Chapter 20

When Abel awoke once again, it was already the afternoon of the following day.

Since arriving in this world, he had lost count of the number of times he'd been injured and fallen unconscious.

Fortunately, every time he managed to pull through resiliently.

And with each close encounter with death and subsequent return, his internal desire to become stronger, to possess everything, only grew more intense!

Abel, his head swathed in bandages, struggled to sit up.

His arms, both broken by Diamante's kick, were tightly wrapped and immobilized with a splint – it seemed they had been successfully reset.

He wasn't particularly worried about any lasting effects. After all, the legendary Usopp had had his skull cracked countless times, yet he ended up bouncing back as the King of Snipers!

Of course, this was just a joke.

"Ah, the guy who angered Sir Diamante is awake. Quick, go inform the Young Master!"

Upon seeing Abel awake, a startled little girl in the room rushed out, not giving Abel a chance to speak.

This left Abel somewhat puzzled since he was still unclear about the situation.

But it appeared he had been allowed to stay.

Shortly after, footsteps echoed, and Doflamingo entered, still wearing his iconic pink feather coat, striding in with his flamboyant gait. One glance was enough to impart his extreme arrogance.

"Hee hee hee... You finally woke up."

Abel remained silent, mainly because he didn't know what to say or how to address him, opting instead to play the part of the taciturn type.

Truthfully, without 'Reckless Law' taking the brunt, facing Doflamingo one-on-one was quite daunting for him.

After all, since the very beginning, he'd joined with the intention of supplanting him.

Despite Abel's silence, Doflamingo didn't seem to mind. He sat by the window and said, "Abel, Gustaf Abel, I've heard your story from Law."

"Although due to Lead Poisoning, both of you only have a few years left to live. But I, the great Donquixote Doflamingo, am still willing to give you a chance."

"Because this world is never short of miracles, and there's no such thing as an incurable disease."

"Have you heard of Devil Fruits? They are the embodiment of miracles, able to transform the weak into strong, capable of making one rich overnight. Of course, there are also Devil Fruits that can heal and save lives."

"Our Donquixote family mainly deals in the underground black market, and we've sold many Devil Fruits. Perhaps one of them could cure your disease."

Even if he was fully aware that Doflamingo was merely sugar-coating the truth, it was undeniable that these words were incredibly tempting.

Presumably, this was how Law was coaxed in the original story.

Moreover, it could not be considered deception since everything Doflamingo said was true, and Devil Fruits with such abilities did indeed exist.

It was just uncertain whether this fellow had already targeted the surgical fruit's ability.

Unfortunately for him, Abel didn't care for Doflamingo's words; what he desired from the start was entirely different from Law's aspirations!

"So, what do I need to offer in return?"

Abel, tranquil at heart, deliberately showed a hint of desire and doubt in his eyes.

Doflamingo burst out laughing: "Hee hee hee... Nothing, for starting now, you are part of our family. We naturally help and never betray each other among family, isn't that right?"

The two stared at each other for a moment before Abel slowly nodded in agreement.

Perhaps the greatest wealth his past life bestowed upon him was the acting ability to adapt his demeanor based on the company he was in.

Doflamingo finally seemed satisfied. He hadn't noticed Abel's ulterior motives, nor did he suspect that the young man before him would begin to covet everything he owned from this moment.

Even if he had realized it, given his prideful nature, he likely believed he could control Abel and prevent any potential backlash.

"Good, once your wounds heal, there is much to learn. Prepare yourself in advance."

"Baby-5, you stay and explain the rules to him."

"To irritate a family executive as a trainee, you're the first. So, don't give anyone a handle to exploit, or you'll really die. Hee hee hee..."

Doflamingo exited with a hearty laugh, leaving only Baby-5 and Abel in the room, staring at each other.

"My name is Baby-5, I am the Young Master's maid. Since the Young Master has accepted you, we're family now. You can tell me anything you need."

"Gustaf Abel, you can call me Abel. Rest assured, I won't be shy. I will probably need your help a lot in the future."

His statement was a test, as he was uncertain whether Baby-5 had already developed her character from the original story at this stage – a longing to be needed and an inability to refuse others if they needed her.

"Great, I'm needed again~ Abel, you're a good person."

