"No matter how unusual he is…"
"Can he really compare to the Donquixote Family? Are you joking?"
"A Marine brat dares to openly head off alone to find the Donquixote Family. Do you really think that kid has any chance of surviving?"
"Impossible!"
"Don't tell me you don't know how terrifying the Donquixote Family is. When they first arrived in Demon Town, they slaughtered twenty thousand people in one go!"
"Especially their young master, Doflamingo. That man is a monster. A vicious brute who kills without blinking—and his strength is terrifying."
The pirates' faces were filled with fear.
The moment Doflamingo's name was mentioned, the terror in their hearts grew even stronger.
Donquixote Doflamingo was a monster.
A cruel, terrifying monster.
Countless pirates in the underworld called him…
Heavenly Yaksha.
A demon as vicious and terrifying as a yaksha.
"Doflamingo…"
The burly man named Big Bear's pupils shrank slightly, and his heart trembled.
Compared to the pressure Kai had given him, Doflamingo's infamy was still far more deeply rooted.
It inspired even greater fear.
After all, Doflamingo had proven his reputation with blood. The moment he arrived in Demon Town, he slaughtered most of the pirates here and carved out a terrifying name for himself.
Everyone in Demon Town knew Doflamingo's name.
Everyone remembered how strong he was.
That day, twenty thousand people died in Demon Town.
Nearly ten thousand of them had belonged to several pirate crews that had originally occupied the town.
Yet Doflamingo had wiped them all out by himself.
From then on, Demon Town's pirate crews were swept clean.
Only one force remained in control.
The Donquixote Family.
Since that day, no pirate crew had dared to cause trouble in Demon Town.
No pirate crew dared to covet the territory that belonged to the Donquixote Family.
In simple terms, Demon Town had become the Donquixote Family's domain.
"Maybe you're right."
"That Marine brat might really be finished."
Big Bear said in a low voice.
"Should we go watch what happens to him?"
"A Marine daring to step alone into the Donquixote Family's territory… There must be a reason behind it."
"What do you think that brat's ending will be?"
"Isn't this basically challenging the Donquixote Family's authority to their faces? A Marine walking alone into Demon Town—what else could that be but an open challenge?"
"Someone like that is bound to die miserably."
"Let's go! Hurry! If we're too late, we might only see a corpse."
The dozen or so pirates immediately moved out.
Big Bear followed as well, heading toward the casino the Donquixote Family had opened in Demon Town.
That place was the Donquixote Family's core territory.
It was also one of their businesses.
Across the surrounding seas for hundreds of miles, Demon Town's casino was the largest in scale.
That was exactly why it attracted countless pirates to Demon Town.
On top of that, the Donquixote Family's reputation was enough to scare off any pirate who tried to cause trouble inside.
Because of this, Demon Town's casino naturally became a paradise in the eyes of pirates.
Even if Marines appeared…
they had nothing to fear.
After all, the casino was protected by the Donquixote Family.
Even the Marines would not be enough to frighten them.
Unless…
someone of Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral level or above personally arrived.
But was that possible?
Obviously not.
Why would a top Marine officer from Headquarters travel all the way to Demon Town just to deal with one casino run by the Donquixote Family?
That kind of thankless job was not something even the Marines would do easily.
Meanwhile, under Big Bear's directions, Kai crossed the dim streets and reached his destination without any trouble.
It was only three hundred meters away.
He arrived in no time.
His footsteps stopped.
Kai stood calmly before an enormous casino.
His expression was calm as he observed the building in front of him.
Or rather…
this was not just a casino.
It was a gambling city.
Huge.
Luxurious.
Just from its exterior, one could tell how massive its scale was.
Colorful lights shone from the casino's windows, dispersing Demon Town's gloomy darkness. The dazzling colors were enough to make one's eyes blur.
A sharp smell of alcohol drifted through the air.
Mixed with the smell of smoke.
At the casino entrance stood two burly men guarding the door. They were most likely outer members of the Donquixote Family.
Becoming a core member of the Donquixote Family was not easy.
Besides, if they were core members, they would not have been sent here to guard the casino entrance.
"So this is the casino opened by the Donquixote Family?"
"It really is grand."
"No wonder it attracts so many pirates."
Kai sighed lightly.
Standing in front of the casino, he looked up at the vast gambling city.
A conservative estimate told him that this casino could hold tens of thousands of people.
Yes.
It was almost like a small city.
A casino large enough to hold so many people would naturally be loved by countless pirates. With the Donquixote Family's deterrence protecting it, gamblers did not need to fear being targeted by desperate criminals.
Because this was a casino run by the Donquixote Family.
Even the most desperate outlaws would not dare make trouble inside.
That was the terrifying deterrent power of the Donquixote Family.
"At this stage, Doflamingo clearly hasn't taken Dressrosa yet. He hasn't established the Kingdom of Dressrosa or become its king."
"So…"
"the Donquixote Family's current base is still stationed in the first half of the Grand Line."
"But with Doflamingo's ambitious personality, he has probably already set his sights on territory in the New World."
"Dressrosa should be his first target."
"It's just unfortunate that before becoming a Warlord, Doflamingo doesn't yet have the means or capital to seize Dressrosa."
Kai thought silently.
At present, Dressrosa was probably still in a poor economic state.
Only after Doflamingo's rule would Dressrosa begin to flourish.
Before Doflamingo took control, Dressrosa was as poor as a barren island.
From this, one could also see that Doflamingo was indeed a highly capable person.
Not only was his personal strength exceptional, but his business methods were also outstanding.
Only under his management and rule would the originally impoverished Dressrosa become prosperous in the future.
For Doflamingo himself, setting aside his personality, morality, and evil deeds, Kai did appreciate his personal ability.
That was undeniable.
Doflamingo was highly capable.
After a while…
Kai suppressed all those thoughts.
Smelling the sharp scent of alcohol drifting through the air, he reached into his clothes and touched the invitation letter personally issued by Fleet Admiral Kong.
Then, without hesitation, he stepped toward the casino entrance.
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