On the streets of Mock Town.
Bellamy lay on the ground, panting softly.
His head was swimming, and he was overwhelmed with shame. As more and more people gathered around, anger and humiliation welled up inside him.
At the same time, fear crept into his heart.
That man will kill me!
He trembled inwardly, curled up there, feeling lost for a moment.
In a courtyard some distance away, a stern-faced man hurried inside. After passing through several rounds of questioning, he finally reached a room deep within.
"Young master, Bellamy has been badly injured!"
The man spoke quietly through the door, his tone grave.
He knew full well that Bellamy might mean little to the young master, but he still bore their mark.
This incident was a disgrace to the entire family. And with the young master's temper, he certainly would not spare Bellamy either.
"Bellamy."
Only after a long silence did a cold, low voice come from inside the room.
"That thug? He really is an embarrassment!"
As those words rang out, the man felt a heavy, intensely oppressive presence.
Creak!
The door opened, revealing a man wearing sunglasses, a pink coat, cropped trousers, and pointed shoes.
"Young master!"
The man immediately bowed his head, not daring to look him in the eye, his nerves stretched taut.
He knew that the man before him not only held an exalted position, but also possessed terrifying strength.
"I came here to determine whether that news from the Marines was true."
"Not to deal with some petty thug."
The low, icy voice sounded beside his ear as the man walked past him.
"He knelt before me and begged, making all sorts of promises. Only then did I give him a chance to prove himself."
"But clearly, he failed to value it."
After a pause, the man's gaze turned chilling.
"Let's go have a look."
"Anyone who dares cause trouble on my turf cannot be let off lightly either."
A moment later, the pressure around him vanished, and the messenger finally let out a long breath. By the time he straightened, his back was cold with sweat.
Such an oppressive presence. What a terrifying man!
He truly deserves the name Heavenly Yaksha!
The man thought to himself.
Indeed, the man before him was Donquixote Doflamingo, known as the Heavenly Yaksha and the Sea Thug, king of Dressrosa in the New World and ruler of the Underworld.
And his public identity also included being one of the Shichibukai!
He was indisputably a true overlord of this world, as well as a ruthless, ambitious figure.
"What will happen next? I can hardly contain my nerves-or my anticipation!"
The man murmured as he looked beyond the courtyard.
The spot where Bellamy had been beaten was not far away. They would reach it soon.
Meanwhile, outside the tavern.
Bellamy lay motionless, his head swimming. Unrelenting pain left him struggling to breathe, cold sweat pouring from his entire body.
I definitely have a concussion!
Damn it, that bastard hit way too hard.
Those two brutal blows nearly burst my head open.
All kinds of thoughts flooded Bellamy's mind at that moment. He even began looking back over his life.
But suddenly, the lively noise around him fell silent.
Startled, he opened his eyes.
Then his pupils abruptly contracted, and his entire body began to tremble.
The crowd swiftly parted, clearing a path for a figure in pointed shoes, cropped trousers, and a pink coat who approached one step at a time.
"D-Doflamingo!!!"
Even Bellamy's voice trembled.
Soon, those pointed shoes stopped before his eyes. The towering man bent down to look at him. After studying him for a moment, he suddenly grinned.
"Fufufufufufu!"
"What did I tell you, Bellamy?"
"A petty thug like you really didn't take long to disappoint me!"
Doflamingo was smiling, but his voice was so cold it made everyone's skin crawl.
"N-no, it wasn't my fault!"
"It was that man!"
Bellamy shook all over, still trying to explain.
But Doflamingo suddenly raised a foot and stamped it onto his head, cutting him off.
"Your weakness is your fault!"
"If you were strong enough, no matter how vile you were, you wouldn't be the one lying here."
He ground his right foot against Bellamy's head. Soon, Bellamy's face was covered in dirt as he struggled pathetically, pleading in pain.
"Spare me. Please spare me this once."
Doflamingo merely smiled. "Spare you?"
"This time, there's no reason for me to grant your wish again!"
"Bellamy."
His eyes suddenly turned icy, and he slowly lifted the right foot resting on Bellamy's face.
Some of the onlookers cried out in terror. Everyone could see that he intended to stomp Bellamy to death.
The people behind Doflamingo were also trembling with fear, yet none dared make a sound.
They knew perfectly well that this powerful man was more than capable of doing such a thing.
Before everyone's eyes, Doflamingo slowly raised his right foot, then brought it crashing down.
But in the next instant, Doflamingo's pupils abruptly contracted, and Bellamy's terrified expression froze.
Another foot appeared a centimeter above his nose, firmly blocking the pointed leather shoe overhead.
Who is it?!
Bellamy drew a deep breath and struggled to open his eyes, looking toward the person who had saved his life.
But once he saw who it was, his body jolted, then froze.
The man who beat me so badly?!
Doflamingo looked at the foot blocking his own, then slowly raised his head. When he saw the familiar face before him, his eyes abruptly narrowed, his expression turning grave and serious.
Three breaths later, the corners of his mouth suddenly curved upward.
"Fufufufufufu!"
"Now this is someone extraordinary!"
River also looked up at the towering man before him and broke into a grin.
"Hahahaha!"
"Turning your blade on the weak is hardly something to be proud of."
"Have you forgotten? I taught you that when you were a child."
Those few words froze the smile on Doflamingo's face. Crocodile, who had just stepped out of the tavern, also looked startled.
The relationship between these two apparently went even deeper than he had previously suspected.
"River!"
Doflamingo spoke coldly.
"Then what do you call beating him half to death?"
At that, River answered with a serious expression, "He insulted my dream."
"Your dream?!"
Doflamingo froze for a moment, then burst out laughing.
"Fufufufufufu!"
He laughed so hard that tears nearly came to his eyes.
"Someone like you actually talks about dreams?"
"What a joke!!"
In the next instant, his gaze abruptly turned icy again. Black-and-red lightning flickered over his right foot, and an overwhelming presence erupted from his body.
He raised his foot, then stamped down savagely once more.
"Now I'm dealing with my own man. This has nothing to do with you!"
River likewise moved his foot, violent Haki erupting from his body. Lightning flashed over his right foot as he lashed out with a kick.
Bang!
Their feet collided, lightning surging as a terrifying, domineering presence swept out in every direction.
"A clash of Conqueror's Haki!"
Crocodile stood at the tavern entrance, his gaze grave.
Bellamy lay beneath their clashing feet, trembling as an immense shadow of dread filled his heart.
It was too terrifying. He would rather die right then.
Before you continue