No one knew what truly happened in the dungeons of Wano Country.
All they knew was that Doflamingo's voice, once filled with mockery and arrogance…
By the end of the night, could only produce screams of terror and despair.
The members of the SWORD Forces standing guard outside exchanged bewildered glances.
"Um... Garp," Hancock Shuddered, goosebumps rising all over her body.
"Is Grandma Tsuru... torturing Doflamingo right now? That man would die laughing even at his execution... Why is he making sounds like this?"
"Could you at least call me 'teacher'? Stop picking up bad habits from that brat Michael!" Garp rolled his eyes.
"Rather than asking me, you should ask Rosinante... After all, the man inside is his biological brother."
At Garp's words, not just Hancock but everyone turned to look at Rosinante, hoping for an explanation.
Rosinante sat on the ground, listening as the screams gradually weakened, then let out a long sigh.
"Doflamingo, my brother... He always believed himself to be born evil, the incarnation of a demon, the purest embodiment of wickedness in this world... For him, doing good deeds is equivalent to being slowly sliced to death."
"Tsuru-san Wash-Wash Fruit can gradually cleanse a person's evil thoughts... This is why Doflamingo has feared her so intensely all these years. To him, even our elder brother Michael ranks below Tsuru-san in terms of terror."
"For a truly wicked person to be transformed—while retaining all memories—into a genuinely 'good' person... To such a villain, this is a punishment more terrifying than death by a thousand cuts..."
Gazing at the moon in the sky, Rosinante sighed again.
"From today onward, titles like 'Heavenly Yaksha,' 'Warlord of the Sea,' or 'JOKER'... none of these exist anymore."
"There remains only one identity..."
"The Virtuous King of Dressrosa, Donquixote Doflamingo."
...
Above Whole Cake Island.
Standing beside Charlotte Linlin, Michael looked down at the even more prosperous nation below and nodded approvingly.
"Honestly, when it comes to ruling a kingdom, you're clearly far more talented than that old fool Whitebeard."
"Should I say... thank you for the compliment?" Charlotte Linlin smiled calmly. "The governing methods haven't changed much—just replaced lifespan collection with taxation... Yet in just a few years, Whole Cake Island's population has grown nearly tenfold..."
"To mention such achievements so casually—are you showing off now?" Michael raised an eyebrow.
"Speaking of which, where's that girl who's always following you around? Kaido's biological daughter, wasn't it?"
"Oh, you mean Yamato?" Michael shrugged. "I sent her and Jack on a delivery mission... That big oaf Weevil suffered quite a bit this time, so we had to return him to Whitebeard's care."
"Whitebeard's son was involved this time too?"
"To be precise, he was the spark that ignited this whole Wano invasion incident."
"Tch. Your relationships are truly tangled webs."
As they spoke, the thundercloud known as "Zeus" began descending from mid-air.
Michael glanced down—they had already arrived above Cake Island.
The landing spot was none other than the castle garden of Charlotte Linlin.
Setting foot on Cake Island once more, Michael still found it wondrous...
The texture underfoot! Simply irresistible!
Charlotte Linlin hoisted Kaido, who was missing a horn and completely immobilized, onto her shoulder.
"Follow me, Michael."
"The answers you seek lie within."
Trailing behind Charlotte Linlin, Michael watched as she settled Kaido into a room.
Then she led the way, guiding him to the deepest part of the castle.
There stood only a tightly Shuzot door.
Guarding either side of the door were Charlotte Linlin's two most valued sons:
Her eldest, Perospero, and her second son, Katakuri.
They were also the two Shichibukai Michael himself had personally selected.
"It's been a while, you two."
"Michael-san..."
Perospero and Katakuri both nodded respectfully to Michael.
Both had grown significantly stronger since first becoming Shichibukai, yet they remained humble in Michael's presence—a trait he greatly admired.
The seas were full of clever individuals, but those who combined intelligence with true strength were rare indeed.
"Open the door and go in," Charlotte Linlin shrugged. "Rocks is inside... I must warn you again—once you see Rocks' condition, you'll be shocked..."
"And this isn't a trap?"
"What trap could possibly hold you? Do tell me—I'd love to prepare one."
Michael studied Charlotte Linlin's flawless face, finding only an unburdened smile.
Without hesitation, he pushed open the heavy door.
With a creak, the wooden door swung inward.
The space inside was spacious, furnished with all the necessities of life.
And indeed, there were signs of habitation.
This wasn't a dungeon—yet it had no windows.
When the door closed behind them, the room didn't plunge into darkness.
At the far end, a familiar white glow began to shimmer.
Michael's brows slowly furrowed.
He was absolutely certain—the light illuminating the room was unmistakably his Holy Light.
He could even feel its pulse, identical to his own power.
And the source of this radiance was a man.
A man whose appearance screamed trouble.
He bore about fifty percent resemblance to the Rocks Garp had once described.
But Michael's eyes widened in shock.
Because Rocks' hair had turned completely platinum...
Just like Portgas D. Rouge in her earliest days.
Without question, Rocks had undergone the same Holy Light infusion and transformation as Portgas D. Rouge.
"Michael... it's been too long."
"You're Rocks? But this is our first meeting, as far as I'm concerned..."
"Is that so? So this is our first encounter, then."
Rocks paused, then nodded in understanding.
In every movement, he bore no resemblance to the legendary pirate who had once dominated the seas—who had suppressed Whitebeard, Shiki, Charlotte Linlin, and Kaido!
Too quiet... unnaturally so.
"You said you were looking for an angel?"
"Now..."
"I'm here."