I stared up at Doflamingo.
Doflamingo stared down at me.
For a long moment, there was silence as no one spoke. I glanced out of the corner of my eye, looking at a quest that had just appeared.
[Quest]
Stand your ground against Donquixote Doflamingo!
Fight Donquixote Doflamingo to a standstill!
OR
Form a relationship with Donquixote Doflamingo!
Rewards:
+1000 to all physical stats!
+Increased [Infamy] with Donquixote Pirates!
OR
+1000 to INT and CHA!
+Increased [Reputation] with Donquixote Pirates!
Time Limit:
1 Day
Failure:
Certain death!
"So... what if I told you that this was all just a misunderstanding?"
I tilted my head back, narrowly dodging a sharp string, which whipped past my head at speeds I could barely track, and which would've lopped off my head if I was only a few seconds slower.
Well, it seemed that Doflamingo wasn't very willing to accept that line of thinking.
"A misunderstanding?" The towering, 10-foot-tall non-giant in front of me asked, his lips curled up into a wide grin, as if he was looking at a particularly interesting bug, "So, you didn't send all those love letters to Baby 5?"
Oh, maybe he was a reasonable person after all?
I held up my arms, my hands flat in a surrendering motion, "Exactly. I know who you are, and I don't want any problems with you. The guy who was writing her letters was the old king of this island - a king that I killed a few weeks ago and took his position."
Surely Doflamingo would listen to reason, right? After all, I wasn't lying - I really hadn't been the one writing Baby 5 letters, and I damn sure didn't want to suffer for dumbass Daurel's actions! I wasn't eager to try my hand at fighting a Warlord, especially not one as powerful as Doflamingo, as I didn't know how I would fare against him. I had managed to take down John Giant, but there was a huge gap between a Vice-Admiral and fuckin' DOFLAMINGO! I didn't even know how to use Haki yet, and an end-game boss was hunting me down?!
"Fufu... you think I don't know that?" My back stiffened, a pit settling in my gut as Doflamingo's mouth just stretched into an impossibly wide and impossibly creepy grin.
Then, if this bastard knew I wasn't the one who sent the letters to Baby 5, then why the hell was he here? Was he just coming to finish off the job, and destroy all of Imbale even if Daurel was already dead?
I clicked my tongue in annoyance, as I realized that was exactly what he was doing! This was Donquixote fuckin' Doflamingo - he was a crazy bastard! He'd destroyed the hometowns of every man who'd tried to court Baby 5 before, and if he was petty enough to come all the way to Paradise just because Bellamy was pissing him off, then of course he was petty enough to come to the North Blue to destroy Imbale!
"B-But... then you don't love me?" Baby 5's head perked up from her spot near me, her expression shifting from one of confusion to one of utter despair, as I quickly realized that this situation was even more fucked than I had thought.
"Then... then the Captain was right?!" She sobbed, her eyes welling up with tears, as my face went pale, "I'm unlovable! Everyone who says they love me is just lying! You just want to use me for my body! I thought I finally found a good one, but you're just like all the others! You don't love me!"
"Well, shit."
I immediately ducked down, letting another string whip over my head in a split-second, aiming to behead me, but instead just giving me a small haircut.
"You think you can make a member of my family cry like that?" Doflamingo chuckled, looking more amused than angry even as Baby 5 was sobbing hysterically in front of me, "This is why you should listen to me, Baby 5. I know what's best for you."
"WAHHHH! I THOUGHT YOU LOVED ME!" As I yanked my head back up, standing tall once again, I was immediately met with the barrel of a gun-arm staring me down, "WHY'D YOU SAY YOU LOVED ME IF YOU WERE LYING?!"
My hand snapped up, shoving the gun to the side as a split-second later it went off, unleashing a massive burst of heat past my face.
"AUHHH-" A guard behind me was only able to scream for a few seconds before he was consumed by the blast and turned into nothingness.
Well, this was quite the situation, wasn't it?
Right now, I was in a situation that was pretty damn hard to maneuver my way out of. I had an angry Doflamingo staring me down, and whichever way I tried to lie, I would only be digging my hole deeper. If I said that I wasn't the one who sent Baby 5 the letters, then she'd have a meltdown like this, and Doflamingo would try to kill me for making her cry. If I said that I was the one who sent her the letters, then she'd be happy, but Doflamingo would kill me for trying to 'use' her for her body and connections, just as every man who tried to court her before had.
In this instance, fighting seemed to be my only option. But this was a fight I probably couldn't win. Doflamingo was just toying with me right now with his attacks, as he was pretty much just lazily slashing strings at me as he enjoyed watching me try to talk my way out of this. Even if I did know how to use Haki, I wasn't sure that I could defeat him, as it was taking everything in me to barely dodge a 'lazy' attack from the Warlord. Add in the fact that the quest was merely asking me to fight Doflamingo to a 'standstill' and not defeat him, and it seemed even the system didn't think I stood a chance here.
I was far from weak, and as someone who'd done nothing but spend a few months fishing on an island, I was actually really damn strong. But my lack of fighting experience, my lack of knowledge about Haki, and, most importantly, my lack of preparation for fucking DOFLAMINGO to come hunting me down would be my downfall. So, at the moment, all I could do was bullshit my way out of this.
"You know that this Kingdom is protected by the World Government, don't you?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow at the Warlord, who in turn... didn't change his expression at all.
"Um, Baby 5? Does your future husband know that Captain is a Warlord?" Buffalo asked Baby 5 dumbly, who didn't respond as she just shoved her face into her hands.
"DARLING DOESN'T LOVE ME, AND CAPTAIN IS GOING TO KILL HIM! THIS IS THE WORST!" She sobbed, and her words were almost proved true as Doflamingo flicked his fingers casually and I was forced to yank my head back and barely dodge another sharp head-detaching string.
Damn, not even a second of hesitation? I figured the World Government would rather side with a Warlord and let whatever he did here slide over going to war with him for a small nation like Imbale, but he was that confident? He didn't even have to think about trying to kill me again?
It seemed that compromising with Doflamingo wouldn't work, and I would really just have to fight him. But, I did have one last card up my sleeve...
"Alright, you caught me. I sent those letters," I said bluntly, stepping forward as I reached to my side, casually wrapping an arm around Baby 5's waist and pulling her into my side, "I'm in love with your crewmate, Donquixote Doflamingo."
"W-Wait, you are?! I knew it! I knew you loved me, Darling!" Baby 5 gushed, her mood taking a complete 180 as she instantly switched from crying to looking at me gleefully, "See, Captain?! Darling does love me!"
"...But, you didn't send the letters," Doflamingo countered, tilting his head slightly at me, his smile still large, but also slightly intrigued. As if I'd gone from an amusing ant that he was about to stomp on to a slightly interesting ant.
"No, I did," I pushed, shaking my head at his words, "Daurel was the former king here, but he was never the one sending the letters. Instead... it was me. I sent them to you because I knew you'd come to kill him, and afterward, I would take the throne."
Now, it was time to see just how much bullshit I could spew out before Doflamingo stopped buying it. Truly, I was actually lucky that, out of all the insane and insanely-powerful New World pirates I could run into, it was Doflamingo.
He was a man that could be reasoned with, or more specifically, one that could be manipulated. If I had pissed off someone like Kaido, he would've just squashed me like a bug and been done with it. But Doflamingo came here and was simply standing in front of me. He hadn't made anything except lazy attempts on my life, and even now, he was letting me speak.
Simply put, Doflamingo hadn't killed me yet for a reason. Whether it was because he thought my attempts to reason with him were amusing, or because he wanted to crush Baby 5 more and dissuade her from believing more suitors, or even for another reason that I couldn't think of, I didn't know. All I knew was that he was giving me a chance, and I would take that chance.
Doflamingo was a man who liked interesting things - a man who didn't use his raw power to take control, but instead, liked to play behind the scenes. A sneaky, slimy, cruel man who enjoyed tormenting others for amusement. He was, without a doubt, a true villain in this world - but he was a villain with depth. A villain who wasn't evil just for being evil, but instead, because he had genuine, well-thought-out motivations. He wasn't a villain who would ruthlessly kill me the second he saw me, but instead, a villain who liked to manipulate others - which was something that I could manipulate.
Now, all I had to do was make Doflamingo so interested in me that he wouldn't dare kill me. And the way to do so was perfect for me. I wouldn't have to choose a path on the quest, because I'd simply go for both!
"...Fufu..." Doflamingo simply let out one short chuckle at my words, but as I saw his hand tense, a sign that his next attack was about to come, I pushed forward quickly.
"But, that was only the initial reason that I sent those letters. After writing back and forth with Baby 5... I truly fell in love with her," I continued, taking a step forward as Baby 5 was looking at me with stars in her eyes, her expression damn-near shining a light on my face, "So, I killed Daurel myself, and took the throne on my own. I wanted to create a Kingdom that my wife would be proud of when she arrived."
Now, it was time to attack from two angles! I'd play on Baby 5's comically quick acceptance of any request to get her fully on my side, and then use Doflamingo's own crewmate against him! Even if he wouldn't be willing to spare my life out of pure interest, if I could convince him - or, at least convince Baby 5 - that I was truly in love with his crewmate, then he'd have to be a cold-hearted bastard to still try to kill me.
Which, of course, Doflamingo definitely was, but this was the best chance I had! If this didn't work, then plan B was to start swinging!
"D-Darling..." Baby 5 breathed out next to me, staring wide-eyed at my words. Doflamingo's face didn't break, his lips still curled in his ever-present and ever-creepy grin. So, I pushed it even further.
"You might think that I'm after her for the power your crew holds, Donquixote Doflamingo, but that's wrong. Truly, I love her - not for her body, and not for her position in a Warlords crew. I don't need your connections, because I have my own. I know all about the side of the world that you prefer to dwell in, Doflamingo… The dark side of this world. It's the reason you 'smile,' isn't it?" The instant I finished the word, an even faster string came slashing towards my neck, but this time, I didn't have to react - not that I could've, mind you, but I didn't have to either. An inch away from decapitating me, the string stopped, and Doflamingo's smile twitched down just for a split-second.
"...You look dumber than you are," Doflamingo said simply, the string dangerously close to my neck, but not moving as his glasses-covered eyes bored into mine, "Which family do you come from?"
So far, this was working even better than I expected. The 'smile' part had been a bit of a risk, as I didn't know when in the timeline I was, or if Doflamingo was even working to produce SMILES yet. But his reaction told me he was, and it also led him to a line of thinking - that I was someone involved with the underworld of this world. A place that Doflamingo was very connected to, but which also had a lot of big players involved as well. Now, he'd be more hesitant to outright kill me and risk jeopardizing some of his own interests in the black market without knowing who I truly was.
"That doesn't matter, Warlord. You're here for Baby 5, aren't you?" I asked him, avoiding his question, which in reality I didn't have any answer to, "I love her for her, and to show you that..."
I took a step forward, surprising Baby 5 as I abruptly moved my arm from around her waist and strode forward. The guards behind me tensed, and the tension in the air became thicker than I'd ever felt before as I approached the Warlord.
My legs moved forward, one step after the other, until finally, I was only a step in front of Doflamingo. I stared up, his frame towering over mine as our eyes locked.
"If you stand between us, I'll kill you."
This was my grand plan - to ignite an interest within Doflamingo about me. An interest so large that he couldn't bring himself to kill me right here before my journey even truly began. I'd show him that I wasn't like the others who'd tried to court Baby 5 - that I wasn't after an alliance with the Donquixote Pirates, nor after her fighting prowess, or even her body. I'd show him right now that I didn't give a damn about her crew - that I only wanted her for her. I'd show him that if it came to it, I'd throw her crew and all her connections to hell and kill her Captain right here and now.
Of course, I doubted I could really kill Doflamingo, but I didn't need to. I just needed him to think that I was truly willing to. To think that my confidence wasn't unfounded, and for the little voice in the back of his mind to speak up - to tell him that maybe I did have powerful backers in the underworld, and that was how I knew about the SMILES. Or, that perhaps I did truly value Baby 5 so much, and I really could be useful to his crew. I just needed to change his mindset - to flip the purpose of his visit to Imbale on its head.
