The surrounding Donquixote Family cadres were stunned when they saw Doflamingo defeated by a single blow from Adrian. That's the strongest among them all! Even his awakened Devil Fruit ability is so vulnerable in front of that man?
But at this moment, Doflamingo could no longer hear the exclamations of the crowd. He was in a state of shock, his mind reeling from Adrian's words. He actually knew about the existence of the [National Treasure]! How is this possible?!
The [National Treasure] inside Mariejois was a secret so private that even normal Celestial Dragons couldn't touch it. Only the leaders of the great families and a few people like the Five Elders knew about it. And yet now, this super-secret was spoken so easily from Adrian's mouth.
The shock in Doflamingo's heart was immense, a stormy sea that crashed against his sensitive nerves.
"For all these years, the reason you've been so confident, even daring to seize Dressrosa and make yourself king, is probably all because of this secret," Adrian said with a half-smile. He put a little more pressure on Doflamingo's with his foot, and Doflamingo gritted his teeth in pain.
"How... how do you know the [National Treasure] exists?!" Doflamingo asked back, his expression grave. He still couldn't fully accept this alarming situation.
"Don't bother guessing; you'll never figure it out," Adrian said with a contemptuous smile, his eyes turning sly. "And I also know that you've been eyeing Trafalgar Law's ability. Even though you knew he is disloyal, you didn't kill him. The fundamental reason is nothing more than that you want to obtain immortality through the [Perennial Youth Surgery] once his fruit awakens. Then, you'd use that to activate the [National Treasure] and fulfill your long-cherished wish of mastering the real power of this world..."
"What! You... how do you even know this?!" Doflamingo was beyond shocked by Adrian's words. The man in front of him could even say exactly what he was thinking.
What the hell is going on? Can he read minds?
"Hahahahahaha, I never thought you would have such ambitions." After a brief moment of shock, Doflamingo suddenly became calm. He stared at Adrian with burning eyes, a slightly sickly, maniacal smile appearing on his face. "However, there is no free lunch in the world. If you want to know the secret of the [National Treasure], you must agree to my request."
Click.
Adrian knew that Doflamingo's request would be nothing more than a humble plea for his life. But damn you, is this the attitude one should have when asking for forgiveness?
Adrian exerted a little more force with his foot, and several of Doflamingo's ribs snapped, drawing a scream of pain. "Do you think you're qualified to negotiate with me now?"
"Adrian, don't mess around! If I die, you'll never know the true secret of the [National Treasure]!" Doflamingo threatened calmly.
"That's right." Out of the corner of his eye, Adrian caught a glimpse of the Empress and the others returning. When he saw Sugar held casually in the Empress's hand like a doll, a smirk curved his lips. He nodded and said, "That would be better. Tell me the true meaning of the [National Treasure] and promise me one more thing. Not only will I let you go, but I'll even let go of your useless subordinates. How about it?!"
"Fufufuffufu, Adrian, do you really think I'm a three-year-old child?" A look of resentment flashed in Doflamingo's eyes, and he growled in embarrassment. "How can I believe what a despicable guy like you says?"
What a joke. Dishonesty was synonymous with pirates. Facing a guy like Adrian, who was worse than pirates, how could Doflamingo be so gullible?
But having said that, Doflamingo didn't mind telling him about the [National Treasure]. Although this super-secret was important, his own life was clearly more so. After all, the [National Treasure] was only a secret of the Celestial Dragons, and his identity as one had long been lost. At this critical juncture, there was no need to keep the secret for others.
"What do you mean, 'despicable'?" Adrian almost laughed in anger. He immediately retorted, "Compared to you pirates who do all kinds of evil, I'm practically a saint! But you can be rest assured, what I say will definitely count. Also, you'd better make a decision soon, because... your group of useless subordinates seem to be unable to hold on."
The battle not far from the two of them was coming to an end. With neither Bullet nor Shiryu making another move, Van Augur took the lead in eliminating Senor Pink, the user of the Swim-Swim Fruit from the Diamante Army. The opponent had originally tried to sneak underground and attack Adrian from behind, but the moment he appeared, he was immediately shot between the eyebrows by Van Augur. In front of sniper's Observation Haki, his stealth ability was simply invisible.
Now, Van Augur faced Gladius, the user of the Pop-Pop Fruit. His ability to cause any inorganic matter he touched to expand and explode was quite tricky to deal with. Meanwhile, Gan Fall, with his rich experience, was dominating his battle with Buffalo, who had the Spin-Spin Fruit ability. Victory was only a matter of time.
And Wyper, also from Sky Island, was fully exerting the power of his incendiary cannon and his shell-shooting bazooka, directly sending the Fishman Dellinger flying.
Among the remaining cadres of the Donquixote Family, the most difficult one was undoubtedly the old man Lao G. At the moment, he and Baby 5, the user of the Arms-Arms Fruit were being besieged by the two sisters, Marigold and Sandersonia, along with the three princes of the Fishman Island. These people had become the last straw for Doflamingo.
"Okay, I promise," Doflamingo finally compromised with an unwilling look on his face.
Adrian nodded slightly, and Bullet and Shiryu in the distance immediately understood. They flashed, and the two of them directly sent several Donquixote Family cadres flying. Although there was no danger to their lives, serious injuries were inevitable. Then Bullet and the others surrounded them from a distance, acting as guards. A shocking, super-secret like this was not something everyone deserved to hear. If it were heard by a commoner, it would only lead to death.
"You..." At this moment, the expression on Doflamingo's face was even uglier than before. Adrian was clearly trying to bully him, but he could do nothing about it.
However, just as he was about to speak, Violet's shout suddenly came from the periphery. "Master Adrian, you must not let Doflamingo go! With his character, he will definitely retaliate against you afterwards..."
Seeing that her revenge was about to be completed, the fighting had unexpectedly stopped. Violet was immediately anxious. If Doflamingo were allowed to leave Dressrosa alive, that terrible careerist might come back again in the near future. Thinking of the miserable life of purgatory she'd lived for years, Violet couldn't stop herself from crying.
She wanted to say something else, but the Empress slapped her face and sent her flying. "Presumptuous! The kind of decision Lord Adrian makes, do you think you need to tell him?!" The Empress snorted coldly, her face like frost. I give you some face, and you really think you're the main character. Is Lord Adrian's resolution something that someone like you can question?! If it weren't for the fact that your ability is still useful to him, just questioning him would've been enough for me to sentence you to death.
"If he wants to take revenge against me, he has to have the strength for it!" Adrian glanced at Violet lightly, his pupils showing no trace of sympathy. This woman was probably still fantasizing that he would return Dressrosa to the King Riku. What a joke. How could there be a free thing in the world? Adrian was not a philanthropist. How could he return this easy-to-seize country just because of a somewhat useful woman like Violet?
"..." Violet was suddenly bewildered and slumped on the ground, at a loss. She just realized it that although Dressrosa had just escaped from a wolf's den it had now fallen into a tiger's mouth. But unlike the despair Doflamingo brought, the man opposite her was someone Violet couldn't even afford to resist.
Perhaps... Dressrosa will really regain its former prosperity in his hands. Violet could only comfort herself with that thought.