The Flamingo's Pride, a crimson stain against the South Blue's twilight, loomed—a garish testament to its captain's flamboyant arrogance. I descended deliberately, each footfall a measured beat against the polished deck, the anticipation of conflict coiling within me like a viper. A sudden hush fell over the assembled crew, their earlier cheerful banter silenced by my arrival.
Doflamingo stood amidst them, a preposterous figure in his feathered pink coat, blond hair catching the last rays of the sun. His crew, a devoted assembly, ringed him protectively.
"Let's dispense with the formalities, Doflamingo," I stated, my voice a low growl of contained fury, my gaze unwavering. "You're here for Bekori's possession, aren't you? How long have you lingered in these waters, waiting to acquire it?" Bekori, a minor king, yet Doflamingo had brought his entire crew. The item must possess a significance beyond its apparent worth. "And why would the World Government dispatch a Warlord, someone of your supposed stature, for such a task?" The incongruity was stark—a pirate lord acting as an errand boy for the very authority he ostensibly defied.
A confident smile stretched across Doflamingo's face, his eyes gleaming with detached amusement. "Gladius, be a dear and prepare some tea for our… insightful guest. Lazarus, please, make yourself comfortable." He gestured with a flourish towards an ornate chair opposite an equally ostentatious table.
Resentment stiffened my movements as I settled into the offered seat. Gladius, his expression perpetually focused, began the tea preparations. The air thrummed with unspoken animosity. Tea? A pathetic attempt at civility that would scarcely touch the fury roiling within me. The cloying sweetness of the tea did nothing to soothe my frayed nerves.
Doflamingo leaned back, his gaze intense, almost calculating. He seemed to weigh the tension in the air. "You are surprisingly well-informed, Lazarus. Fuffuffuffu. Yes, Bekori possesses a… valuable item. Something with a rightful place in the hands of a Celestial Dragon. A minor retrieval, you see, to ensure the continued… goodwill of those esteemed figures in the Gorosei."
My fists clenched. "A Celestial Dragon's trinket? You risk the Revolutionary Army's attention for such a trifle?" My voice dripped with disdain. What could Bekori possibly hold that warranted such attention? Unless… it wasn't the object itself, but its symbolic value.
"A trifle? Fuffuffuffu!" Doflamingo's soft laughter held a note of dismissal. "My dear Lazarus, you underestimate the… sentimental attachment… of those 'world nobles.' No, no, no. This is something they cannot afford to fall into the wrong hands, especially those meddlesome Revolutionaries. Bekori was… careless."
"So you brought your entire crew for a mere keepsake?" I challenged, my eyes boring into his. He was still obscuring the truth.
"'Brought' implies a burden, Lazarus. Fuffuffuffu," Doflamingo replied, a hint of amusement in his tone. "My presence here serves… multiple purposes, beyond Bekori's… indiscretion. Consider it a strategic repositioning. And retrieving what is theirs avoids… unnecessary inquiries. Furthermore," he steepled his fingers, his gaze direct, "a man with your… directness… could prove useful in acquiring… delicate items. Should you consider joining my crew, Lazarus," he continued smoothly, his voice persuasive, "you would find yourself free from the World Government's interference. My influence as a Warlord provides certain… liberties."
His audacious offer ignited my fury anew. "I would sooner witness the downfall of the Celestial Dragons, with you among them, than offer you any assistance." With a swift, violent motion, my knife slammed into the table, the blade a hair's breadth from his outstretched fingers. The sharp thud echoed my raw emotion. His exploitation of the weak to appease those self-proclaimed gods was abhorrent.
A ripple of concern spread through his crew. Baby 5, her loyalty etched on her face, began to transform. "Doflamingo-sama!"
But before she could act, a massive, stone hand descended, halting her. Pica's surprisingly high-pitched voice rumbled across the deck. "Baby 5! Please, stand down!"
The incongruous squeak from the hulking figure only intensified my mocking chuckle. "Kuhahaha." A wave of worried gazes washed over me from Doflamingo's crew.
A muscle twitched in Doflamingo's jaw, his confident smile momentarily receding into a look of serious consideration.
"Young Master," Baby 5 pleaded, her partially transformed arm trembling.
"Allow me to deal with this!"
Doflamingo raised a calming hand. His gaze, sharp and assessing, remained fixed on me. "My family," he said, his voice low and thoughtful, the earlier amusement gone. "Our guest possesses a… scary ability. He was once an Admiral candidate."
A stunned silence fell. The weight of his words hung heavy in the air. Admiral candidate. A title that still held resonance, even in my exile.
My gaze locked with Doflamingo's, a furious intensity in my eyes. "The Underworld King is well-informed, isn't he? You know more than you reveal. There's a leak within the Marines, feeding you information. Only high-ranking officers knew of… my past." A betrayal by someone I had trusted.
Doflamingo's composure, though briefly shaken, began to solidify. He leaned forward, a hint of his former confidence returning. "Lazarus, even now, I extend the offer. Your… formidable resolve… could be a valuable asset. Join me, and you would find freedom from the World Government's reach. My name carries weight. Fuffuffuffu."
My laugh was sharp and bitter. "Kuhahaha! You know that upon becoming a Vice Admiral, first thing I'll do is uncover the truth about the Celestial Dragon who abandoned his status and leave Mary Geoise twenty-seven years ago! I owed him everything! And it turns out,," my voice dropped, heavy with venom, "that you, his son, ended his life!"
Surprise flickered across Doflamingo's features, his usual composure momentarily fractured. His eyes widened slightly.
I rose, a swirling vortex of compressed air forming around me. "Bekori's trinket is not worth this charade. As long as you remain a Warlord, you are a temporary obstacle. But know this, Doflamingo," I hurled a small, intricately carved wooden box towards him, "this is for your father's kindness. And when you are no longer a Shichibukai, I will come for you."
I stepped into the swirling bubble, its iridescent surface reflecting the worried faces of the Donquixote Pirates. Slowly, silently, it lifted me away from the crimson monstrosity, towards the vast expanse of the Grand Line. The Flamingo's Pride receded into the twilight, leaving Doflamingo standing on the deck, the small wooden box clutched in his hand, his expression a complex blend of contemplation and a dawning understanding.
Justice for the one who showed me kindness, and retribution for his son.