-Chapter 120 – Doflamingo's Proposal
In the sky above Dressrosa, Cacus held Trafalgar Law by the collar, wings beating hard as they sped toward the Corrida Colosseum.
"Cacus… is it really okay to leave Captain Ace alone back there?" Law finally asked as the wind whipped past them.
If Ace stayed behind, he would have to face not only Donquixote Doflamingo but also Jack the Drought, one of Kaidō's All-Stars.
Either man alone was among the strongest on the seas. Facing both at once… Even with Law's unwavering faith in Ace, unease clawed at his chest.
"What are you worried about?" Cacus grinned, unwavering. "Ace is our captain."
"Our captain is the man who will stand atop this ocean someday. Whether it's a Warlord or one of Kaidō's All-Stars, they're nothing but stepping stones for Captain Ace!"
Law gave a small nod, about to speak—when, out of nowhere, several figures appeared high above them. They crashed directly into Law and Cacus mid‑air.
The ones who struck them were none other than Kin'emon the Foxfire, Raizo of the Mist, Kanjuro of the Evening Shower, and their young lord Kozuki Momonosuke, freshly hurled twenty years into the future by Kozuki Toki's Toki Toki no Mi.
Law and Cacus, stunned, spiraled downward together with Momonosuke and his retainers.
---
Far above on King's Plateau, Ace watched the newcomers fall, eyes narrowing.
Kin'emon, Raizo… even Momonosuke… They were supposed to arrive on Punk Hazard. So they've appeared here instead—because of me?
Or maybe… he thought, lips quirking, this world really does bend under the weight of unseen hands—readers' resentment, fate itself…
---
On the plateau, Jack's eyes widened. "Those clothes… those are Wano samurai!"
He turned to Doflamingo, his voice booming. "Joker! Those are the ones Kaidō's been hunting. They cannot be allowed to escape Dressrosa!"
"The ones Kaidō is looking for?" Doflamingo's expression sharpened. He spread his fingers and flicked them.
The Parasite Thread Clone Law had destroyed earlier re‑formed, its body unraveling into a stream of filaments. Like a fountain, countless threads spewed skyward. They exploded into the air like fireworks, then cascaded downward like shooting stars.
When they touched the ground, they stretched from the air to the earth, weaving into a colossal lattice that curved into a vast dome—threads stretching across the entire island.
"Torikago! (Birdcage!)"
Doflamingo's Birdcage locked over Dressrosa, the razor‑sharp wires forming an inescapable dome.
"With this, no signal will escape. The live broadcast of our war ends here." Doflamingo's grin widened. "But if we're to catch the samurai Kaidō wants, I don't care about cameras."
"Jack," he called, "from now on, everyone in Dressrosa is a caged bird. No one leaves without my say‑so. Hunt them down slowly—like a cat playing with mice."
Jack's tusked grin spread. "A cat and mouse game? I like the sound of that." He hefted his scythe‑like weapons. "Want me to help with this brat first?"
"No need." Doflamingo waved him off, confidence gleaming in his sunglasses. "Even if that kid's strong, he's nothing I can't deal with."
"Fine, then I'll hunt the samurai first." Jack's massive frame shifted and swelled until a mammoth towered over the plateau. With an earth‑shaking bellow, he charged off toward the colosseum, intent on crushing Kin'emon and the others.
Ace watched him go, but did nothing. Jack's target was Momonosuke and his retainers. Kin'emon, Raizo, and Kanjuro were not weak, and Jack would need time to deal with them.
If they die in his hands… so be it.
---
"Now…" Ace turned back toward Doflamingo, flames licking along his arm. "No one else will interrupt us."
"Hahahaha!" Doflamingo didn't attack. Instead, he laughed—a deep, amused sound. Then, in a sudden shift, his voice softened, almost conspiratorial.
"Fire Fist Ace… I don't think we need to keep fighting. In fact…" He stepped closer, lips curling. "I think we could join forces."
Ace's eyes narrowed, but Doflamingo went on.
"I know who you are. The son of Gol D. Roger—the Pirate King's only bloodline left in this world." His grin widened, revealing his teeth. "That name, paired with the strength you've shown, tells me you will rise to the throne of this sea."
"But," Doflamingo's tone dropped lower, silk‑smooth and venomous, "if your identity gets out, the world will never give you the time to grow. The Marines, the Celestial Dragons, the Yonkō… all of them will try to crush you."
He leaned in, voice whispering like a serpent in Ace's ear.
"But I can fix that. I can protect you. I can push you to the top. With my network, my power… nothing—neither the Yonkō nor the World Government—could stop us."
"I'll help you ascend, and in return… you'll help me drag those so‑called gods from their altar. Fufufufu! Tell me, Ace—how does a deal like that sound?"
---
Ace's eyes darkened.
So you know, after all…
He looked up at Doflamingo, lips curling in a smile—cold, resolute.
"Tempting offer… but you're too late."
"If I ally with the man who murdered my crewmate, then I'd have no right to sail these seas." Ace's voice hardened like steel.
"As a man, I'll never stain myself with that shame. So I refuse."
His fist ignited, fire roaring.
"Lewis's blood will be avenged—with your life, Doflamingo!"
"Brat!" Doflamingo roared, his sunglasses flashing with killing intent as he caught Ace's blazing fist.
"Then die!"
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