"Complaining about everything, blaming your father—what did you actually do?"
Daren's voice dripped with scorn and mockery, merciless as ever.
He looked at the blond brat in front of him, blood dripping from his mouth, his face twisting into something more feral by the second. A faint smile flickered in the depths of Daren's half-lidded eyes, growing ever stronger.
Go on. Say it.
Spit out the rage and hatred buried deepest in your heart.
Doflamingo clenched his fists tight, teeth grinding audibly.
What did I do…
What did I do…
Suddenly, he snapped, eyes bloodshot, voice hoarse as he roared:
"I killed my foolish father!!"
The moment the words left his mouth, it was like a dam burst. A twisted grin spread across his face, impossible to hold back.
"Fufufufufu!!!"
He broke into manic laughter.
"You didn't see it, did you? That feeling—it was incredible…"
"If it weren't for him, I wouldn't have suffered so much. I wouldn't have been so unlucky."
"I didn't sit around complaining… I acted."
"I was born to be a king!!"
"Fufufufufu…"
His eyes burned with a fierce hunger for dominance as he locked onto the Marine in front of him.
"You should've seen the look in his eyes. The despair..."
"You should've seen his face when I pulled the gun on him... it was priceless! Fufufufufu!!"
Doflamingo laughed like a madman, but tears—red as blood—welled in his eyes as he screamed:
"I swore I'd take back everything that was mine!!"
"I've had enough of life in hell!! I was born a god, born to walk above the clouds! Why the hell should I live in this damn human world!?"
"Even as he was dying, he kept apologizing… but what use is an apology!? It doesn't change anything!"
"But if he dies—then it does."
"So I pulled the trigger."
"I cut off his head. That bloody head… I carried it back to the Holy Land of Mary Geoise. I wanted him to see with his own eyes—me, regaining my place as a Celestial Dragon, living the life that should have been mine!!"
Clap. Clap. Clap...
Suddenly, slow applause rang out, sharp and jarring in the gloom of the hall.
Doflamingo stared, stunned, at the black-haired Marine clapping in front of him.
"So that's how it is. Truly a tragic, dramatic little tale..."
Daren clapped as he spoke, a mocking smile curling on his lips.
"Really tugs at the heartstrings—a foolish father, a gentle mother, a rebellious, unhinged son... Let me guess, the grand finale is the son killing his father, proving himself, and finally getting the life he always dreamed of?"
The words hit Doflamingo like a lightning bolt.
Daren laughed.
Almost there. You're on the edge.
Feel that despair.
He crouched slightly, reaching out to ruffle the blond brat's hair, amusement dancing on his face.
"So? Did you get what you wanted, Doflamingo?"
"You murdered your beloved father, even cut off his head like some monster... The World Government must've been thrilled with you, huh?"
Doflamingo stood frozen, lips trembling, but no words came out.
Daren's smile deepened with meaning as he leaned closer to the boy.
"You carried your father's head like a war trophy, coming home from victory. You must've felt ecstatic. Triumphant."
"Maybe, in that twisted little fantasy of yours, the World Government welcomed you with flowers, music playing all around, building a grand stage in your honor… With the entire world watching, the almighty, destined king Donquixote Doflamingo returned to claim the Celestial Dragon's throne."
He raised his arms in an exaggerated flourish, his voice sinking into a low, magnetic tone.
"You long, from the bottom of your heart, to climb the Celestial Stairway—step by step—under the gaze of millions."
"You long to be praised and exalted, to have the Five Elders themselves drape royal robes over your shoulders."
"You long to reclaim your status as a Celestial Dragon and return to a life of privilege and splendor."
The Marine Captain's voice was like a series of cold iron nails—or sharp blades—driven deep into the heart of the blond youth before him.
"That way, you could prove your father was wrong."
"That way, you could justify killing him."
"That way, you could ease the guilt and shame gnawing at your heart after committing patricide..."
With every word, Doflamingo's face grew a shade paler.
"But none of that came true."
"You staked everything, killed your father, and bore the weight of guilt and self-blame—only to be met with cold stares, disdain, and mockery."
"No glorious homecoming. No applause. No flowers. No life of the privileged elite..."
"You, so full of ambition, returned to the Holy Land of Mary Geoise with your so-called spoils of victory, only to be cast out like a stray dog..."
"I even heard that day, you knelt humbly on the Celestial Stairway, scrubbing away the blood stains..."
"—Enough!!!"
Doflamingo suddenly lost control, letting out a furious roar. His bloodshot eyes bulged as if they were about to pop from their sockets.
"Stop talking!!"
The veins on his forehead stood out in tangled knots.
His gaze burned with unspeakable hatred and fury, like flames that wanted to incinerate the entire world.
"That's why I have to destroy this world!!!"
Perfect. The timing was just right.
Easier than expected. He broke this quickly... but then again, he was only twelve.
Now that the wolf was starving mad, it was time to give it a target to hunt.
Daren's eyes gleamed faintly. He smiled.
"No, no... you're pointing your anger in the wrong direction."
"Think carefully—are you in this mess because of the world?"
He leaned in, whispering close to Doflamingo's ear, his voice calm and persuasive:
"You were born a king. And a true king—should he waste his fury lashing out at lowly commoners?"
"Trampling the weak... there's no satisfaction in that."
"Doflamingo, think. Really think. Who was it that brought you to this place?"
"Was it your father? Maybe. But he's already dead."
"Was it the mob that tortured you? They're dead too."
"Then who is it—who made you crawl like a dog, scrubbing blood from the steps of the Celestial Stairway?"
"Who is it that forced you into this hellish exile in the godforsaken North Blue?"
"Think about it. If you could take revenge... who would be the most satisfying target?"
"Think about it. If, right now, you had the chance—imagine it—who would you make kneel at your feet, begging for mercy?"
Daren's voice, rich and magnetic, coiled like a devil's whisper from the depths of the underworld, exuding a seductive, soul-piercing allure.
Doflamingo froze.
His crimson eyes trembled violently. His expression twisted again and again.
And then, Daren delivered the final blow.
"Think carefully—who is it you truly want to become?"
"Think carefully—who do you most want to become?"
Doflamingo's entire body shuddered.
One second.
Two seconds.
Three...
Then, under Daren's pleased gaze and smiling eyes, like a crazed, starved wolf—eyes bloodshot, filled with resentment and madness—he ground out one name through clenched teeth:
"World Government... the Five Elders!!!"
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake