"Who goes there?!"
"You're courting death! Let go of Saint Shamrock!"
"Guards! Where are the guards?!"
The black-clad bodyguards looked panicked. None of them had seen when Dimon made his move.
In the blink of an eye, the master they were supposed to protect had already been lifted into the air by the mysterious masked man before them.
They did not dare act rashly and could only shout stern warnings.
The commotion immediately drew the attention of those nearby, and many Celestial Dragons turned to look.
When they saw a child of the Figarland Family being captured, they all gasped sharply.
Then screams rose one after another.
"Enemy attack! Enemy attack!"
"Quick! Notify the Holy Knights! Get them here to protect us!"
The park descended into chaos.
Doflamingo took advantage of the confusion to flee the scene. He still wanted to remain a Celestial Dragon and could not be mistaken for an accomplice.
Dimon's Observation Haki sensed several powerful presences rapidly approaching, one of them rather familiar.
He did not linger. He stomped his foot, and a magic circle immediately appeared beneath him.
Billowing black smoke gradually swallowed him and the hostage.
"Tell Gringo to prepare the finest Devil Fruit to ransom his son."
Several bodyguards lunged forward, only to grab thin air.
The black smoke carried the two of them away, and the magic circle eventually vanished as well.
A note was left behind, snatched up by one of the black-clad bodyguards.
"What do we do?! Saint Shamrock has been abducted!"
"Why are there kidnappers in the Holy Land?!"
"Damn it, we'll be killed!"
The bodyguards turned pale and trembled all over.
The next moment, a figure descended from the sky. It was a woman wearing a mask.
She wore something similar to a Marine uniform paired with an ultra-short skirt, a hat, and a red scarf. Her entire outfit exuded nobility.
"What happened here?"
"Princess Junzi!" One of the bodyguards forced himself to explain, then handed her the note. "This is the only thing left behind... Black smoke rose beneath that thief's feet, and then he disappeared!"
That description sounded like Lord Imu's ability...?
Gunko took the note and opened it. Inside was a string of numbers—a Den Den Mushi number.
"So it was a kidnapper?"
Gunko recalled how, seven years ago, a band of pirates had been bold enough to abduct a Celestial Dragon at the Sabaody Archipelago.
This time, they were even more brazen. They had actually broken into the Holy Land and captured the captain's son.
It would have been one thing if he were useless, but rumors said Shamrock had exceptional potential and had inherited his father Gringo's power.
"Teleportation, abducting Celestial Dragons... It's him!"
Wano Country, the General's Mansion.
Dimon stood at the center of a pentagram magic circle and tossed the five-year-old brat in his hand onto the floor.
"Y-you... who are you? Why did you capture me?"
Shamrock stared fearfully at the man in the green oni mask before him.
"Quiet, brat. If your father is willing to show some sincerity, I'll let you go back."
As he spoke, Dimon called Abel over and ordered him to keep a close eye on the little brat.
Holy Land Mary Geoise.
The kidnapping that had occurred near noon shocked the entire city, leaving the Celestial Dragons deeply unsettled.
Gringo, who had been carrying out a mission elsewhere, learned that his son had been abducted and immediately returned to the Holy Land.
Pangea Castle, Chamber of Authority.
The five old men representing the world's highest authority wore solemn expressions as they faced Saint Gorosei, who had come demanding answers. For a long while, none of them could speak.
The vast room was exceptionally empty, with only three sofas. Four of the Five Elders were seated, while only the goateed elder stood alone.
"Who was it?"
Saint Gorosei questioned them again. "How could someone be taken from the Holy Land?"
The five exchanged looks. The blond elder handed him a note.
"Based on the accounts of your son's bodyguards, although the culprit wore a green oni mask, it should have been him."
"A remnant of the Rocks Pirates, the brewer..."
"Dimon!"
"You should be familiar with him as well. That man possesses an ability similar to Lord Imu's."
Saint Gorosei, with his moon-shaped hair, opened the note and saw the Den Den Mushi number written on it.
