch almost ignited Ryder's anger, who, letting go of the beautiful woman, smiled: "No matter what, I'll never forget you, my little darling."
Then, he drank the rest of the wine on the table in one gulp and left, leaving the beautiful woman behind, who laughed covering her mouth.
Ryder, escaping the entanglement, regained his coolness: "Do you have his bounty? Let me see."
The young follower immediately understood, extending the bounty poster and saying: "It's the rookie pirate Doflamingo, with a bounty of 60 million Berries, and he can only be captured alive."
Ryder looked at Doflamingo's image on the bounty poster and exclaimed, in disbelief: "He's really young. At his age, I was still playing in the mud. Tsk, tsk... Is it that there are no more pirates out there that even a kid like him goes to sea?"
"Boss, I believe others are also eyeing them," the young follower said. "Hmm, the other bounty hunters are harmless; I don't even take them seriously. Except for the good-natured Wendel, that guy who's good at tricking but pretends to be a good person. Many rookies are often deceived by him and end up losing everything. Besides, this guy is quite powerful, but he prefers to disguise himself to trick others. He satisfies his perverse psychology by seeing the rookies finally realize they've been fooled but can't resist. And on top of that, he keeps saying he's a messenger of justice, although he doesn't take little money."
Ryder nodded, as if he had remembered something unpleasant.
And wouldn't you know it, at that moment, the very Wendel, the good-natured man Ryder had just mentioned, was heading to meet Doflamingo and his group, who had just disembarked.
Deceiving others had always been Wendel's interest. Especially deceiving pirates, which not only earned him money but also gave him mental satisfaction. What could be more gratifying than that?
This is a disease, and it needs to be treated.
At that instant, Doflamingo and his group, who had just entered the town, immediately aroused his interest. Looking at the young face on the bounty poster in his hand and comparing it with Doflamingo who was walking towards him, Wendel immediately broke into an excited smile. After all, deceiving was a lot of fun.
"Gentlemen, gentlemen, is this your first time here? If you need anything, I can be of great help!" Wendel greeted them warmly.
Upon seeing the extroverted Wendel approaching, Doflamingo couldn't help but find it interesting, but he secretly remained alert: "Ordinary residents would see pirates and try to avoid them, fearing imminent disaster. But this man is so kind, without a hint of fear, and acts so casually. I suspect there's a trick."
Doflamingo was too lazy to engage in cunning games with him. Anyway, he would deal with the situation as it presented itself and didn't want to see cheap tricks. If it weren't for the need for supplies, they would have already headed towards Drum Kingdom long ago. Every minute wasted meant another risk of losing the Lightning-Lightning Fruit. That wasn't what Doflamingo wanted.
He immediately interrupted the good-natured man's narcissistic performance: "Don't waste time. Prepare the food and water we need immediately. You have half an hour to do it, or I'll kill you!"
Wendel, who was suddenly interrupted, feigned panic and replied: "Alright, sir, I'll prepare it right away."
"I don't care if you're a bounty hunter or a pirate, prepare what I need immediately!" Doflamingo, not fooled by his expression, mercilessly exposed him.
This left the good-natured man stunned. After all, Wendel himself believed his acting skills were impeccable. Regrettably, they were far inferior to those of a certain "monkey actor" (a possible reference to a future character in One Piece who is a master of deception, or just an expression of disdain).
Don't think all pirates are as naive as Monkey D. Luffy. Even rookie pirates wouldn't be fooled so easily.
"Hahaha, Wendel, even a good-natured guy like you can make mistakes sometimes!" a loud laugh echoed when Wendel was distracted.
Wendel's face immediately turned red, and he said, helplessly: "Ah, rookies nowadays are getting harder and harder to deal with."
"Rookie pirate, Donquixote Pirates, Doflamingo, with a 60 million Berry bounty, right?" said Ryder, approaching Doflamingo and his group. "Nee, nee, Doffy, you have a bounty!" Trebol ignored the others and said to Doflamingo.
The other members of the Donquixote Pirates were very excited.
"Hmm, do you have the bounty poster? I wanted to see mine." Doflamingo looked at Ryder.
"Hahaha, you're from a small place, aren't you? Since you want to see your bounty poster, then take a good look. After all, this is your last chance!" Ryder said, throwing the bounty poster that was in the young follower's hands to Doflamingo.
Doflamingo, who had only seen bounty posters in anime and manga, was genuinely curious. He took the bounty poster and carefully observed his own image: insolent, with flamboyant blond hair, a slender body and perfect musculature, and even his sunglasses didn't lose their beauty. He was, indeed, a handsome man.
"Finished looking? Hurry up and come with us. We won't hurt you, but if you don't come, we'll have to make you suffer a bit," Ryder was in a good mood, excited about the bounty he was about to receive.
"Hey, hey, hey, that's my prey, Sly Ryder! You're celebrating too early, don't you think?" the good-natured Wendel protested.
Doflamingo, who was immersed in his own beauty, was brought back to reality by the noise. He looked at the flashy bounty and, instantly, his mood soured. "Fufufufu, 60 million Berries? Who do you think you're looking down on? Am I only worth two Monkey D. Luffys (from the East Blue era)?" The veins popped on Doflamingo's forehead, and accompanied by his extravagant laugh, the terrifying Conqueror's Haki spread, dark red lightning constantly flickered, and the strong airflow threw Wendel and Ryder away from their spots.
Wendel and Ryder, who were thrown back, were horrified and looked at each other, their faces filled with panic.
60 million Berries truly didn't match Doflamingo's power.
It turns out that Fleet Admiral Kong, considering Doflamingo's identity as a World Noble, and to prevent this scandal from causing a major repercussion, reconsidered the situation and decided on this bounty for Doflamingo. Fleet Admiral Kong probably didn't expect Doflamingo to be secretly annoyed by this.