Dressrosa – Palace Gates
"What people?"
"This is not a place you can casually stroll into! Leave immediately!"
"Retreat now, or you'll be killed."
The arrival of the intruders instantly triggered the attention of the palace guards.
These were no ordinary sentries. They were elite soldiers of the Donquixote Family—battle-hardened, alert, and highly disciplined. Unfamiliar faces were never treated lightly.
"Impressive reaction time," Kaelen muttered with a slight smile. A subtle red gleam flickered in his pupils.
Whummm—
Ripples distorted the air around him. A moment later, the guards' eyes rolled back, and they dropped to the ground—unconscious.
"..."
Robin and Aokiji exchanged quiet glances.
"He really used Conqueror's Haki… just to knock out a few foot soldiers," Robin murmured.
Aokiji sighed. It was so unnecessary—it felt like Kaelen was showing off.
And in the next breath, he proved them right.
"Heh, having Conqueror's Haki sure is convenient. Saves me the trouble of lifting a finger," Kaelen said as he clasped his hands behind his back and tilted his chin upward in exaggerated confidence.
He looked like a self-important martial arts master in a bad stage play.
Robin and Aokiji remained silent, simply watching him with flat expressions.
After a few seconds of dead air, Kaelen's bravado began to crumble under the awkwardness.
Yeah… maybe he wasn't cut out for the 'cool guy' act.
Step, step, step…
Before Kaelen could say something even more ridiculous, heavy footsteps echoed through the hall.
Having sensed the pulse of Conqueror's Haki, Doflamingo emerged from the palace interior with a sharp gaze behind his sunglasses.
The moment he saw the trio—Kaelen Tsukishiro, Nico Robin, and Aokiji—his smirk froze ever so slightly.
Then it returned, sly and practiced.
"Fufufufu... so it's Kaelen Tsukishiro and Admiral Aokiji. What brings such powerful guests to my doorstep?"
Despite his calm tone, Doflamingo's heart was pounding.
Something felt wrong.
He didn't fear Aokiji—at least, not enough to panic. Robin didn't even register as a threat in his mind.
But Kaelen… ever since this man appeared in the world, chaos had followed. He had already taken down Blackbeard, possibly even Moonlight Moria. He was a storm in human form, and Dressrosa had just stepped into his path.
If Kaelen knew what Doflamingo was thinking, he'd probably grab him by the collar and shout: "I'm not the Grim Reaper from Detective Conan!"
Aokiji said nothing. He gave Doflamingo a sidelong glance and remained still. He was only here to observe—and clean up if necessary.
That silence alone made Doflamingo's nerves tighten.
Something wasn't right.
His smile dropped. His sunglasses gleamed with menace.
Then Kaelen spoke—and confirmed every suspicion.
"Sorry," he said calmly, smiling faintly. "I came here to kill you."
The tone was relaxed, light—as if he were announcing dinner plans.
Robin: "…"
Here we go again. Another casual declaration of murder.
Doflamingo's expression didn't change, but the tension in his jaw betrayed him.
"Kaelen-san," he said tightly, "Surely you're joking. If I recall correctly, I've done nothing to offend you."
The moment Kaelen had uttered those words, a suffocating pressure had gripped Doflamingo's chest.
Because he knew—Kaelen could do it. And if he said he would… then he meant it.
"You're right," Kaelen said, shrugging lightly. "You didn't offend me. But someone paid me to take care of you. I accepted their payment. So now I've come to do my job."
He looked at Doflamingo with something strange in his eyes—not hatred. Not amusement. A complex blend of respect, regret, and a trace of disdain.
He admired Doflamingo's power and intellect.
He regretted that such a capable man had to be eliminated.
And he felt shame on Doflamingo's behalf—because Doflamingo had once killed his own father for status, and later his own brother for ambition.
Kaelen had watched this man's story unfold in the anime. He remembered how fans had debated Doflamingo's backstory, claiming he was a victim of circumstance, that anyone in his shoes might have turned out the same.
But Kaelen disagreed.
From the start, Doflamingo had blamed his father for losing their status.
As a child, he had murdered that same father and presented his head to the Celestial Dragons, hoping to return to Mary Geoise.
After being rejected, he set out to destroy the world.
Killing Corazon wasn't just tactical—it was personal. Corazon had cost him the Operation Fruit and denied him immortality.
Doflamingo was, at his core, selfish. A man who would sacrifice anyone—friend, stranger, or family—for his own gain.
There was no tragedy in that. Only darkness.
Kaelen couldn't relate to that.
He had grown up an orphan, never knowing his parents. He had been thrown into a government training facility at ten, forced to survive mission after mission by sheer grit and dumb luck.
He had once hated his unknown parents. Hated the system that used him. Hated the world that left him behind.
But over time, that hate had burned away, leaving something calmer behind.
He chose to live free. To laugh when he could. To let go when it was time.
Kaelen believed the world didn't shape people—people shaped themselves.
And those who made excuses… were just running from responsibility.
Doflamingo hadn't lost a world. He had lost his throne. And he had never stopped resenting that.
Kaelen could understand that kind of pain. He might've even done the same.
But he would never forgive a man who killed his brother for power.
So yes, he admired Doflamingo's strength.
And he despised him, too.
All of that passed through Kaelen's mind in an instant.
In reality, only a few seconds had gone by.
Across from him, Doflamingo's face shifted—anger, disbelief, denial—all tangled together.
Behind him, the other officers of the Donquixote Family began to arrive.
---
(＾▽＾) Send Powerstones for additional chapters.
_
(☞ﾟヮﾟ)☞ Join my Patreon if you're interested in reading chapters in advance
Patreon(.)com/Zphyr_