Chapter 71: Why Should I Submit?

"In the North Blue... the greatest darkness wears the flag of justice!"

The man's crazed laughter echoed through the domed conference hall.

"We, the so-called giants of the underworld, the heads of the dark forces… were all just tools for you, Rogers Daren, to control the North Blue!"

His facial muscles twisted grotesquely as he roared,

"You, parading around in the name of justice… are darker and more evil than any of us!"

Daren stood silent, calmly watching the man gasp for breath. His expression didn't waver in the slightest.

A stream of smoke curled from his lips like a dragon as he replied flatly,

"This world has always been like this."

This is the world of One Piece.

The anime makes it look beautiful—full of freedom, dreams, passion, friendship, youth, and kindness. The adventures of the main characters are something to envy. It all seems so happy.

But in truth?

Beneath the surface of that so-called passionate world lies brutal cruelty and cold indifference.

Slaves live lives worse than death. Civilians are left homeless. Pirates pillage without restraint. The mafia runs wild.

The Celestial Dragons—the world's Nobles—stand above all, wielding godlike power, executing civilians at will.

Pirates glorify freedom and dreams, and rising bounties are something to celebrate.

The government is rotten and greedy, the Noble politicians drunk on excess.

The World Government has ruled for eight hundred years, holding terrifying trump cards no one can imagine.

And the Marines?

Though they're said to defend peace, in the eyes of many, they're nothing but the government's dogs.

So-called justice is hollow and powerless.

Step outside the protagonists' perspective, and this world is nothing but dark, bloody, and rotten to the core.

Daren had long since seen through its true nature.

He couldn't change the world—not yet.

So he had to be darker and more ruthless than anyone else.

Hearing the Marine Captain's blunt reply, the man was momentarily stunned.

He stayed silent for a while, slowly regaining his composure, then asked suddenly,

"Out of respect for the years we've worked together, will you answer one question for me?"

Daren nodded.

"Sure."

The man took a deep breath, locked eyes with Daren, and asked in a low voice,

"After you deal with us old-timers… who do you plan to hand the North Blue underworld over to?"

Daren looked up, eyes fixed on the chandelier above, and said flatly,

"Donquixote Doflamingo."

The man froze for a second, then burst into laughter.

He let out a long exhale.

"So that's how it is... I see now…"

He slowly straightened his posture, buttoned his cuffs one by one, neatened his slightly disheveled suit, and swept his slicked-back hair into place.

"Go ahead," he said with a smile.

…

Why should I submit?

Hiss!!

Razor-sharp threads sliced through the air. In an instant, the three mafia members charging with long blades were cut clean in half at the waist.

Their intestines and blood splattered across the ground, hot and steaming, while expressions of disbelief remained frozen on their faces. Their pupils quickly faded into lifelessness.

Doflamingo flicked his fingers, blood speckling his sunglasses.

He kept walking.

The Donquixote family members surged behind him, blades drawn. Like wolves among sheep, they tore through the street, painting it red with blood.

Why should I submit?

Doflamingo glanced at the hellish street soaked in gore, watched members of the Rodriguez family fall one by one at his feet. A restless energy stirred beneath his sunglasses.

Five more attackers leapt down from the rooftop on the left, giant axes raised high as they brought them crashing down toward him.

With a simple twitch of his fingers, Doflamingo stopped them cold.

It was as if their bodies had been bound by invisible strings—they couldn't move.

"What... what is this?!"

"I can't move—my body!"

"My hand... it's not listening to me!"

"What are you doing?!"

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to—! I can't control it!!"

Their horrified screams rang out as their bodies turned against them, moving on their own, bringing their weapons down on their own comrades.

Hiss!!

All five axes struck at once, slicing open skulls in a grotesque spray of blood.

They convulsed, then collapsed.

The blood thickened, staining everything around.

I have the power to control the fate of all.

Doflamingo walked forward with a cold, unfeeling gaze. The full might of the Ito Ito no Mi erupted. Everything before him—shredded and crushed beneath those deadly threads.

I was born a king.

I am a noble Celestial Dragon, a descendant of the Creator.

Everyone must kneel before me.

This is the treatment I deserve.

Every glance thrown my way should be filled with fear.

Yes, that's how it should be.

Why should I submit?

Hiss!!

With a forceful wave of his hand, dozens of threads shot forward, twisting into a whip tens of meters long. It lashed through a nearby armory belonging to the Rodriguez family, tearing it to shreds.

Boom!!

A massive explosion shook the sky. A dark mushroom cloud surged upward. Under the raging fire, those who hadn't escaped in time were engulfed in flames, reduced to burning husks, screaming in agony.

He said the North Blue underworld belonged to me... But even without him, I could've taken it all just as easily.

I was destined to be the king of darkness.

Why should I submit?

Figures kept collapsing around him, while the sinister laughter of Trebol and the others echoed through the chaos. The world had become a purgatory.

Maybe Trebol was right all along.

Doflamingo kept walking toward the grand estate, leaving a trail of destruction and suffering behind.

A cruel smile crept across his lips.

There's nothing more satisfying than watching others in pain.

His body trembled uncontrollably.

A surge of power exploded from within him, wild and uncontainable. It sent his flamingo feathers fluttering into the wind.

Dozens of gangsters rolled their eyes back and fainted on the spot.

Step by step, amid screams of agony and maniacal laughter,

Doflamingo advanced, and with each step, his Conqueror's Haki surged, growing more violent, more uncontrollable.

The wind howled, the skies churned.

Why should I submit?

The Rodriguez family is just the beginning. I won't stay confined in the North Blue forever.

The Grand Line. The New World. That's where Donquixote Doflamingo truly belongs.

A sea ruled by heroes, tyrants, and kings.

The cries of battle and death began to fade.

Doflamingo came to a stop.

He stood before a lavish, opulent mansion.

The villa of Rodriguez Michael—head of the Rodriguez family, kingpin of the North Blue underworld.

Before he realized it, Trebol and the others—bodies soaked in blood—along with hundreds of Donquixote family members, had gathered behind him.

Their eyes burned with fervent admiration as they stared at Doflamingo's back.

That proud, unyielding back.

Doflamingo looked up at the domed entrance of the villa, his twisted smile deepening.

Yes.

No one can stop my rise.

No one.

So... why should I submit?

The thought echoed in Doflamingo's heart.

Then, he took a deep breath, eyes cold and merciless, stepped forward, and pushed the doors open.

Creak...

The heavy bronze doors swung wide with a grinding groan.

And the smile on Doflamingo's face froze.

(40 Chapters Ahead)

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