And, as Doflamingo's grin did the impossible, growing even wider as it stretched inhumanely large across his face, I knew it had worked.
"...Kill me?" He asked, his gaze boring down into mine through his red glasses, "...Fufu...Fufufufu...FUFUFUFUFUFU!"
Then, he burst into laughter so hard that he threw his head back, his neck twisting painfully as he looked at the sky. The massive, pink coat thrown over his shoulders bounced up and down as he laughed as if he'd heard the funniest thing in the world.
Then, in a split second, the world around me changed.
It was as if the sky had fallen - a weight so heavy, so intense, and so demanding slammed down on my shoulders as my gaze was torn downwards. It pressed down on me, shoving on my knees and back as it demanded that I bow down. As it demanded that I fall onto my knees in front of this Conqueror.
Behind me, I heard the effects of it working, as the clattering of metallic guards falling to the ground rang out. The entire group of guards who had been with me collapsed onto their knees, and then onto their stomachs. I could hear their pained grunts as they tried to fight against it, but they couldn't, as the pressure was too much for them to handle. Even Baby 5, who had been smiling at me just a second ago, let out a pained gasp as she collapsed onto her butt. Even Buffalo wasn't immune, as he stumbled to the side and then fell to his knees.
The sheer pressure was immense, as if the atmosphere itself had turned into a solid sheet of metal and was now crushing down upon me. My knees threatened to buckle, the bones groaning in protest as the force tried to drive me into the cobblestone below our feet. My spine curved, my vertebra screaming as it fought to keep me upright. My shoulders, which had shrugged off Sea Kings and attacks from a literal giant, now felt as though they were pinned beneath a mountain. Every muscle in my body screamed in a single, unified demand: kneel. Submit. Acknowledge the king standing before you.
My vision swam, the colors of the Conqueror's Haki around me bleeding into a gray haze at the edges. The screams of the citizens, the crash of collapsing buildings, and pained gasps of the guards falling unconscious behind me all faded into a distant, muffled roar, as they were replaced by the thunderous, silent pounding of this invisible presence. It wasn't just a physical pressure - it was a pure mental invasion. A violation of my brain, body, and everything that made me me. It was the sheer force of a will that had conquered, that ruled, and that would not be denied. A will that saw me as nothing more than an insect to be crushed under its heel.
But, even as everyone around me fell to their knees, I stayed standing. A sea monster had tried to digest me, and I had torn my way out. A King had tried to oppress me, and I had torn his head from his shoulders. A giant had tried to strike me down, and I had shattered his blade. This was just another mountain to be moved.
Slowly, I raised my gaze, tilting my head upwards as I matched Doflamingo's gaze again. His eyes widened only a fraction as his gaze bored into mine, and slowly, my lips curled upwards. A grin spread across my face, my teeth bared, as it looked insane enough to match his own.
"I've carried trees heavier than you, Warlord."
The second the last word left my mouth, Doflamingo's hand twitched, and a split-second blur out of the corner of my eye was my only warning. A single, razor-thin string cut through the air as it arced directly towards my neck. It was too fast for me to dodge, but it wasn't fast enough to kill me before I could react.
[Quick Twitch] fired into action, making every nerve in my right arm fire in a single, explosive burst. My arm moved so fast that it tore the air apart around me, causing a burst to shoot out to my side. Simultaneously, [Muscular Boost] activated, my shoulder and bicep swelling as my already jacked arm reached a level that steroid addicts could only dream of. Immediately after, the scales of [Scaley Skin] erupted from the skin of my palm and forearm, hardening to protect my skin.
My hand, a blur of motion and a mountain of muscle, intercepted the invisible thread. I held my arm parallel to my head, and instead of dodging the attack, I caught it.
My fingers wrapped around the thread, my eyes narrowing. I held firm as the string, a deceptively sharp attack that I knew could bisect an entire ship, slammed into my scaled palm. The force of the attack was immense, being a concentrated point of pressure that threatened to drive through my scales and turn my arm into spaghetti, but my muscles held. My arm trembled, the fibers straining to their absolute limit, making the veins in my bicep stand out as I thought they were going to pop for a moment.
But my limb held strong. A small, slow trail of blood flowed down my palm as the scales were shattered, and I could feel every inch of the string cutting into my palm, but I didn't let the pain show on my face. Instead, I just continued to stare up into Doflamingo's eyes, my grin matching his own.
For a moment, Doflamingo didn't speak. He just stared down at me, his massive frame casting a shadow over my own, as his perpetual grin stayed in place. And, for just a moment, I truly didn't know what was going to come next. I truly didn't know if my plan had worked, or if I'd die on the island I had just saved, and in turn, just doomed.
Then, Doflamingo laughed.
"FUFUFUFUFUFUFU! FUFUFUFUFUFUFU!" His head snapped back, the sound echoing through the entire North Side. Then, without any warning or even a showcase of focus on his part, he abruptly flicked the string, a small movement that I could barely register, and put more force into it. The pressure on my arm doubled, then tripled, as the string began to cut deeper into my skin, a thin, sharp line of blood now dripping from my arm and onto the ground below. I could feel the string grinding against my bone, as a loud crack came from my forearm. My bones were cracking, and if this kept up, my arm was going to be ripped clean off.
"Is that the best you've got, Warlord?" I gritted out, my teeth clenched as I refused to back down, instead forcing my arm to stay standing, even as the force tried desperately to tear through it. The string cut deeper, and the pain was now immense, but I still didn't let my expression shift.
"Interesting... you're strange," Doflamingo's laughter died down as he stared down at me, the string in my hand still cutting deep as blood flowed down my arm and onto the ground, "Of all the men who have tried to court Baby 5... you're definitely the most interesting one."
"I'm flattered," I grunted, the pain in my arm now getting to be too much, and I could feel the string slicing through my arm as it made its way to my bone. Then, I did something that made Doflamingo's eyes go wide.
I yanked on the string. And I yanked that shit hard!
Doflamingo, who had been confident that he was simply playing with me, hadn't expected that. His eyes widened as my palm, even though it was being cut through by the string, managed to yank on it. The string went taut, and the force of my pull was enough to make the arm that it was attached to - Doflamingo's own - yank to the side, slightly, making him stumble for a moment as he was caught off guard. I didn't hesitate, and I yanked on the string again, harder this time, trying to use it to pull him closer to me.
"Then again, I don't really give a shit if you find me interesting," I growled, my eyes narrowing as I stared up at him, the blood from my arm dripping onto the ground between us, "I'd prefer not to kill Baby 5's captain, but if you want to get between us... I'll kill you."
In reality, I cared a damn lot if he found me interesting, because that's exactly how I would survive this situation! But, if he knew that, then I'd suddenly seem much less interesting. I needed to keep him on his toes - to confuse him, and to continue applying pressure. To make me seem like even bigger of an unknown.
As my words hung in the air, Doflamingo's eyes widened, and I could see the flicker of genuine surprise in them. I had expected him to laugh again, or to get angry, but he did neither. Instead, he just stared at me, his grin still plastered on his face, but for the first time, it seemed a bit forced. As if it actually took a smidge of effort to keep my grip from pulling him a step forward.
Then, the immense pressure that was still weighing down on my shoulders lessened. The oppressive force of his Conqueror's Haki receded, and I resisted gasping as I could finally breathe properly again. I let out an internal sigh of relief, but I didn't dare let it show on my face. My arm was still screaming in pain, the string still cutting through my flesh and grinding against my bone, but I refused to show any weakness.
"Fufufu... you really are something else, aren't you?" Doflamingo said, his voice low, but intrigued, "To think I'd find a man like you in the North Blue... If you live long enough, you might actually make some waves in this world."
"I'm more worried about you living long enough to see it," I shot back, my smirk widening as I stared up at him, "So, why don't you worry about your own life, and not mine?"
"Fufu..." Doflamingo laughed again, but this time, it was different. It wasn't the loud, boisterous laugh from before. This one was quieter and more controlled. And, more importantly, it was the laugh of a man who was enjoying himself immensely. It was a laugh that confirmed that my plan had worked - that Doflamingo was truly interested by me.
"Alright, then," He said, a dangerous glint in his eyes, "I'll allow you to be with Baby 5... if you can prove it."
I blinked, my brow furrowing in confusion as I stared at the Warlord, "Prove what?"
Faster than I could blink, he flicked his fingers, and the smirk on my face was immediately wiped off as his next words roared.
"Prove that you deserve to live!"
A dozen thin, almost invisible strings came at me from both sides in a split second, moving at a speed that was a blur even to my eyes. But just as quick as he made his move, I made mine as well.
My eyes twitched, [Hunter's Vision] flaring to life as the world around me seemed to slow down for a split second. The strings, which had been nearly invisible, now shone with a faint light as the light of the fires from the burning buildings around us glinted off of it, their every movement crystal clear in my mind. At the same time, my skin tingled, a slick sensation spreading across my entire body as [Slippery Skin] activated.
I dove forward as I moved through the space where the strings were converging, and as they reached my body, they simply... slid off. They scraped against my skin, and normally would've at least chopped off a chunk of my flesh, but instead were unable to find purchase on the slick surface, and then whipped past me, harmlessly slicing through the air behind me. I rolled, landing on my feet again in front of Doflamingo.
"Fufufufu!" Doflamingo's laughter boomed, echoing through the ruined street, "More! Show me more!"
Another flurry of strings came flying towards me as he swiped his arms across his torso. But, again, I simply moved, my body twisting as I lunged to the side, moving just quick enough that the strings would've only grazed me - and, with [Slippery Skin], slide off my body instead of actually grazing me.
"Show me you can be useful, then I'll let you live!" Doflamingo's laughter boomed again, and his fingers twitched, casually launching another burst of strings at me.
I didn't dignify his words with a response, not as I weaved through another flurry of strings. My mind was racing, my body moving on pure instinct as I dodged and weaved. I was once again reminded that I was a fisherman, not a fighter. I didn't have any fancy techniques or complex strategies here - all I had was my raw speed, my durability, and a few skills up my sleeve. And, for now, that was enough. But, even as it took all my focus to dodge the attacks, I didn't let up on the pressure either.
"I don't need your permission," I grunted, my voice strained as I ducked under another string, "If you think I'll die so easily, then you're the idiot here."
"FUFUFUFUFU!" Doflamingo's laughter grew even louder, "Then prove it!"
The strings vanished as he burst forward in a single step, his massive frame closing the distance between us in an instant. His leg, which was now coated in the black sheen of Armament Haki, swung towards my head in a powerful, blur-like kick. I raised my hands, my forearms crossing in front of my face in a last-ditch attempt to block the attack. The impact was like getting hit by a cannonball, and a loud CRACK echoed through the air as my bones groaned under the pressure. I grunted, trying to push back against the force of his foot, but his strength was too much, and my feet slid through the ground from the force, carving two long trenches in the stone below my feet. My teeth rattled in my skull, and my vision swam for a moment as the sheer force of the attack sent a shockwave through my entire body. I was being pushed back, my feet sliding further and further, and I knew that I wouldn't be able to hold on for much longer. The bones in my arms ached, and my muscles were squished under the force of his Haki-coated foot. Even as my mind was riddled with pain, I idly realized just how busted Haki was - for all the strength I had, Doflamingo was able to overwhelm it with just Haki alone. If I lived through this, then I damn-sure needed to learn how to use it.
But, as I was on the verge of being overpowered, a blur shot past me.
"WAHHHH! CAPTAIN, DON'T GET IN THE WAY OF TRUE LOVE!"
Baby 5, her arm now transformed into a blade, lunged at Doflamingo's leg. Her attack probably wouldn't have been enough to truly injure him, but Doflamingo still grinned as he pulled back to avoid being cut, seeming to do so more out of amusement than an actual need to dodge. It seemed that my 'I truly love Baby 5' lie had been the right decision, as I was saved right at the buzzer.
