Holy Land Mary Geoise,
In the Room of Power.
The five Elders, the highest authorities in the world, sat with solemn expressions, all eyes on the Den Den Mushi on the center desk.
After hearing Orin's words, they exchanged glances—
Then slowly nodded.
In truth, they never needed to worry about whether the list Orin provided had problems, or about his loyalty to the World Government.
No matter how obedient a wolf is, it's still a beast.
It will never be as reliable as the sailors raised by the Marines.
What they needed was merely the deterrent power of the [Seven Warlords of the Sea]—those great pirates. That would help the World Government better maintain control over the seas.
Of course,
If Orin, hailed across the seas as the "Next Generation King," were willing to join, that would have been ideal. Unfortunately, he had recently turned them down.
"Well then… let's hear it, Orin!
You were once a crewmember on Roger's ship. We trust your judgment. Who is this man that caught your eye?"
After a moment of silence, Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro was the first to speak.
Hearing this, Doflamingo tensed slightly—
But Orin calmly replied, "You should be quite familiar with this person already. Donquixote..."
At the mention of that name, the Elders all paused in surprise.
A Celestial Dragon?
"Doflamingo."
The Elders: !!!
Seeing the shock and confusion appear on the Den Den Mushi's face, Orin chuckled and spoke:
"Yep, the very same brat you kicked out of the Holy Land. He now possesses Conqueror's Haki."
"Honestly, I don't get your logic—abandoning a clansman with Conqueror's Haki, yet assigning Admirals to protect those idiots who only know how to ride around on slaves."
Orin wanted to continue teasing them, but before he could go further, one of the Elders coldly interrupted.
"Internal matters among the Celestial Dragons are none of your concern! Let's focus on this Donquixote boy now!"
Saint Shepherd Ju Peter, always cold and reticent, rested his blade across his arms and spoke icily.
After all, this was their business. Even if mistakes had been made, it was not Orin's place to judge—
No, in fact—
Celestial Dragons could never be wrong.
"You should understand, Orin, that a position among the [Seven Warlords of the Sea] is reserved for pirates who possess enough fame to strike fear into the hearts of the world."
"Doflamingo? Sure, we've heard of him. He might be well-known in the North Blue..."
"But on a global scale? He's nowhere near enough."
Indeed,
To them, an eighteen- or nineteen-year-old punk from the North Blue, even if he had some underground influence, was still far from qualified.
In their view, at the very least, he needed a proper feat to prove himself.
Something like...
A duel with an Admiral,
A clash with a Yonko.
"You really should give young people a chance, dear Elders~"
Orin, wise as ever, had naturally foreseen this line of reasoning and was fully prepared.
"You just want fame and deterrent power, right? That's easy...
What if I vouch for him? What if I tell the media and newspapers—
That the great pirate, Donquixote Doflamingo, was narrowly defeated by my subordinate and managed to escape alive?"
"This..."
Not only was Doflamingo stunned, having been one-shotted before—
Even the experienced, world-weary Elders froze in momentary disbelief.
You could do that?
But shock aside, as they thought it through, they realized with strange expressions...
It might actually work.
With Orin's background as a former Roger Pirate, and with his globally recognized feats, add a few embellishments to the story in the papers...
It could fool the entire world.
Even the man himself had agreed to it. Who could dispute it?
With the qualifications question resolved, the Elders held a brief discussion and, in principle, agreed.
However, Saint Topman Warcury added a stern reminder:
"Orin, since you're willing to use your reputation as collateral, we won't object. But you must understand—
On these seas, the [Seven Warlords of the Sea] are meant to serve as a balance to the Marines and the New World's rulers. Defeat is not an option."
"This means that if Doflamingo is defeated, not only does the World Government's prestige take a hit—your own reputation will be on the line. Do you understand?"
The message couldn't have been clearer.
To put it crudely: if Doflamingo wasn't strong enough—
And you pushed him into a high position without merit, you'd only end up slapping yourself in the face. Everyone would lose reputation.
But to Orin, this wasn't an issue.
Because he knew—
This flamingo born of fury and hellfire still had potential.
He'd held onto the Warlord position for years in canon. It wasn't until the protagonist arrived that he got crushed. Sure, that partly reflected his own limits, but also a bit of "plot armor" from the main character.
As a subordinate, he was more than qualified.
"If you still have doubts, then how about we make a deal?" Orin narrowed his eyes, smiling.
"We're listening." came the cold reply.
"If Doflamingo loses and is deemed unqualified... Then I'll take the position myself."
"That's a hefty wager, wouldn't you say?"
Orin put himself on the board.
As expected, once they heard the condition, the Elders didn't even need to deliberate—they immediately agreed.
After all, this was a deal with no downsides.
If Doflamingo proved worthy, then with Orin's backing, that flag would never fall.
And if he wasn't—
Then great. The [Seven Warlords of the Sea] would gain [Black Gun] Orin as a member. Along with the others, this would truly transform the group into a force capable of contending with the New World's powers.
That was tremendous news for the prestige of the World Government.
Click.
After agreeing, the Den Den Mushi call was quickly cut off.
The prison cell fell into silence.
Only the flickering candlelight remained, casting shadows on the face of the man who had just been the subject of discussion—
Doflamingo, his expression a mix of disbelief and sweat-soaked confusion.
Everything that had just happened felt like a dream, unreal and surreal.
How could this be…
In just a few words, a major figure of the seas had pushed him into position.
And just as easily,
Could be crushed like one.
Watching Orin calmly tuck the Den Den Mushi into his coat with a blank expression,
Doflamingo admitted, for the first time in his life—
He had truly witnessed,
What real power looked like!!!
----------------
For each review +1 Chapter
Pls Drop some Power Stones
+100 chapters and support me on Patreon(.)com/Jixo