One Piece: Crown of Darkness

"You'd better not be playing games with me!"

"Brat!!!"

Clearly, Shiki's rage shot to the skies. Even across thousands of miles, Doflamingo could still judge it from his voice and the Den Den Mushi's imitation of his expression.

"Fufufufu~ Calm down, my distinguished big client," Doflamingo said with a smirk. "Alright! Let me put you at ease first. Roger surrendered. He was absolutely not arrested by the Marines. The World Government lied, a monumental lie."

Shiki: "..."

A long silence.

"Are you calm now?" Doflamingo asked.

"Hiss~ Huff~" Taking a deep drag from his cigar, Shiki exhaled a long puff of smoke. "What exactly happened?"

Doflamingo licked his lips. "Hey, hey, hey, my distinguished big client, have you forgotten something? Business is business! I've already given you one piece of information for free! No, fufufufu~" His smile grew even brighter. "To be frank, I didn't just give you a piece of information for free; I saved your life. Don't you feel even a tiny bit of gratitude?"

"Saved my life? Jihahahaha, don't talk nonsense!" Shiki seemed to have recovered his usual shrewd cunning and grand ambition.

Doflamingo clicked his tongue. "Nonsense? My distinguished big client, the bond between you and Roger was built over an era, forged through dozens, even hundreds of battles! Even if there were disagreements about ideals, Roger was the one you relied on more than anyone, and you deeply believed in powerful strength. Therefore, among those who don't know the truth, if anyone still doubts the World Government's lie, it's only you."

"If I'm not mistaken, if I hadn't stopped you, you would have probably charged furiously to Marineford, hoping to question Roger yourself," Doflamingo said faintly. "And the military strength accumulated at Marine Headquarters due to Roger's surrender is far beyond your imagination! Even if you're the 'Golden Lion,' going there would only lead to death! So, fufufufu~ did I not save your life?"

Shiki cursed, annoyed, "What do you want this time, for you to tell me everything?! You troublesome little punk!"

"Twenty Devil Fruits, one billion Berries, and..." Doflamingo stated his price clearly, "A promise! Though your promises are hardly reliable."

"I'm listening! Is it really good to defame me like that?" Shiki gritted his teeth, then roared, "A promise and one billion Berries are no problem at all, but twenty Devil Fruits?! Do you think the 'Treasures of the Sea' are 'Sea Cabbages'?!"

Doflamingo said indifferently, "I accept installments."

Shiki: "..."

"Roger has been gravely ill for a long time and won't live much longer. Yes, it started about a year or two before the Edd War. The cause is speculated to be the frequent overexertion of his Observation Haki's two special abilities: 'Voice of All Things' and 'Future Sight,'" Doflamingo's tone sharpened as he narrated matter-of-factly.

Shiki's anger flared up again. "You mean at the Edd War, I lost to a short-lived sick man?!"

"Factually, yes," Doflamingo said slowly.

"Aaaahhhh!!!"

A furious lion's roar thundered.

The cruel truth severely wounded the 'Golden Lion's' proud ego.

After a long while.

"During his disappearance, Roger had been living with a woman, and they had a child. Portgas D. Rouge is the woman's name! Fufufufu~ This is deeply connected to Roger's surrender! I believe Roger understood that the World Government wouldn't let him, his wife, and child go, so he used retreat as a means to advance," Doflamingo secretly added, "He also understood that I wouldn't let his wife and child go."

Shiki muttered to himself, "Portgas D. Rouge, Portgas D. Rouge..." He continued, "Retreat as a means to advance? How retreat, how advance?"

"Retreat, you saw it. Roger, with little time left, proactively appeared and surrendered. As for advance! The World Government has been in deep trouble these past few years. With such a good card as the 'Pirate King,' how could they not play it well? Without a doubt! Publicly executing Roger to deter unlawfulness and declare their power is inevitable, fufufufu~ At the public execution, Roger will casually make some last remarks to disrupt the world, so the World Government will be too preoccupied to bother with other things. That's probably the advance," Doflamingo said vaguely.

Shiki's emotions were mixed, and he cursed, "He really is a fucking lovesick fool!"

"September 1st, Loguetown in the East Blue. Won't you send him off?" Doflamingo provoked. "The strongest pirate dying in the weakest sea. What a huge insult, fufufufu~~~"

Shiki, however, was no longer troubled. He laughed loudly, "Jihahahaha, I don't want to see his pathetic last moments!"

"That's surprising. I thought you'd be furious and cause some trouble in Loguetown. I was quite looking forward to it," Doflamingo teased.

Shiki snorted coldly. "I'm not that stupid! Roger's public execution is also a trap woven by the Marines."

"Fufufufu~ From now on, it will be your era, along with Whitebeard, and perhaps 'Beast' and Big Mom. How about calling you the 'Four Emperors'? How majestic," Doflamingo said, pushing his luck, constantly teasing, "Please take good care of me."

"Get lost!"

"I won't be called anything with anyone else; that's as ridiculous as a clown in a circus! The 'Golden Lion' is the 'Golden Lion'! There should only be one king of the sea!"

"Fufufufu~~~"

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