In One Piece, I Am the Ultimate Doflamingo

Before long, with the extraordinary physical prowess of the Oni race, Yamato was already close to the deck.

"Wuu~ Mama~"

A muffled, hoarse, yet childish sob echoed in the air.

Yamato froze for a moment, then quickened her pace, arms and legs swinging even faster.

Smack!

"Mmph!"

Kozuki Hiyori hastily covered her mouth the moment she made a sound, pressing too hard and leaving a red mark on her cheek. Her gaze was filled with fear as she stared toward the source of the noise.

A small, delicate hand appeared on the railing of the Numancia Flamingo's deck. Two hands gripped the edge, and with a kick of her legs, Yamato flipped onto the ship.

"Phew, that was exhausting!" she huffed, catching her breath before looking around. "Now, let's see what you're hiding!"

But as her eyes took in the scene before her, even with the resilience of someone raised among the dead, her heart nearly stopped.

A grotesque, bloody creature with a square head dangled midair, suspended by four thick strings. At the end of each string was a strange, transparent bottle steadily filling with blood.

Behind it, a massive fox lay motionless.

That wasn't even the most unsettling part. Four pairs of eerie, vacant eyes sent chills down Yamato's spine.

A grim-looking man, a sinister old woman, an elderly man with a kind facade, and a beautiful woman sat slumped on the deck. They were clearly alive, yet devoid of any emotions—like living corpses.

"What the hell is this?"

After two seconds of trying to comprehend the situation, Yamato, whose brain functioned like the Sun God Nika's, gave up thinking altogether.

Instead, she turned to the small girl hiding behind the beautiful woman and grinned.

"Hey there! My name's Yamato. What's yours?"

Kozuki Hiyori instinctively shrank back, seeking refuge behind her mother. Seeing that Yamato didn't seem hostile, she cautiously answered,

"I... I am Kozuki Hiyori."

"That Kozuki Oden who just died—who was he to you?"

"He was… my father."

Yamato's eyes widened in shock. "Eh?! My father was the one who killed him!"

Thud!

Hiyori collapsed to the ground, trembling. "P-please… don't kill me! I... I am Lord Doflamingo's trophy."

"I'm not here to kill you!"

Yamato frantically helped her up, only to see Hiyori growing even more terrified. Thinking quickly, she changed the subject.

"Who's this pretty lady?"

Hiyori, unable to resist the Oni's overwhelming strength, was forced upright. At the mention of her mother, her expression darkened even further.

"She's… my mother."

Yamato's large eyes brimmed with curiosity. "Is she sick?"

She pinched Kozuki Toki's still-warm hand, only to receive no response. Hiyori's voice was muffled as she answered,

"This… is Doflamingo-sama's final mercy for those who resist him."

"Mercy?" Yamato's gaze darted over the four lifeless figures. No matter how she looked at it, she couldn't see where the mercy was.

Remembering the way Momonosuke's head had been blown apart, Hiyori's voice firmed up again.

"Yes. Doflamingo-sama is merciful. He spared my mother's life."

Yamato suddenly felt a cold shiver run down her spine.

That arrogant bastard… What does he even see people as?

"I hate him!"

Yamato yelled and lunged toward the threads binding Kozuki Toki.

Boom!

She was sent flying back at an even faster speed, crashing onto the deck.

"Damn it! I'll take you to my father!"

Not giving Hiyori any chance to resist, Yamato grabbed her and sprinted toward the edge of the deck.

...

Meanwhile, on the Numancia Flamingo, Doflamingo bit into a piece of sea beast meat, a dangerous smile curling at his lips.

As someone with the unique perspective of having lived two lives…

A practitioner of prefrontal lobotomy…

He had developed an entirely new understanding of the connection between soul and flesh.

The soul and body depended on each other, yet remained separate entities.

When the brain is damaged, rendering someone comatose, are they truly dead?

No, they aren't. Their soul simply loses its connection to the body, like drifting aimlessly in an infinite void, without a place to land.

Through Observation Haki, he had sensed faint cognitive activity from certain lucky individuals, further solidifying his theory.

Thus, these trophies, trapped in a vegetative state, were… technically alive.

A kindness, in terms of life.

But for the soul? A never-ending exile.

How beautiful.

"Glug glug glug!"

"Wororororo, this is the life!"

Slamming down an entire barrel of sake, Kaido, cheeks flushed, turned to Doflamingo.

"So? When's my clone getting here?"

"Crossing the Calm Belt from the North Blue doesn't take long. You won't have to wait too much longer, Kaido-san."

Doflamingo gestured toward Arber, who never removed his mask, even while eating.

"Tell King to accompany me to Raijin Island for the pickup."

"Wororororo! King, you heard him. Go with him!"

With the logistics settled, Kaido laughed heartily. But in the next instant, he leaned forward, his towering frame radiating immense pressure.

"And the Wano Seastone?"

"Of course, the Beast Pirates will handle mining, and the Donquixote Family will oversee transport and sales. As for the profits…" Doflamingo's face remained unchanged, his smile unwavering. "How about a 60-40 split?"

"Why the hell should I choose you?" Kaido, drunk and unpredictable, teetered between madness and shrewdness.

"The World Government might be a pile of garbage, but they still have some basic principles. They won't openly do business with a notorious pirate."

Revealing just a fraction of the World Government's nature, Doflamingo continued,

"Meanwhile, I—while notorious for murder and crime—am still a businessman. A bridge to the World Government. Surely, Kaido-san doesn't want another fool like Kurozumi Orochi running Wano, do you?"

"Wororororo! Kid, you're close to convincing me. But what about Loguetown?"

"The Navy and the World Government may appear united, but they each have their own interests. And most importantly…"

Doflamingo smirked. "I used to be a Celestial Dragon. This deal will remain stable—for now."

Celestial Dragon?!!

King's flames flared behind him, his eyes burning with hatred as he locked onto Doflamingo.

Queen, on the other hand, eyed him with an entirely different expression—one of intrigue. The bloodline of a Celestial Dragon… now that was something he had yet to experiment on.

A chorus of pirates erupted in a frenzy, weapons drawn as they surrounded Doflamingo's crew, their eyes gleaming with bloodlust.

The jovial atmosphere turned deadly in an instant.

Clang!

Vergo and the others rose to their feet, surrounding the Beast Pirates in turn.

Yet, rather than tense up, Doflamingo laughed.

"Fufufufufu! Relax. I was exiled from Mary Geoise because of my kindness."

Though, of course, it wasn't his kindness.

Doflamingo looked toward Kaido, still downing sake in silence.

"Surely, Kaido-san understands exactly what kind of man I am."

"Fine. Just don't short me on my cut, Doflamingo."

"Boss Kaido!" N!

The Beast Pirates wailed in dismay.

"Of course. And we have other ventures to discuss as well…"

"Father! Don't—"

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+220 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg