"This is your first time seeing Mariejois standing, not kneeling. How does it feel?"
"Fufufufu~"
After inspecting the businesses on the Sabaody Archipelago and giving instructions to Trebol for future matters, Doflamingo specifically requested the World Government to send a Marine escort. He then used the World Government's giant elevator port on the Red Line to step onto Mariejois with the warship, all so that Tesoro could see Mariejois standing, not kneeling.
Tesoro gripped the warship's railing tightly, as if clutching someone's throat. Veins and blue tendons bulged on his hands, neck, and forehead...
"Great expression! Fufufufu~ Hahahaha..." Doflamingo laughed with extreme glee, not out of mockery or jest towards Tesoro, but simply because he felt like being happy.
After a long laugh, gazing at the sprawling cityscape with its towering buildings, Doflamingo said, "Stella is still in there. What are your thoughts now? Save her? Forget her?"
Tesoro, his face contorted in a grimace, stiffened. He had been struck at his most vulnerable point.
"I won't help you save Stella. You're worthless to me right now; you can't give me any return. I've already invested a lot just to save you!" Doflamingo said coldly and cruelly. "I value your inherent, obsessive personality. It's better than many people's mediocre talents. You have great potential, worth me taking a gamble on, and that's all."
Though he said this, Doflamingo had actually instructed Trebol before his departure to retrieve Stella from the Celestial Dragons as soon as possible and keep her hidden. He was preparing to give the Gold-Gold Fruit, which he had kept for a long time, to a user who could truly unleash its power.
Tesoro was the undisputed choice; no one else matched his almost pathological craving for money!
Doflamingo, of course, knew that the defiant Tesoro was unlikely to be as obedient as Trebol and the others. He wasn't even afraid if Tesoro grew strong enough to offend him. "If someone resists, you should subdue them with power, shouldn't you?" But that didn't stop him from setting up a pawn.
"Stella... Stella..."
"STELLA!!!"
His chest heaving violently, Tesoro suddenly roared, hysterically, heartbroken.
After his outburst, he slumped to the ground, covering his face. Tears, mixed with snot, flowed through the gaps in his fingers and onto the deck.
"Why is it like this... Every time, every time, it gives me hope... only to lead to despair..."
Memories spread rampantly.
He thought of his gambler father's untimely death in childhood, of the destitute days when he was constantly ostracized, of his mother's hateful gaze and prolonged cold abuse. He also remembered running away from home, the fear of stealing for the first time because he didn't want to starve, and the thrilling joy of success afterwards. He once thought that with money, he could have friends, but a crushing defeat at the casino made him face reality...
Stella, the most beautiful flower in his heart, seemed like an angel descended to earth, so delicate and beautiful, yet so unfortunate and imprisoned. He swore he would do no wrong for her sake, working hard to buy her freedom, to live a happy life together. But the appearance of the Celestial Dragons shattered his fantasy. The Celestial Dragons were richer than him, so they easily took Stella away. He tried to resist, only to become a slave himself.
"One year? Two years? Three years?" Doflamingo twitched his fingers. "Fufufufu~ How long do you think you can endure under the inhumane torture of the Celestial Dragons? How long can she endure? I don't think it'll be too long before she ends up like the other slaves, suffocated by despair, then tossed into the sea like trash, her body devoured by fish, her bones corroded by seawater, eventually becoming fertilizer for the ocean."
Tesoro looked up, his eyes showing—a monster was brewing within him.
"Fufufufu~ Yes! Yes! That's it! That's the expression!" Doflamingo looked down from above. "Maintain it! Envy, envy everything, everything in this world that you don't possess! Then work hard, desperately hard. No matter how much you cry, how much you hurt, desperately work to become someone whom everyone in the world envies and is jealous of everything you have!"
"Swear allegiance to me, and I shall grant you power," Doflamingo's smile faded. "Oh, my apologies! I need to tell you who I am. Allow me to introduce myself. I am the captain of the Donquixote Family, Donquixote Doflamingo, 'Sea Scourge,' a Warlord of the Sea, and a super-rich individual who controls ten percent of the world's wealth! Fufufufu~"
Without a moment's hesitation, Tesoro had no right to hesitate. This was his only way out. He knelt on one knee. "Captain."
"Call me Young Master, fufufufu~ Your 'power' awaits you at the family's base." Doflamingo turned sideways. "For now, please appreciate Mariejois with an appreciative mind! Because... one day, we will overturn it, and its current glory will become nothing more than historical footage!"
After passing Mariejois, Doflamingo left the Marines behind and flew back to his base, carrying Tesoro.
Twilight.
The Flamingo.
"Our new member, Gild Tesoro," Doflamingo threw the Gold-Gold Fruit to Tesoro, introducing him to the family members.
Awkwardly, the atmosphere went cold. Even the playful Burgess found it hard to lighten the mood. The heavy aura of malice around Tesoro was truly daunting.
"Next, the majority of the family will move to the North Blue," Doflamingo commanded. "Diamante, Burgess, you two will remain in charge of the Swordsman and Fighting Tournament business. I'll inform Shiki to look after you. Oh! And Big Mom. She hasn't honored her promise to send one executive each year. She's probably still mad at me, fufufufu~ I'll have Trebol send her a Three-Eyed Tribe slave right away; that should appease her."
Big Mom hasn't had much luck in the past year or so, mainly because Doflamingo caused trouble, inciting her to clash with Whitebeard over the Fish-Man Island sweets issue. Naturally, the thriving Whitebeard emerged victorious.
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