The golden sails of the Queen Anne's Revenge shimmered with a brilliance as radiant as the sun itself. Light rippled across the canvas, dazzling and inscrutable, cloaking the ship in an almost sacred mystique.
There was no mistaking it.
This was the legendary warship that belonged to Xiao.
What made it even more astonishing was that the vessel seemed ripped straight from a fairy tale. It could soar through the skies, vanish from sight at will, and even perform instantaneous spatial displacement.
And aboard it—
Were prisoners from Impel Down.
When Monkey D. Luffy had forced open the gates of the great undersea prison, chaos had followed. Countless pirates long confined within its depths seized the opportunity to escape.
Those hardened criminals—men whose names alone could chill the spine—had once shaken the seas. In Xiao's previous life, their escape had even inspired several theatrical films.
Naturally, Xiao would never let such an opportunity slip by.
He had dispatched his subordinates to recruit talent. After all, anyone who had made it into Impel Down possessed something extraordinary.
From afar, Sengoku recognized several familiar faces standing upon the Revenge.
In an instant, realization dawned.
Rage surged through him.
"Shiryu, you bastard!" he roared. "You actually defected to the Blackbeard Pirates? What about Magellan?!"
With a cigar clamped between his teeth, Shiryu initially swaggered forward. But the next moment, a crushing pressure bore down upon him, nearly forcing him to his knees.
He had misspoken.
"Magellan's fine! Blackbeard—uh, I mean, Captain—didn't let us harm the jailers!"
The correction came swiftly. He had no desire to be killed over a slip of the tongue.
"Vice Admiral Onigumo," Xiao called lazily, stepping onto the deck of the Revenge with a faint smile. "Give us an escort. We can't very well enter Mary Geoise without Marine protection, can we?"
From the shattered ruins, Onigumo struggled to his feet.
"Oh~~~"
Without hesitation, he transformed into a massive pink dragon. Flames coiled beneath him like clouds as he ascended, preparing to escort them toward Mary Geoise.
Truth be told, he had no interest in cleaning up the Marines' mess.
He respected Monkey D. Garp, yes—but that was the respect of a junior toward a senior. Garp had repeatedly shared military merits to avoid promotion, a gesture that had benefited them greatly.
But that kindness did not justify gambling countless Marine lives for the sake of his grandson's reputation.
As the Revenge prepared to depart, Xiao casually added one last remark—
"Oh, Shanks. I nearly forgot. Your father, Figarland Grim Saint, is about to arrive with the God's Knights. Their objective? To eliminate the awakened Nika."
A pause.
"If you're planning to run, now would be the time. After all, he specializes in dealing with internal disputes and traitors among the Celestial Dragons. Hehehehe…"
The words struck like a blade.
Shanks went pale.
Seated aboard the Revenge, Donquixote Doflamingo stared at Xiao in disbelief.
"Red Hair is a Celestial Dragon? Since when? And there are Celestial Dragons living outside Mary Geoise?"
"Have you heard of God Valley?" Xiao asked calmly.
"The hunting ground destroyed by Roger?" Doflamingo replied at once.
"Correct. Figarland Grim Saint once ruled there. During a Celestial Dragon ritual, Rocks D. Xebec launched an assault, intending to slaughter every Celestial Dragon and crown himself ruler of the world."
Xiao's gaze sharpened.
"Look at him. Then look at yourselves."
"You pirates talk endlessly about becoming 'King' this or 'Emperor' that. But what did Rocks aim for? The annihilation of all Celestial Dragons and dominion over the entire world."
"Even among today's so-called Four Emperors, aside from Red Hair, the others were merely crew members on Rocks' ship. That's the difference."
The lecture shifted seamlessly into mockery.
Three words lay at its heart: You're inadequate.
"Enough preaching," Doflamingo snapped. "Get to the point."
"The point," Xiao said coolly, "is that when Shanks was still an infant, his mother died during the God Valley incident. He was taken in and raised by the Roger Pirates."
Doflamingo blinked.
"And? That's it? You're skipping the important part!"
Xiao smirked.
"Shanks never truly lost his Celestial Dragon status. He retains the right to meet the Gorosei directly and could return to Mary Geoise whenever he chooses."
"His identity remains concealed. Dispersed influence strengthens a clan. That's why his status was never exposed—why he was elevated instead to the throne of the Four Emperors."
Understanding dawned in Doflamingo's eyes.
But Xiao wasn't finished.
"You, on the other hand, voluntarily relinquished your Celestial Dragon status. No matter how much you struggle, you cannot reclaim it."
"You'll remain a commoner."
Doflamingo's jaw tightened.
"The Figarland Family controls the Celestial Dragons' judiciary as elder nobles. Your Donquixote Family? Mere common aristocrats among them. What do you possibly have to compare with their heir?"
The ridicule was relentless.
To his credit, Doflamingo didn't lash out—though if he could defeat Blackbeard, he might have already smashed Xiao's smug grin into the deck.
"And I saw your cousin in Mary Geoise," Xiao added thoughtfully. "A decent man. Kind, even. But an anomaly among Celestial Dragons. He doesn't compete for power. Doesn't seek profit. Indifferent."
"In short, he lacks the ruthlessness required to sustain a great family."
"The Donquixote Family now exists in name alone."
"That green-haired bastard still inherited that spineless old man's personality?!" Doflamingo snarled. "If not for me, the Donquixote Family would've collapsed years ago!"
Through Xiao's description, he had already guessed who it was—
That naïve father who had abandoned their status.
"Similar," Xiao replied mildly. "Though your cousin is smarter. He wouldn't voluntarily give up his Celestial Dragon title."
"Shut up!" Doflamingo roared. "Stop bringing that up!"
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