"You shouldn't attack your own captain, Baby 5," He grinned down at her, but she just puffed out her cheeks in response, as if this was a light argument and not a life-or-death situation.
"I wouldn't have to if you weren't getting in the way of true love!" She shouted, pouting as she did, "Darling and I are meant to be together! I knew it from the first letter!"
"Fufufu..." Doflamingo simply chuckled again, glancing between myself and Baby 5 for a long moment, completely silent. His gaze was calculating, as if he was weighing the pros and cons of a business deal.
Then, he spoke again, his tone light and casual.
"Fine."
I blinked, taken aback by how easily he seemed to have changed his tune. The sudden shift in the atmosphere was almost jarring. Just moments ago, I was on the brink of having my arm ripped off and being pummeled into a bloody pulp. Now, it was as if the dangerous vibe in the air had completely vanished.
"Fine?" I asked cautiously, my gaze still locked on Doflamingo, my arm throbbing with a dull, persistent ache.
"I like you," He said, a wide, unnerving grin stretching across his face as his eyes bore into mine, "You're interesting, King of Imbale. You could be useful."
A cold shiver ran down my spine at his words.
Useful? When a crazy bastard like this said that, it was never a good sign.
"You're strong, but you're too fresh," Doflamingo continued bluntly as he stalked towards me, his shadow casting even further as he stared down at me, "I'll choose to believe your words. I'll let you live because you 'love' Baby 5. So, to prove you do… come to Dressrosa. Come to the New World."
I blinked at his words, shoving away the pain in my arms as I took in his words. Then... were we good now? He wasn't going to try and chop off my head again?
"I have a Kingdom here. I can't go to Dressrosa with you," I shot back, knowing I was pushing my luck, but also not eager to be kidnapped to Dressrosa and forced to actually marry Baby 5. It was better than dying, but... living in a Kingdom built on the backs of people-turned-toys was not very appealing. I also wasn't eager to be stuck under Doflamingo, as I didn't really want to be following anyone's lead, but especially not this bastard.
"Come with us? Fufu..." Doflamingo just chuckled, taking a step forward so we were only a few inches apart as he bent down, his eyes boring into mine in an overly creepy way, "No, you won't come with us. Come on your own, prove that you're worth my resources, and... entertain me on the way. I'll see you in a year."
Entertain him? What the hell did he mean by-
[Quest Complete!]
Form a relationship with Donquixote Doflamingo!
Rewards:
+1000 to INT and CHA!
+Increased [Reputation] with Donquixote Pirates!
[Quest Alert!]
You've caught the interest of Donquixote Doflamingo! Keep it until you arrive at Dressrosa!
Arrive at Dressrosa within 1 year
AND
Complete at least [4/7] of the following conditions:
Obtain a [Bounty] that impresses Donquioxte Doflamingo!
Obtain a [Position] that impresses Donquioxte Doflamingo!
Obtain a [Infamy] level that impresses Donquioxte Doflamingo!
Obtain a [Renown] level that impresses Donquioxte Doflamingo!
Obtain [Allies] or [Subordinates] that impress Donquioxte Doflamingo!
Obtain [Feats] that impress Donquixote Doflamingo!
Obtain [Knowledge] that impresses Donquixote Doflamingo!
Rewards:
+10000 to all stats!
+GREATLY Increased [Reputation] with Donquixote Pirates!
+GREATLY Increased [Reputation] with Baby 5!
+Baby 5's hand in marriage!
+The support of the Donquixote Pirates!
+Bonus rewards for each condition completed!
Time Limit:
1 Year!
Failure:
Incur the wrath of Donquxiote Doflamingo!
My eyes widened as I stared at the quest, and, mainly, at the rewards. Ten thousand to every stat?! I thought the 1000 INT and CHA was busted, because that roughly doubled those stats for me, but TEN THOUSAND?!
Granted, the task at hand was far from easy, and the time limit was much longer than my usual quests, but the rewards in return were busted. Compared to the Germa chain-quest, which took numerous quests to get into the hundreds of stat gains, this was a one-time quest that already started in the thousands - actually, the 'tens' of thousands.
This quest was too good to pass up on, and... it wasn't really like I had a choice either. I couldn't just say 'no' to Doflamingo right now, so-
"I'll see you in a year," I shot back, my expression not breaking as my gaze stayed locked with his. That earned me a final, unnerving grin from him as he finally turned away from me.
"Baby 5, we're leaving," He said simply, walking away from me casually.
"B-But... Darling!" Baby 5 stammered, her head snapping back and forth between Doflamingo and me, "I'm not leaving! I'm staying here with my future husband!"
Doflamingo didn't even bother to reply. He just kept walking, and then, with a flick of his wrist, a string shot out and wrapped around her waist. He yanked, and Baby 5 let out a surprised squeak as she was yanked towards him. Then, he simply grabbed the back of her dress, lifting her up by it as if he was holding a stray cat. She thrashed and squirmed in his grip, her arms transforming into a pair of gleaming swords as she swung at her captain.
"Let me go! I need to stay with Darling!" She protested, but her swings clanked harmlessly off his arm as it became coated with Haki. He completely ignored her protests, treating her like a child throwing a tantrum as he strolled through the ruined street.
"Stop whining, Baby 5," He said, sounding amused as he did, "You'll see him again in a year… If he survives that long."
He paused at the edge of the street, the crumbling mansions and burning buildings framing his silhouette. He turned back to me, a final, greedy smile playing on his lips. Then, he raised a hand in a casual wave, "Don't bore me, King of Imbale. I hate boring things…"
With that, he flicked his fingers upwards. A dozen strings erupted from them, shooting into the sky and latching onto a cloud above. He pulled, and with a smooth motion, he was launched into the air, Baby 5 still dangling and squirming as he held her by her dress. They soared upwards, a pair of dark silhouettes against the fading orange glow of the sunset, and then they were gone, vanishing into the clouds.
I stood there for a long moment, my arm throbbing with a persistent ache, as the blood from my palm dripped onto the cobblestones at my feet. I stared at the empty sky blankly for a moment, then sighed.
"Well," I muttered, my voice sounding unnaturally loud in the sudden silence that had fallen over the North Side, "That just happened."
I blinked, glancing around as I realized just how quiet it had gotten. There was no more fighting, no more cannons being shot, and the only sound was the crackling of fire. It seemed that with Doflamingo gone, the citizens weren't being controlled to fight anymore-
My expression turned dull as I kept glancing around and realized that the fighting hadn't stopped because Doflamingo had stopped puppeting them, but instead, because everyone was... unconscious. I had managed to stay standing from Doflamingo's burst of Conqueror's Haki, but the same couldn't be said for the rest of Imbale.
"Well, looks like I got to clean this shit up myself," I sighed, turning around and starting to walk back to the palace, and then blinked as a voice spoke behind me.
"Um... I can help if you want," I glanced back, realizing that Buffalo, who I'd pushed out of my mind as he just stood watching my exchange with his Captain awkwardly, was still standing in the road, "I'm kind of tired from flying all the way here, so... can I stay for a few days?"
I looked at him blandly. Buffalo smiled back sheepishly. Then, I sighed again.
"Yeah, yeah. Just... help me carry these guards back to the palace."
"Thanks! So, you're going to marry Baby 5? Can I be your best man? You know me and Baby 5 go wayyyyy back, right? Hahaha! This one time, when we were younger, she used her Devil Fruit to cut up this guy! It was so funny! Oh, do you have a Devil Fruit? Is that why you're so strong? What's it called-"
I groaned, trying to tune out Buffalo's non-stop yapping. I was already overwhelmed with my encounter with Doflamingo, and yet, the most annoying part of today hadn't come from Doflamingo trying to kill me.
It had come from this annoying, always smiling bastard!
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AN: Thanks for reading! The next chapter will be posted in 1-2 weeks!
Or, this story is updated twice as often on Patreon.com/Koyon ! Up to chapter 16 is currently on there!