The little girl instantly became shy, her gaze towards Abel had changed, her eyes shimmering.

Observing this, Abel immediately understood.

Indeed, her character trend had started to emerge at this time.

Although he strangely found himself labeled as a good guy, thankfully, she hadn't yet learned to smoke or refer to herself in the third person.

Otherwise, the image of such a cute little girl suddenly puffing a cigarette and yelling out self-references would be utterly chilling.

"So, what are these rules that Doflamingo wants you to tell me?" Abel didn't forget the main issue.

"Abel, as a trainee in the family, you're not allowed to address the Young Master by his full name. You can refer to him as Young Master, like me, or Doflamingo Young Master, or, like other crew members, Captain Doflamingo."

The little girl's face came very close, correcting Abel's way of addressing with seriousness.

Feeling Baby-5's breath on his face, Abel leaned back to avoid this somewhat intimate gesture. Considering his combined past and present life, he was an old man, and he couldn't entertain certain thoughts.

However, addressing Doflamingo as Young Master was something he was still struggling with.

So, he decided to stick with calling him Captain. It didn't seem too bad, and when compared, he wasn't as adept as Blackbeard, who served as Whitebeard's pawn for so many years just for a Devil Fruit.

"Okay, I got it. Can we proceed now?"

"Yes. Actually, there's only one rule in the family — the Blood Rule. It means no matter the treatment or situation you face, you cannot defy the authority of an executive. If anyone disobeys, the family would fall apart."

"Remember, there was once when Buffalo almost got beaten to death just for laughing at Pica. So, offending an executive's authority is unacceptable, and if you get killed because of it, it's deserved. Speaking of which, if it weren't for the Young Master's intervention, Diamante would've killed you by now."

"As a trainee who dared to challenge the top executive of the family and survived, you're indeed extraordinary, Abel!"

Towards the end, the little girl seemed to hold him in awe.

But Abel found it ironic.

"Blood Rule. Quite fitting for Doflamingo's personality, indeed!"

Is this what they call family?

Interesting!

No wonder, always from the house of Tang, they seem to enjoy carrying the burden of 'cutting firewood.'

Abel sneered in his heart. Undeniably, this gave him one more reason to become an executive as soon as possible.

Otherwise, he wouldn't be able to secure his own safety.

Rather than praying for Diamante to be someone who holds no grudges, he decided to place his hopes on himself.

"I understand, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks for letting me know. Otherwise, I might unintentionally offend another executive."

"No need to thank me. It's all by the Young Master's order."

The little girl's face turned red again.

Seeing this, Abel felt a bit better. "By the way, how long was I unconscious? Where's the guy who came with me, the one with the hat?"

Baby-5 tilted her head and thought, "You were unconscious for about a day. The guy you're asking about was rather unlucky. This morning, he met Corazon upon his return and was promptly thrown out."

"Corazon?"

"He is an executive, like Diamante, codenamed 'Heart.' But he particularly dislikes children. The Young Master once took in over a hundred children, but most of them ran away due to Corazon's torment. Only I and Buffalo managed to stay."

Abel instantly remembered who it was - Corazon, Doflamingo's younger brother, Rosinante. A double agent sent by the Marines to infiltrate the Donquixote family. He's a user of the Calm-Calm Fruit. An unexpectedly good man who shouldn't be here.

In the original story, he was the one who truly saved Law from the inside out and was killed by Doflamingo for protecting him. A tragic loss.

Now Abel understood why he hadn't seen Law.

To prevent Doflamingo from leading all those children astray, Rosinante had to drive them away in such a 'cruel' manner.

Indeed, he succeeded.

Only Baby-5, who was abandoned by her mother, and Buffalo, who wasn't the sharpest, stayed out of more than a hundred children.

But now, with the appearance of Law and Abel, he had to resume his old task.

Poor Law, clueless about the situation, was likely to be 'targeted' for a long time.

Considering this, Abel felt somewhat fortunate for being injured; otherwise, he might have joined Law as the unlucky one to be thrown out.

Since Law's safety was confirmed, Abel felt reassured, allowing himself to stay here and recover.

What's that?

Why isn't he going to 'rescue' Law?

Well, of course, it's absolutely unnecessary!

Moreover, he genuinely 'can't' save him.

Perhaps he might end up in trouble as well.

Therefore, for safety's sake, he decided to wait until his injuries healed completely before meeting the 'Childhood terminator'.

"Baby-5, I'm a bit hungry, could you get me something to eat? It would be even better if there was some meat."

"No problem, I'll go right now!"

Even though she was the one being troubled, Baby-5 didn't mind at all, and instead seemed quite excited.

It made Abel a bit embarrassed, but when it comes to taking advantage of the situation, he certainly would do it without hesitation.

After all, freeloading is sweet, no matter the size!

Shortly, Baby-5 rushed in with a plate of delicious, sizzling roasted meat.

And then, someone took advantage by saying, "I can't eat by myself right now. Can you feed me?"

"Of course! I'm so happy to be needed~"

Baby-5 was almost moved to tears by her joy. She promptly sat down next to him and gently began feeding Abel with a fork.

Seeing her psychological trauma was devastating, indicating how dreadful Baby-5's past must have been.

Abel felt a great deal of sympathy and heartache about it.

The pain made him immediately eat three large pieces of roast!

Delicious, just one word, delicious!

While Abel was delightfully enjoying the food and Baby-5's care, Law was battling his current 'nemesis.'

With a thud!

Law was once again thrown from the upper floor, landing heavily in the trash heap.

How many times had this happened?

Even Law himself had lost count. He just remembered that after the somewhat absent-minded jerk saw him, he was thrown out the window without a word, and every time he tried to sneak back in, the same thing happened.

A bruised and battered Law stood up again, his face filled with resentment. He was allowed to join by Doflamingo, but now this unforeseen event had occurred. Damn it!

Even though Baby-5 and Buffalo had told him the reason, he still felt it was ridiculously absurd.

So, just because he hates children, he wants to drive all of them away?

And if they refuse to leave, their fate will be like Law's, abused over and over until they can't bear it any longer.

"I won't give up."

Law gritted his teeth, once again struggling to walk towards the building.

Meanwhile, on the second floor.

Almost all members of the Donquixote family were having a feast together, enjoying a plethora of food, including steak and red wine.

"Ha ha ha~ Corazon, you still hate kids so much, how many times have you thrown that guy out now? He should probably give up soon."

A sharp-featured woman with curly hair, triangular glasses, and noticeable lipstick laughed and teased.

However, the man in question remained silent, focusing on his food.

Everyone was used to his quiet and aloof nature.

"Jora, these two newcomers won't back down easily. I dare bet that the first one to give in will be Corazon. Hee hee~"

The one responding in place of Corazon was Doflamingo.

"It seems the young master has high expectations of them," Jora commented, somewhat surprised.

Corazon, on hearing Doflamingo's words, was more determined than ever to drive these newcomers away.

Doflamingo chuckled without explaining further, "By the way, where's Baby-5?"

"Baby-5 came by a while ago, saying she was going to bring some food to that guy in the medical room. She hasn't come back since."

Buffalo sounded quite bitter.

It was me who arrived first.

Doflamingo, hearing Buffalo's words, didn't make much of it. As long as they were not led astray by outsiders, he didn't care.

After all, to him, Abel and Law were already part of the family.

He then discussed their next move, "Our next target is Dressrosa. That town is playing both sides, grovelling to us while also mingling with other organizations in secret. We must make these traitors pay!"

Doflamingo despised betrayal more than anything else in his life, so his intent to kill was blatantly apparent in his eyes.

Just then, a figure pushed open the door, startling all who were dining.

"We're eating, get him out."

Jora looked at the filthy Law with a disgusted face, ready to have him ousted. However, Doflamingo stopped her.

"Leave him be."

"Huh?"

"As long as he doesn't want to leave, let him be."

At this, everyone saw Doflamingo's stand clearly.

Trebol immediately laughed, "Hee hee~ Since you arrived here, Corazon has really given you a hard time, hasn't he?"

Diamante, who also seemed to prefer Law not to stay, continued to apply pressure. "Whether adults or children, those who can't hold on all eventually leave dejectedly. Therefore, those who can stay now are the crème de la crème. I wonder how long a small fry like you who hasn't even seen a Devil Fruit can hold on? Three days? Five days?"

However, their words didn't penetrate Law's ears.

"I will never leave!"

"I won't be scared by this. I've witnessed hell and clawed my way out."

Seeing something in Law's reaction, Doflamingo suddenly warned him, "Whether to stay or leave is your freedom, but Corazon is my most important younger brother. If anyone dares to harm him, I will claim their life."

Law clenched his teeth. If he could, he really wanted to take down Corazon right now!

Even hearing Doflamingo's warning, he didn't take it too seriously. As long as he wasn't discovered, he had little time left anyway. If he didn't deal with Corazon, nothing would proceed.

At this moment, he suddenly missed Abel.

If Abel weren't injured, he could surely figure out how to deal with that scoundrel!

But at the same time, he didn't want to involve Abel.

It's always better to suffer alone than drag another into misery.

Just as he was lost in thought, the muscular, tall Machvise, donning a red hat, suddenly noticed the white spots on Law's skin, "Huh? What's up with this kid's skin? It's disgusting."

Upon seeing this, Jora immediately panicked, exclaiming, "It's Lead Amber Syndrome! If it spreads, it'll be disastrous!"

"Eh? Contagious disease? That's revolting! You and that guy should get out now!"

Buffalo, frightened, stuck himself against the wall, sweating profusely. His hidden agenda was to drive Abel out too.

With a loud slam!

Doflamingo slammed his hand onto the table, his face full of anger.

"Jora! Don't spread rumors! I have..."

"It's embarrassing for you."

"The so-called Lead Amber Syndrome is nothing more than poisoning, it won't infect others."

The real reason for his anger wasn't due to the discrimination against Abel and Law, but the fact that he couldn't tolerate having such foolish 'family' members who believed the deceits of the World Government!

Seeing that Doflamingo was genuinely angry, everyone instantly calmed down, with Jora looking particularly embarrassed.

Only Buffalo, whose head wasn't very bright, remained doubtful, warning Law, "Just in case, you better stay away from me."

Law sneered internally. Who would want to approach you, you dimwit?

He simply took a plate of meat from the table, sat in a corner, and began to stuff his mouth voraciously.

And this time, no one stopped him or made any idle comments.

Although many people present did not understand why Doflamingo would take in Law and another similar brat, they dared not challenge Doflamingo's patience as the situation was already settled.

And thus, this precarious situation was effortlessly resolved.

However, the real trouble was far from over.

Soon, Corazon finished eating and left the scene.

Law, who was engrossed in his food, did not notice the impending danger. By the time he reacted, he was already airborne, smashing through the window, and thrown outside once again.

"Corazon! I swear I will kill you, you wait for me!"

Law stood outside, furiously yelling with a twisted expression on his face.

But Corazon simply ignored Law.

As for the others dining inside, they all pretended not to hear anything.

After all, this was the first time they had seen someone openly threatening to kill Doflamingo's younger brother.

If it was just talk, it would have been fine, but if Corazon were to get hurt...

No one would actually think that Doflamingo's earlier warning was a joke, right?

...

Elsewhere, in the infirmary.

A particular scoundrel, after enjoying the tender care of a young girl, found an excuse to dismiss her.

What a heartless man, ignoring the person once he's satisfied, disgusting!

Well, it wasn't exactly like that.

Primarily, he had obtained nearly all the information he wanted from Baby-5. If he continued asking, Doflamingo would probably start to suspect his motives.

Another reason was that what he was about to do next was inconvenient with others present.

Just now, Abel initiated a search.

[Search for Wish Orders initiated. Search completed!]

[Obtained one basic Wish Order]

[Order Description: Gourmet Hunter Alu wants to taste some delicious cuisine he has never eaten before.]

[Order Content: Delicious cuisine cooked with unknown ingredients]

[Basic Order Reward: Century Soup, 300 Trade Points]

[Order Remaining Time: 11 hours 59 minutes 59 seconds]

...

The main reason Abel started the Wish Order search was because the 72 hours were almost up. If he didn't utilize this free search today, it would be a complete waste.

And it wasn't like he was unprepared.

Baby-5 was his last resort!

He believed that, as long as it wasn't anything too difficult, he could ask Baby-5 to procure it for him quickly.

However, when he understood the content of this order, he was somewhat surprised.

After much consideration, he finally made a decision.