Chapter 142: The Mask Torn Away
If it were a normal Den Den Mushi, Doflamingo, with his alertness, would have easily detected it. But this ring-sized Den Den Mushi was a special creation of the Marine Headquarters Science Unit, known as the "Invisible Den Den Mushi"!
"Honored Elders, you must have heard everything clearly just now, correct?" Ian spoke into the tiny device. "A criminal of this magnitude, with all his crimes laid bare, is right before my eyes. There are only two of us here... I can guarantee I will eliminate him before he can reveal any information detrimental to the World Government!"
That final sentence was the crux of this entire operation. Over the years, the Five Elders had never truly been willing to indulge Doflamingo. They simply lacked a suitable opportunity to act, and this man knew too many of their secrets.
No opportunity? Ian had just created one for them.
The voice of one of the Five Elders emanated from the Den Den Mushi: "From this moment forward, Donquixote Doflamingo is stripped of his status as a Warlord of the Sea! Vice Admiral Jock Ian, you are ordered to immediately subdue the pirate Doflamingo... and ensure he is taken alive! This is the primary criterion for judging the success of your mission! He must be captured alive!"
"Understood," Ian replied curtly, then severed the connection.
"So this is the 'sincerity' you bring?" Doflamingo's voice was a low, venomous snarl. "Jock Ian!"
Swish...!
Razor-sharp strings shot out, attacking Ian in an instant. From the founding of the Donquixote Family to the present day, Doflamingo had built his empire over many years. He never imagined he would suffer such a massive setback at the hands of a young Marine. Being stripped of his Warlord status by the Five Elders meant the entire network of influence he had painstakingly built over the years was collapsing in an instant.
Now Doflamingo truly understood why Ian had asked him those two questions publicly. Losing the World Government's support would further shake the people's faith. Ian's goal was never a negotiation; it was a devastating, crushing blow!
"Sincerity? Hahaha!" Ian laughed, a sharp, mocking sound. "There's no credibility in your words at all! If you were truly sincere, you wouldn't be a mere puppet negotiating with me!"
As he spoke, Ian flashed into motion. With impossible speed, he bypassed the attacking strings. His fist connected squarely with the face of the Doflamingo puppet!
BOOM!
The fragile doll quickly collapsed, dissolving into a pile of loose threads on the ground. The movements of the entire kingdom were within the scope of Ian's perception. So, from the moment this "Doflamingo" first appeared, Ian had known it was a fake. However, for the purpose of the public declaration, whether it was the real person or an imposter made no difference. It had even served to lull Doflamingo into a false sense of control.
At that moment, high atop the Royal Plateau, the real Doflamingo's face was a mask of thunderous fury. He was utterly enraged by Ian's actions. The Five Elders actually believe a newly-risen brat can defeat me? It seemed that during his time at the Sabaody Archipelago, Jock Ian must have done something extraordinary to earn the trust of the world's most powerful figures. This further confirmed Doflamingo's earlier suspicion—'Drought' Jack had died at Ian's hands!
"Five Elders... Sengoku..." Doflamingo's voice was a guttural growl. "Fufufufu... You want to start a war with me, and you send only a young man to do it? That is the greatest misjudgment you will ever make! Since you wish to witness the rise of a new Marine star, I will make you face reality once and for all!"
Doflamingo knew the situation all too well. The only way to break the deadlock now was to kill Ian and his crew first, and then negotiate with the Five Elders!
However... a crisis Doflamingo had not anticipated was just about to begin.
…
Beneath the Kingdom of Dressrosa lay its underground world—the trading port. Multiple subterranean waterways flowed in an orderly fashion. Ships sailed back and forth, anchors raised, massive machines operating. Countless toy slaves transported goods under the watchful eyes of the Donquixote Family subordinates, who held whips, urging and surveilling them.
The ordinary citizens of Dressrosa had no idea this hidden underground world existed within their kingdom. It was the exclusive location where the Donquixote Family conducted their illegal transactions with the outside world, handling shipments and payments.
CRACK!
"You damn idiots, hurry up!"
"If you delay the shipment, I'll throw you all into the scrap heap!"
"Don't slack off! Look alive, no breaks!"
"..."
The family members mercilessly whipped the toy slaves. They didn't treat them as living beings at all; their attitudes were deplorable.
Besides the trading port, there was another crucial location in the underground world: the SMILE Factory! All the artificial Devil Fruits sold to Kaido originated from here.
From the outside, the SMILE Factory was completely sealed, covered by a massive glass dome with glowing flowers hanging from the top to provide the necessary sunlight for the artificial Devil Fruits. The figures moving about inside the factory were the 500 Tontatta tribesmen captured by Doflamingo.
"I'm so tired... I feel like my body can't hold on much longer."
"Me too... We've only harvested a little. You haven't eaten in a long time, have you?"
"Mr. Human Inspector, can we... can we take a break?"
Several Tontatta gardeners approached a burly man, naively asking for a rest.
CRACK!
The same treatment given to the toy slaves outside was meted out to them. A heavy whip landed on a Tontatta gardener's body.
"Ah! It hurts!"
"Inspector, I'm really working hard..."
"Why... why did you hit me again?"
The little person had no idea what he had done wrong. He stood up, innocence and confusion in his eyes.
The burly man put away his vicious smile, replacing it with a hypocritical expression. "This is a 'loving reminder' for you! Look at what you're growing—the pass rate isn't even up to standard! Aren't the Tontatta known as the world's finest gardeners, capable of cultivating any plant? Think of your Princess Mansherry! She is so gravely ill. Our King has spent a fortune on her treatment, consulting famous doctors from all over the world!"
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