Starting with helping Zhao Kai ascend the throne in the snow

"Is that really the case? Then why are Devil Fruit users afraid of seawater and Seastone?" Doflamingo's entire worldview was about to collapse, while Shen Qing became more and more excited as he spoke.

"That's because the will of the pirate world should be carried by the sea (just as the Earth's will is generally believed to be Mother Earth), so the Devil Fruit, which represents illusion, can be restrained by the sea and Seastone, which contains the crystallization of the sea's energy."

"Mr. Shen, since you say that Devil Fruit abilities originate from fantasy, then what about fruit awakening?" Trebol asked Doflamingo's question from the side.

Shen Qing did not answer Trebol's question, but continued, "Mr. Doflamingo, do you remember the saying that Haki is superior to Devil Fruit abilities? Haki is a power that everyone has worked hard to cultivate. Every bit of Haki represents sweat and effort. Devil Fruits can be obtained in a short time, but the power of Haki requires countless trials and tribulations. There are no shortcuts. Therefore, only power that is truly cultivated through hard work has the ability to restrain Devil Fruits."

"Especially Conqueror's Haki, which represents the innate strong will and spirit of a powerful being. Therefore, Conqueror's Haki is most effective at restraining Devil Fruit abilities. Take Shanks, one of the Four Emperors, for example. He can use top-tier Haki to render Devil Fruit users unable to use their abilities. That is because they always believe in their own strength, and the mental storm generated by their powerful willpower affects everything around them, severely interfering with the Devil Fruit abilities formed by the rules of illusion, making them become illusory."

"As for the awakening of a Devil Fruit, it's the same principle as Haki restraining a Devil Fruit. Some people choose to believe in themselves, while others choose to believe in the power of the Devil Fruit. Therefore, when someone firmly believes that the power of the Devil Fruit is real, their will can interfere with reality, causing everything around them to change according to their will. This is the awakening of the Devil Fruit."

Shen Qing's words struck Doflamingo like a thunderbolt, completely stunning him. This overturned all his previous understanding, yet Shen Qing's words were also reasonable, leaving him speechless and unable to refute them.

At this moment, Doflamingo's mind was a jumbled mess, filled with thoughts like, "Is it all fake? Is my strength all fake?" He was lost in confusion and bewilderment, and if this continued, he risked exhaustion, mental breakdown, and going insane.

Shen Qing looked at the bewildered Dofer and gave an awkward grin. He hadn't expected that his words would cause Dofer to fall into self-doubt.

"Young punk, don't be fooled by Shen's words. I feel that what he says is both right and wrong." Just then, the old sword god noticed Doflamingo's chaotic mental state, glared at Shen Qing with annoyance, and spoke.

When a person's preconceived notions are shattered, it is also the time when a person is most confused and vulnerable. Often, even a small accident can easily lead a person down the path of suicide.

Of course, given Doflamingo's temperament, he would never choose to end his own life. But at this moment, he desperately needed a reason to support his confused mind. Therefore, he stared intently at the old swordsman and asked anxiously, "Senior, please tell me, is it true or false?"

"You few go out first. What I'm about to say is not for you to hear." Facing Doflamingo's eager gaze, Li Chungang did not continue speaking, but instead turned his gaze to the other members of the Don Quixote family in the hall.

"Old man, what do you mean?" Upon seeing this, Delinjie slammed his hand on the table and stood up in dissatisfaction. The other family cadres also glared at Li Chungang with hostility.

The smarter a person is, the easier it is for them to fall into a trap. Compared to Doflamingo's intelligence, these family executives are all fools. Therefore, Shen Qing's words sound like a bunch of lies to them, so they didn't fall into confusion like Doflamingo. This is what people often call "fools have good fortune".

"Get out, all of you," Doflamingo said with a dark face.

"Young Master, we..."

"Trebol stays. Everyone else, get out. I don't want to repeat myself." Doflamingo's forehead veins bulged as he coldly addressed the family executives.

Seeing Doflamingo lose his temper, the group of executives suppressed their dissatisfaction and grumbled as they walked out, leaving only Trebol, Doflamingo, Shen Qing, and the old sword god in the main hall.

Trebol, as an elder of the Donquixote Family, was one of the people who helped the young Doflamingo establish the Donquixote Family along with Vergo and others. He was extremely loyal to Doflamingo and held a different position in the family than others, enjoying Doflamingo's deep trust.

With no outsiders present, Doflamingo gestured to Trebol, who immediately raised his cane. The next second, a huge semi-circular dome formed of slime enveloped everyone inside to prevent their subsequent conversation from being overheard.

Looking at the sticky, semi-transparent dome around him, Shen Qing felt goosebumps all over his body. Fortunately, the slime was created by Torrebol's hands; if it had come from his snot, Shen Qing would probably have vomited.

"Young man, according to my speculation, every world has its own rules. In your world, the power of Devil Fruits is based on the illusion rules that Shen mentioned, but that doesn't mean the power is fake. Do you remember that you were still able to use the String-String Fruit's power in the Snow World before?" Li Chungang's words were like a bright light illuminating Doflamingo's mind, making his eyes light up and giving him a glimmer of hope.

The old swordsman continued, "So what Shen said is just a guess, or rather, just a general idea. But what the truth is, nobody knows. Otherwise, how would you explain the ability of Devil Fruits to be used across different realms? So you don't need to worry about whether the Devil Fruit's ability is real or fake. Instead, follow his line of thought to develop the fruit's ability and see if you can raise its potential."

"Thank you for your guidance, senior." After a moment, Doflamingo calmed down and said to the old swordsman with a face full of gratitude. Having an elder in the family is like having a treasure. If it weren't for Li Chungang's guidance today, he would probably have fallen into the dead end that Shen Qing described.

"I'm sorry, Dover. It seems I misled you just now," Shen Qing said to Dover with a slightly embarrassed expression.

"Brother Shen, don't worry about it. I know you didn't mean it." Doflamingo knew that Shen Qing only meant well, otherwise he wouldn't have made such a shocking statement to him. Moreover, the hypothesis that Shen Qing put forward was very helpful for him to explore the ability of the String-String Fruit.

Just as everyone was talking, the slime bubble enveloping them suddenly burst. Looking over, they saw Trebol trembling, pointing at the old swordsman, and saying to Doflamingo, "Doflamingo, what he just said...it was..."

“That’s right, just as you thought. Brother Shen and the old senior are not from this world. They are powerful beings from other worlds.” Doflamingo looked at Trebol’s shocked expression with amusement, forgetting that he himself wasn’t much better off than Trebol back then.

Upon receiving Doflamingo's recognition, Trebol was deeply shocked. Even the snot that had been hanging in mid-air stuck to the ground, and he was completely stunned.

Once he came to his senses, Torrebol raised the slime shield again. Only then did he understand why the old sword god had driven out the other family cadres. If such earth-shattering news were to spread, the entire Donquixote family would be caught in the eye of the storm and destroyed beyond repair.