A/N: Don't forget to check out my original novel: Can I Magic Please. It's like really good. 😉
ANYWHOOO. ENJOY THE CHAPTER
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Night had settled peacefully over Dressrosa.
The lively noise of the city had dulled into something softer.
Distant music drifted through the streets.
Laughter echoed from taverns.
Warm lights illuminated the colorful kingdom while the moon hung high above the ocean like a silver lantern.
At the edge of one of Dressrosa's bridges
Two figures stood alone beneath the night sky.
Scarlett leaned lightly against the railing.
The sea breeze gently moved her pink hair.
Beside her
Giovanni rested both arms lazily over the bridge rail while staring toward the glowing city below.
For once
He was unusually quiet.
Scarlett glanced sideways at him.
"…You're calmer than usual."
Giovanni gasped dramatically.
"Princess Scarlett."
"You wound me."
"I'm always calm and dignified."
Scarlett immediately deadpanned.
"No."
"You aren't."
Giovanni placed a hand over his chest like he had just been stabbed.
"…Cruel."
Scarlett couldn't help it.
A small laugh escaped her lips.
Giovanni immediately pointed at her triumphantly.
"Aha!"
"There it is!"
"The smile!"
Scarlett instantly turned away.
"I did not smile."
"You absolutely did."
"I didn't."
"You're smiling right now."
Scarlett's cheeks reddened slightly.
"…You're annoying."
Giovanni grinned shamelessly.
"Yes."
Silence settled between them again.
Comfortable this time.
The ocean waves quietly crashed far below the bridge.
Then—
Scarlett spoke softly.
"…You really are strong."
Giovanni blinked.
She looked down at the city lights beneath them.
"At first…"
"I thought you were just some loud idiot pirate."
Giovanni nodded seriously.
"Fair assessment."
Scarlett ignored him.
"But when you fought Kyros…"
Her eyes softened slightly.
"…I understood."
Giovanni looked toward her quietly.
Scarlett hesitated briefly before speaking again.
"And…"
"…Thank you."
Giovanni tilted his head.
"For what?"
Scarlett looked away awkwardly.
"For saving Violet."
Giovanni stared at her for several seconds.
Then suddenly smiled lightly.
"Well obviously."
"She's your little sister."
Scarlett blinked.
Giovanni shrugged casually.
"Of course I'd protect her."
Something about how naturally he said it made Scarlett's chest tighten slightly.
She quickly looked away before he noticed.
Unfortunately
Giovanni noticed everything.
A smug grin slowly spread across his face.
"Oho?"
Scarlett immediately pointed at him.
"Don't."
"Don't what?"
"Make that face."
"What face?"
"That stupid face you make when you think you're charming."
Giovanni looked genuinely offended.
"Think?"
Scarlett sighed deeply.
"…Hopeless."
Giovanni laughed softly.
Then—
Unexpectedly—
His expression slowly changed.
The teasing faded.
The joking stopped.
Even Scarlett noticed it immediately.
Giovanni looked toward the moonlit ocean quietly.
"…Scarlett."
The sudden seriousness in his voice made her heartbeat quicken slightly.
"…What?"
Giovanni exhaled slowly.
"I like you."
Scarlett froze.
Completely.
"…Huh?"
Giovanni scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Actually…"
"…I think I liked you since the first time I saw you."
Scarlett's face instantly exploded red.
"W-WHAT?!"
Giovanni laughed nervously.
"Yeah."
"That reaction feels fair."
Scarlett stared at him with wide eyes.
Her thoughts became a complete mess.
He liked her?
This pirate?
This loud, shameless, infuriating man?
Giovanni smiled faintly.
"But I know."
Scarlett slowly blinked.
"…Know what?"
Giovanni leaned back against the railing again.
"That we can't really be together."
The wind gently moved his hair.
"I'm a pirate."
"A wanted one."
"And honestly…"
He chuckled quietly.
"I'm kind of a scumbag."
Scarlett frowned slightly.
Giovanni pointed at himself casually.
"I chase after every pretty woman I see."
"Every skirt in sight."
"I flirt constantly."
"I gamble."
"I fight."
"I cause trouble literally everywhere I go."
Scarlett opened her mouth slightly.
But Giovanni continued first.
"You deserve someone better than that."
His voice remained calm.
Natural.
Not self-pitying.
Just honest.
"…But."
He smiled lightly at her.
"I still wanted to tell you."
Scarlett's chest tightened painfully.
Because for the first time—
Giovanni wasn't joking.
Wasn't performing.
Wasn't acting ridiculous.
He was simply being honest.
And somehow—
That affected her more than all his teasing combined.
The bridge became quiet again.
Only the sound of the ocean remained.
Then—
Giovanni suddenly snapped his fingers.
"Oh right."
Scarlett blinked.
"…What?"
Giovanni pointed dramatically.
"Our bet."
Scarlett instantly froze again.
"…No."
"Yes."
"You were serious?!"
"Of course I was."
Scarlett's face became impossibly red.
Giovanni leaned slightly closer.
"You said if I won…"
Scarlett covered her face instantly.
"…I know what I said."
Giovanni smiled softly this time.
Scarlett slowly lowered her hands.
Their eyes met quietly beneath the moonlight.
Then—
Very slowly—
Scarlett stepped forward.
Giovanni's heartbeat quickened slightly.
And then—
She kissed him.
Deeply.
Warm.
For several seconds—
The world itself seemed to disappear around them.
Only the moonlight.
The ocean breeze.
And the two of them standing alone on that bridge remained.
Giovanni slowly wrapped an arm around her waist as the kiss deepened slightly.
Scarlett's fingers lightly grabbed his shirt.
Then eventually—
They separated.
Scarlett's face was completely red.
Giovanni looked equally stunned.
"…Wow."
Scarlett immediately covered her face again.
"Don't say anything."
"I wasn't going to."
"…You absolutely were."
"…Yeah."
Scarlett groaned softly in embarrassment.
Giovanni smiled warmly at her.
Then his expression softened again.
"…Scarlett."
She slowly looked up.
"If you ever need me…"
His voice carried unusual certainty.
"…I'll come."
"No matter where I am."
"No matter what happens."
"I'll make sure I'm there."
Scarlett stared at him silently.
And for the first time—
She truly understood something terrifying.
This pirate—
Could genuinely steal hearts.
---
Elsewhere—
Deep beneath Dressrosa—
Inside a prison cell—
Caribou chuckled nervously to himself.
"Hehehehe…"
"Good thing I ate this Devil Fruit…"
His body slowly turned into dark swamp-like sludge.
The prison bars became meaningless as his body slipped through them effortlessly.
Caribou sighed in relief once outside the cell.
"I let myself get captured quietly because of that monster…"
His body visibly shivered.
"What even WAS that guy?!"
"So fast…"
"So scary…"
He wiped sweat from his forehead nervously.
"That wasn't human…"
He quickly started sneaking through the corridors.
"I gotta find Coribou…"
"And then we're getting the hell outta here…"
---
Vol 2, Chapter 27 — Part 2: The Fruit the World Feared
Far from the lively nights of Dressrosa—
At the edge of a hidden harbor buried beneath towering cliffs—
Massive iron gates slowly creaked open.
A luxurious black ship drifted into the underground port.
The emblem of the Donquixote Pirates fluttered proudly above the mast.
Dozens of armed guards immediately lined themselves up nervously.
Waiting.
Then—
Heavy footsteps echoed across the dock.
Donquixote Doflamingo stepped off the ship with effortless confidence.
Pink feather coat draped over his shoulders.
Hands casually in his pockets.
A grin stretched across his face.
Behind him followed the core officers of the Donquixote Family.
Trebol lumbered behind with his usual disgusting laugh.
Diamante walked confidently while spinning his cape.
Vergo remained calm and composed.
Pica towered over nearly everyone present.
And near the back—
Corazon silently observed the surroundings.
Waiting nervously at the entrance—
A tall man with purple glasses and an overly eager smile immediately rushed forward.
Disco bowed repeatedly.
"DOFLAMINGO-SAMA!"
"What an honor!"
"What a tremendous honor!"
Doflamingo merely glanced at him lazily.
"Fuffuffuffuffu…"
"You're loud."
Disco instantly laughed nervously.
"M-My apologies!"
"I merely wished to properly welcome someone of your prestige!"
Trebol snorted.
"He's trying way too hard…"
Disco immediately straightened himself again.
"T-The preparations are complete!"
"The auction hall is nearly ready!"
