"You are one step too late. That Tontatta has already been taken."
Doflamingo spoke coldly, his expression unreadable as he delivered the message.
Ace stared at him, eyes burning.
"Doflamingo, I will give you one last chance."
Seeing that Doflamingo had no intention of cooperating, Ace slowly raised his index finger. A spark ignited at the tip, then rapidly expanded. In the blink of an eye, the flame grew from ten meters to twenty, then fifty, and finally over a hundred meters wide.
Suspended above Ace's head, it looked like a miniature sun.
The temperature around King's Heights rose violently. Stone pathways softened and warped. Lakes evaporated in seconds, gardens withered into ash, and the ground cracked open as molten lava seeped outward in every direction.
The once peaceful Dressrosa was thrown into chaos again. Citizens living near King's Heights fled in panic, screaming as they ran.
"Isn't that one of our own?"
Just as the tension was about to explode, a voice filled with surprise echoed through the air.
Ace turned his head sharply.
Floating nearby was a boy who looked no more than eleven or twelve years old, exactly like the appearance he had taken back at Sabaody Archipelago. His amethyst eyes shimmered faintly, calm and curious.
Lucien.
He had appeared out of thin air.
"So it's you," Ace said, narrowing his eyes.
"It is," Lucien replied with a casual smile. "Did not expect to meet again so soon. By the way, how did you manage to move Ivankov last time?"
On Lucien's shoulder, Mansherry clung tightly to his hair. Her small body trembled under the overwhelming pressure of Haoshoku Haki filling the air, yet she forced herself not to faint.
"Fufufufu."
Doflamingo's laugh was low and unpleasant.
"You actually dare to show yourself again."
His expression was icy, clearly harboring no goodwill toward Lucien.
Moments earlier, Lucien had issued an order through demon control, commanding Doflamingo to cut ties and act hostile toward him.
Lucien wanted hatred.
"Do not move," Lucien said lightly, raising his hands. "You are making me nervous."
As Marco and the others began to move, Lucien immediately retreated several meters back, his gaze turning playful as he looked at Ace.
"What are you trying to do?"
Ace's heart sank as his eyes locked onto Mansherry. The blazing fire sphere above his head grew even larger, its heat distorting the air.
"Nothing much," Lucien said, grinning and showing his teeth. "I am just thinking about whether I should send you Ivankov."
Ace stiffened instantly, his body tense as if facing a true threat. Still, he forced himself to remain calm.
"You can try."
He did not believe Lucien could pull that off without paying a price.
From his experience and understanding, abilities like this always came with limits. If Lucien truly had such a trump card, there would be a cost. Nothing like that could be used freely.
If Lucien really produced Ivankov right now, Ace would leave without hesitation.
"How troublesome," Lucien sighed, spreading his hands.
He knew it would not be that easy.
Ace was not foolish.
White flames erupted around Lucien's body. Golden lightning flickered within them as his form stretched into a radiant streak of color. In the next instant, he turned into a blazing rainbow and shot across the sky.
"Bastard."
Ace's face darkened. The massive fireball above his head collapsed back into his body, turning into a burst of flames that propelled him forward in pursuit.
He had to retrieve Mansherry.
Lucien's guess was correct. He could not casually produce Ivankov.
"What should we do?" Jozu asked, glancing at the others.
It was clear Ace knew that mysterious boy.
"Chase him," Marco said after a brief look at Doflamingo.
The target was no longer here. There was no reason to escalate things further.
After the Whitebeard Pirates left, Doflamingo and his subordinates stared at the distant horizon, their expressions dark.
The Whitebeard Pirates were far too arrogant.
Doflamingo clenched his teeth, swallowing the humiliation.
About an hour later, Lucien successfully shook off Ace and quietly returned to Dressrosa.
He had initially planned to lure Ace toward Marineford. After careful consideration, he abandoned the idea. That place was not safe for him either.
Lucien survived by being cautious.
Once he fully controlled the truly dangerous individuals, he would deal with them one by one.
For now, he would let those so called countrymen enjoy their time.
Two days later, a piece of news exploded across the seas like a tsunami.
It swept through the Four Seas, the Grand Line, and the New World, shocking every major power.
"Is this real?"
"You cannot be serious."
"The Whitebeard Pirates' Second Division Commander, Fire Fist Ace, with a bounty of 550 million Berries, is actually the bloodline of the Pirate King Gol D. Roger?"
"That has to be a joke."
"Didn't the World Government confirm that Roger had no surviving bloodline?"
"Fire Fist Ace's biological father is the Pirate King?"
"Wait, he was raised by Marine Hero Garp?"
"You are telling me Garp raised the Pirate King's son?"
"This is insane."
"Garp's biological son is Dragon of the Revolutionary Army. His biological grandson is Straw Hat Luffy. And his adopted grandson is Fire Fist Ace."
"What kind of background is that?"
"The Marines are finished. A Marine Hero raised the Pirate King's bloodline."
"If Fire Fist Ace makes a move now, the old legends of the Roger Pirates might come out of hiding."
"With the Whitebeard Pirates and Garp involved, he could become the second Pirate King."
"This is nothing but a group of second generation monsters. No wonder they dominate the seas."
"Even Sabo, the Revolutionary Army Chief of Staff, is Ace's brother."
"The Marines are corrupt. What kind of justice allows this?"
The sea fell into complete unrest.
Marine credibility plummeted overnight. Garp's reputation among civilians collapsed.
The report detailed every connection involving Ace, Luffy, Dragon, Windmill Village, the Marines, and the Revolutionary Army. Anyone who investigated would reach the same conclusion.
News agencies rushed toward Windmill Village, chasing profits and truth alike.
At Marineford, inside the Fleet Admiral's office, Sengoku kicked his desk over in rage.
"Bring that bastard Garp back here immediately!"
For the first time in years, Sengoku was furious beyond restraint.
He knew about Luffy and Dragon. He did not know Ace had been raised by Garp.
The consequences were disastrous.
A Marine Hero who raised the Revolutionary Army's leader, nurtured the most dangerous Supernova, and protected the Pirate King's bloodline.
What kind of justice was that?
What kind of hero?
Sengoku could already see the storm coming.
Someone was targeting the Marines.
What Sengoku did not realize was that the Marines were merely collateral damage. The real goal was to expose Ace's identity and make his life harder.
And the one who orchestrated it was Lucien.
Inside a luxurious room in King's Heights, Lucien slowly opened his eyes and yawned.
Beside him was a warm body.
Long, grass green hair spilled across the bed. Golden eyes opened lazily as the sheets slid down, revealing a figure renowned as one of the most beautiful women in the entire pirate world.
Monet.
The Snow Snow Fruit user.
She had not yet been altered into a bird hybrid.
After Lucien returned to Dressrosa, she had been personally selected to serve him.
The chilling sensation of the Source of Life left a unique impression.
Meanwhile, Caesar and Gladius had already been turned into demons through Doflamingo's orders.
At this moment, the entire Donquixote Family belonged to Lucien.