Everything Caesar had done earlier was nothing more than an instinctive reaction to Don suddenly appearing.
Right now, the oppressive weight Don exuded was simply overwhelming.
If anyone doubted it, they only needed to look at the Red Line that had been pierced straight through… and the half of Mary Geoise that had vanished.
So
What should he do next?
That was the question echoing in Caesar's mind.
But at this point, there were no other choices left.
With Caesar's intellect, he knew very clearly what he should and should not do.
He was also well aware of the conflict between Don and Doflamingo.
Buru buru!
A Den-Den Mushi's cry jolted Caesar, making him jerk his head toward the creature sitting before a wall of monitors.
This particular Den-Den Mushi could only be contacted by a specific counterpart.
"Fufufufufu!"
Caesar connected the call in silence.
The Den-Den Mushi's eyes morphed into sunglasses, and a familiar laugh emerged.
"Caesar, that man is with you, right?"
Doflamingo's voice vibrated through the snail.
"Miss Monet told you, didn't she?"
Caesar replied calmly.
"So you already figured it out."
Doflamingo didn't sound surprised at all.
Of course Caesar had known Monet's true identity—he had just never said it aloud.
There'd never been a need to.
They were partners.
Caesar had relied on Doflamingo's money and network to acquire test subjects.
But now
"Doflamingo, don't contact me again. I'm afraid Lord Don might misunderstand."
As soon as Caesar said this, silence descended on the other side.
Only heavy breathing could be heard.
"…Fufufufu. So you've made your choice, Caesar."
After a while, Doflamingo's voice returned.
"Yeah. After all… that lord is not someone you or I can afford to fight."
Caesar continued. His voice was sharp, but his tone was calm.
"Or tell me, Doflamingo—do you think you can actually deal with Lord Don?"
Doflamingo fell silent again.
A moment later, the line disconnected.
The situation was obvious—talking further was pointless.
And as for throwing out a threat?
Doflamingo clearly wasn't in the mood for that.
Seeing the Den-Den Mushi fall silent, Caesar turned toward the doorway of the monitoring room, where a woman in a blue-and-white striped vest stood—long, vivid green hair, unmistakable.
"Miss Monet, while that lord hasn't noticed you yet, shouldn't you be leaving? Or… maybe he already has noticed you, and simply can't be bothered to act."
Monet's green hair swayed as she lifted her golden eyes.
"The Young Master will become the Pirate King. Absolutely."
Her voice was gentle—still gentle, even now.
"Pirate King? He'll have to survive Lord Don first."
Caesar's blatant declaration of allegiance made Monet blink.
"Or did Doflamingo tell you to stay behind and dispose of me, the traitorous collaborator?"
Hearing this, Monet scanned Caesar with a brief, unreadable look before turning to leave.
A Logia-type Snow-Snow Fruit user…
Caesar was actually wary.
Even though he had decided which side to stand on, he still didn't know how Don viewed him.
Nor did he know whether Don would intervene if he really fought Monet.
As a scientist, Caesar did possess combat ability—under certain circumstances, he could display impressive power.
But against Monet?
He had no confidence.
Avoiding a fight would be best.
Now he could only wait and see—did he have value in Don's eyes?
Was he someone worth keeping?
Following Don was obviously far more promising than following Doflamingo.
After all, in this world, everything ultimately came down to power.
With his Observation Haki always active, Don naturally sensed the conversation between Caesar and Doflamingo.
As for Monet, the Logia Snow user
He sensed her leaving while carrying several crates.
He didn't stop her.
Doflamingo… what kind of surprise would he bring next?
The only certainty was—Doflamingo would not sit still and wait to die.
As a former Celestial Dragon, Doflamingo might try reconnecting with the Celestial Dragons or the World Government.
If that happened, the ones coming would likely be members of the Holy Knights.
Perfect.
A chance to study their so-called immortality.
If the Holy Knights had such regenerative abilities…
Then Imu might have them as well.
It would be good to prepare countermeasures in advance.
And if they didn't show up?
It didn't matter.
As for Doflamingo running away—Don didn't believe he would.
Even villains in this world carried bizarre kinds of resolve.
Call it courage, obsession—
They were all the same in the end.
Don wasn't in a hurry.
Let Doflamingo prepare.
Maybe he'd bring a pleasant surprise.
Touching his chin, Don froze.
"…Why am I being careless again? Eh, whatever. Nothing troublesome will come from this."
If he once considered Doflamingo a threat
He no longer did.
Something far bigger was waiting for him.
Dressrosa Palace
Inside a dark, empty hall, Doflamingo sat alone on a plush red sofa, swirling a glass of wine.
His eyes were hidden behind tinted lenses, but his expression reflected his state of mind.
The vein on his forehead looked ready to burst.
"Don."
He muttered softly, voice heavy.
He had no choice.
He was absolutely not Don's opponent.
He would be killed.
But his ambitions hadn't been fulfilled yet.
Still
For destroying half of Mary Geoise, Doflamingo felt like applauding him.
"Kaido… will you come?"
He took a deep breath and set his wine aside, gaze falling onto a stack of crates before him.
Inside each crate lay a Devil Fruit.
At a glance—twenty or thirty.
Most were SMILEs—artificial fruits.
But the rest were genuine Devil Fruits, collected by spending every resource he had.
As he stared at the crates, several figures entered the palace.
Moments later, a group of people stepped into Doflamingo's hall.
"You're here. So—are you here to kill me?"
Doflamingo asked flatly, having expected their arrival.
"Doflamingo, everything you've done deserves death. But right now… you have a chance to live."
A cold voice answered.
Moonlight streamed through the enormous windows, illuminating the group
and among them, a man whose bright red hair was impossible to miss.
END OF CHAPTER
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