Orochimaru felt the unusual sensation on his earlobe, and his body stiffened slightly, but he quickly returned to normal.
He coughed lightly, a flicker of imperceptible annoyance in his eyes, which then reverted to his usual calm demeanor.
"Garp is much smarter than you think."
Orochimaru's tone was meaningful, and he subtly turned his head, deftly avoiding Doflamingo's intimate gesture.
This flamingo wants to die, but he wants to live! Garp isn't some naive old man like Luffy.
Doflamingo was inevitably a bit disappointed that he didn't get his way, but he still obediently followed the arrangements.
With a mix of reluctance and affection in his gaze, he gently cupped Orochimaru's face and softly pressed his lips against it, as if silently expressing his unwillingness to part.
"Then I really have to go this time."
Doflamingo's voice was low and magnetic, with a hint of lingering desire.
"With Kaido, I still have some say. Once you reach Wano Country, just come find me.
Though I'm not clear why you're going to Wano Country, I imagine it's for one of those reasons.
That guy Kaido is quite reasonable when it comes to capable people."
He narrowed his eyes slightly, observing Orochimaru with a half-smile, a complex emotion flashing in his eyes.
"What's more, your appearance is exactly to his liking.
Not only are you a Mythical Zoan, but you're also a dragon, good-looking, and powerful.
If he weren't old and already had children, I'd even feel a sense of crisis."
Doflamingo narrowed his eyes slightly, and the images of the Beasts Pirates members quickly flashed through his mind; each one was crude-looking, barbaric in behavior, and utterly devoid of charm.
Thinking of this, he unconsciously nodded slightly, a satisfied curve forming on his lips.
Good, among such a group of unintelligent ugly people, no one else should emerge to contend with him for Orochimaru.
Under Orochimaru's gaze, the iconic flamingo slowly started, its hull cutting through the sea, stirring up layers of white foam.
Doflamingo stood on the deck, his pink feather cloak rustling in the wind behind him. He looked back towards Dressrosa, the island they had occupied for ten years, which gradually became blurred in his vision.
Ten years of time, there was glory, the pleasure of power, and countless unforgettable memories. Now, it was time to leave.
Doflamingo narrowed his eyes slightly, the sea breeze brushing his face, carrying a hint of saltiness.
He knew that this departure meant the complete end of an old era.
From the moment he was defeated by Straw Hat Luffy, Doflamingo knew that he too belonged to the old era.
How ironic.
Orochimaru still stood by the shore, his slender eyes fixed on the flamingo, a profound and elusive meaning in his gaze.
The ship sailed further and further, eventually disappearing into the horizon where sea met sky, and the silhouette of Dressrosa slowly faded from Doflamingo's sight, leaving only the undulating sea to witness this farewell.
In the early morning, the first ray of sunlight quietly climbed into the sky, casting soft light upon the land.
Luffy and the others slowly awoke in this warm morning light. At the same time, Bartolomeo was also waiting for his subordinates to pick him up.
At this moment, Bartolomeo, with a look of contentment, carried a bulging backpack filled with his treasured "harvest."
There was an old teacup Robin had used, its rim still carrying a faint scent of tea;
Nami's discarded nautical chart, covered with dense markings and lines;
Usopp's seemingly broken but potentially very useful trinkets;
Sanji's broken cutting board, which seemed to still carry the scent of his cooking;
Franky's second-hand screwdriver, the scratches on the tool bearing witness to its past experiences;
Zoro's sword care kit, somewhat damaged but still tidy;
Brook's broken violin string, which, though it could no longer produce melodious music, carried segments of memories;
And even a set of Orochimaru's old clothes, the fabric seemingly carrying the owner's unique scent.
Zoro's gaze, however, remained fixed on the strange "pillar" Bartolomeo was carrying. Ever since Barto's subordinates handed it to Barto yesterday, this object had never left his back.
Zoro finally couldn't hold back and asked with a frown, "By the way, what's that piece of wood you've been carrying?"
Bartolomeo, who had been engrossed in his own world with a satisfied expression, snapped back to reality upon hearing Zoro's voice, a fanatical smile on his face.
"Ah... I almost forgot, bae... that's really inexcusable." His tone was full of self-reproach.
Bartolomeo hugged the piece of wood tightly, looking eagerly at Zoro and Luffy.
"Excuse me, I have an impudent request. Luffy-senpai and Zoro-senpai, could you sign it? Orochimaru-senpai signed it two years ago."
Luffy looked bewildered, as if several question marks had appeared above his head. "Why sign a piece of wood?"
Bartolomeo held the wood, his smile growing even brighter, his fanatical expression more pronounced.
"Because this piece of wood is the wood Zoro-senpai was tied to in Shells Town."
Luffy then realized, "Oh, so it's the wood from back then."
Zoro immediately showed his characteristic shark-like face, glaring at Bartolomeo with wide eyes and shouting loudly,
"Are you kidding me!! Why do you have something like that!!"
Bartolomeo, teary-eyed with excitement, rubbed his face against the piece of wood.
"This isn't just any piece of wood; it's the wood from the moment the Future Pirate King and the Future Strongest Swordsman met, and it's also the wood that witnessed Orochimaru-senpai's debut!"
Orochimaru raised an eyebrow slightly, his gaze falling on the piece of wood, and the corner of his mouth twitched unconsciously. So that's what it was. He recalled signing it at the time and not paying much attention.
"Zoro's piss and shit-smelling wood..." Orochimaru's thin lips parted, his voice neither high nor low, yet it clearly reached everyone's ears.
At these words, Zoro's face instantly turned crimson, as if ignited by a flame.
He immediately remembered the scene of being forcibly cleaned by that snake back then, and he still hadn't gotten his revenge.
Zoro abruptly drew the sword from his waist, his eyes full of fury, and was about to charge towards Orochimaru.
"You dead snake!!!! I'll kill you!!!!" Zoro's roar echoed in the air.
Just as Zoro was about to charge out, Usopp, quick as a flash, darted forward, wrapping his arms tightly around Zoro's waist. He clung to him like a koala, desperately trying to hold him back.
"Calm down, Zoro! Don't be rash! Luffy!!" Usopp shouted, his face filled with anxiety, fearing that Zoro would really fight Orochimaru and the situation would spiral out of control.
Luffy's heart skipped a beat when he heard Usopp's shout, and an unnatural expression flashed across his face.
He quickly whistled, pretending to be nonchalant as he tilted his head back, looking up at the sky, but he couldn't help but glance at Orochimaru and Zoro from time to time.
He seemed to have put Orochimaru in a box back then and then forgotten about it.
He really didn't want Orochimaru to remember it now and beat him up.
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