Sabaody Archipelago, Grove 1.
A group of world nobles—bubble-headed and clad in the signature attire of Celestial Dragons—strutted arrogantly down the street.
Wherever they passed, all civilians immediately scattered to the sides of the road, dropping to their knees in unison and bowing their heads low.
"Dammit, what the hell is going on today? Why are so many Celestial Dragons suddenly appearing in Sabaody?"
"Probably heading to the slave auction house."
In front of a coffee shop, several burly men knelt in a row.
One of them cautiously glanced up at the hundreds of Celestial Dragons parading down the street, his eyes flickering with confusion as he whispered.
"How could they still be going to the slave auction house? The one in Grove 1 was shut down long ago! Before the Marines publicly executed Whitebeard Jr., not only were all the slave auction houses closed, but all the casinos too!"
"You just don't get it, do you!"
Another burly man shifted closer to his companion and continued.
"The mastermind behind the that slave auction house, is the former Warlord Doflamingo. Now that Doflamingo has fully submitted to the Marines, he naturally wouldn't dare to continue such dealings behind the scenes.
But just because he doesn't dare, doesn't mean others won't.
After all, the Celestial Dragons' demand is still there. Whether it's capturing a ship captain or creatures like fish-men as slaves, the Celestial Dragons pay on a whim—money is just a string of numbers to them!"
"How dare they?" The leader of the group narrowed his eyes.
"Is it those human trafficking rings?"
"Who else could it be?"
"They're truly putting wealth above their lives! If the Marines stationed at Sabaody find out, they won't have enough heads to spare!"
"Exactly. I heard that after Fleet Admiral Orion took office, he issued a new regulation specifically targeting human traffickers! In the past, the Marines wouldn't actively pursue trafficking rings—some even turned a blind eye when they saw traffickers.
But ever since Fleet Admiral Orion came to power, the Marines have been harsher on traffickers than pirates. Some pirates who haven't committed murder or arson can still survive, but traffickers? The moment they're caught, it's execution by beheading."
At this point, the burly man emphasized, "Not firing squad—beheading!"
As the group whispered among themselves, the light before them suddenly dimmed.
A figure stood before them in an instant.
"Fufufufu..."
Before they could react, a sinister laugh exploded in their ears.
The next moment, Doflamingo—cloaked in a pink coat and wearing sunglasses—crouched before them with a bloodthirsty grin.
"What were you just talking about? Human trafficking rings? Do such rings still exist on Sabaody Archipelago now?"
"D-Doflamingo!!!"
At the sight of the figure suddenly crouching before them and his bone-chilling smirk, the men gasped in unison.
"Don't be afraid. I'm no longer a pirate!"
"Let me reintroduce myself. I am now the Vice-leader of the God's Knights—Donquixote Doflamingo."
As he spoke, Doflamingo removed his sunglasses and wiped them, exuding an oppressive aura that nearly suffocated the men on the spot.
"Tell me, where are those traffickers hiding? Find them, and you'll be rewarded. Fail, and you'll be treated as traffickers yourselves!"
The men seemed unfamiliar with the title 'God's Knights'—or perhaps Doflamingo's overwhelming presence was to blame—as their eyes widened in terror, their bodies trembling uncontrollably.
Despite Doflamingo's gentle tone, his sinister aura relentlessly assaulted their nerves.
"Doffy, you're scaring them!"
Diamante, a member of the Donquixote Family who had accompanied Doflamingo in "escorting" the Celestial Dragons to Sabaody, quickly interjected.
"The Fleet Admiral has made it clear: you can act however you want against Celestial Dragons and pirates, but you mustn't instill fear in ordinary civilians!"
"Was I not friendly and kind enough just now?!" Doflamingo blinked, then stood up decisively.
"I'll deal with those Celestial Dragons instead! I leave these people to you—they should know which areas the human trafficking rings are active in. Find them all before the Fleet Admiral arrives on the island. Make sure no one's left alive."
"Understood!"
Diamante nodded, then turned to the trembling group.
"You lot, come with me! Don't worry, as long as you're not traffickers, I won't let you die."
After Diamante led the group away, Doflamingo walked to the floor-to-ceiling window of the café, studying his reflection in the glass pensively.
"Hmm, I suppose I don't look very friendly."
"Doflamingo-sama!"
A voice suddenly called out.
Turning towards the sound, Doflamingo froze momentarily.
"Sharlia?"
Standing before him was Sharlia, the former Celestial Dragon of the Rosward Family, who had surrendered all her assets to the Marines to save her life.
Unlike her previous visits to Sabaody, Sharlia wasn't wearing Celestial Dragon attire or the signature bubble helmet, nor did she carry the haughty demeanor of a Celestial Dragon.
The only thing unchanged was her innate noble bearing.
"Quite the transformation!"
After giving Sharlia a once-over, Doflamingo gave her an approving thumbs-up.
"I used to think you were an irredeemable fool, but who would've guessed? Out of all the Celestial Dragons in the Holy Land, you were the first to wake up!"
Doflamingo had known Sharlia long before this—back when he ran the slave auction house on Sabaody.
Her family not only had businesses on the island but also frequented his auctions alongside her father and brother.
Pretending not to hear his remark, Sharlia cut straight to the point.
"All the Celestial Dragons on the list have arrived at the hotel."
"Let's go, then," Doflamingo said bluntly.
After taking two steps, he suddenly remembered something and turned back.
"A small warning though, I was once wanted to return to the Holy Land and reclaim my status as a Celestial Dragon, but now, becoming one holds no glory for me. So, when addressing me in the future, drop the 'sama.'"
Sharlia nodded calmly.
"Understood."
After a brief pause, she suddenly looked up at Doflamingo, hesitating before asking with a hint of uncertainty.
"Will Fleet Admiral Orion be coming to the hotel?"
"Hmm?"
A flicker of surprise crossed Doflamingo's eyes before he broke into a grin.
"Fufufufu, Sharlia, you've got some nerve!"
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