"YOU'D BETTER BE WORTH IT!!!"
That smile landed in Rayleigh's eyes like a slap to the face—pure provocation.
His expression turned dark as he snapped, then stepped forward and snatched the food from Tritoma's hands, the one she had been about to hand to Doflamingo.
He stuffed it into his mouth and started chewing viciously.
Then he plopped down nearby and glared at Doflamingo as he ate, as if the food on the table were that bastard's smug face.
Thanks to Rayleigh's reaction, the previously lively Kuja warriors—who had been singing and dancing—froze mid-performance.
To the Kuja warriors, Rayleigh's status was akin to that of a retired empress.
But right now, Rayleigh felt nothing but fury and grief.
Tritoma's expression mirrored Shakky's to a terrifying degree—it was clear she had once again caught that cursed illness known as lovesickness.
If he laid a hand on Doflamingo now…
It would mean preparing to kill his own daughter with his own hands! Damn it all!
He'd sailed the seas for decades on Roger's ship, undefeated countless times.
And now, retired and at peace, he'd lost a battle because of his daughter.
...
"Father. Mother..."
Tritoma lowered her head and greeted them timidly, reluctantly slipping her hand from Doflamingo's.
She sat back down on her throne with practiced grace, the image of a composed queen.
"Fufufufufu~"
Meeting Rayleigh's eyes, Doflamingo gave a mocking grin.
To hold his daughter in front of his eyes—he must be feeling like hell right now, huh?
He waved to the stunned Kuja warriors.
"What are you staring at? Keep the music going, keep dancing."
With Tritoma signaling in agreement, the music resumed,
And wave after wave of food was brought into the grand hall.
Both Rayleigh and Doflamingo were powerful men who had just gone all out in battle—
Their appetites were monstrous. At one point, even Enel went out to hunt a small Sea King.
...
After several rounds of food and drink, a now-full Rayleigh stepped forward and said in a deep voice,
"Doflamingo. What is it you really want?!"
Seeing Tritoma like this, it was clear she wouldn't listen to her parents anymore.
If it were anything like his wedding with Charlotte Smoothie, she shouldn't be in danger.
As for the Kujas—losers don't get to negotiate.
Better to give Doflamingo whatever he wants now,
And he and Shakky could just go back to living peacefully in Sabaody.
...
Doflamingo slowly removed his gloves, tidied his clothes, and met Rayleigh's gaze with a smile.
"Naturally... it's you, Rayleigh-san."
"I've got a group of juniors, but no time to train them. And as the Pirate King's right-hand man, you're the perfect instructor."
...
Rayleigh's face darkened. All this trouble—just to mess with him?
This brat was only in his twenties. What kind of juniors could he possibly have?
Toddlers? He needed Rayleigh to teach children?
He'd sooner believe he was after the One Piece.
And on top of that—
"Shanks... died by your hand!"
"Father! Doflamingo-sama!"
Sensing the tension, Tritoma rushed between them, her head darting back and forth, unsure who to stop first.
Nearby, Morgans and his two companions, still chained up and munching on melon seeds, lit up with excitement.
They practically vibrated with glee.
"Fight! Fight! Go all out!"
...
"Fufufufufu~"
Doflamingo stood and rested both hands on Tritoma's shoulders, gently pressing her down onto a stool sculpted from dirt.
He looked down at Rayleigh.
"Rayleigh-san, don't get so worked up. It's just one of those damn Celestial Dragons."
"When power exists only to satisfy selfish desires and control others, then that power becomes the greatest sin in the world."
"And in the veins of every Celestial Dragon flows ninety percent of the world's sins."
"Myself included. And Shanks, my dear cousin... he wasn't innocent either."
"Isn't that right, Rayleigh-san?"
...
Rayleigh stayed silent. What Doflamingo said wasn't wrong.
But Shanks had been like a son—they'd raised him with their own hands. He couldn't lump him in with the rest.
And more than that, Shanks was one of the last living traces of Roger.
...
Doflamingo wasn't fazed by Rayleigh's silence. He had his trump card.
"In 1498, the World Government conducted a horrifying investigation on a South Blue island called Baterilla."
"Guess what happened there, Rayleigh-san?"
"Hint: it has something to do with Roger."
"Roger?!" Rayleigh's eyes widened.
He suddenly remembered—no one knew where Roger had gone after he left the crew.
"That... that's where he went into hiding?!"
"Exactly."
Doflamingo snapped his fingers.
A large orb formed in his hand.
His grin grew darker as he continued.
"To make sure the world's most evil bloodline wouldn't survive..."
"Those idiots in the government came up with a brilliant plan—"
"They cut open the belly of every pregnant woman on the island, one by one."
He sliced his hand through the orb.
It split in two, revealing a tiny Line-Line baby inside.
Every woman in the room turned red-eyed with fury at once.
...
Rayleigh, however, was thinking something else as he watched Doflamingo's confident display.
A thought occurred to him—a possibility. He asked carefully,
"Roger's child... wasn't killed?"
"Fufufufufu~!"
Doflamingo burst out laughing, clapping his hands in excitement.
"That's right! Roger didn't give a damn about 'enemies' when it came to children."
"He adopted my own cousin, blood-related, as his own."
"So I raised Roger's son as if he were mine."
"And, per Roger's final wishes... his name is Ace."
...
"...Ace."
Rayleigh's mind reeled. He thought back to that Donquixote crewmember who'd come to him for coating once.
Could Doflamingo have had his eye on him even back then?!
...
"Roger's son! This is huge, Doffy!!"
"Never expected Roger to have a kid."
"Roger's son calling Doflamingo dad? What would Roger think?!"
"I must be losing it..."
...
The Kuja warriors might not have fully grasped what it meant to be the Pirate King's son.
But Morgans, his two companions, and even Shakky were shaken to the core.
...
"Whew..."
Rayleigh took a deep breath and forced his mind to calm.
He looked Doflamingo in the eyes, his voice trembling just slightly.
"Can I... see the boy?"
No matter what, he had to see Roger's child.
"Of course!"
Doflamingo cheerfully reached into his coat and pulled out a stack of photographs.
Rayleigh snatched them excitedly—only for his face to turn pitch-black once again.
"This brat... this is your son, isn't it?!"
In the photo, Zoffy was sitting on top of Ace, laughing maniacally—he looked exactly like Doflamingo.
"Fufufufufu~ That's right. Healthy, isn't he?"
Doflamingo nodded proudly.
He hadn't been born early enough to beat up Roger himself.
But having his son beat up Roger's kid? That helped make up for it a little.
...
"So... want to go teach them a lesson?"
-----------
Fanfic is finished 527 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg