Family? So what if they were his own family?
Anyone who betrays me must die!
The Heavenly Yaksha—the man who killed his own father and younger brother with his own hands—had always lived by this creed.
"..."
Doflamingo stared fixedly at the man before him, the one he considered the only other "kindred spirit" in this world. He raised his left hand slightly, fingers splayed, looking as if he might strike at any moment. But then, as if recalling someone or something that gave him pause, the Heavenly Yaksha hesitated. He ultimately restrained himself, and his heart-pounding, terrifying aura gradually withered away.
"I always thought we were the same kind of people, Sherlock," Doflamingo said. Having calmed down, his voice was now low and heavy with a crushing sense of pressure.
"But now it seems reality differs slightly from my imagination. After all, though we are both 'Gods' cast out from the Holy Land, our experiences have been vastly different."
"In this world, no one has had a life as full of twists and turns as mine."
Doflamingo's father and Sherlock's grandfather were both Celestial Dragons who had left the Holy Land, but their levels of intelligence were in completely different leagues. The former had utterly ruined his family by ignoring how much the outside world hated the Celestial Dragons; in doing so, he had forged Doflamingo's twisted and cruel personality during his childhood.
Sherlock's grandfather, Fresnel, was a different story. He had been wise enough to conceal his true identity and used his own abilities to thrive in the chaotic outside world. Even when he later confessed the truth of his lineage to his dear friend, Professor Clover, it was only to fill in certain blanks in the historical records regarding the Twenty Kings.
Seeing the Heavenly Yaksha calm down, Sherlock breathed a quiet sigh of relief. "Indeed. I've lived in the world of ordinary people since the moment I was born. There is a significant difference between us."
(And what about someone like Lisanna, who eventually returned to the Holy Land?)
At that thought, the Sorcerer pushed up his glasses with a hint of irritation, his tone becoming impatient. "Anyway, did you come here just to try and intimidate me before spouting more meaningless nonsense, Doflamingo?"
There were two types of people Sherlock enjoyed dealing with: honest men like Dalton, and intelligent people like Robin. With the former, it was easy to pull the wool over their eyes; with the latter, he shared a common language.
Conversely, there were two types he disliked dealing with most: single-minded idiots like Luffy, and "madmen" like Doflamingo. The former were impossible to control, while the latter's true intentions were impossible to discern.
"Fuffuffuffu... don't be in such a hurry. I came to see you today because I want to discuss a 'business deal' with you." Doflamingo's smile was laced with malice.
"A business deal?" Sherlock was momentarily stunned. When it came to business, as the former second-generation head of the Goldglint Trading Company, he was more than familiar with the subject. But now...
"I don't believe I currently have the capital to negotiate a deal with you."
"No, no, no. You do! In fact, you have more than enough!"
Doflamingo's words were loaded. Even though his dark red sunglasses obscured his eyes, Sherlock could still feel the burning intensity within the Heavenly Yaksha's gaze.
"It's just that you don't realize it yet."
"What exactly are you trying to say?" Sherlock's brow furrowed slightly.
To the Sorcerer's question, Doflamingo merely offered a mysterious, silent smile. He reached into his pocket, pulled out three bounty posters, and slapped them onto the bar counter.
"There are some things you're better off not knowing for now." He pushed the three posters toward Sherlock and continued, "The World Government recently summoned the Warlords for a roundtable meeting. The specific topic was the Alabasta Incident from not too long ago..."
Sherlock looked down at the three latest posters—belonging to himself, Luffy, and Zoro. His expression showed no surprise; he had long expected their bounties to change.
(124,500,000 Berries? 12450? What an insolent string of numbers... Huh? Why did I think 'insolent'?)
(97 million? It didn't break the hundred-million mark. It seems the Marines haven't paid too much attention to me yet.)
(However, for him to tell me this now, could it be...)
"The Seven Warlords of the Sea. I don't know which bastard up top decided there must be exactly seven of them, but with the departure of the Desert Crocodile, there is indeed a vacancy among the Warlords' seats."
At this point, Doflamingo looked at the Sorcerer with a chuckle, his tone incredibly casual.
"How about it, Sherlock? Are you interested in becoming a new Warlord?"
!!!
Even though he had vaguely sensed the Heavenly Yaksha's intent, Sherlock's expression still shifted uncontrollably upon hearing Doflamingo say it out loud. He calculated rapidly in his mind for a moment before letting out a soft sigh.
"And what would I need to do?" Sherlock gently pushed up his glasses, the lenses reflecting two sharp flashes of white light. "A position among the Seven Warlords of the Sea isn't something just anyone can take."
"Fuffuffuffu... while that's true, it's well within the reach of a man known as the 'Sorcerer.'"
Since his glass had been crushed, Doflamingo picked up the bottle and took a direct swig of liquor. He then pointed a finger at one of the posters on the bar—the one where the boy in the straw hat was grinning radiantly.
"The condition is... kill Straw Hat Luffy. Kill your captain: Monkey D. Luffy!"
Mock Town Harbor, Aboard the Going Merry
The ship-guarding trio was on duty.
"Honestly, after sailing for so long, the Going Merry is getting pretty beat up."
With a nail clamped between his teeth, the long-nosed Usopp muttered to himself as he repaired the large hole Sherlock had crashed through. "Setting that idiot Luffy aside, how could even Sherlock do something like this? Seriously, this ship really can't manage without me, Captain Usopp! Hey, Chopper, pass me that wooden board."
"Oh, okay, Usopp!" The little blue-nosed reindeer obediently did as he was told.
"Seriously, since it's in this state, why not just buy a new ship? Sherlock must have plenty of spare cash," Sanji remarked, leaning against the ship's railing with a cigarette in his mouth. "Besides, sailing in a ship this scarred is dangerous, isn't it?"
Upon hearing this, Usopp's hair practically stood on end. "That's why I'm repairing it right now! What kind of talk is that? Do you even know the history of this ship?"
"I know, I know. Wasn't it a gift from a beautiful girl in your village? Eh? Come to think of it, we really can't just replace it!" Sanji said, having a sudden epiphany.
"The point isn't the beautiful girl, you love-struck Curly-Brows!" the long-nosed man roared, his teeth turning into fangs.
(Love-struck Curly-Brows? Isn't that what Zoro calls him?) Chopper silently critiqued in his head.
The love-struck cook, however, completely ignored Usopp's shouting. He turned his gaze toward the shore, looking dejected.
(Uuu... Nami-san... Robin-chan... please come back soon. Watching the ship is so boring...)
(Honestly, why does everyone on this island look more ferocious than the last? There isn't even one beautiful woman...)
!!!
Perhaps the gods above heard the cry in his heart, for Sanji actually spotted a familiar and beautiful figure amidst the bustling crowds on the street.
She wore a black-and-white women's suit, looking sharp and capable. Her short black hair had two small tufts that stood up like cat ears, making her look incredibly cute. Her fair, beautiful face was currently clouded with impatience; combined with the way she was looking left and right through the crowd, it wasn't hard to tell she was searching for something.
(That... isn't that the person from the East Blue...)
Sanji's jaw dropped in shock, not even noticing as his cigarette butt fell from the corner of his mouth. He quickly snapped out of it and charged out like a black whirlwind, howling with abandon as he ran:
"Miss Carter!! We meet again! Oh, Heavens! Is this a fated encounter?!"
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