After a long silence,
"What does he want?"
"The finest Devil Fruit."
Saint Ethanbaron V. Nusjuro touched his right eye. The eye Dimon had blinded last time had been restored with Lord Imu's help.
But while the wound had healed, he would never forget the pain from that day!
Saint Gorosei's expression darkened.
"The competition held at God Valley previously exhausted all of those finest Devil Fruit."
Ordinary Devil Fruit would have been one thing, but the best Devil Fruit were either Logia types or Mythical Zoans.
Even the World Government did not possess an endless supply of such Devil Fruit.
"The number is in your hand. You can contact him yourself," the blond elder said indifferently.
"Doff! Where did you run off to this morning?"
At the Donquixote Family's villa, Doflamingo's mother saw her son return and looked deeply worried.
"I heard there was a kidnapping at the park. The Holy Land is very unsafe right now. Are you all right?"
"I'm fine, Mother."
Before his mother, Doflamingo at least understood a little courtesy.
He saw his younger brother Rosinante reading in the living room and hurriedly asked,
"Where's Father?"
"He's already back. He's in the study preparing documents related to the family's assets."
"What? He still wants to descend to the lower world?"
A surge of anger rose within Doflamingo. He had worked so hard precisely to stop his father.
His mother stroked his head and comforted him. "The Holy Land is in such turmoil now that no one has time to deal with that for the moment. If we want to descend to the lower world, we may have to wait a long time."
It's good that we can't go!
Doflamingo suppressed the joy in his heart and nodded solemnly.
"I'll go back to my room first, Mother."
With that, he went upstairs.
"Don't sneak out again. It's very dangerous outside right now."
"Got it, Mom."
Back in his bedroom, Doflamingo could not help clenching his fist. His expression completely broke down, and he was just short of cheering in excitement.
Anyone who had often been made to play the role of a son could understand how happy it felt to successfully defy one's parents as a child.
"I really have to thank that bastard Dimon... Fuffuffuffu!"
Doflamingo curled his lips into a sly grin utterly unfitting for his age.
However, a ghostly voice suddenly sounded behind him.
"You should show some respect to your big brother, understand, brat?"
He was struck hard on the head. Doflamingo hurriedly turned around, and when he saw Dimon, his eyes widened in disbelief.
"Why are you here again?"
"I think the Holy Land is pretty nice. I'm planning to stay at your house for a few more days."
Dimon walked over to the bed and sat down, crossing one leg over the other. "Hm? What are you standing there for? Will coffee fly into Big Brother's hand by itself?"
Damn it, why had he come back?!
Doflamingo's face darkened. He opened his mouth, then said resentfully,
"Big Brother, you heard wrong. I'll go downstairs and pour you some. Wait a moment."
He did not dare make a fuss outside now. After all, he had sold out Shamrock. If anyone found out, he would be finished.
He could only follow Dimon down this dark path to the end!
When his mother saw Doflamingo actually go downstairs to pour coffee himself, she could not help feeling surprised.
Had this child changed?
"What's wrong, Doff?"
"Nothing. I suddenly wanted coffee."
"You poured two cups. Is a guest coming over?"
"No, I'm just hungry! Don't ask so many questions, Mother!"
After casually brushing her off, Doflamingo hurried upstairs with the coffee.
The moment he entered, he saw Dimon holding a Den Den Mushi and speaking with someone.
"There are no more top-grade Devil Fruit!"
The Den Den Mushi vividly acted out the expression of the person on the other end, who was clearly enraged.
Doflamingo had once seen him from afar. It was the voice of Figarland Saint Gorosei.
Dimon smiled. "None left? Then your son's life will be gone too."
After a pause, he changed his tone.
"But I'm a kind person, after all. I do feel a little bad about bullying a five-year-old child."
"How about this? I've heard that nobles in certain places have a fondness for men..."
Doflamingo shuddered all over.
Kind?
Before you continue