"Your Highness, Prince!"
As Mushiru returned to the palace, the impeccably dressed guards quickly saluted with flawless posture.
To the public, this prince was perhaps not very well known.
But inside the royal palace, his reputation was even worse than Wapol's.
Expressionless, Mushiru replied with a cold grunt.
"Hmph. Dismissed. I don't want anyone lingering in the hall."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
The guards respectfully withdrew, closed the doors behind them, and exhaled in relief.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
CRASH! CRACK! CRACK!
One by one, exquisitely crafted and expensive ornaments were hurled to the floor by Mushiru, shattering and scattering in all directions.
His chest heaved violently, his facial features twisted with rage and hatred, eyes burning with resentment.
"Damn it! Damn that Wapol! Damn that idiot Twatte!!!"
"I'm the crown prince!"
"Why wasn't I chosen?!"
"I'm the rightful king of this country!"
...
Even today, Twatte still had no intention of reversing the decision to exile him.
He was going to lose the throne of this kingdom—his kingdom!
That imbecile Wapol!
With a brain the size of a hippo's, how is he fit to inherit a nation?!
Twatte was a shortsighted fool as well.
Once his unbeatable weapon technology was completed, the Drum Kingdom wouldn't have to remain confined to this resource-scarce winter island.
Fufufufufufu~ Fear and rage will strip you of your reason.
A teasing voice suddenly echoed from the shadows.
"You think you're something, invading Drum's internal affairs...?"
Realizing there was an intruder, Mushiru's hands instantly sprouted dangerous fungal threads as he spun around, ready to strike—
Then he saw them.
One figure was cloaked in crackling electricity, the thunder beast at his side baring fangs locked directly on Mushiru's throat.
The other sat calmly, casting a long, oppressive shadow even while seated. A pink feathered coat. Sunglasses.
It was instantly clear who had arrived.
"He—Heavenly Yaksha... Doflamingo!!!"
BAM!
Mushiru, who just moments ago had been storming about with arrogance, froze in terror. His pupils shrank. He immediately deactivated his powers, dropped to the floor, and pressed his forehead to the ground, trembling uncontrollably.
His tone matched the guards' earlier deference, but now it was laced with panic.
"If there's anything you need, please, just command me!"
He cursed himself furiously in his heart.
What the hell was I doing?! I almost insulted the Heavenly Yaksha just now?!
There was no room for doubt.
Half a year ago, Diamond Jozu—Whitebeard's Third Division Commander—had come here to request medical expertise. That idiot Twatte even tried to block him and report it to the World Government and Navy.
The result?
The kingdom's entire defense force had been crushed in an instant by Jozu.
If he was that terrifying...
Then what about the Heavenly Yaksha Doflamingo, a man known alongside the strongest in the world—Whitebeard Edward Newgate?
...
"Smart reaction. Seems you're not entirely brain-dead."
Doflamingo idly flexed his fingers, a smirk tugging at his lips.
"Get up."
He liked people who knew how to read the room.
"Y-Yes, Doflamingo-sama!"
Mushiru slowly stood, still trembling, sweat soaking through his fine clothes in mere moments.
Trying to pull himself together, he spoke rapidly.
"What can I do for you? Do you need a doctor? Medical research? Something else? Anything I can provide—just name it!"
"No need to be so tense. Relax."
Doflamingo waved a hand, indicating none of that mattered.
"I just came to remove an obstacle on your path to success. What you should be thinking is—what do you really want?"
"An obstacle...? Doflamingo-sama, I was just about to head to...—"
He stopped mid-sentence, mumbling to himself.
"Obstacle...?"
Suddenly, Mushiru's eyes gleamed with realization, excitement flashing across his face.
"Doflamingo-sama... are you saying... you're going to take Wapol away?!"
Doflamingo, clearly enjoying himself, let out a deep laugh.
Fufufufufu~ You're not completely hopeless.
"You want me... to become king of this country?" Mushiru asked, pointing incredulously at himself.
"Young man, don't go thinking meat pies fall from the sky."
At those words, Mushiru's brief hope deflated like a punctured balloon.
"This isn't my wish, is it?"
Doflamingo pulled out a list of Mushiru's purchase records, amusement dancing in his tone.
"These—were you planning to use them to play a game?"
He referred to the high-grade, customized flamethrowers built from rare Heat Shells and Fire Shells, all bought under Mushiru's personal name.
Mushiru wasn't surprised that Doflamingo knew.
After all, it was an open secret that the Heavenly Yaksha was the one behind their distribution.
But the issue was—these weapons, even combined with his private militia, weren't enough to seize full control of the country.
So, he gave up pretense.
"Doflamingo-sama... tell me what you want me to do."
"Relax. The royal guards can't hear a thing inside this hall."
Activating his Observation Haki, Doflamingo glanced sideways and gave a subtle command.
"Enel, give the prince a little peace and quiet."
"Understood, BOSS."
Enel nodded and vanished from sight.
...
High above Drum Island, thick snow clouds drifted as usual—until a low rumble of thunder echoed through them.
King Twatte, who had just dozed off, jerked awake.
"What was that sound? Thunder?!"
At the foot of the mountain, Dalton instinctively glanced skyward. Something didn't feel right.
Coincidentally, Wapol—his stomach full from gorging on grilled meat—was being carried up the slope by guards.
The moment he saw Dalton, Wapol's previously content, hippo-like face twisted with displeasure.
"Hmph! You stupid rat! Running off to report me again?! Once I'm king, I'll have you executed first!!"
Dalton paused, his knuckles audibly cracking as his fists clenched.
Powerless rage surged inside him.
Whatever he'd sensed earlier was forgotten.
After a moment of tense stillness, Dalton lowered his head and continued down the path—ignoring Wapol's screeching behind him.
After all...
Even when the prince was wrong, they had no right to correct him.
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Fanfic is finished 527 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg