The banquet stretched long into the night. Big Pan and the fishman brothers were sprawled across the deck, utterly wasted, their laughter and snores echoing in the salty night air. Even Delos Filina, Delos Fiona, and Chiyo Mochizuki had taken a few sips of wine, their cheeks tinted a soft pink. Only Eli Winters remained sober. As captain, he couldn't afford to lose himself in drink especially with several dangerous prisoners locked below deck. Responsibility came before revelry.
After exchanging a few lighthearted words with the girls, Eli made his way to the storage hold where Doflamingo and his subordinates were confined.
Each of them received the same treatment: their wrists and ankles shackled, their bodies dumped into barrels filled with seawater. Their heads drooped over the rims like wilted flowers. The sight would have been almost comical if not for the dangerous aura they once carried.
They had all regained consciousness, but the sea's curse had drained their strength. Even Doflamingo, once the flamboyant "Heavenly Demon," now looked like a soaked rag doll.
When Eli entered, the subordinates immediately glared at him with hatred burning in their eyes. To them, this man had humiliated their master a sin worthy of dismemberment.
Ignoring their venomous stares, Eli conjured an apple in his hand and took a leisurely bite. The crisp sound echoed in the still air as he circled the prisoners, clicking his tongue mockingly.
"Doflamingo," he said at last, his tone calm but edged with disgust, "you Celestial Dragons really know how to make people sick."
Doflamingo raised his head slightly and gave a low, disdainful chuckle.
Eli's voice sharpened. "The Kingdom of Nordis was once peaceful, yet because of your schemes, countless innocents were slaughtered, families destroyed. I've heard you also trafficked slaves treating human lives like merchandise. Did it ever occur to you that one day, you might find yourself caged like the very people you sold?"
The words struck like daggers. Diamante, one of Doflamingo's most loyal men, roared in outrage. His veins bulged as he shouted, "How dare you, you insolent brat! Do you think those filthy peasants are equal to us? The Donquixote Family stands above all! This world has always followed one law the strong devour the weak! Those lowly insects should be grateful just to be noticed by our young master!"
Eli smirked, his gaze cold. "Funny. You talk about the strong stepping on the weak, but right now, aren't you the one crawling at my feet like an insect?"
Before Diamante could retort, Eli's hand sliced the air. A sharp ripple of space energy shimmered and an ear dropped to the floor.
To his credit, Diamante didn't make a sound. Blood ran down his face, but his eyes still blazed with defiance.
Finally, Doflamingo spoke, his voice low and venomous. "You think capturing us changes anything? My influence reaches farther than you can imagine. The World Government won't let this go."
Eli shrugged, unbothered. "You overestimate your value, and underestimate mine. I don't fear the World Government. Tonight, you'll pay for the lives you've ruined. When you die, may the souls of your victims consume what's left of you."
For the first time, a flicker of unease passed through Doflamingo's eyes. He could hear the genuine killing intent in Eli's voice. Still, he tried one last gambit.
"We don't have to be enemies," he said slowly. "You've lost nothing by letting us go. Work with me. The Donquixote Family's resources, wealth, and connections could be yours. I even know a secret one about the Celestial Dragons, a secret powerful enough to shake the world itself. With your abilities and my knowledge, we could topple the World Government."
The offer hung heavy in the air.
Then Eli burst out laughing. The sound started low, but soon filled the hold, deep and mocking. His eyes gleamed with amusement.
"Doflamingo, I'll admit you're a true schemer. A visionary, even. But your ambition far outweighs your strength. I'm no saint, but even I want a world with fewer parasites like you. Power without conscience only breeds rot."
Doflamingo's smile faltered. "You gain nothing by killing me. You could have it all."
Eli's expression hardened. He didn't bother replying.
Instead, he pulled several fruits from his storage space, placing them beside the captives. His power sealed the room, freezing the air itself. Then, without hesitation, he reached for Diamante the loudest one.
Eli yanked him out of the barrel and snapped his neck in one motion. A yellow-patterned Devil Fruit appeared among the pile of ordinary fruit.
Eli grinned and stored it away.
Doflamingo's eyes widened in shock. "Impossible! You can… extract Devil Fruits? What are you?"
Eli ignored him. One by one, he moved down the line. Gladius, Pica, Mahabais each met the same end, their powers harvested.
Finally, he stopped before Senor Pink. In the anime, Pink was known as a tragic hero a man of loyalty and sorrow. Fans had pitied his backstory, the wife he loved who became catatonic, the infantile disguise he wore just to make her smile again.
But Eli knew better. A killer was still a killer. Whatever warmth people saw in Pink didn't erase the blood on his hands. Without hesitation, Eli ended his life as well. Another fruit appeared.
Then only Doflamingo remained.
The Heavenly Demon met his gaze with a twisted grin. "You think killing me changes anything, boy? Evil will never vanish. The weak will always suffer. On the Red Line, true monsters rule this world. I hope you're ready when you meet them."
Eli's eyes were calm. "Maybe I'll meet them someday. But you won't be there to see it."
His hand closed around Doflamingo's throat. The bones gave way with a sharp crack. The once-mighty tyrant crumpled lifelessly to the floor.
Eli stood over the body in silence, a strange heaviness settling over him. This was the same man who had once ruled Dressrosa, who would have been one of the great villains of the coming age and now he was nothing but a corpse.
He sighed, gathered the fruits, and sent the bodies into the void of his spatial dimension. When the deck was spotless again, he smiled faintly. "Void exile still the best cleanup tool there is."
Whistling, he headed back to his cabin.
In the days that followed, the world was shaken. News spread like wildfire: the infamous Heavenly Demon, Donquixote Doflamingo fallen in the North Sea, slain by a mysterious group led by a man named Eli Winters.
The entire underworld buzzed.
Atop the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, in a palace within Pangaea Castle, the Five Elders gathered around a table.
Topman Warcury, the legal authority of the Celestial Dragons, read from a report. "CP agents confirm it. Doflamingo's been defeated and killed in the Kingdom of Nordis."
The financial elder, Nasjurou, adjusted his glasses. "He may have been stripped of his Celestial title, but his blood was still noble. I recommend a global bounty. Have the Marines eliminate this upstart."
The environmental elder, Marcus Mars, stroked his beard. "Let's not be hasty. The report mentions this 'Eli Winters' has a strange ability spatial manipulation. Even Armament Haki couldn't touch him."
The defense elder, Jaygarcia Saturn, frowned. "If it's just the Door-Door Fruit, we can manage. But if it's the legendary Space-Space Fruit… things get complicated."
Finally, the agricultural elder, Shepherd Ju Peter, spoke calmly. "Let CP investigate further. If possible, try to recruit him. The New World's already unstable we can't afford another wildfire."
The others nodded in agreement.
Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters in Marineford, Fleet Admiral Kong sat in his office surrounded by the Navy's most powerful figures Sengoku, Zephyr, Garp, Tsuru, Sakazuki, Borsalino, and Kuzan.
"The world's getting restless," Kong said gravely. "Kaido and Big Mom are both making moves for the throne of the seas. In three days, I'll retire. Sengoku will succeed me as Fleet Admiral. Sakazuki, Borsalino, Kuzan you'll serve as Admirals."
No one was surprised.
Sengoku nodded firmly. "Understood, sir."
Kong smiled faintly, then scowled at Garp, who was snoring in the corner. A paperweight flew across the room. "Wake up, you old fool! We're in a meeting!"
Garp blinked groggily. "Meeting's over? Great, let's get lunch."
The room fell silent. Kong's forehead pulsed. "You damn moron!"
The others chuckled quietly.
Regaining composure, Kong continued, "The World Government reports that Doflamingo was defeated by someone named Eli Winters. They want us to make contact. Opinions?"
Kuzan leaned forward thoughtfully. "I've heard of him. He appeared in the West Blue a few years ago just a kid then, maybe twelve. His crew destroyed a notorious slave-trading pirate band, the captain worth forty-three million. Since then, they've roamed from island to island, hunting pirates. He doesn't fight often, but when he does, no one survives. Even recently, his bear companion killed a pirate worth seventy-eight million."
"Good," said Sakazuki coldly. "Pirates should be exterminated. I like this kid already."
Kong nodded. "He's young and strong probably gifted. What's his stance toward the Navy?"
"So far, neutral but friendly," Kuzan replied. "He's saved Marine patrols a few times. Rejected recruitment offers, though."
Kong thought for a moment. "Then reach out, Kuzan. Establish contact. If this boy truly wields space itself, he might shape the next era."
Kuzan nodded quietly, intrigued.
When the meeting ended, Kong stood at the window, staring toward the endless horizon. His voice was barely above a whisper.
"A storm is coming. Is this the world you wished for, Roger?"
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