On the first half of the Grand Line—Paradise—Kokoro Island, near a garbage dump.
"Fufufufufu… what a tragedy! I didn't expect to become a 10-year-old Doflamingo. Should I call that lucky or unlucky?"
I stood on a small mound, smiling bitterly as his gaze swept down over the four people kneeling on one knee before him. He couldn't help sighing inwardly.
Looking at his pale little hands smudged with dirt, I—or rather, the Doflamingo he now was—felt a jolt of surprise.
A transmigration?
Sort of, and sort of not. It was like suddenly awakening memories of a previous life. Everything Doflamingo had experienced before age ten was his own past. Maybe it was due to a massive shock, or the flare of Haoshoku (Conqueror's) Haki; all at once he possessed the memories of a former life on Earth.
Good or bad, leave that aside for now. Faced with the present situation, Doflamingo's sharp little face furrowed into a frown.
They had just escaped from Mary Geoise and returned "safely" by the skin of their teeth. No matter how unbalanced his heart felt, no matter how much hatred he bore toward the world, this was not the time to overthink. After all, kneeling here were the four "capable" subordinates who had come to welcome his return in the future. The first order of business was to deal with these four.
Only, before Doflamingo could speak, Trebol—hands raised and offering a white, line-patterned fruit—couldn't wait to blurt out,
"Hey, hey, I say, I say, my king, eat this, and you'll gain the power to take revenge!"
"Hm?!"
Doflamingo's eyes narrowed. He remembered now—right after he showed off his one-in-a-million kingly Haki, Trebol had mysteriously fished something out from inside his cloak. Maybe his pride had surged just then and he hadn't cared. But now that his Earth memories had awakened—what, eat this Devil Fruit that looked like a white pear wrapped with threadlike stripes?
Spare him. There's no such thing as the "worst" Devil Fruit, only users who fail to develop it—but just thinking about the upper limit of the Ito Ito no Mi (String-String Fruit) made Doflamingo's heart clench.
In this world where strength does the talking, words without strength are empty. He had awakened his memories—how could he end up stopping at Warlord of the Sea like in the original timeline? Don't kid him. If he was going to eat a fruit, it would be the strongest one. As for the String-String Fruit?
Trash. A dog wouldn't eat it.
Decision made, Doflamingo lowered his proudly lifted head a fraction and looked down at Trebol.
"Fufufufufu. 'Power to take revenge'? Trebol, you dare to talk like that! Shouldn't you explain what ability this Devil Fruit has first? Or do you actually think that as a former Celestial Dragon I wouldn't recognize what kind of Devil Fruit this is?"
"Hey, hey, I say, I say, Doffy, listen to me…" Hearing this, Trebol grew flustered. Diamante and Pica looked uneasy too, and even Vergo's expression turned stiff.
What was this? Just now Doffy had been so cooperative. By rights, when offered a Devil Fruit, shouldn't he just obey and eat it? Why did it feel like he'd become a different person?
Their confusion did nothing to change Doflamingo's determination not to eat it.
"Oh? What do you want to say?"
"I say, I say, Doffy, we grabbed this Devil Fruit by chance in the New World. As for what ability it has, we don't know. But Diamante and I only gained demonic power after eating Devil Fruits ourselves. Believe me, the king we chose—Doffy—you'll absolutely gain a mighty power of revenge from it." Trebol finished, lifting his chin as he reverently presented the String-String Fruit higher.
"So it's about 'luck,' huh. Heh…" Doflamingo smiled inwardly with disdain and let a hint of displeasure show on his face.
Truth be told, the future Trebol often acted like a guardian who made decisions in his stead, blatantly ignoring the fact that he was their king.
And that—he could not tolerate.
To avoid ever letting that dynamic take root, even if it meant losing these subordinates, he'd make them understand his stance.
"Trebol. Diamante. Pica. Vergo. I'm pleased you acknowledge me. But this Devil Fruit, I won't eat it. As for the reason? Heh. A run-of-the-mill Paramecia, the String-String Fruit, doesn't even catch my eye. What's more, rather than a Devil Fruit right now, I'd rather let my hatred simmer a while longer—let my hatred for this world grow even greater. And you will be the bedrock of my path to power. I know full well that you wield the Haki every powerhouse on the Grand Line must master. We'll train. Together with you, guide me to master Haki and become strong."
"Mm!?"
The two New World washouts, Diamante and Trebol, both felt their hearts tighten. As expected of a king—damn this presence, we didn't choose wrong.
As for Vergo and Pica, whom Trebol had picked up on the voyage back from the Four Seas and who were about Doflamingo's age—they felt even more reverent hearing this.
That said, Trebol and Diamante still harbored slight doubts about the scrawny Doflamingo. Haki training wasn't that simple, and awakening Haki required martial training too. They admitted Doflamingo's qualities as a king, but without the convenience of a Devil Fruit, could he really do it?
