One Piece: Crown of Darkness

"It's the swordsman who cut the sandstorm yesterday!" Diamante, though more talk than action, possessed a swordsman's instinct and was keenly aware of other swordsmen.

Trebol leaned forward, peering in the direction of Diamante's gaze. "Behehehe~ Nyeh, nyeh, really? That guy's so young..." His noisy chatter abruptly ceased, and he swallowed hard, saying with difficulty, "What... what are those eyes? What kind of gaze?!!!"

Among the three pirate ships that had entered the Moria Pirates' adjusting course, there was a particularly exquisite small boat. It carried a handsome, short-haired man dressed in a white shirt, jeans, and riding boots, with a sword leaning beside him. He was incredibly calm and composed, leisurely savoring red wine, undisturbed by his surroundings. What was even more unforgettable were his eyes—a pair of golden hawk eyes! Sharp and incisive, inadvertently radiating the gaze of a predator naturally at the top of the food chain.

"Dracule Mihawk, care for a duel?"

Just as Diamante could instinctively sense Mihawk, Mihawk had naturally noticed Diamante earlier. He seemed somewhat hesitant, only introducing himself briefly and inviting a duel after finishing the wine in his glass. His expression was like that of someone with limited money entering a vegetable market, meticulously picking out a slightly fresher head of cabbage, preparing to take it home and stew it.

Meeting Mihawk's hawk eyes, sweat dripped down Diamante's forehead, perfectly illustrating what it means to be struck with awe.

"We're in a hurry to travel. If you want trouble, I'll humor you!" Doflamingo cursed Diamante as "useless" under his breath, but still took on the responsibility of maintaining his family member's prestige.

Mihawk shook his head. "I'm only interested in swordsmen."

Having spoken, he propelled his small boat, leisurely departing.

"Diamante?" Doflamingo beckoned to Diamante without discernible emotion.

Diamante hesitated before stepping forward. "I'm here, Doffy."

"The first to provoke is the enemy. Next time you face an enemy, don't be so cowardly, understand?!" Doflamingo suddenly spun around, his forehead veins bulging, his entire body enveloped in a tyrannical madness that startled everyone in the family. "If you can't take down the enemy, then charge in and get a scratch! At least it'll make you seem braver! Do you think I'd be happy if you remained unharmed?!"

Diamante's face was pale. "Y-Yes, I promise, Doffy..."

"Fufufufu~ That's more like it! This era is a 'Great Age of Competition.' Wealth, fame, territory... everything must be fought for! You at least need the courage to contend," Doflamingo's anger abruptly turned into a smile, and he even straightened Diamante's crooked collar, making him seem even more terrifying.

"Kishishishi~ Don't be too strict!" Moria's ship was temporarily immobile. He, however, was quite open-minded, unlike many pirates who become irritable and destructive when their path is blocked. He chimed in playfully, "The most important thing for a boss is generosity."

Doflamingo scoffed. "I'm not their boss. We're family, the Donquixote Family."

"Kishishishi~ Donquixote Family? Pretty fun!" Moria slapped his head and said absurdly, "Hey? Guys, should we change our name too? How about the Moria Family? Sounds pretty grand, eh! It's decided!"

"What kind of joke is that, Captain Moria!"

"Even as a family, we should use your surname! It should be the Gecko Family, not the Moria Family!"

"Idiot Captain!"

"Objection! Resistance! Protest!"

"..."

It must be admitted, Moria's charisma was quite good. Having just entered the Grand Line, he already had over a hundred crewmates, and the team atmosphere was extremely cheerful.

"A farce."

Among those three pirate ships, the largest one also departed, following in Mihawk's footsteps.

Slicked-back hair, a greatcoat, a cigar, and a smart suit—the young man standing at the bow of that ship, did he look like a pirate? He was clearly a handsome and stylish nobleman.

The Moria Pirates now had room to move, their noisy chatter fading as they disappeared.

And the remaining pirate ship, which had been continuously obscured by the Moria Pirates...

"Momma? Momma, I'm so hungry."

"My baby, just bear with it a little longer. We'll be at the island soon. You're 'Whitebeard's' biological son, can't you even manage this much?"

"Momma? Am I... am I really 'Whitebeard's' son?"

"Here, see for yourself!"

"Isn't this me?"

"It's a mirror!"

"..."

Voices drifted.

"'Whitebeard's'... biological son?"

The Donquixote Family's attention shifted. They watched in astonishment as the two figures, one large and one small, gradually moved further away.

"Fufufufu~ Interesting," Doflamingo narrowed his eyes, planning something, then after a moment, said, "Set sail!"

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