"Hahaha!" Gern laughed as he looked at Doflamingo kneeling before him and waved a hand.
"Oh, come on! I was just joking to lighten the tense mood. What are you doing!?"
At those words, Doflamingo's taut nerves relaxed a little. A flicker of hope rose in his heart-Maybe I can get through this-and his knees instinctively began to lift.
Then the rest of Gern's sentence instantly nailed him back down, barely an inch off the ground.
"What, do you think I'd kill you if you stood up now?"
His voice still held a hint of laughter, but Doflamingo did not doubt for a moment that he meant it.
His newly relaxed body stiffened again. He knelt even more properly, more abjectly than before, lowering his head and daring not make another move.
Watching Doflamingo swallow his pride so readily to stay alive, Gern clicked his tongue, seemingly finding it rather dull.
His tone shifted as he asked conversationally, "Speaking of which, did you really give up your position as a Shichibukai?"
"Yes! He gave it up!" Before Doflamingo could answer, Luo cut in, his voice urgent and emphatic.
He had to establish that as fact to give the Navy grounds to intervene.
Yet even on his knees, Doflamingo instantly regained his usual arrogance and mockery when faced with Luo.
He raised his head. Though his gaze remained below Gern's, he gave Luo an utterly vile smile.
"Fufufu... Luo, you're still too naive!" He drew out his words as though savoring Luo's stunned expression. "Sorry to disappoint you.
"I never gave up my position as a Shichibukai. That front-page report in the World Economy News...
"Was nothing but fake news that idiot Big News Morgans made up to grab attention!"
"You...!!!" Luo's pupils contracted sharply as he realized that the crucial