Doflamingo continued walking.
"Take me to the merchandise."
Disco instantly nodded.
"O-Of course!"
Then he quickly moved ahead of the group while constantly speaking.
"The security is flawless!"
"The collection this year is extraordinary!"
"I personally made certain everything met the highest standards worthy of your name!"
Doflamingo barely listened.
His eyes lazily scanned the massive underground complex instead.
Pirates.
Mercenaries.
Underground brokers.
Slavers.
Weapons dealers.
All moving throughout the giant harbor like vultures gathering around a corpse.
The smell of money practically filled the air.
And Doflamingo loved it.
Eventually—
Disco led them toward a heavily guarded steel chamber.
Several guards nervously unlocked the doors.
The massive entrance slowly opened.
And inside—
Rows upon rows of merchandise rested under heavy protection.
Treasure chests.
Ancient weapons.
Stacks of gold.
Rare artifacts.
Devil Fruits contained within glass cases.
And further down—
Iron cages.
Slaves.
Men.
Women.
Children.
Some stared blankly.
Others trembled in fear.
The underworld in its purest form.
Disco spread his arms proudly.
"Our centerpiece collection!"
Diamante whistled softly.
"Not bad."
Trebol grinned greedily.
"BEHEHEHEHE…"
"There's a lotta money here…"
Doflamingo walked calmly through the chamber.
Completely unfazed.
His attention moved past the ordinary merchandise immediately.
Toward the center of the room.
Where two objects rested separately under extreme protection.
The first—
A magnificent cutlass with a golden hilt.
Its blade carried an overwhelming presence despite remaining sheathed.
Even standing still—
It felt dangerous.
Disco spoke proudly.
"The cutlass once wielded by the late Pirate King himself…"
"The saber of Gol D. Roger."
Even Vergo looked toward it carefully.
Trebol whistled.
"That alone's gonna start a war…"
Doflamingo grinned.
"Exactly."
Then—
His eyes shifted toward the second display.
Inside a reinforced glass case—
Rested a strange Devil Fruit.
Dark silver in color.
Covered in spiral patterns resembling claws and fangs.
The atmosphere around it felt unnaturally oppressive.
Even the guards standing nearby seemed uncomfortable.
Disco's voice lowered instinctively.
"And…"
"The true star of the auction."
"A Mythical Zoan."
"The Dog Dog Fruit, Model: Fenrir."
Silence filled the chamber briefly.
Even the Donquixote officers stared carefully at it.
Trebol frowned slightly.
"BEHEHEHE…"
"I get selling Roger's sword…"
"But that fruit?"
"That thing's monstrous."
He looked toward Doflamingo.
"Wouldn't it be smarter to use it yourself?"
"Or give it to someone in the Family?"
"That'd massively strengthen our crew."
Diamante nodded slightly.
"Not wrong."
Even Vergo looked thoughtful.
Doflamingo stared at the fruit quietly.
Then—
He laughed softly.
"Fuffuffuffuffuffu…"
"That's true."
"If I hadn't already eaten a Devil Fruit…"
His grin widened slightly.
"…I'd absolutely eat this."
The officers blinked slightly.
Because Doflamingo rarely praised anything this openly.
He slowly approached the glass case.
Reflections danced across his sunglasses.
"But there's a reason the World Government wanted this fruit buried."
His smile became colder.
"After all…"
"…the World fears this fruit."
A brief silence followed.
Even Disco swallowed nervously.
Doflamingo turned away from the display.
Feather coat swaying behind him.
He spread his arms slightly while grinning toward the massive underground hall.
"The New World runs on power."
"And power…"
"…runs on wealth."
Trebol laughed loudly.
"BEHEHEHEHE!"
"So we're selling it after all!"
Doflamingo's grin sharpened.
"Yes."
"Let the Emperors fight over it."
"Let pirates slaughter each other for it."
"Let the entire sea go insane."
His laugh echoed throughout the chamber.
"Fuffuffuffuffuffu…!"
Then—
His expression darkened slightly.
"And if X thinks…"
"…I'm handing over the profits…"
The air itself suddenly felt colder.
"…then he's out of his damn mind."
Thin strings subtly appeared around his fingers.
Invisible.
Deadly.
"This money…"
Doflamingo's grin twisted into something dangerous.
"…belongs to me."
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