"Fufufufufu~ Enel, let them come!"
The overwhelming brilliance that had filled the skies and scorched the land began to fade.
The giant figure that had stood upon the earth had long since vanished.
What remained was a devastated Amazon Lily.
A massive, crater-like pit had taken up nearly half the island.
And that was only the result of the shockwave from their clash.
If the battle had taken place at the island's center, Amazon Lily might have been wiped off the map entirely.
A small black dot was speeding toward them from the horizon.
Shakky stood frozen, unable to believe what she was seeing.
Doflamingo—apparently unharmed—was casually carrying the unconscious Rayleigh like a trussed-up bundle.
Her heart sank.
"Rayleigh... was defeated? Just like that?!"
Aboard the Numancia Flamingo, Giberson and Umit were forcing praise through clenched teeth.
"Doflamingo-sama is incredible!"
"The so-called Dark King is just another one of Doflamingo-sama's victims!"
But their expressions betrayed their true feelings—they were in despair.
Their hope of escape had just been crushed again.
Rayleigh, oh Rayleigh! Couldn't you have tried a little harder?!
Not far off, Morgans was still scribbling feverishly onto his paper.
Something inside him had shifted just a little.
If following Doflamingo meant he could witness scenes like this regularly... maybe it wouldn't be so bad.
He didn't have to publish anything now. He could always save it for future generations to uncover!
Doflamingo surely wouldn't live that long anyway, right?
...
Back on the battlefield.
While Shakky was still frozen in disbelief, Tritoma had already rushed forward, her proud head lowered, her expression conflicted.
"I'll go with you. Just don't hurt my father!"
This was all her fault—she had been reckless. Now it was time to take responsibility.
"Don't be so worked up."
Though Doflamingo looked unscathed on the surface, he was straining to control his breathing.
This fight had drained him deeply.
Especially that final clash with Rayleigh.
Even with the protection of the War God Form shielding his body, he had still taken considerable damage.
Still, compared to Rayleigh, he was in much better shape.
Rayleigh had gone all out despite his injuries and had suffered a brutal backlash from the Haki surge after going berserk.
Had Doflamingo not intervened and administered first aid in time, Rayleigh would have been a goner.
In a way, Rayleigh now owed him his life.
Yes... he really was a truly noble man.
"Why would I ever hurt Rayleigh-san?"
Rayleigh was going to be a top-tier employee of his, after all.
Tritoma's head shot up, eyes wide in shock and relief.
"Really?!"
"Fufufufufu~ Of course!"
With that, Doflamingo lightly tossed Rayleigh toward Shakky behind him.
"Huuh!"
Shakky caught him with a grunt. After checking his condition, she let out a long, complicated sigh.
Given the current circumstances, the two of them were no longer in any position to protect themselves.
They were at Doflamingo's mercy. The fact that he spared Rayleigh was an unexpected blessing.
But she had heard every word exchanged during the battle.
With Rayleigh's deep ties to the Roger Pirates... what future could possibly lie ahead for them now?
Doflamingo, meanwhile, paid no mind to the tangled emotions around him.
Spreading his arms wide, he looked down on Tritoma and declared with radiant pride:
"As promised, you're mine now."
Victory should be celebrated with spoils.
"…"
Tritoma shrank back half a step under his intense, possessive gaze. Nervous sweat dripped down her face.
Her heart pounded violently in her chest, a strange, breathless sensation overtaking her.
Without realizing, she squeezed her legs together slightly and nodded.
"Yes… that's right."
There was no resisting Doflamingo—a man even more powerful than her father.
He was a true king.
For her country. For her parents. For herself… becoming his woman might actually be the right choice.
"But I'm also the ruler of this country."
Her sense of responsibility wouldn't allow her to abandon her nation and leave with him.
"Fufufufufu~ Relax. Amazon Lily's independence will remain intact."
Doflamingo could see right through her emotions.
He had already planned to relocate the entire island along with her.
When that time came, who would willingly choose to stay behind in the Calm Belt?
The Empress was the absolute ruler of Amazon Lily.
He controlled Tritoma. Tritoma ruled the island.
Just like his arrangement with Judge.
"Now, let's celebrate our victory."
With a sweep of his arms, Doflamingo scooped Tritoma into his embrace and flew toward the central valley.
He was hungry.
Behind them, Shakky held Rayleigh in her arms and watched her daughter, emotions welling even deeper in her heart.
Like the curse that only daughters are born on this island...
Every Empress was doomed to fall in love.
When faced with an even more powerful king, it was only natural for her to be conquered completely.
Just as she had once been—defeated by Rayleigh, and helplessly falling in love with him.
Now it was Tritoma's turn.
The stronger the warrior, the more this truth held sway.
Tritoma and Doflamingo. Shakky and Rayleigh.
Where would this family end up, drawn along by this man?
...
At the summit of the valley, Tritoma lifted her flushed face from Doflamingo's chest and called down excitedly:
"Prepare the banquet!!"
"OOOOHHHH!!"
Soon, the full moon hung high in the sky.
The plaza in front of Amazon Lily's royal palace was laden with food and drink.
Kuja warriors, dressed in bright and festive garb, danced around the bonfire.
Their graceful, powerful bodies moved in perfect rhythm.
...
South Blue.
Nanshan Town.
A small peninsula town nestled close to the Red Line.
Due to its lack of resources and the fact that it wasn't on any major shipping route to Reverse Mountain, few travelers ever visited.
It was untouched by pirates and lived in peaceful austerity.
But today, that peace was shattered.
BOOM!
A low, muffled explosion echoed.
Farmers working the fields looked down in alarm as the earth trembled beneath their feet.
They turned their gazes toward the sacred mountain behind the town, exchanging uneasy glances.
"Did that sound come from the sacred mountain?!"
"It's probably just a normal quake. Maybe the underwater volcano nearby erupted again."
"…"
Some villagers looked unsure. That sound... almost felt like an illusion.
Then—
WUUUUUUUMMMM!
A deep rumble spread through the earth, and the air grew stifling hot. Steam began to rise rapidly from the ground.
The villagers fled the fields in a panic.
"What's happening?!"
"Could it be a volcanic eruption underground?!"
"What do we do?!"
"..."
They had nothing—not even a proper ship to flee in.
Even if they ran to the sea, they couldn't escape the falling lava or the scalding heat.
While they were still gripped by panic—
The rocks where the town met the sacred mountain began to glow, radiating intense heat.
And then, a massive head of molten lava emerged from the cliffside, rumbling:
"Moria... I think we took the wrong path again."
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Fanfic is finished 527 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg