NOVEL NEXT Chapter 473: It's Not Your Turn Yet
"So many, Doflamingo... Is all of this... as you wished?"
Daren's words caused Doflamingo to hesitate.
As... I wished?
In an instant, Doflamingo's eyes flickered, and his mind was flooded with countless images.
His gentle mother's tear-streaked smile as she passed away in a hospital bed;
The days spent rummaging through trash bins for rotten food to fill his stomach;
The hateful faces of damned civilians in nights filled with curses, blood, and fury;
The terrified, stunned expression of his biological father's severed head;
The horrified, bewildered faces of the Celestial Dragons;
Bloodstained footprints on the Celestial Stairway, a place that should have been spotless…
Countless memories surged from the deepest recesses of his mind, flooding out like a burst dam. They flashed rapidly before his eyes, eventually coalescing into five aged, indifferent, and arrogant faces.
"Your father gave up his Celestial Dragon status, and you, you are the disgrace of the Celestial Dragons."
"Filthy thing, take your useless father's head and get out of the Holy Land."
Those five old men... they said something like that to me back then, didn't they?
In a daze, Doflamingo remembered the way everyone in the Holy Land had looked at him after he arrived.
Fear, curiosity, doubt, confusion, awe...
But whether it was members of the CP or the other Celestial Dragons who, like him, resided in this so-called "Land of the Gods," Doflamingo could keenly detect the deep contempt that lay beneath their fear, curiosity, and confusion.
"You don't belong here"—that was what their gazes said.
Doflamingo saw it.
He could never be mistaken.
No one understood such emotions and glances better than he did.
Time ticked on, second by second. The grand hall of the mansion felt unnervingly silent, as though even a pin dropping could be heard.
"All of this…"
Doflamingo suddenly smiled, lifting his gaze to the man who called him "Doffy." He spoke slowly, each word deliberate:
"Is... not... what... I... wanted."
"Oh?"
Daren didn't seem overly surprised by Doflamingo's response. He smiled faintly.
"Why not?"
"Isn't this everything you wanted?"
"The Celestial Dragons who once scorned you now fear you. As Vice Commander of the God's Knights, your power over them is absolute."
"Your statue stands on the sacred Celestial Stairway. Even the Five Elders have to listen to your opinions and judgments…"
"No!"
Doflamingo suddenly interrupted Daren's words.
His eyes were faintly red, bloodshot veins creeping around his pupils.
"I should be happy. I should be thrilled."
"But do you know, Godfather…"
He slowly turned his head, his gaze drifting through the window towards the tranquil Land of the Gods, and the bustling, prosperous city of Mary Geoise in the distance. His breath grew heavier.
"When I finally achieved everything I had ever dreamed of, sitting here and gazing down at it all, staring at this heavenly Holy Land of Mary Geoise, only one thought lingered in my mind…"
"What was it?"
Daren asked.
Snap!
Doflamingo's fingers tightened, violently crushing the wine glass in his hand. Glass shards flew in all directions, cutting into his palm. Crimson blood mixed with amber liquor, dripping down his fingers, but he seemed completely unaware. A grim, twisted madness clouded his eyes, transforming into a distorted thirst for destruction. His bloodshot pupils were locked onto the Holy Land and Pangaea Castle, a savage grin stretching across his face as he snarled:
"I just want to destroy... everything!"
As his words echoed, a deep hatred and murderous intent exploded from his body, causing his pink feathered coat to whirl violently around him.
Daren watched Doflamingo, his hands gripping the window frame, his gaze feral, and rubbed his temples with a sense of resignation. This kid... sometimes he really acts like a teenager. But Daren understood Doflamingo's obsession, this twisted, extreme desire for destruction. The things you cannot have in youth will haunt you for a lifetime.
Doflamingo had hated his father's incompetence and felt crushed by his mother's death... When he gambled everything, trying to trade his father's life for wealth and power, he was met with nothing but contempt and mockery from the Celestial Dragons and the Five Elders. The psychological blow of that moment had a profound impact on his young mind. That shock would eventually turn into pure, burning hatred, transforming him into a wild beast with no boundaries.
"Doffy, I understand how you feel, but I don't want you to let emotion and hatred cloud your judgment." Daren shook his head, his tone serious.
Doflamingo froze, his eyes wide with shock as he stared at his "godfather."
"What? You think I'll just agree with you, or even fan the flames... to use your emotions and hatred to help me fight or overthrow the World Government?" Daren seemed to read Doflamingo's thoughts, giving him a wry smile.
Doflamingo fell silent.
In truth, Daren had hit the nail on the head. That was exactly what he had been thinking. Anyone with ambition and a sense of pragmatism would exploit their hatred for the World Government to achieve their own goals.
After all, he was now the Vice Commander of the God's Knights, formally part of the World Government's core decision-making circle, and one of its highest power players. If he could secure Daren's help or even use his hatred to his advantage, it would be a huge boost to Daren's efforts to destroy the World Government.
What Doflamingo didn't expect was that Daren would be the one to offer words of caution.
Noticing Doflamingo's expression, Daren chuckled:
"Don't underestimate me, you rude brat... I may be a scoundrel, but I'm a scoundrel with principles." He bent slightly at the waist, meeting Doflamingo's eyes as he reached up to ruffle his hair. "I am Rogers Daren."
"Using a brat to achieve my political goals or gain personal advantage? That's not my style."
Daren grinned, his smile brimming with a mixture of madness and pride. "The World Government? It's not yours to destroy just yet."