A corner of the desolate island was piled high with garbage, emitting a putrid stench under the scorching sun.
Occasionally, a salty sea breeze would blow, carrying the foul odor into the cramped, leaky wooden shack and into Diamante's nostrils, making him distinctly uncomfortable. He was a clean person, as evidenced by his attire: even in such a harsh environment, he wore a pristine white shirt, a pure black tailcoat, and a gentleman's hat adorned with a vibrant flower wreath—excessively flashy.
Restlessly, Diamante paced with his extremely slender and tall frame, his eyes fixed on the only somewhat tidy spot in the room: a small cot. Lying there was a boy of about ten, with short golden hair, currently unconscious.
Diamante spread his hands. "It's been over two days, Trebol!"
"Behehehe~ Nyeh, nyehh, what do you want to say, Diamante? What do you want to say, Diamante?" With a bizarre tone, an odd taste in clothing—a suit paired with a cloak—and an even stranger, ugly face, Trebol twitched the two snot trails beneath his nose, turning his seemingly bloated body. His small sunglasses gleamed with a cold glint.
Diamante lowered his voice considerably. "He... might never wake up. Besides, we haven't seen this 'Conqueror's Haki' he spoke of with our own eyes. Perhaps..."
"Shut your crow's mouth, Diamante! He's a man chosen by heaven, destined to become 'King'! There's absolutely no mistake! He absolutely won't die easily! Shut your crow's mouth, Diamante!" Trebol furiously interrupted Diamante, asserting his conviction with serious, almost stern certainty. He then turned back to fan the short-haired golden boy, hoping to slightly alleviate the torment of the high temperature.
Diamante was silent for a moment, then said helplessly, "He needs better medical treatment. We need to take him to a bustling island. The doctors in this wretched place are terrible... so terrible that we killed one, and now there are none left."
"He can't handle a long journey. I've sent Vergo and Pica to fetch one, behehehe~" Trebol laughed sinisterly. "Nyeh, Diamante, patience, patience! We gave him 'the power of revenge' before, and that's why he came back to us. We'll shield him from harm, and when he grows and matures, he'll bring us unimaginable glory in return! You know, we've tried; we're no match for those monsters. But he will be in the future."
Diamante grew even more silent.
Suddenly.
"Fufufufu~ What should I say? 'It feels good to be alive'? Or 'Not dying was a real bargain'?" Though very weak, the golden-haired boy on the sickbed grinned brightly.
"Doffy~!" Trebol was instantly overjoyed, tears and snot flying. "You finally..."
Doffy, Donquixote Doflamingo, struggled to sit up, pushing Trebol away. "You're too close... Water, food."
"Right." Diamante recovered from his daze, promptly bringing the stored fresh water and bread to Doflamingo.
Doflamingo didn't stand on ceremony, chewing large mouthfuls. He seemed calm, but in reality, he was calculating.
He wasn't the original Doflamingo anymore; to be precise, he was a fusion of a soul from another world and the original Doflamingo's soul.
Thus, he possessed two pasts: one as a ruthless and cunning rising boss of the underworld, and the other as a Celestial Dragon whose destiny plummeted to the mortal realm.
"The taste of 'death' twice over is quite unbearable," Doflamingo mumbled almost inaudibly.
Indeed, he had likely "died" twice.
From another world, he had been full of youthful vigor, in his prime, yet cruelly kissed on the forehead by a relentless illness at a young age.
As for the original Doflamingo, he was initially a Celestial Dragon, an heir to the world, who should have lived a life of corruption like other Celestial Dragons. However, his father, for some inexplicable reason, insisted on becoming a commoner. So the Donquixote family moved from Mariejois and lost their privileges.
A Celestial Dragon who lost their privileges was no longer one of the "descendants of the creators" people looked up to. Perhaps the Donquixote family had not committed evil, but that didn't stop those who had suffered at the hands of Celestial Dragons from retaliating against the Donquixote family. After all, they had once been Celestial Dragons.
Everything began to crumble: his mother's death, years of living like a stray dog, constantly enduring abuse, beatings, and hunger, nearly being killed several times. The pain he had never experienced before filled him with unbridled fury and soaring resentment, until he encountered the small group of four led by Trebol. His madness was guided, erupting with a bang.
He shot his father, carrying his father's head to Mariejois, still yearning to rejoin the Celestial Dragon populace. But how could arrogant Celestial Dragons accept a "traitor"? They even intended to execute him.
Fortunately, he discovered their plot quickly, narrowly escaping death and returning here. However, long-term suppressed emotions and malnutrition led to a complete breakdown, both mental and physical, causing him to collapse.
"I heard you, Trebol," Doflamingo said, feeling somewhat sated, stopping his meal. He shouldn't eat too much just yet. "Fufufufu~ You'll shield me from harm, and when I grow and mature, I'll bring you unimaginable glory in return! Fair enough."
Trebol "behehe'd" and said, "Nyeh, nyehh, of course, Doffy, you are our King! Once Vergo and Pica rendezvous, we'll hold a 'coronation ceremony'." He then changed the subject, surprised. "You've grown so fast! Nyeh, nyehh, the Celestial Dragons at Mariejois rejected you? Even after you brought your father's head as an apology?"
"Those who couldn't kill me only made me stronger," Doflamingo replied to Trebol's first question, but not his second. Instead, he asked Trebol, "Where's Rosinante? My brother."
Diamante shook his head. "We only found you. We didn't find him."
"Oh? Never mind," Doflamingo bared a grin, unconcerned. He then answered Trebol's second question: "They didn't just reject me; they were going to 'judge' me, fufufufu~ But I didn't make the trip for nothing. I learned their great secret, a secret so big it could 'eat' us alive! Provided we have the strength to protect ourselves and the world doesn't end."
"Really? What great secret? What great secret?" Trebol asked excitedly.
Doflamingo replied indifferently, "If too many people know, is it still a great secret? Besides, the news that I possess the Celestial Dragons' great secret is itself a great secret."