So Trebol traded a glance with Diamante, then simply stood, leaned right up into Doflamingo's face, and said,
"I say, I say, Doffy, only by eating this Devil Fruit can you grow quickly and gain the power to take revenge. Haki training—too early, too slow for you, Doffy."
Hearing that, never mind the snot-sniffling ugliness of Trebol's face; just that refusal to listen and that urge to decide for him made Doflamingo's temper spike. Veins bulged on his forehead.
Sure, he was weak for now. But compared to you lot—who were seeking the shelter of a "king"—did you really think he was easy to push?
An even more domineering pressure erupted from Doflamingo. Maybe swept up by it, Vergo's eyes rolled back and he fainted on the spot. Diamante and Pica both felt dizzy.
Being closest, Trebol fared worst. It felt as if invisible hands gripped his throat, making him involuntarily stumble half a step back.
Seeing this, Doflamingo simply lashed out with a kick, ruthlessly booting Trebol to the ground, then planted a foot squarely on his back.
Looking down at Trebol's sorry attempt to scramble up, Doflamingo clicked his tongue inwardly. As expected of a New World failure—trash. Just a whiff of Haoshoku (Conqueror's) and he's rattled like this. Thinking that what he needed were subordinates who obeyed, not ones who made decisions for him, Doflamingo spoke with cold authority,
"From this moment on, no one gets to make decisions for me. Not even you. If it happens again, even if it costs me my life, I will end you."
Trebol froze at the resolve in Doflamingo's voice. He hadn't expected such a young Doflamingo to have this kind of nerve. He hurriedly put away his scheming thoughts. As for bearing a grudge—no way. After being scared witless by a certain powerhouse in the New World, all he had left now was fear.
He bowed low with utmost respect, not daring to move a muscle beneath Doflamingo's boot, not daring even to reach for the String-String Fruit that had rolled off to the side.
Seeing Trebol's posture, Doflamingo arched a brow, his expression loosening as he thought: sure enough, with Trebol-types, a heavy hand is the right hand.
Since the effect he wanted was achieved, a stick followed by a sweet date—he knew how to work people. He eased his tone.
"Enough. Devil Fruits aren't the only path to strength. Martial arts and Haki can bring rapid growth too. In at most two years, I'll use my own power to show that scum what my hatred looks like. From here on, you will bear the name Donquixote for me and become my family. The name Donquixote will, from this moment, overturn the world."
"Yes, young lord!" Trebol, Diamante, and Pica answered in unison. As for Vergo, still unconscious—he could answer in his dreams.
He'd decided not to eat the String-String Fruit—but that didn't mean Doflamingo didn't want a strong Devil Fruit. The question was which one.
With his memory of the original, he knew many powerful fruits existed: the Goro Goro no Mi (Rumble-Rumble Fruit) on Sky Island; the artificial copy of the Uo Uo no Mi, Model: Seiryu (Fish-Fish Fruit, Model: Azure Dragon) not yet eaten by Momonosuke; the Mera Mera no Mi (Flame-Flame Fruit); the Yami Yami no Mi (Dark-Dark Fruit); and even the so-called Nika fruit—Hito Hito no Mi, Model: Nika (Human-Human Fruit, Model: Nika). As for that odd form after awakening—never mind whether it's "protagonist-only," Doflamingo didn't like what it looked like. Strength aside, the state alone put him off.
The Mera Mera no Mi and Yami Yami no Mi? Forget it. One "just happened" to fall into Ace's hands—who'd believe there was no plot behind that? The other wouldn't appear for decades—his chances of getting it were pathetic. As for the artificial Azure Dragon Zoan copy, never mind the ultra-tight security of Vegapunk's lab—say he even broke through; who knew where that old geezer had stashed this so-called failure?
So, in terms of success rate, the best choice was the Goro Goro no Mi. With that decided, Doflamingo set his sights clear—within two years he would reach Sky Island ahead of time and wrest the Rumble-Rumble Fruit from Enel.
But before setting off, Doflamingo clenched his fist. Given his hunger-weakened body and the harsh conditions of reaching Sky Island, proper preparations were indispensable.
First, he had to train his physique. Physical conditioning was essential for power. Best case, he'd first learn Busoshoku (Armament) or Kenbunshoku (Observation) Haki, while preparing a pirate ship sturdy enough to withstand the Knock Up Stream. Second, as for a training ground, returning to his "home" in the North Blue was best—after all, his "adorable" otōto was waiting for him.
As for those who had hurt him—let them go? Don't be absurd. The villains who had turned his life into tragedy—father included—deserved a hundredfold payback. Thinking of how he'd taken his old man's head to Mary Geoise not long ago only to be turned away at the gates, Doflamingo felt rage boil up anew, veins standing out on his forehead.
Mary Geoise—
Hmph.
Kill. Kill. Kill.
Just you wait, scum of the world. Your king will return there and take everything from you.
(End of Chapter)
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