"What kind of king did you want to be?"
Clink—
The sound of shattering glass echoed faintly.
Doflamingo's signature red sunglasses cracked apart,
the final trace of swagger from the man once called Joker,
the dark broker of the underworld, the Celestial Dragon-turned-pirate, the Seven Warlord of the Sea.
That was his last response—
his silence.
The Colosseum fell into a chilling, deathly quiet.
The blood mist hung still,
and all eyes turned toward the man standing in the center of the arena—
Luo Xing.
His power had far exceeded every expectation.
That final display—Conqueror's Haki Infusion—was a level most thought belonged only to legends.
At that moment, even the strongest—Marco, Katakuri, Boa Hancock—
all silently acknowledged the same truth:
"The Fifth Emperor of the Sea… title or not, this man deserves it."
A sudden set of hurried footsteps broke the silence.
Luo Xing turned his gaze.
It was Stussy, the Queen of Pleasure Street, trying to leave unnoticed.
"Did I say you could leave?"
The calm voice froze her mid-step.
The elegant woman, always in control, suddenly trembled.
Stussy inhaled deeply, forcing a smile onto her flawless face,
her tone dripping with practiced sweetness.
"Fifth Emperor-sama, surely this has nothing to do with me?
You wish to take Dressrosa, I won't interfere.
As for the senzu bean I took from Feld… I can pay for it—"
She didn't finish.
A flash of black light split the air before her eyes.
Her words died in her throat.
Slash!
Stussy's body fell apart, neatly severed in two.
Her charming smile was still frozen in place,
a grotesque mask of beauty and horror.
The sight turned even the bloodthirsty underworld king Piacolo pale.
He dropped to his knees with a loud thud,
bowing frantically until his forehead hit the floor.
"Mercy, Your Majesty! Mercy! I—I'll serve you, Fifth Emperor-sama! I'll go through hell itself if you command!"
Luo Xing's gaze swept over him, calm and indifferent.
"A wise man knows when to bend."
"Thank you, my lord! Thank you for sparing my worthless life!"
Around the arena, the remaining figures—Hancock, Marco, Katakuri, Lucky Roux—
all stood on edge, wary and tense.
Marco spoke first, voice low and guarded.
"So what now? You going to kill us next… or demand we kneel too?"
Luo Xing sheathed his blade with a faint smile.
"Kill you? Hardly.
That woman—she was a spy of the World Government. Nothing more."
"What?!"
The crowd rippled in shock.
The Queen of Pleasure Street—a CP0 agent?
None of them had known.
Marco frowned.
"A CP0 agent… You're not afraid of provoking the World Government?"
Luo Xing chuckled.
"That doesn't sound like something the Whitebeard Pirates would say."
Marco fell silent, but his expression stayed wary.
Truth be told, under normal circumstances,
killing a Celestial Dragon and a CP0 agent would indeed make one a target for the Government's full wrath.
But Luo Xing didn't care.
Because he knew exactly what time it was in this world.
The next great storm was already brewing—
an event so massive that it would consume the Government's attention entirely.
The Paramount War.
Luo Xing glanced at Marco meaningfully.
"I hope that senzu bean you bought… brings Whitebeard closer to his prime."
Marco's brow furrowed.
"What do you mean by that?"
Luo Xing didn't answer.
He simply smiled.
Inwardly, he already had his plan.
If Whitebeard recovered even a fraction of his true strength,
the coming war at Marineford would burn far hotter—
and when the dust settled,
the Beasts Pirates would rise amid the ashes of both sides.
Marco left Dressrosa soon after, still unsettled.
Katakuri followed, pausing only to turn and bow slightly.
"You're strong… stronger than I imagined.
I hope one day, we'll fight as equals."
Luo Xing smiled faintly.
He respected Katakuri—an honorable man who would stab himself just to keep a fair fight.
One by one, the Yonko's envoys withdrew.
Only Boa Hancock and her sisters remained.
The Pirate Empress approached gracefully.
The faint scent of perfume in her wake could disarm armies.
"Do you still have senzu beans?"
"I wish to buy two more."
She no longer carried the arrogance of a woman who planned to abduct Luo Xing.
After witnessing his strength, even the Empress of the Kuja hesitated to overstep.
Luo Xing finally took a moment to truly study her—
the woman known as the most beautiful in the world.
Her beauty was breathtaking—
comparable only to his wife, Yamato.
Yet unlike Yamato's wild purity, Hancock's allure was regal and intoxicating.
He coughed lightly to cover a smirk.
"Of course I still have senzu beans.
I don't want your money—just a promise."
Her long lashes fluttered.
"A promise?"
"Join me."
"What?"
"Ahem—join my cause.
Form an alliance with the Beasts Pirates.
One day, we'll bring down the Navy and the World Government together."
Hancock's eyes widened, surprise and confusion flickering within them.
She didn't answer immediately—
the proposal was too sudden, too strange.
Was this man trying to recruit her… or testing her?
Luo Xing's tone softened, but his gaze was sharp.
"Boa Hancock.
I know what happened to you—and your sisters.
I know what the Celestial Dragons did to you.
And I know you became a Warlord only to protect your people."
The three Kuja sisters stiffened, eyes trembling in shock.
How does he know that?!
Luo Xing continued calmly.
"You're strong, but alone, you can't destroy the World Government.
With my inventions, my army, and the Beasts' power… we will.
Stand with me, and when that day comes—you can take your revenge."
Silence.
Hancock's heart pounded in her chest.
His words pierced straight into her most secret scars,
and the offer—
vengeance—
was one she'd dreamed of for years.
She stared at him, her voice almost a whisper.
"Why… why are you being so kind to me?"
From a logical view, she stood to gain far more than him.
Even without her, the Beasts Pirates could wage war.
So why?
Luo Xing's smile was honest, unguarded.
"Because you're beautiful."
She froze.
Her breath caught.
She'd heard those words countless times before—
flattery from kings, warriors, and fools alike.
But this time… it hit different.
His voice was steady, genuine.
His eyes didn't waver.
And her heart—
for the first time in years—
skipped a beat.
Ba-dump.
Like a startled fawn, the Pirate Empress felt her composure shatter.
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