Chapter 212: Accepting Doflamingo

Chapter 212: Accepting Doflamingo

When Ryuunosuke spoke, Doflamingo froze, staring at him in disbelief.

He knew very well—he didn't have much of a choice.

Right now, Doflamingo was cornered. Surrendering was the only viable path. And yet, in the depths of his calculating mind, he was still scheming.

He thought he could use the Dragon Hunter Pirates as a stepping stone.

Raise the entire Donquixote Family to new heights. Then, when the time was right—betrayal.

He had already planned how to do it.

But while Ryuunosuke couldn't read minds… the system could.

And the system wasn't fooled.

Right now, Doflamingo had not been acknowledged as an official crew member.

There were only two reasons for the system's rejection.

One: lack of strength.

Two: lack of loyalty.

As a former Shichibukai, Doflamingo certainly had the power. That meant only one thing—his heart wasn't in it.

"Captain, I—"

"Our captain is the greatest being," Chrollo cut in coldly before Doflamingo could finish.

"The pathetic little schemes you've got running through your head? They're already exposed."

"If you think you can play petty games in front of the Dragon Hunter Pirates… I suggest you quit while you're ahead."

The moment Chrollo finished, a wave of crushing telekinetic force surged through the palace.

It blanketed everything—walls, floors, the air itself—and the oppressive pressure almost drove Sugar and Trebol to their knees.

Even Doflamingo was struggling to stay upright, barely holding his ground under the suffocating weight.

Chrollo's psychic energy wasn't just power—it was soaked in the resentment of every soul he'd taken. The hatred, the bloodlust, the death. All of it wrapped around his mind like a hungry beast.

Had Ryuunosuke not warned Chrollo beforehand to show restraint, Sugar would've collapsed then and there.

"Captain Chrollo, I—"

"…Captain. I understand."

Doflamingo forced himself to speak, but the overwhelming presence felt like a predator, one that would strike the moment he showed weakness.

And across from him, Ryuunosuke simply sat, legs crossed, relaxed—watching it all with that same infuriating half-smile.

He didn't lift a finger.

He didn't need to.

For the first time, Doflamingo felt truly seen through.

Everything—the system's rejection, Chrollo's threat, Ryuunosuke's confidence—it all painted a single truth:

Lying to the Dragon Hunter Pirates was not an option.

"I'll say this one last time," Ryuunosuke said, voice calm but commanding. "I want you to be my little brother."

"But if you're not serious, you're free to walk away."

"I won't stop you."

A wine glass materialized in his hand.

Chrollo stepped forward, wordless, and filled it with deep red wine from a bottle conjured from thin air.

The aroma of it drifted through the room. Doflamingo's mouth felt dry.

That wine felt more dangerous than any blade.

"Yes… Captain."

Doflamingo finally knelt on one knee.

His signature grin was gone.

There was no pride left—only the bitter taste of submission and failure.

For once, he wasn't in control.

In Ryuunosuke's presence, he felt like a naked soul, stripped bare.

"Get up," Ryuunosuke said, standing and extending a hand. "I don't need your submission."

"What I need—is your loyalty."

"You wield Conqueror's Haki. You've awakened the String-String Fruit. You want to live like a king?"

Ryuunosuke's eyes glowed with quiet power.

"Then know this—I am your god."

He pulled Doflamingo to his feet.

Doflamingo was speechless.

He had expected demands, orders, exploitation—but instead, he was offered respect… trust.

It was the final blow to his psychological defenses.

This man… he wasn't just strong. He was someone worth following.

And then—

> Ding!

Congratulations, host. You have successfully recruited Doflamingo as a crew member.

A smile crept onto Ryuunosuke's lips.

The system had acknowledged it.

And that meant betrayal was no longer on the table.

"Now then," Ryuunosuke said, setting the wine glass aside. "I've got questions."

"Doflamingo… what do you know about the Void Century?"

The smile faded from Doflamingo's face.

That question again.

Back when he'd been captured and sent to Impel Down, the World Government tried to have him silenced—permanently.

Because he knew something.

And the government feared it.

"The Void Century… is not blank," Doflamingo said solemnly. "It's erased."

"The World Government, during that era, committed atrocities that crossed every line."

"All 38 nations that participated in the rebellion… were annihilated."

"And anyone—anyone—who knew the truth and wasn't part of the World Government… was silenced."

"That's the reason behind the so-called 'blank' century."

Ryuunosuke's eyes narrowed.

"A Buster Call?"

"No," Doflamingo said. "Something far worse. Back then, the navy as we know it didn't exist."

"But the World Government had forces—possibly even stronger than today's Marines—willing to destroy anything that threatened their rule."

Ryuunosuke leaned back, unimpressed.

Explosive stuff—but not enough.

He'd seen how shameless the World Government was. None of this surprised him.

Still, the fact that Doflamingo knew it firsthand confirmed something important.

This man wasn't just a broker—he was a key to unraveling the world's hidden truths.

"If that's all, we don't need to dig deeper," Ryuunosuke said casually. "Let's get to business."

"Are you still working with the World Government?"

"Where are your arms deals coming from?"

"Do we have a shot at seizing them?"

Doflamingo glanced at Trebol.

"Go. Bring it."

Trebol, still shaking from earlier, scooped up Sugar in one arm and rushed out of the room.

The pressure Chrollo had released had left him on the verge of collapse.

Minutes later, he returned with a thick stack of account books and documents.

"Boss Ryuunosuke," he said breathlessly. "These are our arms trade records… and letters exchanged with certain parties."

"These locations—most of them are rich in minerals, but the local governments were too weak. They were forced into smelting weapons and ammunition for survival…"

Ryuunosuke began flipping through the records.

His eyes glinted with interest.

Seventeen countries.

All of them involved in arms trafficking, resource exploitation, or devil fruit distribution.

And one of them—

Wano Country.

Kaido's territory.

Kaido wasn't after money.

He was trading for artificial Zoan-type Devil Fruits.

As for the others? They paid in Berries or precious resources in exchange for firepower…

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