Chapter 193

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"It's roughly like this, due to the Den Den Mushi being broken, we couldn't make any contact. Thankfully, in the end, we were lucky. A merchant ship carrying a fake treasure map happened upon us by chance, and we were finally rescued."

"Having been missing for so long, we all thought you and Baby-5 were... Anyway, the most joyous thing is that you've both returned safely."

Inside the room, many executives were present. Doflamingo was extremely pleased to see the two of them return alive!

The others felt the same.

Regardless of what they thought inside, the atmosphere on the surface was very harmonious.

No one inappropriately probed for more details.

"Spread the word, the family is going to have a party, a three-day extravaganza for everyone!"

"Yes, young master!"

As soon as the news got out, cheers erupted.

Clearly, this was Doflamingo celebrating his 'family's' return and also a signal to let everyone know.

Three days later, Abel's name would be known throughout the North Blue!

This was also Doflamingo's way of compensating.

Of course, the real surprise came afterward.

"In addition, starting today, all family resources are available to Abel, with internal rights equivalent to that of the highest-ranking executives."

"Baby-5, like Buffalo, is directly promoted to executive."

These words left nearly everyone in astonishment!

Although they had anticipated that Abel's return would lead to significant rewards and importance,

this level of envy was unexpected!

Having the same internal rights as the highest-ranking executives and access to all resources meant that Abel could now leverage the family's power for anything without needing Doflamingo's prior permission.

Or rather, this permission had already been granted by Doflamingo through these rights!

Previously, only the initial few who served Doflamingo had such privileges, and now there was one more person added to that list.

If he now had rights that mirrored those of the highest-ranking executives, what will stop him from gaining an equivalent status in the future?

It implied that Abel might become the fifth highest-ranking executive.

Many were sour with envy but dared not utter a single word of dissent.

That's because Abel had earned his status through risking his life, and saving the young master Doflamingo was an undeniable fact.

They all owed him for this deed; otherwise, the Donquixote family might well have ceased to exist.

Compared to that, Baby-5's reward seemed much more standard.

The others had already received their due rewards, leaving only the freshly returned Abel and Baby-5.

This meant that only Law, who had set out to seek medical assistance, had yet to attain the rank of executive.

One could only wonder what he would think upon his return.

Though it was highly unlikely that he would come back.

Diamante felt somewhat uneasy about the situation but, considering his tense relationship with Abel, he chose to remain silent.

Holding a grudge over such a matter seemed pointless.

If Diamante stayed quiet, Pica, who idolized Doflamingo, naturally didn't care either.

After all, their status as the highest-ranking executives would never be shaken, as that was the promise given to them by Doflamingo in the past.

Abel, quite surprised, quickly expressed his gratitude.

Having rights equivalent to the highest-ranking executives would make it even easier for him to use the Donquixote family's resources for his own gain.

He wouldn't even need to find an excuse; as long as he did not cross Doflamingo's bottom line, even if Doflamingo knew he embezzled money, he wouldn't care.

Instead of watching closely, he turned a blind eye, allowing him to boldly indulge in corruption with peace of mind!

For his own people, Doflamingo was always very generous.

After leaving, Senor quickly stepped forward and locked Abel in a chokehold.

Abel had sensed it coming, but he pretended not to dodge, letting Pica give him a good beating.

"I thought you'd never come back. I was even ready to postpone the wedding, but here you are, alive and well!"

Abel was taken aback for a moment before he remembered that Senor had indeed told him about getting married in three months and had invited him to be a witness.

It turned out that, indeed, three months had passed in all the commotion.

"You didn't forget, did you?"

"How could I? I've always remembered it! So when are you planning to do it?"

"You better remember it, and asking me when? With you missing and presumed dead, how could I be in the mood to arrange a wedding? Luciannene has been down about it, although she understands how I feel."

"Damn! So what are we waiting for? Tomorrow—no, Captain Doflamingo has arranged a three-day feast to celebrate my return, so we have to honor that."

After thinking it over, Abel said, "Wait till after three days, then start preparing for the wedding, and let me know the date, I'll be there for sure."

"Alright, it's a deal."

"It's a deal. By the way, have you told Captain Doflamingo about this?"

Seeing Senor hesitate and shake his head, Abel was resigned, "Although you have your reasons for not being able to have the family attend, I think it's best not to hide it. Let everyone know in advance and then throw a separate feast to celebrate when you return."

He was considering Senor's situation.

Otherwise, what would Doflamingo think?

What would the other executives think?

Even if they all knew Senor's character, they would inevitably feel some dissatisfaction.

After giving it some thought, Senor agreed that Abel's consideration was more thorough.

He wasn't afraid of any internal family issues, but he didn't want any resentment directed towards Luciannene.

Seeing that Senor finally understood, Abel was also pleased.

Indeed, when Doflamingo learned that Senor was planning to get married in a few days, he was overjoyed.

Along with the other executives, they teased him all sorts of ways.

Although they couldn't attend Senor's wedding for some special reasons, Doflamingo and the other executives were still generous in their understanding and even sent valuable gifts.

Of course, they wouldn't hold a grudge against an 'outsider,' a common woman.

As long as Senor liked her, what could they object to?

As long as Senor remained part of the family and didn't entertain foolish thoughts like wanting a peaceful life away from the family, the other small details could be forgiven.

Thus, a grand celebration began.

And the name of the party's protagonist began to spread.

At least in the North Blue, Abel had become somewhat of a celebrity.

Even if it was an infamous one!

The three days of revelry passed quickly.

Considering that Abel had just returned, Doflamingo did not assign him any tasks.

This allowed him to enjoy a few more days of leisure.

Then, he received a notification from Senor, preparing to attend Senor and Luciannene's wedding.