"You blamed your father for everything, but what did you do?"
Darren's voice was sharp and cutting, full of ridicule.
Staring at the blond boy, blood still trickling from his lips and his face contorted with rage, Darren's half-lidded eyes glittered with amusement.
Come on. Say it.
Let it out.
Your deepest hatred. Your darkest resentment.
Doflamingo's fists clenched tightly, his teeth grinding.
What did I do…?
What did I do?
Suddenly, he snapped—his eyes bloodshot, his voice hoarse with fury:
"I killed that foolish father of mine!!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, it was like a dam had broken inside him. His face twisted with a crazed grin he could no longer suppress.
"Hehhahaha!!"
He burst into mad laughter.
"You'd never guess how good it felt..."
"If it weren't for him, I never would've suffered so much. So much misery."
"I didn't sit around whining... I took action!"
"I was born a king!!"
"Fufufu…"
His eyes locked with Darren's, full of obsession and triumph.
"You should've seen his eyes—the despair. When I pointed the gun at him… oh, the look on his face! Hehahaha!!"
Doflamingo laughed like a man unhinged, yet tears—red as blood—spilled from the corners of his eyes as he howled:
"I swore I'd take back everything that was mine!"
"I've had enough of crawling through hell! I was born a god, meant to stand above this miserable world—why should I wallow in its filth!?"
"Even as he was dying, he apologized… but what good is that!? Sorry doesn't change anything!"
"But if he's dead? That changes everything."
"So I pulled the trigger."
"I cut off his head, dripping with blood… and I carried it all the way back to Mary Geoise. I wanted him to see—I wanted him to witness me reclaiming my rightful life as a Celestial Dragon!!"
Clap clap clap…
The sudden sound of applause echoed harshly through the dim hall.
Doflamingo froze. Darren was clapping, a mocking grin playing on his lips.
"I see. What a touching story—a foolish father, a gentle mother, and a rebellious son. Let me guess—does the story end with the son killing his father, proving himself, and reclaiming everything he'd lost?"
Doflamingo looked stunned, as though struck by lightning.
Darren chuckled.
Almost there. You're about to break.
Feel that despair.
He crouched slightly, ruffling the boy's blond hair with a twisted smile.
"So, tell me, Doflamingo... did you get everything you wanted?"
"You killed your beloved father, even decapitated him… surely the World Government rewarded you for your efforts?"
Doflamingo stood frozen, lips parted but speechless.
Darren leaned in, his voice soft and dripping with cruel amusement.
"I bet you imagined it all, didn't you? Your grand return to Mary Geoise… banners raised in your honor, trumpets sounding in celebration, a magnificent stage set just for you."
He made a dramatic gesture, his tone low and magnetic.
"You dreamed of ascending the Celestial Staircase, one step at a time, beneath the gaze of the world."
"You dreamed of the Gorosei draping royal finery over your shoulders."
"You dreamed of being hailed once more as a god."
Each word fell like cold nails, piercing Doflamingo's chest. A dagger to his pride.
"That way, you could prove your father wrong."
"That way, you could justify patricide—ease the guilt gnawing at your heart."
"But none of that happened."
"You bet everything. You bore the weight of guilt, only to be met with scorn and mockery."
"No triumph. No applause. No return to paradise."
"You strutted into Mary Geoise with your trophy, only to be cast out like a mongrel."
"I even heard you knelt at the foot of the Celestial Staircase… cleaning off the bloodstains yourself…"
"—Shut up!!!"
Doflamingo exploded, his eyes bulging with fury, veins bulging across his forehead.
"Don't say another word!!"
His voice cracked, rage and anguish twisting his features. His eyes burned with hatred, ready to set the world ablaze.
"That's why I'm going to destroy this world!!!"
Perfect. The fire's ready.
Easier than expected—but then again, he's just twelve.
Now that the beast's gone mad with hunger, it's time to give it something to sink its teeth into.
Darren's eyes gleamed, his smile curling.
"No, no… you're aiming in the wrong direction."
He leaned closer, whispering in Doflamingo's ear like a devil in the dark.
"You're a born king. Shouldn't a king aim higher than slaughtering powerless peasants?"
"Crushing the weak? That's beneath you."
"Think, Doflamingo. Who really brought you to this lowly place?"
"Was it your father? Maybe. But he's already dead."
"Was it the commoners who tormented you? They're gone too."
"Then who truly made you kneel like a dog, scrubbing blood from the Celestial Staircase…?"
"Who deserves your true vengeance?"
"Now imagine this—just for a moment—imagine kneeling them down before you, begging for mercy. Who would it be?"
His voice was dark, smooth, hypnotic—a devil's lullaby.
Doflamingo froze.
His crimson eyes quivered. His face twisted. His mind raced.
And then Darren delivered the final push:
"Tell me, Doflamingo… who do you most want to become?"
Doflamingo trembled violently.
One second…
Two seconds…
Three…
Then, under Darren's satisfied gaze,
Like a ravenous beast finally unleashed—
Doflamingo's red eyes burned with hatred as he roared:
"THE WORLD GOVERNMENT… THE GOROSEI!!!"
---
To be continued...