Chapter Forty-Seven: Whose Territory

When Qiubai, with baby-5 tucked under his arm, hurried into the main hall, a portion of the officers had already assembled there. Doflamingo was seated at the very front, gazing down from his lofty position at the unfamiliar visitors. Even Ain was present, so Qiubai first set down the little girl and then sidled over to her side.

“The Komodo Pirates’...” Doflamingo probably couldn’t be bothered to remember the names of such small fry. In fact, if it weren’t for the captain of this pirate crew having made some prior contact, this bizarre-looking “envoy” and his tiny pirate ship would have been sunk without a second thought before ever reaching shore.

“Moramisu Bandbetty.” The visitor straightened his posture and offered his name unprompted.

By now, Qiubai had already joined the ranks of the onlookers. Doflamingo merely spared him a glance before shifting his focus back to the matter at hand. In truth, Doflamingo barely paid Qiubai any mind, his gaze lingering only a moment upon the little girl Qiubai had brought along.

He could probably guess—she was no doubt one of the “doll scheme’s” players.

Taking a closer look at Bandbetty, he was more than two meters tall, gaunt, with a head of bright yellow hair. Curiously, both sides of his head had been shaved clean, leaving only a central crest jutting skyward—a hairstyle somewhere between a Mohawk and an Ultraman, so distinctive that few could pull it off.

Yet on this man, it seemed oddly fitting. Long face, thin slitted eyes, beady black pupils, a flattened nose, thin lips, and a pointed chin—in short, he might lack facial hair, but he certainly had a thunder god’s mouth.

His hairstyle served its purpose, accentuating his sleazy, mysterious air and making him appear all the more disreputable.

His name was a tongue-twister, but he had a vivid and apt nickname: “Yellow Chicken.”

His current errand was much like the one Qiubai had run before—a simple messenger’s task, though his version had a slightly more suicidal flair.

“Porcupine Kuntuka... Bramble Tree Kuntuka... What business does your captain have with us? The Donquixote Family has never had any dealings with the Komodo Pirates, has it?” Doflamingo’s question was more rhetorical than genuine, his tone laced with certainty—for the two crews had indeed never interacted.

The “Kuntuka” in Doflamingo’s mouth was clearly the Yellow Chicken’s boss, the Komodo Pirates’ captain, while “Porcupine” and “Bramble Tree” were likely his nicknames.

Compared to Doflamingo’s own titles—“Joker” and “Heavenly Yaksha”—the man was already outclassed in terms of presence. Both were captains, but the other seemed a bit lowly.

At this moment, Qiubai beckoned to a subordinate behind him. The man, quick on the uptake, immediately understood Qiubai’s intent.

He slipped away briefly, returning with a stack of bounty posters, which he handed to Qiubai.

To expect the man to gather comprehensive information on the “Komodo Pirates” in such a short time would have been unreasonable. The posters were a good haul—at least Qiubai could form a general impression.

At the top lay a photo of the so-called “Porcupine” captain.

Surprisingly, he didn’t look much like a pig at all. Upon hearing such a nickname, most would assume he was fat—a bulky man, perhaps. But aside from his appearance, his physique was anything but stout.

It was a mystery what was “porcupine” or “pig” about him.

Yet what truly startled Qiubai was the bounty amount listed beneath the otherwise unremarkable, almost featureless photograph—a sum sufficient to earn a spot in the lowest depths of Impel Down: Captain of the Komodo Pirates, Porcupine Kuntuka, bounty 220 million.

That was a hefty prize.

But the Navy and World Government were not in the habit of giving away money for nothing; such a number meant the captain was worth that price. However, judging by the Yellow Chicken’s sleazy swagger, he didn’t appear to be here seeking “cooperation.” Was this Kuntuka captain hoping to challenge Doflamingo on the strength of his 220 million bounty?

He didn’t quite measure up.

Doflamingo’s own bounty was 340 million, but that was a complicated matter. Sometimes bounties reflected combat strength, sometimes the threat posed to the World Government, but in any case, the gap between the two captains was not as simple as a two to three ratio.

Doflamingo’s bounty had not increased for a long time, but his situation was unique. As a former Celestial Dragon, he was the most singular pirate on the entire sea.

The Navy sometimes desperately wanted him dead, yet they simply could not touch him.

Turning past the captain’s bounty, Qiubai found the poster for the Yellow Chicken himself. Appearances were deceiving—who would have thought that head of his would fetch twelve million Berries?

Qiubai couldn’t help but glance at him again. This must be one of the most valuable chickens in history—worth more than any princess.

Lost in these musings, Qiubai watched as Yellow Chicken handed a letter to Doflamingo, presumably containing the terms for negotiation. After reading it, Doflamingo let out a low, sinister laugh.

Qiubai was not surprised by this reaction; all signs suggested the letter contained nothing good.

“Dividing the seas? The North Blue? And just how does Captain Kuntuka propose we do that?” Doflamingo asked, laughing as he spoke.

He casually flicked the letter to Trebol, who, upon receiving it, smeared it with his sticky, translucent mucus.

Apparently, Captain Kuntuka believed his crew and Doflamingo’s represented the two greatest pirate powers in the North Blue, evenly matched and worthy of sharing the stage. To avoid unnecessary conflict, and in the spirit of “friendliness,” it seemed both sides should divide the North Blue between them and operate within their respective spheres.

This was...

A rather, rather amusing notion. No wonder Doflamingo laughed so long and hard.

But when the laughter faded, his expression turned icy in an instant. If the other man was joking, it was indeed funny. But it seemed... this Kuntuka truly meant what he wrote?