Recently, Donquixote Doflamingo had been in unusually good spirits.
Ever since consuming a Monster Cell, his power had surged dramatically. His String-String Fruit had awakened, his mastery of Haki had advanced, and his confidence had never been higher.
Beyond that, he had secretly forged alliances with two influential figures from the dark underworld — Feld, the Loan Shark King who controlled underground finance, and Piaccolo, the King of Assassins who ruled the world's deadliest killers.
With these two behind him, Doflamingo's reach now spanned finance, death, and power.
His confidence was intoxicating.
That was why he'd dared to push his luck with Kaido — using SMILE fruits as leverage to demand Senzu Beans.
And Kaido's unexpected compliance had only inflated his pride further.
"Fuffuffuffuffu! A Warlord of the Sea, ruler of Dressrosa, broker of the Underworld… and a true-blooded Celestial Dragon! There's no one else in the world like me!"
His laughter, deep and manic, echoed through the halls. Behind his crimson shades burned eyes filled with boundless ambition and madness.
"I will be the one sitting on the throne in the end!
Kaido… the Emperors… the Marines… the World Government — I'll tear them all down!"
Hands in his pockets, feathered pink coat swaying, his long legs turned outward in his trademark strut, Doflamingo sauntered toward Viola's quarters.
Before realizing his grand ambitions, he intended to deal with a smaller, personal rebellion — a certain "thorned rose" that still dared to resist him.
But as he approached, his Observation Haki caught a flicker from inside the room… and the grin on his face froze.
His body went still. The laughter died in his throat.
The cords of muscle beneath his jaw twitched violently.
"That woman…"
He could feel it — Viola's aura… and another presence.
Luo Xing.
The Beast Prince Consort.
For a heartbeat, Doflamingo's entire mind went blank.
Then the fury hit him — molten, uncontrollable, humiliating fury.
She had chosen that man.
She had done it deliberately — to defy him, to shame him, to show that she would rather seek protection from a stranger than submit to him.
To a man like Doflamingo, who ruled through fear and pride, this was a strike at the very core of his ego.
Veins pulsed across his forehead like steel cables.
A killing intent rolled from him so thick that the palace guards outside felt their hearts stop.
He could end them both. Right now.
Just one step — one motion of his fingers — and this humiliation would vanish in blood.
But one minute passed. Then another.
He didn't move.
Finally, Doflamingo turned on his heel and walked away — his face dark, his aura suffocating, but silent.
The man who had just vowed to destroy the world… swallowed his pride and left.
Inside the room, Viola stood frozen. Through her Glare-Glare ability, she saw Doflamingo retreat.
And she smiled.
For the first time in years, she saw him yield.
The tyrant who had crushed her kingdom, who had enslaved her family — now forced to retreat without a word.
Her laughter was quiet at first, then freer, like the sound of a bird released from its cage.
When she turned back, Luo Xing was watching her calmly.
"You wanted to provoke him," he said, his voice cool as steel.
She stiffened. Of course he knew. With Haki that sharp, there was no way he hadn't sensed Doflamingo outside the door.
"I just wanted to save myself," she admitted softly. "If that also made him suffer, then… perhaps it's not a bad thing."
Luo Xing's gaze deepened. There was no judgment in it — only calculation.
"You're honest," he said at last.
He raised a hand, brushing his fingers lightly against her cheek — not in affection, but in contemplation, as though testing the resolve of a pawn.
"People have a right to protect themselves," he said. "You refused to bow to your enemy. That's something I can respect."
Viola's breath caught. He knew.
He knew her past — her hatred for Doflamingo — yet he spoke as if it were nothing extraordinary.
Then Luo Xing added, almost amused:
"As for trying to drive a wedge between me and Doflamingo… that's a small matter."
She blinked.
Small matter?
Did he not care that she had tried to manipulate him?
Before she could respond, his tone shifted — colder, sharper.
"But you did use me without consent. That's not something I overlook."
Viola bit her lip. "Then… what do you want from me?"
Luo Xing's eyes gleamed faintly beneath the mask. He leaned closer, his voice calm — almost kind, yet carrying the weight of a storm.
"You have a niece," he said quietly. "Your sister's daughter."
Her eyes widened — shock freezing her where she stood.
He shouldn't have known that.
"How— how do you know about her?"
Luo Xing didn't answer. He simply turned away, leaving the air heavy with meaning.
Viola realized, with a shiver, that the man before her wasn't merely dangerous — he was someone who knew everything.
If Doflamingo was a devil ruling the earth…
then Luo Xing was a devil who ruled from the shadows of hell itself.
Later that night, in the top chamber of the palace, Doflamingo returned silently.
Trebol, his most trusted advisor, blinked in surprise. He had known where his young master had gone.
"Back so soon, Doffy? I thought you had… business to handle."
Doflamingo said nothing. He grabbed a bottle, tore it open, and drank straight from the neck until it was empty.
Then, with a furious roar, he smashed it into pieces.
"That woman… went to Luo Xing."
"What?!" Trebol sputtered. "That wretch! Doffy, you're the man destined to rule the seas — how can you stomach this? Kill her! Make an example of her!"
Trebol's voice echoed through the chamber.
But Doflamingo didn't move.
His voice came low, restrained — terrifyingly controlled.
"Not yet. As long as Luo Xing remains in Dressrosa, I can't touch her. If we move now, we'll turn the Beasts Pirates into enemies — and that's something even I can't afford."
Trebol scowled, but the logic was sound.
The Donquixote Family, strong as it was, could not match Kaido's army.
And Luo Xing held what they needed most — the Senzu Beans.
After a long silence, Trebol nodded reluctantly.
"Then remember this, Doffy. She's nothing. A tool. When you chase greatness, you can't let small things cloud your mind. Those who do great deeds—"
Doflamingo finished the line for him, through gritted teeth:
"Don't concern themselves with trivialities."
His words were calm.
But behind his sunglasses, his eyes burned crimson with rage.
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