Naruto: Copy System#697+698: Arrival at Dressrosa, Doflamingo's Scheme

With Kizaru gone, only Shin's crew and Aokiji remained on Punk Hazard.

Aokiji shot Shin a wary glance. He knew it was time for him to leave as well—there was no telling if Shin Uzumaki might decide to turn on him next.

After a final, cautious look, Aokiji carefully departed. Shin made no move to stop him.

"You're just going to let Aokiji leave?" Hancock asked, unable to resist.

“What’s the point of keeping him? We don’t have any real conflict,” Shin replied. He wasn’t a man who killed without reason. With no major grudge against Aokiji, there was no need for hostility.

"Time for us to leave, too." Shin glanced at Zephyr's body before speaking.

Even if they left Zephyr's body, it wouldn't be abandoned. The Neo Marines would surely come to claim it soon.

"You can stay here if you want, just don't run off."

Shin looked at Hina, who seemed hesitant, guessing she wanted to remain behind to handle Zephyr's body.

"Thank you."

Hina's face lit up with surprise and gratitude. "Don't worry, Captain. I will return."

It was a promise, and Shin chose to believe her. If she broke her word, it would be his own mistake for trusting her.

With that, Shin and his crew departed, leaving Hina to tend to Zephyr's remains.

——————

After leaving Punk Hazard, Shin didn't return to his territory. Instead, he set a course for Dressrosa, which wasn't far away.

Shin had very little current intelligence on Dressrosa, other than knowing Luffy was heading there.

He wondered if events were still following their original course—specifically, whether Doflamingo had been captured yet.

“If Doflamingo gets captured, that’s a loss for us, isn't it?” Olvia remarked to Shin.

“It doesn’t matter.”

Doflamingo provided Shin with a cut of his profits, but that didn't obligate Shin to protect him.

Money was the last thing Shin needed. If he wanted treasure, he could target the Celestial Dragons directly.

——————

It didn't take long for them to reach Dressrosa, only to find the entire kingdom encased in Doflamingo's Birdcage.

"Looks like the fight's already started. I wonder if Sabo got his hands on the Flame-Flame Fruit yet."

“Is Doflamingo out of his mind? He's sealed off all of Dressrosa. Is he planning to massacre everyone inside?" Olvia said, staring in disbelief. This was complete insanity.

"Perhaps he was pushed to his limit," Shin said with a faint smile. Fujitora was likely here as well.

The technique Doflamingo was using could threaten Fujitora—at the very least, it restricted his movements.

In truth, the current Doflamingo was quite formidable. He had honed his Devil Fruit abilities significantly, even achieving Awakening. He could likely hold his own against an Admiral, at least briefly.

The Birdcage was shrinking. The strings composing it were razor-sharp, slicing through solid stone effortlessly.

Countless people were trapped inside, gripped by despair. From outside, Shin could hear Doflamingo’s distinctive laugh.

"If Doflamingo decided to run now, he might actually get away," Shin commented calmly. But Doflamingo would never abandon his empire.

His refusal to relinquish his foundation would ultimately lead to his downfall, defeated by Luffy and his remarkable ability to overcome impossible odds.

"We're going in."

Shin approached the Birdcage.

With a flash of her blade, Olvia sliced an opening through the strings.

——————

Simultaneously, Doflamingo felt the breach in his Birdcage. Instantly, the strings reformed, sealing the opening.

"Why is he here?" Doflamingo kicked Luffy away, his brow furrowed.

Luffy was in terrible shape. Originally, Law would have been there to assist him against Doflamingo, but in this timeline, Law was long dead.

"Fufufufu! This might not be a bad thing for me." A smile spread across Doflamingo's face as an idea struck him.

He still had the troublesome Admiral Fujitora to deal with—Fujitora was currently leading the Marines in an effort to halt the Birdcage's contraction.

The Birdcage was incredibly resilient—even Fujitora struggled to cut through it. And even if he succeeded, Doflamingo could repair it instantly.

Fujitora had already realized that ending the crisis required taking down Doflamingo himself.

Though Doflamingo was enjoying beating Luffy to a pulp, he wasn't confident about facing Fujitora. Sensing Shin's arrival, Doflamingo planned to convince Shin to help. Otherwise, even if he survived this, escaping the aftermath would be impossible.

Abandoning the battered Luffy, Doflamingo used his Sky Path technique to head towards Shin.

"...Damn it. Why is Shin Uzumaki here?"

Fujitora, who had been about to engage Doflamingo, also sensed Shin's presence upon noticing Doflamingo's abrupt change in direction.

"Is this because of Doflamingo?" Fujitora turned and headed elsewhere.

“Luffy, are you okay?” Luffy’s crewmates seized the opportunity to rush to his side. He was covered in wounds, blood streaming down his body.

Anyone else with such severe injuries would have already collapsed, but Luffy possessed astonishing resilience.

"I'm fine." Luffy struggled to his feet, surprised that Doflamingo had suddenly broken off their fight.

For Luffy, however, this was fortunate—it gave him a chance to recover.

——————

Elsewhere, Doflamingo had already reached Shin, a fake smile plastered across his face.

"Captain Shin, did you come all this way just to save me?" Doflamingo asked with a grin.

"Save you? No, Doflamingo, you're getting ahead of yourself. I'm just here to watch the show—and maybe see how you die," Shin sneered in response.

He had no idea why Doflamingo would assume a rescue. If Doflamingo was waiting for help from him, he'd be waiting forever.

Doflamingo's expression stiffened, the words striking him awkwardly. But he wasn't easily embarrassed—the grim look vanished in an instant.

"Captain Shin, if that's the case, how about we work together? I'm sure a partnership with me would be beneficial."

Doflamingo tried another approach. He happened to possess some intel related to Shin Uzumaki—it might provide the leverage he needed.

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"Doflamingo, I never come out on the losing end of a partnership. You should know that by now," Shin said with a chuckle. With his overwhelming power, who would dare try to cheat him?

"Alright, you should probably go deal with your opponent. No need to waste time with me. I'm just here to observe."

The main reason Shin had come to Dressrosa was to check if Doflamingo was dead. He was surprised the man was still alive and fighting.

"Don't refuse so quickly. I have some important information concerning you. I think you'll be very interested, fufufufu."

Doflamingo didn't leave, confidence radiating from him. Though his glasses hid his eyes, his assured demeanor was unmistakable.

"Oh? Now that you mention it, I am slightly interested."

Shin knew Doflamingo maintained an extensive intelligence network. He might possess knowledge Shin lacked.

"We can discuss that later. Right now, I hope Captain Shin can help me survive this crisis. After all, it benefits us both, doesn't it?"

Doflamingo gave Shin a percentage of his profits. So, technically, his statement wasn't wrong.

However, Shin didn't care about that relatively small amount. As for saving Doflamingo—he still had no intention of intervening.

"Just tell me now. Otherwise, I don't mind finding out myself."

Shin looked at Doflamingo calmly. Faced with Shin's indifferent expression, a seed of fear took root in Doflamingo's heart.

Though Doflamingo addressed Shin as an equal, he was actually terrified of him. Doflamingo knew Shin could kill him instantly.

It mirrored his partnership with Kaido in the original timeline—outwardly partners, but Doflamingo lived in fear of the Yonko.

In this timeline, Doflamingo had also collaborated with Kaido, but that partnership ended with Kaido's death. Otherwise, they would still be manufacturing artificial Devil Fruits.

After weighing his options, Doflamingo stated directly: "From my sources, the Five Elders are preparing to gather their forces to move against you."

Shin raised an eyebrow. Olvia had mentioned this possibility before.

At the time, she hadn't confirmed its truth. Hearing it from Doflamingo now strongly suggested it was accurate. Doflamingo wouldn't dare lie to his face.

"Move against me? Good. I was getting bored. If the Five Elders can provide some entertainment, I'll be grateful," Shin said with a faint smile.

Hearing this, Doflamingo studied Shin, unable to discern if he was serious or bluffing.

"Don't underestimate them. The Five Elders have resources buried deep," Doflamingo reminded him.

Of course, this wasn't genuine concern. Doflamingo believed that emphasizing the threat might convince Shin to help him, allowing them to face the Five Elders together.

As for what came after, Doflamingo would undoubtedly find a way to manipulate the situation to his advantage.

"Oh? You think I can't measure up to them?" Shin asked Doflamingo calmly.

His tranquil tone, however, carried an immense threat. Doflamingo's pupils contracted, and he fell silent.

Doflamingo believed that no matter how powerful Shin Uzumaki was, he could never successfully defeat the Five Elders. Not all Celestial Dragons were decadent fools; if they were, their rule would have collapsed long ago.

Eight centuries of dominance proved that the Celestial Dragons possessed immense and secret power.

Even Doflamingo couldn't fully grasp how powerful they really were. He only knew it was absolutely terrifying. His ambitions were massive—nothing short of world domination. As he observed Shin Uzumaki, the wheels started turning. Maybe he could use this guy somehow...

Though Shin's true strength was unknown, if he went to war with the Five Elders and the Celestial Dragons, he could likely cripple them significantly. Couldn't Doflamingo then swoop in and claim the spoils?

For a moment, Doflamingo forgot his current predicament and started scheming. If Shin knew this bastard was plotting against him, he'd kill him without hesitation.

Naturally, Doflamingo was careful to keep his thoughts buried, doing everything possible to mask his intentions. His relationship with Shin was nowhere near equal. While his partnership with Kaido had at least resembled something mutual, with Shin he had to play the loyal subordinate.

——————

"Shin Uzumaki."

Just then, Fujitora arrived, his expression serious as he stared at Shin—which was, admittedly, Fujitora's usual expression.

Seeing Fujitora wasn't surprising—Shin already knew he was present.

Doflamingo's face lit up with a smile upon seeing Fujitora. The situation seemed to be turning in his favor.

He knew about the conflict between Fujitora and Shin—specifically, Fujitora's vow to capture Shin.

Though Doflamingo had previously thought Fujitora was aiming too high, now he welcomed it. This way, even if Shin refused to help, Fujitora would likely engage him.

And then Shin would be forced to fight.

Doflamingo had considered many angles, but would things truly unfold according to his plan?

Fujitora turned to face Doflamingo. "After I arrest you, I'll personally escort you to Impel Down,"

Despite Shin's presence, Fujitora kept his priorities straight. Sure, he wanted to capture Shin eventually, but not now. His immediate goal was taking down Doflamingo and ending the Dressrosa nightmare.

First things first—deal with Doflamingo, one of Warlords—oh, wait, Doflamingo was no longer a Warlord.

Fujitora had already revoked that title. After everything Doflamingo had done, he didn't deserve it. Besides, Fujitora's ultimate aim was dismantling the entire Warlord system. In his view, these so-called allies posed a greater threat than regular pirates ever could.