One Piece: Crown of Darkness

August 29th.

After five days in Loguetown, Doflamingo couldn't help but feel disappointed. He had eagerly arrived early, not to experience the local customs of this small town, but to leverage the unprecedented spectacle of the "Pirate King's" public execution. He aimed to select a few desirable crew members from the hundreds of thousands of people drawn to the event, bolstering the family's strength.

The result... scoundrels, petty thugs, people with lofty ambitions but fragile lives. Doflamingo was utterly fed up with their numerous, ugly faces!

"Not a single decent one," Doflamingo mumbled, leaning back on the sofa with his eyes closed, rubbing his troubled brow.

Giolla, who was meticulously cutting steak for Doflamingo, looked up. "Oh~ hohohoho~ Young Master, what's wrong? You've been agitated these past few days."

"Hmm," Doflamingo nodded, revealing the thoughts he'd kept hidden. Then he spread his hands. "These inferior beings are so disgusting, I can barely eat."

Giolla presented the plate to Doflamingo. "No matter what, you can't neglect your own stomach, Young Master! Oh~ hohohoho~" Changing her tone, she comforted him, "Besides, recruiting shouldn't be rushed, right? I believe with Young Master's extraordinary strength and exceptional charm, you'll gather a group of shrewd and capable crew members eventually, and become the supreme King."

"Stop that, Giolla! Don't flatter me, I'm not a child, fufufufu~" Doflamingo chuckled, his mood improving considerably, and he sat up to eat.

Giolla rested her chin on her hand, zoning out for a moment, then said, "I just remembered a strange fellow, perhaps Young Master might be interested."

"Oh? Fufufufu~ Who is it? To be remembered so deeply by our Mama Giolla?" Doflamingo teased.

Giolla shivered in distaste, grimacing. "I wouldn't have remembered him if it wasn't for Young Master! That weirdo is called Lao G. He's also from the West Blue. He's a regular security guard at a casino and also a ring champion. I used to work at the casino as a security guard for a while, that's how I met him... He's very skilled, but his personality is terrible."

"Fufufufu~ If you recommend him, Giolla, he must be fine," Doflamingo clicked his tongue. "Contact him for me."

Giolla replied, "Understood, Young Master."

"Doffy? Doffy?" Pica whispered, calling him.

Doflamingo followed Pica's gaze...

"Kishishishishi~ Kishishishishi!!!"

"I'm Moria, Gecko Moria! Captain of the Moria Pirates, the future Pirate King!"

"Does anyone want to become my crewmate?!"

"..."

Outside the restaurant, in the street, Moria, already conspicuous in appearance and build, loudly proclaimed himself.

"Boss~ This is really embarrassing."

"Can we go back? Captain Moria!"

"..."

"Is he an idiot? The future Pirate King?"

"Doesn't he know how many Marines are in Loguetown?"

"Gecko Moria? I think I've heard that name somewhere... Oh right! The infamous 'West Blue Strongman,' a Supernova with a 20-million Berry bounty before even entering the Grand Line!"

"The Marines are here!!!"

"..."

In a blink, chaos erupted, leaving only Moria's distinctive "kishishishi" echoing.

"The lunatic we met at Reverse Mountain? He's actually not dead? Oh~ hohohoho~ He doesn't look like he'll live too long," Giolla described him bluntly.

Doflamingo chuckled, saying meaningfully, "He lacks reverence! Confidence isn't bad, but too much confidence sours the taste, like an inflated balloon that pops with a single prick, fufufufu~"

"You and Pica return to the family first." Doflamingo put down his cutlery, wiped his mouth clean, and deliberated, "The main event is about to begin, and with it comes danger."

The sky had, at some unknown point, become overcast. The sun was hidden, and the world grew dim and chaotic.

Rumble, rumble, rumble!!!

Thunder roared.

Everything was signaling something.

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