Chapter 232: The Celebration
A month ago, bad news spread from Dressrosa, the island known for love and passion.
The Corrida Colosseum, Dressrosa's massive arena, had been destroyed.
No one had dared imagine such a thing could happen.
After all, the owner of this island, its king, was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea, Donquixote Doflamingo.
Dressrosa should have been peaceful because of him.
Yet that massive destruction jolted the entire island awake.
The residents, who had always taken pride in Dressrosa, suddenly found that the source of their pride had been shattered overnight.
Even though there had been warnings beforehand, with nearby islands being destroyed one after another, those things had only been gossip to the residents.
No one believed such a disaster would reach Dressrosa.
Then, in a single night, the disappearance of the Corrida Colosseum proved that their confidence had been nothing but a joke.
Fortunately, as time passed and no further major incidents occurred, the small island gradually regained its former color.
When the sky had only just begun to brighten and most of the world had yet to wake, the people of Dressrosa had already climbed out of bed early, joyfully preparing for the coming celebration.
Today was the first anniversary of Doflamingo's accession to the throne.
It was Doflamingo who had saved them from the wicked King Riku.
It was Doflamingo who had protected them from the threat of pirates.
It was Doflamingo who had brought vitality back to the country, turning the island into something beautiful and harmonious.
To show their gratitude, the people of Dressrosa had made this day a celebration.
In the lonely morning, a thin shadow pushed a small stall onto the street.
The wind tugged at his clothes, carrying the faint fragrance of flowers with it.
The old vendor stopped, sat down on a protruding ledge by the roadside, and tightened his clothes against the cold wind. Then he took a sip of cheap wine to warm himself.
Not everyone lived comfortably under Doflamingo's rule.
The old man was certain his life had improved, and he did want to feel grateful.
But hardship pressed down on him every day.
Compared to useless gratitude, he wanted more to earn a few extra Berries to support his household.
Thanks to today's celebration, people began appearing on the streets earlier than usual.
And since he was the first vendor to open on this street, his first customer soon arrived.
"Excuse me, does this island have any specialty food?"
The old man raised his head and looked at the speaker.
Standing before his stall was an exquisite older boy.
His dark hair was neatly arranged. His face was delicate, and his vivid red eyes carried an almost magical quality, as if they could swallow a person whole.
The faintly protruding Adam's apple and the flat chest beneath his clothes told the old man this was a boy.
It took him some effort to pull his gaze away.
In any case, this could not be a child from an ordinary family.
Whether it was the clothes on his body or that extraordinary appearance, everything said the same thing.
A big customer.
The old man immediately boasted, "If we're talking about the island's delicacies, then my assorted pancakes are second to none."
The boy sniffed lightly.
It did not smell nearly as impressive as the old man claimed.
Still, he said, "I'll try one."
"Then what toppings would you like?"
The old man immediately began selling him the best options.
"I have Dressrosa lobster, fresh crab..."
The boy did not even think before answering.
"Add the most delicious ones. Money is no object."
The old man's eyes lit up.
As expected, this young master was not short of money.
He immediately got to work with all his strength.
The boy did not disturb him. He only stood in front of the stall and yawned, looking as though he had not fully woken up.
Before long, the old man's homemade food was ready.
The boy paid a few Berries, sniffed it, and frowned.
Then he took a small bite.
Before he even swallowed, he spat it out.
He casually set the unfinished food aside and said coldly, "It's not good."
The old man looked at the pancake made with precious ingredients, feeling a pang of heartache.
Although the ingredients were not fresh, their price was still almost equal to several days of his food money.
To take one bite and discard it without even swallowing.
Rich people were truly extravagant.
"Let me ask you something," the boy said. "Do you know where Diamante went? I visited the Colosseum a while ago, but I didn't see him."
Axel tactfully handed over a gold ring.
Gold was hard currency anywhere, and Dressrosa was no exception.
Using it merely to ask a question was more than generous.
The old man froze for a moment, then hurriedly accepted it.
After rubbing it to verify its authenticity, he quickly tucked it away while glancing around.
"You mean Lord Diamante?"
His voice lowered slightly.
"Lord Diamante usually stays at the Colosseum, but it seems he went out for a while recently. Otherwise, the Corrida Colosseum wouldn't have been destroyed like that."
The old man sighed.
"I really don't know who had the nerve to cause trouble here and destroy the Colosseum. Just thinking about the huge amount of Berries spent on repairs makes my heart ache for the king."
As the old man recounted the matter, the boy's lips curled slightly.
Because the one who had destroyed the Colosseum was him.
He was Axel.
The black hair was merely dyed with special tree sap to guard against Doflamingo's attention.
On this island of love and passion, beautiful women and handsome men were not rare. Exquisite children were also not uncommon.
So his appearance would at most attract a few gazes, but it would not necessarily draw the attention of Doflamingo's subordinates.
Especially now that his hair was the exact opposite color of its original shade.
After leaving the Marine base, Axel had begun playing a game of guerrilla warfare.
He was not confident enough to crush Doflamingo through strength alone.
That one victory had only been a fluke.
Once Doflamingo was on guard, winning again would become difficult.
So after coming to Dressrosa, Axel chose to imitate an assassin.
Strike once.
Then disappear.
He had originally thought that at least one executive would be guarding the Colosseum.
In the end, he had come up empty.
The target was already gone.
For a while, Axel had even suspected that the other party had sensed danger in advance and deliberately hidden, so he had stayed concealed for some time.
"However, I heard Lord Diamante returned recently," the old man continued. "The Colosseum has already reopened too."
"If you want to pay your respects to Lord Diamante, you should be able to see him if you go now."
The old man spoke with certainty.
"Especially today, since it's the king's celebration. As one of the king's executives, Lord Diamante definitely won't be absent."
"If you're looking for him, then going to the Colosseum today is definitely the right choice."
After saying that, he looked at Axel nervously, afraid the boy might ask for the gold ring back.
Axel naturally would not do such a thing.
The gold had been stolen from Doflamingo anyway.
Besides, he did not care much about wealth.
He would not act like a miser clutching his riches.
He had only one requirement for money.
It had to be enough to let him afford delicious food.
"All eras have an end."
Axel raised his head.
Hanging above the island was Doflamingo's pirate flag.
That eerie smiling face with a slash across it fluttered lightly in the wind, symbolizing the ever-expanding Donquixote Family.
"Just as all kings eventually pass away."
Axel spoke slowly.
"I really want to know what kind of expression he'll make when this kind of celebration is ruined."
As he finished speaking, Axel gripped the wooden blade wrapped tightly in cloth.
Its shape looked almost like a rolling pin.
.....
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