Time ticked by second after second, as the entire Donquixote Family waited inside the room.
"Doffy, the scheduled time has already passed, but those pirates still haven't shown up. Is it because they don't want to make the deal anymore, or did something happen to them?"
"No need to panic. Ever since the massive purge on the Sabaody Archipelago, the number of people dealing in slave trafficking has dropped by more than ninety percent. The ones left are all desperate outlaws with nothing to lose."
Doflamingo rested his legs on the table and looked up toward a cobweb in the ceiling corner.
"Now that there's a mysterious Navy unit sweeping the seas, being late is actually normal."
...And more importantly, Doflamingo was bored.
So let them be late.
Worst case, he could use those pirates to kill some time.
"So, we're even taking on slave trafficking jobs now?"
Hearing that voice, Doflamingo paused.
And the others in the room were even more shocked.
They recognized it—it was Rosinante's voice.
But the problem was, this was only the second sentence Rosinante had uttered since joining the Donquixote Family.
The first was when he reunited with Doflamingo, saying:
"I'm Donquixote Rosinante."
He hadn't said another word since.
And now, he was speaking up because of this!?
For a moment, Doflamingo sensed something a bit off, but recalling his little brother's personality, he didn't dwell on it.
"Rosinante, I know you've always been a kind-hearted kid, but… in today's world, whether you work for the World Government, join the Navy, or become a pirate, kindness is the last thing you need."
"You... need to grow up now."
Though Doflamingo's tone was casual, there was still a detectable protectiveness toward his long-lost brother—a desire to teach him in his own twisted way.
Even if that way… had always been completely warped from the start.
Rosinante nodded, then subtly rolled his eyes and muttered inwardly.
Kind-hearted?
I'm trying to arrest you as soon as possible so I can keep you alive!
Deep down, Rosinante harbored a vague, inescapable fear of Doflamingo.
Maybe it was his revulsion toward Doflamingo's actions, or perhaps the trauma of watching him kill their father when they were young.
But one thing was certain—his older brother was born a villain.
He had to complete Michael's mission before Doflamingo became truly irredeemable.
After saying his piece, Rosinante fell silent once more.
He began calculating the time in his head.
He'd already sent the coordinates to Michael…
So why wasn't he here yet?
As Rosinante's anxiety mounted, suddenly, the bolt on the door rattled.
The next moment, the door was flung open.
The Donquixote Family officers all sneered coldly, ready to mock the tardy pirates—
But the people who walked in weren't who they expected...
It was a group of Marines!
All of them wore cloaks emblazoned with "Justice"—Navy officers, every one of them!
Even Doflamingo froze at the strange turn of events. Then, without hesitation, he raised his hands, ready to activate his powers.
"Shhhk!"
A moment later, a pure white flame in the form of a bird shot in from outside and crashed into the room.
Doflamingo's expression changed drastically.
He could clearly feel that the threads he'd extended toward the Marines had all been incinerated by the bird's flame.
"Tch. And who might you be, dear Marine officer? Our Donquixote Family has never done anything to offend our conscience."
The corner of Doflamingo's mouth twitched as he forced himself to remain nonchalant.
"If there's anything we can do to assist the Navy, please, don't hesitate to ask."
"Oh? And what if I want the Donquixote Family to disappear completely?"
At that voice, Rosinante finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Michael had arrived.
Bathed in sunlight, a Marine with platinum-blonde hair entered, backlit by the light from outside.
Smoker scurried forward to pull out a chair like a loyal servant.
Michael shot him a glare and chuckled.
"Smoker, no need to suck up."
"I've already gotten Hina's report on how you were talking trash behind my back."
"When we return to Marine Headquarters, I'll show you."
Smoker turned pale and slunk back to his spot, while Michael lifted his gaze to study the younger Donquixote Family.
Truth be told, among the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Doflamingo was one of the better team organizers. His subordinates all had decent Devil Fruit powers.
He even had Vergo, a monster when it came to Armament Haki, who'd soon go undercover in the Navy and rise all the way to Vice Admiral.
The only problem was...
Doflamingo himself was a bit of a letdown.
Getting chased by Tsuru was one thing.
But he didn't have the prestige of Mihawk, nor the dramatic flair of Crocodile or Boa.
He was clearly mid-tier among the Warlords.
If not for the heavy screen time he got in the New World arc, he'd probably have been remembered as a disgrace to the title.
Now it seemed that even in the underworld, his early activity likely stemmed from his Celestial Dragon lineage.
His ability simply didn't match his ambition.
"Make the Donquixote Family disappear?" Doflamingo scoffed.
Even Vice Admiral Tsuru, the former Chief of Staff, had never said something that absurd.
As a born villain, he knew how to use his identity to his advantage better than anyone.
Even though he was now a former Celestial Dragon, the World Government never truly treated him as one.
In fact, they'd invited him multiple times to join the Government, lead the CP agencies, or even enter the God's Knights.
But he refused every time.
What a joke!
Protect those fat, brainless fools?
He may be a Celestial Dragon, but he never saw those self-indulgent morons as his kin.
"Oh? You don't believe me?"
Michael tilted his head, strands of hair falling like trickling light as the Holy Light radiating from him flowed gently through the narrow room.
"Who would've thought a villain like you could speak so self-righteously in front of the Navy."
As he spoke, several pure white holy flames ignited in midair.
Behind his sunglasses, Doflamingo's eyes narrowed.
The pressure spiked.
He could feel the destructive force hidden within those flames.
And in that instant, he finally understood.
"So… you're the mysterious Navy force that's been spreading rumors all over the seas."
Michael nodded with a dangerous smile.
"Hello there, Scumbag."
Before he could become truly beyond redemption, he had been arrested.
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