"Fufufufufu~ That bunch of trash dares to compare themselves to me?"
Air Force Admiral Doflamingo rose from his seat with a smug laugh, his tone dripping with disdain.
"My father spent his entire life in what the world considers the most luxurious and comfortable paradise. From the moment he was born, he possessed everything. Yet when he became an adult, he realized that living in such a world was a mistake and chose to return to the life of an ordinary person."
"Although my mother never truly understood his decision, she still chose to accompany him through hardship."
"Although my brother and I walked completely different paths, he still believed in justice and ultimately chose justice over family."
"The choices made by my family are things those foolish Celestial Dragons would never have made."
Doflamingo adjusted his crimson sunglasses and looked down at everyone present.
"Can any of you confidently say you could have done the same?"
"Hah."
Bullet curled his lip in contempt.
"And yet you killed your own father and brother with your own hands, then desperately tried to crawl back to the World Nobles you claimed to despise."
"Fufufufufu~"
Doflamingo merely chuckled.
He sat back down, took a sip of tea, and spoke leisurely.
"Everyone makes mistakes. I won't deny the things I've done. They were my choices."
He slowly lowered the teacup.
"But if this world could have made me a better person, who would willingly choose to kill their own family?"
A dangerous glint flashed through Doflamingo's eyes.
"Still, I won't refuse the opportunity to become something better."
"Since the God King has shown me a New World worth believing in, a broader stage than the one I once stood on, a world that may be remembered throughout history..."
His grin widened.
"I'll gladly risk my life to see whether such a world truly exists."
"Tch."
Bullet laughed darkly.
"In the end, people like us never really change."
His savage eyes swept across the room.
Doflamingo.
World.
Crocodile.
Redfield.
And the newest Air Force Admiral, Vochi Admiral Charlotte Katakuri.
"No matter how respectable we appear on the surface..."
"No matter how many pirates we drive away."
"No matter how many houses we help build."
"No matter how many people we work beside."
"Our nature remains just as ruthless as ever."
Bullet's gaze became increasingly dangerous.
"If anyone wants to quit and return to being a pirate, then leave now."
He pressed one hand against the other.
Crack.
A sharp sound echoed through the room.
His grin became particularly ferocious.
"But if you decide to quit later..."
"The only way out will be death."
Doflamingo placed his empty teacup on the table and shrugged.
"Say whatever you want."
"Just don't expose that monstrous face of yours to the people who genuinely believe in the Air Force's ideals of peace."
"Hahaha!"
World burst into laughter.
The former pirate wore a horned helmet and casually stroked his green beard.
He looked at Bullet with open amusement.
"The people praising the legendary Heavenly Demon Army should really come take a look."
"They'd be shocked to discover that the man who used to roll up his pants and plant rice seedlings barefoot is still this arrogant."
Bullet's expression darkened immediately.
Meanwhile, Crocodile remained seated, watching the exchange without emotion.
His right hand rested on his left arm.
The arm that had once been lost now had a Gin-based mechanical replacement so perfectly crafted that it looked completely natural.
His expression remained indifferent.
"Heavenly Demon."
"Stop using threats that only work on weaklings."
"No one here is intimidated by you."
"And no one is testing your authority."
He leaned back slightly.
"More importantly, nobody intends to retreat."
The benefits gained from becoming an Air Force Admiral far exceeded anything he had obtained as a pirate or even as one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
The future was obvious.
The Air Force would become one of the world's dominant powers.
Perhaps even the only one.
Crocodile's seat tilted backward slightly.
His gaze swept across the room.
Every person present had once been a notorious pirate whose name inspired fear across the seas.
Now, they commanded armies numbering in the tens or even hundreds of thousands.
Yet none of their ferocity had diminished.
The faint scars scattered across Crocodile's face seemed even more pronounced as he spoke.
His deep voice carried undeniable authority.
"Shirogai once said that heroes are not defined by their origins."
"Nor are they judged solely by what they did in the past."
His eyes narrowed.
"Especially in a world where the Celestial Dragons run rampant and disaster spreads everywhere."
His gaze lingered on each admiral.
"Whether you truly believe in the future Shirogai promised is irrelevant."
"But compared to those outside this room, all of you understand far more clearly what the title of God King truly represents."
A faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.
"So don't do anything that violates the Air Force's principles of peace."
The smile grew slightly wider.
"After all, I rather enjoy the fame, authority, and future I'm building through the Air Force and the Sky Island Alliance."
The atmosphere suddenly became heavier.
Fine grains of sand drifted from Crocodile's body.
They slowly spiraled through the air, forming a miniature sandstorm around him.
The pressure he released was no weaker than when he ruled as one of the Seven Warlords.
His eyes turned cold.
"Otherwise..."
The swirling sand intensified.
The tiny tornado twisted violently above the conference table.
Crocodile's voice became chillingly sharp.
"Otherwise..."
"I'll personally let you experience what it feels like to become a dried corpse."