Ever since fusing with the second-generation divine body,
Doflamingo had stopped fearing the World Government.
Even Akainu was someone he now dared to confront head-on.
And yet—
The moment this handsome devil laid eyes on Im,
his heart still skipped involuntarily.
It wasn't fear born of weakness.
It was because Doflamingo knew too many secrets—
about Im, and about the World Government itself.
Among those secrets…
Were the Ancient Weapons.
Power at the absolute pinnacle of this world.
Even with a second-generation divine body,
Doflamingo wasn't confident he could withstand that kind of force.
"Doflamingo,"
Saint Saturn said, casting him a sideways glance, his tone heavy with authority.
"You've been very active lately."
"I hear you've openly declared war on the World Government?"
"Hm…"
"Kaido's involved as well?"
"And carrying Wang Zhi on your shoulder—
trying to drag him into this too?"
Though his words were calm, Saturn felt a chill deep down.
According to intelligence reports,
Doflamingo had somehow acquired multiple Ancient Zoan users.
Not only could he now contend with Akainu directly,
he had also pulled Kaido—and even Wang Zhi—into his camp.
On the seas today,
Doflamingo posed a threat that far surpassed the Four Emperors.
He was already approaching the level of Rocks D. Xebec.
"Fuffuffuffu…"
"No, 'drag him in' sounds far too gentle."
"It was more like—
forcing him to agree."
"But he was far too weak."
"He couldn't even take one punch from me."
Doflamingo grinned, teeth bared in arrogant delight.
One punch…
Saturn's heart sank.
Wang Zhi had been one of the oldest core members of the Rocks Pirates.
Back when Wang Zhi boarded the ship,
Kaido had still been nothing more than an apprentice.
Noticing the flicker of unease in Saturn's eyes,
Doflamingo felt a long-suppressed bitterness finally ease.
Back then—
He had believed that killing his own father
would earn him a return to the Holy Land.
Instead…
He had been mocked, humiliated,
and cast out of Mary Geoise like trash.
At that moment,
Im—who had remained silent until now—spoke calmly:
"If all this is merely revenge for what happened back then…"
"Then you should give up."
"With your current power, you still can't overturn the World Government."
"Stop now."
"I will restore the Donquixote Family's status as Celestial Dragons."
"And you…"
"Will succeed the Five Elders."
Her voice was cold and restrained—
yet laden with irresistible temptation.
Especially to someone like Doflamingo.
One of the Five Elders.
That meant standing at the absolute summit of world authority.
Liang Bing watched with interest.
She was genuinely curious—
how would Doflamingo choose when faced with such temptation?
Accept it?
Or reject it?
Doflamingo laughed.
A bitter laugh.
A hollow laugh.
"Fuffuffuffu…"
"Only now, when I finally have power, you say this?"
"What—
is your Empty Throne starting to feel unstable?"
"Maybe those old events meant nothing to you, Im."
"But you didn't live through them."
"No one else has lived a life as twisted as mine."
Then—
His expression hardened instantly, murderous intent erupting.
"The largest struggle for supremacy in pirate history is about to begin."
"Who will support whom?"
"Who will betray whom?"
"Among all these restless forces…"
"There is only one throne."
"Sit there and watch quietly."
"I'll drag you down from it—
inch by inch."
As those words left his mouth,
Doflamingo felt an unprecedented sense of release.
He wanted revenge.
Revenge against the entire world.
Saturn's expression darkened immediately.
Im, however, remained composed.
She smiled faintly.
"I hope you survive."
"Good luck."
Doflamingo lifted his chin proudly.
"Of course."
At that moment,
a heavily drunk Kaido muttered:
"That old guy looks familiar… isn't he one of the Five Elders?"
"And who's that woman?"
Ever since picking up Yamato from Hachinosu and returning to the tavern,
Kaido had been drinking nonstop.
He was already eight-tenths drunk.
Doflamingo gave him a brief explanation.
Kaido's eyes lit up instantly.
He made a slicing gesture across his neck.
"How about…"
"Once they leave the tavern, we kill them?"
"Clean and simple."
Doflamingo's face instantly darkened.
"That plan is brainless."
"If you don't want to die,
sit down and keep drinking."
Kaido shrugged, said nothing more,
and continued drinking while staring at the unconscious Yamato.
Liang Bing asked curiously:
"That's your son?"
Kaido nodded.
"Some kind of… father-son bonding?"
"Why are his chest muscles so exaggerated?"
Kaido: "..."
Damn it.
If I could beat you, I'd smash your head in.
Meanwhile—
The standoff between Doflamingo and Im continued.
They stared at each other.
Their gazes were calm—
like still lakes.
But beneath the surface,
deadly currents surged.
After a long while,
when a bottle of wine finally ran dry,
Doflamingo spoke again:
"The World Government was founded by twenty nations."
"Those twenty royal families abandoned their thrones."
"New kings were chosen, and their bloodlines ruled ever since."
"To maintain control,
the twenty kings erased all records of the previous rulers."
"But—"
His voice sharpened.
"Alabasta was the exception."
"The Nefertari Queen Lily never became a Celestial Dragon."
"And within all records of the Void Century—
there is not a single mention of her name."
"Afterward, the throne of Alabasta was passed to her younger brother."
"So tell me…"
"Should I call you Lord Im?"
"Or…"
"Queen Lily?"
At those words—
Rayleigh and Kaido were both stunned.
Eight hundred years had passed since the war of the twenty kings.
Even Saturn's expression grew grave.
He was about to shout—
But Im interrupted him.
"Does it matter?"
"Whether I am Im, or Queen Lily…"
"I am still the ruler of the Empty Throne."
"Or perhaps…"
"You're wrong about everything."
Doflamingo froze.
His pupils shrank violently.
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