"Fuffuffuffu~ Ice Swordsman Reggie, you've still got it. Truly, an old blade that hasn't dulled… worthy of the Flying—"
Doflamingo's words cut off as he stared at his hand, where a deep gash had opened despite being coated in Armament Haki. His expression darkened for a moment—then quickly twisted back into a wicked grin as he stuck out his tongue and laughed in his trademark manner.
Before he could finish his sentence, Reggie interrupted him sharply.
Seeing Reggie point his blade at Pica, Doflamingo wisely held his tongue.
His gaze, however, didn't linger long on Reggie—it shifted instead to the young man standing behind him: Aaron. When he noticed Getra and Horton guarding Aaron's sides in coordination with Reggie, a flicker of frustration crossed Doflamingo's eyes.
Reggie was already an old man, one who belonged to an era that was fading away. Doflamingo didn't care much about such relics of the past.
But Aaron was a different story. Only seventeen, yet strong enough to stand toe-to-toe with him—even in defeat, his performance was impressive. It proved that Aaron was a rising star with boundless potential—a dangerous threat. Someone who might one day become a formidable enemy.
Unfortunately, Doflamingo couldn't eliminate that threat today. Worse, the events that would follow this encounter might accelerate Aaron's growth beyond control.
"Fuffuffuffu~ Fascinating… truly fascinating. Kid, you're not bad. I hope you stir up some chaos in this era. I can see it—in your eyes, deep down, there's hatred. You hide it well, but not from me. We're the same kind of people, you and I… avengers."
Despite his arrogance and cruelty, Doflamingo wasn't someone who would stubbornly charge into a wall he couldn't break. He was pragmatic—he knew when to bend. Since he couldn't destroy Aaron for now, cooperation was the smarter choice. Turning slightly, he smiled at Aaron, who had just risen to his feet.
Aaron said nothing. His face was expressionless as he brushed the dust off his clothes, picked up his sword "Demon Cry", and sheathed it.
Then, he stood silently behind Reggie, Getra, and Horton, closing his eyes to regain his composure.
The fight against Doflamingo had made one thing painfully clear—his shortcomings.
Even with the Munch Munch Fruit, his power had increased tremendously, but against a New World-caliber pirate like Doflamingo, the gap was still vast.
His biggest weakness was stamina. Using two Devil Fruit abilities simultaneously consumed an incredible amount of energy.
It was manageable during training, but in a real battle—especially an intense one like this—his stamina simply couldn't sustain prolonged combat.
To reach the level of monsters like Aokiji and Akainu, who fought for ten days and nights straight, he would need to multiply his physical endurance severalfold. That would take years of rigorous physical conditioning.
Still, the constant dual activation of his two Devil Fruits provided an unconventional—if brutal—method of building endurance.
Then there was Armament Haki. With his Observation Haki advantage diminished, Armament had become the deciding factor in battle.
Aaron could tell that Doflamingo's physical power far exceeded his own, though not by an insurmountable margin—certainly less than fifty attribute points' worth, if measured that way. But Doflamingo's mastery of Armament Haki made his attacks devastatingly more powerful.
Even with the Speed-Speed Fruit enhancing his movement and reflexes, Aaron was forced into pure defense, unable to counterattack.
"Once I'm back, I need to find a Zoan-type Devil Fruit user and use it to boost my physique—and master Armament Haki," Aaron resolved silently.
He then turned his focus to Reggie, his eyes reflecting complex emotions.
He had clearly heard Doflamingo's unfinished words earlier. Though the latter had been interrupted, Aaron could guess the missing name—the Flying Pirates.
There was nothing else the word "Flying" could have referred to except the Flying Pirates, or their infamous captain—Golden Lion Shiki himself.
So his teacher, Reggie, had been hiding such a shocking identity all along…
With that key revelation, Aaron finally understood why Reggie had been so confident in this transaction, and why he looked down on the younger generation of pirates.
Because behind him stood none other than Golden Lion Shiki, a living legend.
Though that legendary pirate had vanished after cutting off his own legs and escaping Impel Down, Aaron was certain he still lived. Even without legs, and even with that ship's rudder lodged in his head, Shiki's strength before old age dulled it would have remained fearsome.
With such a figure as his backer, Reggie had every reason to disdain the local powers—whether it was the Dars Gang, Regis Syndicate, Gilbert's government forces, or even the Donquixote Pirates.
Aaron began to suspect that the Akio Gang was actually a front established by Golden Lion Shiki within the Drum Kingdom—both to generate wealth and to search for treatment for his injuries.
If Reggie took orders from Akio, then Akio himself was likely a senior member of the Flying Pirates—perhaps even of higher rank than Reggie.
"What a discovery… Golden Lion Shiki. I never imagined I'd end up connected to such a legendary pirate. If that's the case, then the Akio Gang could easily wipe out every other faction in the city. They're only holding back because of Shiki's will."
Aaron's mind raced, rapidly connecting the clues that Doflamingo had inadvertently revealed.
He arrived at a terrifying conclusion: if the Akio Gang were ever forced into all-out war, regardless of the outcome, Golden Lion Shiki himself might appear.
And if that ruthless legend—who once sought to destroy the East Blue to threaten the world—were to intervene, the Drum Kingdom would likely be obliterated.
Shiki could simply fly away afterward. With the Float-Float Fruit, no one could stop him.
"That's… a terrifying possibility," Aaron thought, his heart heavy with unease.
Then, his attention shifted back to Doflamingo—the deranged Celestial Dragon with a sociopathic mind.
Aaron already knew from his earlier surveillance of Pica and Lao G that Doflamingo had been aiding Gilbert and the Dars Gang, even selling them rare Devil Fruits to strengthen their forces.
Now, he finally understood the motive. Doflamingo likely wanted those factions—Gilbert, Dars, and Regis—to destroy the Akio Gang, provoking Golden Lion Shiki to annihilate the Drum Kingdom.
And if Shiki didn't act, Doflamingo himself—ever eager for chaos—would probably do it.
Aaron was certain: Gilbert, Dars, and Regis had no idea who Akio and Reggie truly were. If they did, they would never dare provoke the Golden Lion.
"But if they ever found out, the Akio Gang would be doomed. They'd immediately contact the Navy or even the World Government. No… perhaps the Navy and Government already know, but they're too afraid of the Golden Lion to act. Sengoku, as Fleet Admiral, knows better than anyone how dangerous Shiki truly is."
"If that's the case, then Gilbert, Dars, Regis—even the entire Drum Kingdom—are just pitiful pawns in this grand game. And me? What am I in all of this?"
"This web of connections… it's a tangled mess. Who are the true players behind this board? And how do I break free from their game?"
Aaron's thoughts grew darker as he pieced it all together.
He suddenly realized he was already caught in the middle of a massive whirlpool—one far larger than he had ever imagined.
But within that looming storm, he could also glimpse opportunity.
"Maybe… this is my chance. A chance to step off the board and become a player myself."
As Aaron contemplated how to seize victory in the chaos to come, the transaction between the Akio Gang and Doflamingo finally began.
Moments later, Doflamingo's signature chuckle echoed through the hall:
**"Fuffuffuffu~ This, right here, is the Logia-type Devil Fruit I'm offering in exchange for the hostage—the Snow-Snow Fruit."
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