"So that's how it is…"
Doflamingo, draped in his flamingo-feather coat, sat back down in his seat, his gaze unfocused as if he were pondering something deep and distant.
Usopp, who had been waiting on the side, suddenly spoke up:
"What exactly is going on here?!"
"Why would the Celestial Dragons hide our information?"
"Wasn't the World Government created by the Celestial Dragons in the first place?!"
The members of the Starry Sky Pirates had never truly seen the inner workings of the so-called World Nobles, and as such, they had little inherent interest in the Celestial Dragons themselves.
What puzzled them instead was the fact that information about Starry Sky had been deliberately concealed.
Among them, only Luffy and Robin had a faint understanding of these hidden matters.
The others, honestly speaking, didn't care much at all.
What mattered more to them was one thing only—
How to become stronger.
Doflamingo didn't hesitate for long before replying directly to Usopp:
"That's because the World Government was never built by the First Twenty on the surface…"
"Or rather—"
"It has never truly been ruled by those First Twenty."
The tavern fell silent once more.
Doflamingo's face twisted violently as he sat on the sofa!
His split grin fully exposed the most sinister side of his nature!
Pure, unadulterated evil!
Evil without a shred of restraint!!!
"The so-called First Twenty! The so-called Celestial Dragons!!!"
His voice tore out of his throat, drenched in boundless resentment and manic fury!
Toward this world—
Toward this false world—
He vented his rage without restraint!!!
As he sprang to his feet, a terrifying wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted from his body!
The sky itself seemed to be pressed down by that overwhelming pressure.
The wooden beams of the tavern snapped instantly, splitting apart as the entire structure began to tremble on the verge of collapse!
Soru-sharp gusts swept across everyone's faces, becoming the final straw.
The tavern exploded outward from Doflamingo as its center!
Wooden debris filled the air, clattering noisily as it rained down onto the street outside.
The already-aged walls strained under the immense mental force, cracks crawling across them like living veins.
BOOM!!!
Donquixote Doflamingo!
A man who could make the entire underworld tremble with a single stomp—
At this very moment—
Using nothing but his Conqueror's Haki—
He tore the wooden tavern apart.
Soft sunlight poured into the center of the ruined building.
It fell upon Doflamingo's face.
Yet…
The brightness failed to dispel the gloom between his brows.
Instead, it only made his ferocious, twisted expression appear even more terrifying.
His blazing feathered coat fluttered violently in the lingering pressure.
Chopper and Wutian, whose strength was insufficient, were knocked unconscious by the overwhelming shock.
Behind them, the little girl Merry quickly caught the two "patients," who were nearly her height.
Luffy glanced toward Merry and received a reassuring shake of her head in response, signaling that everything was fine.
Luffy nodded lightly, then turned his attention back to Doflamingo, who seemed lost in his own sensations.
…Sigh.
Looks like we'll have to compensate for the tavern again. Doffy should cover the bill, right?
Truth be told, Luffy had sensed something before Doflamingo erupted.
But he hadn't stopped it.
He wanted to see just what kind of experience could drive such an arrogant madman into such furious despair.
And because of Luffy's indulgence, this criminal—long watched by the World Government—
Became even more unrestrained.
Just moments ago…
His strength—
Had grown again.
At their level, power could no longer be increased through training alone.
So Luffy's tolerance was, in a way, a form of fulfillment.
Standing tall in the ruins of the tavern, Doflamingo lifted his head high like a proud flamingo, staring into the sky as if burdened by endless grievances with nowhere to release them.
And today…
He had finally found someone who could hear them.
Someone before whom he could speak words that would otherwise invite certain death:
"What a load of bullshit, this World Government!!!"
"It's nothing but a cage built to raise Celestial Dragons!!!!"
"This world!"
"As long as you stand at the top, you can decide how everyone else lives!"
"The so-called Celestial Dragons!!!"
"They're nothing more than preserved, self-important pigs!!!"
Doflamingo's presence gradually settled, accompanied by the grin that never seemed to leave his face.
His crazed lips spoke even crazier words:
"The era… is smiling!!!"
"The world is only going to get more interesting."
"Monkey D. Luffy!"
...
Faced with Doflamingo's sudden outburst, Luffy froze in confusion.
"Uh…"
Slightly overwhelmed by Doflamingo's pace, Luffy leaned back as the man suddenly thrust his shadowy face close.
Uninterested in his rant, Luffy replied calmly:
"I'm not really interested in eras or pointless history…"
"I just want to see whether this world can satisfy what I'm looking for."
Doflamingo fell silent.
Suddenly, he thrust his wrist toward Luffy.
"What are you even saying?!"
"Captain Luffy, this world is waiting for you to conquer it!!!"
"I think you've misunderstood."
At that moment, Zoro—who had remained silent—finally spoke:
"You…"
"You're looking for someone, aren't you?"
"I don't know what your standards are…"
"But ruling the world was never Starry Sky's goal."
As Zoro's words fell—
Doflamingo's pupils shrank violently!
His trembling eyes exposed every trace of fear across his face!
He muttered unconsciously:
"No… impossible…"
"That's impossible!!!"
The sudden shift left the Starry Sky Pirates confused.
They stared at him, baffled.
Even Luffy looked at Doflamingo with curiosity.
When Doflamingo glared back at him, Luffy simply spread his hands helplessly.
He had spoken casually—who knew the reaction would be this intense?
It was completely different from Doflamingo's earlier arrogance!
Seeing how calm Starry Sky remained—
Doflamingo suddenly slumped back down.
Behind his dark pink sunglasses, his eyes were filled with confusion as he murmured toward Luffy:
"Impossible… impossible…"
A dark gleam flashed across the lenses as he asked solemnly:
"Monkey D. Luffy!"
"What is the purpose of the force you're building?"
"A force?"
Luffy echoed curiously:
"You mean the Starry Sky Pirates?"
"No!"
Doflamingo's tone remained sharp:
"Your Hero Academy!"
"Don't you know that because of that academy, the underworld has been filled with complaints lately?"
"They're all saying you—"
"Want to become the emperor of the first half of the Grand Line!"
"The underworld is panicking. People keep coming to me, crying…"
"Saying you've broken the rules of the game!"
Luffy gently swirled his glass of milk, glanced at the deadly serious Doflamingo, and said lightly:
"Rules?"
"Rules are made by the strong. What do they have to do with the weak?"
"Isn't that something you—the Joker of the underworld—always say?"
"You can go back and tell them…"
"I have zero interest in ruling over a bunch of weaklings."
"But…"
"If they're unlucky…"
A merciless smile spread across Luffy's face.
"I might borrow—"
"Their corpses."
BOOM!!!
The already shattered wooden table was smashed to pieces by Doflamingo's kick!
Even through his dark lenses, everyone could see the bloodshot fury in his eyes.
Clang—
A faint glimmer flashed across Zoro's blade, reflecting into Doflamingo's vision and instantly cooling his rage.
Just yesterday, it was this very white, beautiful spirit blade that had dragged him into a blissful illusion—
Nearly costing him his life.
Step…
Doflamingo's long legs strode past Luffy as he headed straight toward the outside world beyond the tavern ruins.
"Hey!"
Luffy called out suddenly:
"You're not done talking yet…"
Tap.
Doflamingo stopped.
Out of Luffy's sight, he let out a quiet sigh, still unwilling to admit that his judgment had been wrong.
After a brief pause, he continued:
"There are three forces watching over—and protecting—the Starry Sky Pirates' information."
"One is the Marine Headquarters. Power from the highest levels of the Marine!"
Luffy nodded in understanding.
With his grandfather—Marine Hero Garp—and his influence, this was only natural.
Even if neither Luffy nor Garp needed such protection, many would still quietly suppress harmful intelligence.
Never underestimate Garp's standing in the Marines.
Sometimes, Marines trusted Garp more than their own Fleet Admiral.
Aokiji, for instance.
Doflamingo continued:
"The second force is the Revolutionary Army!"
"Oh?"
That one genuinely surprised Luffy.
But when he thought about his father, Monkey D. Dragon, and Sabo—who had never lost his memories—
It wasn't that strange after all.
He just didn't know whether they realized that Starry Sky no longer needed protection.
"The third force!"
Doflamingo lowered his voice, speaking heavily:
"Is the clear-minded First Twenty Families hidden among the Celestial Dragons!"
"So that means…"
"The Celestial Dragons haven't been fully controlled?"
Luffy's casual question plunged Doflamingo into silence once more.
After a long time, he sighed:
"You really do know far too much…"
"Unbelievable… someone with every advantage, like the child of the era itself—"
"Yet not a 'Rebel of Blood.'"
"Rebel of Blood?"
Another unfamiliar term surfaced, leaving Luffy confused.
This time, however, Doflamingo offered no explanation.
He merely left one sentence behind:
"I'll report your situation to them."
"Without their protection…"
"Your future might not be as easy as it is now."
Whether it was the unexpected truth or the crushing weight on his heart—
Doflamingo had clearly lost interest in continuing the conversation.
He glanced once at Zoro with those evil eyes, then leapt into the air.
Thin strings shot upward, attaching to the clouds above.
Within moments, the pink figure shrank into a black dot, vanishing at the edge of the sky.
Usopp scratched the back of his head, confused:
"Uh…"
"So… what was he here for, exactly?"
"Got beaten by Zoro and just left?"
"Who cares."
Zoro grinned dismissively.
"We still have our own journey."
"Luffy—how's the intel on Skypiea?"
Before Luffy could answer, Robin smiled gently:
"Everything's ready."
"We can—"
"Set sail anytime."
...
High above the clouds, Doflamingo clenched his teeth hard.
Even under the crushing wind pressure, his voice rang out in the sky:
"Not Monkey D. Dragon…"
"And not Monkey D. Luffy!"
"Then who is it?!"
"The one spoken of in the prophecy—"
"The Free Rebel of Blood!"