When Doflamingo heard Orochimaru's merciless word "die," he froze.
The look of grievance mixed with flattery on his face instantly stiffened, as if he had been put under a stasis spell, almost turning to stone for a moment.
He widened his eyes, staring incredulously at the petty and venomous Orochimaru in his arms, feeling incredibly stifled.
He had spent two full years carefully nurturing and spoiling this ancestor, finally managing to soften and delicate her temperament a bit.
How could her personality reset just after one trip to Straw Hat's place? She reverted to that cold, tough, and difficult demeanor.
Are Straw Hat and his crew poisonous! Poisonous!
Orochimaru subtly turned his body, glancing sideways at Doflamingo, who was deep in self-doubt and full of inner turmoil.
His eyes remained devoid of warmth, and his tone was flat yet held an undeniable authority as he said, "You should go back. If you linger here any longer, Trafalgar Law might raid your palace."
Those words were like a bucket of cold water, suddenly dousing Doflamingo's head.
His pathetic appearance was so extreme that even the much-persecuted Cavendish found it somewhat cruel.
Upon hearing Orochimaru's words, Doflamingo's brows furrowed, and the hint of grievance on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a resolute expression.
He held the person in his arms tightly, tilted his head slightly, his gaze fixed on Orochimaru, and said with an undeniable domineering tone, "Hmph, palace matters are not as important as you. I can't bear to leave just like that. Don't use those things to chase me away. You want to get rid of me, afraid I'll hinder your plans, right?"
As he spoke, he leaned closer to Orochimaru, his warm breath fanning Orochimaru's cheek, and the firmness in his eyes gradually took on a hint of ambiguity.
The corners of his mouth curved slightly, forming a subtle, mischievous smile, and he gently pinched Orochimaru's chin, turning it towards himself. His voice also became low and seductive.
"Besides, even if something happens to the palace, I'll have to sort out your temper here first, won't I, hmm?"
The slight upward lilt at the end made the ambiguous and forceful atmosphere even more intense, as if the air itself had become sticky and warm.
Orochimaru coldly scanned Sugar and Trebol, who were engrossed in watching the show, and Cavendish, who had become a toy but seemed to be "watching the fun" as well. His brows furrowed slightly.
Do these guys even remember they're supposed to be enemies? Why does the atmosphere now feel like old friends reuniting? It's utterly absurd.
Indeed, he still wasn't used to Doflamingo's public displays of affection, feeling slightly embarrassed.
As he thought, Orochimaru felt his hands start to itch, an urge to give these clueless people a good lesson.
His gaze sharpened as he looked at Doflamingo, expressionless, but his voice carried a hint of chill as he said, word by word, "Do you want me to kill you directly?"
Those words were like a cold blade, aimed directly at Doflamingo, instantly making the originally strange and ambiguous atmosphere tense and oppressive.
Doflamingo heard Orochimaru's threatening words but showed no sign of backing down; instead, he intensified his actions.
The smile on his lips grew more unrestrained, his eyes held a hint of provocation, and he suddenly reached out and wrapped an arm around Orochimaru's waist, pulling them closer. His height advantage made Orochimaru's entire body almost press against Doflamingo's.
His other hand slowly rose, tracing along Orochimaru's cheek with his fingertips, moving downwards, pausing at the slightly bobbing Adam's apple, pressing lightly, his eyes full of playfulness.
"Could you bear to kill me?"
At this point, Doflamingo's voice softened, as he was indeed afraid of truly enraging Orochimaru, a consequence he didn't want to face.
He stopped his excessive actions, simply wrapping his arms tightly around Orochimaru, resting his head on Orochimaru's shoulder, his voice full of reluctance as he whispered, "I'll leave right away. Just let me hold you for a little longer, just a little."
His voice, uncharacteristically, held a touch of vulnerability, as if at this moment, he was merely a lover afraid of parting, completely devoid of his previous arrogant and domineering demeanor.
Listening to Doflamingo's words, filled with grievance and reluctance, Orochimaru's originally cold and stern expression involuntarily softened a bit, and the chill in his eyes seemed to recede.
Although he still found this guy annoying and shameless, his body no longer resisted the embrace as it had before.
Orochimaru sighed softly, ultimately not struggling to break free, but his tone still carried a hint of helplessness as he said, "Just for a little while, don't push your luck."
The harshness from before was gone from his words, replaced by a subtle, almost imperceptible softening, allowing Doflamingo to hold him, as if tacitly agreeing to this brief moment of intimacy.
Sugar and Trebol stood quietly to the side, their faces still expressionless, as if this scene was already commonplace.
After all, over the past two years, such things were often seen.
After all, the Young Master, regardless of the occasion, whenever the mood struck him, would pester Orochimaru and make ambiguous gestures, completely disregarding others' gazes.
Orochimaru went from indifference and an expressionless face at first, to later becoming angry out of embarrassment.
Anyway, Sugar and Trebol always felt particularly superfluous at such times, only able to stand silently aside and not interfere.
Once the Young Master had had his fill of making a scene, he would naturally stop. For now, they might as well just be background props.
Although Sugar's face remained expressionless, her mind was already in a frenzy of complaints.
She secretly rolled her eyes, watching Doflamingo coaxing and embracing Orochimaru.
Her heart was full of disdain, and she couldn't help but curse inwardly, "This henpecked husband, quickly kill him!!! He's so arrogant!!! Young Master, can't you make him behave a little more! Don't let him plague me!"
"Young Master, are you even capable?! Skinny dog!"
As soon as Sugar finished her last inner complaint of "skinny dog," she immediately snapped back to reality, feeling inexplicably guilty.
This was the Young Master, after all; how could she be so disrespectful? It was completely inappropriate.
Just as she was thinking, she looked up and saw "Princess Cavendish" standing nearby, seemingly enjoying the drama just like her.
The imbalance in Sugar's heart surged out in an instant.
"Huh? What kind of show are you, a toy, watching here? And you're quite into it, aren't you?"
Thinking this, Sugar's face remained expressionless, but she silently extended her hand, activated her ability, and instantly took control of the toy.
She turned to look at Trebol, and their eyes met.
From a dollhouse nearby, they took out a pile of small dresses.
Together, they enthusiastically began to dress up "Princess Cavendish," playing a dress-up game.
As if to vent all the displeasure she had just felt internally.
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