Once, this place was used to host the Sea Warrior Gathering and display secret medicines.
After a major expansion and renovation, it had been transformed into something new—
The Sabaody Grand Theatre, now the stage for Tesoro's concerts!
A colossal venue capable of holding a hundred thousand people, born from Pica's sweat and toil.
Contestants and spectators alike were streaming steadily into the central arena.
On the vast floor, several times larger than a football field, were all kinds of unique gambling setups.
Up above, in the VIP suite—
The four glass walls were made from a special material developed by Judge.
From the outside, nothing could be seen.
But from within, the entire venue was in full view.
Donquixote Doflamingo sat comfortably at the center of the sealed suite, enjoying the view of Sabaody—
And the service provided by Baccarat below him.
Of course, everything would be perfect... if only those five decrepit old voices weren't echoing in his ears.
"Doflamingo, what kind of stunt are you trying to pull this time?"
"Stunt?"
Doflamingo smirked and shook his head, his voice calm and indulgent as he savored the sensation beneath him.
"I'm simply offering the people of this sea a bit more entertainment."
What harm could a former Celestial Dragon like him possibly intend?
He just wanted to give his former family—and the Navy—a bit more pressure, that's all.
"Entertainment?"
The Five Elders with the slicked-back hair nearly choked. Ever since the Great Pirate Era was set into motion, the world had already plunged into chaos.
And now Doflamingo was fanning the flames everywhere he went.
This time, his actions had stirred even the Four Seas and the first half of the Grand Line.
His information network moved faster than theirs.
But this wasn't the Doflamingo of ten years ago, the beast who once fled, displaced and homeless, in the icy lands of Eskimo.
The man who could be crushed with a flick of a finger.
No—this was the man who had killed the Golden Lion, Shiki.
A figure more vicious, more cunning, and more dangerous than Shiki ever was.
Now it made sense why the other four old geezers bailed the moment Doflamingo's name came up.
Suppressing his rising fury, the slick-haired Elder pressed on with the issue they'd agreed upon earlier.
"When will the shipment of seastone be delivered?"
"No need to rush. The transport crew ran into that lunatic Bullet and barely made it out alive. They've just departed—it won't be long."
"It better not be."
"Naturally. I, Donquixote Doflamingo, am the embodiment of honesty and trust."
Boasting shamelessly, Doflamingo changed the subject with a smile.
"By the way, did that mutt Aramaki receive my little gift?"
That damned brat—just a thieving mongrel. The slick-haired Elder cursed silently, having already seen what Doflamingo had sent.
...
At the central garden of Pangaea Castle—
Aramaki, as a member of CP0, usually answered only to the Five Elders.
At the moment, he was leisurely sipping coffee.
Step, step, step...
Ssssssh...
A CP agent in a black suit walked in, leading a tree behind him. He bowed slightly and addressed Aramaki.
"Aramaki, the Five Elders wish for you to remember shame, so that you may act with renewed resolve."
Remember shame? What the hell did I even do?
I've completed all my missions lately...
Aramaki blinked in confusion, not understanding why he was suddenly being scolded—indirectly, no less.
So he asked.
"What happened? What's going on?"
His gaze drifted to the walking tree trailing behind the agent. For some reason, it stirred a strange, inexplicable sense of familiarity.
On impulse, he asked—
"And what's that supposed to be?"
"It's a gift from Donquixote Doflamingo."
CRACK!
The coffee cup in Aramaki's hand shattered into dust beneath twisting vines.
He thought he'd finally buried those memories.
But in that moment, it all came flooding back like it happened just yesterday.
Every nerve in his body screamed with phantom pain.
Through gritted teeth, he hissed—
"Keep going."
The CP agent mentally sighed. You're already losing it—how are you going to survive what comes next?
He pulled out a tone dial.
"The Five Elders instructed me to play you Doflamingo's exact message. They want you to remember this humiliation."
He even sent a damn voice message?
Doflamingo, you bastard!
Aramaki lost control, transforming into a massive tangle of vines, cracking the ground beneath him.
Barely restraining himself from smashing the tone dial to pieces, he bellowed—
"PLAY IT!!!"
Click.
"This tree was grown from your own bloodline, dear little Aramaki mutt. It is your child, your grandchild... You've got millions of descendants now. Aren't you happy?Fufufufufufu..."
The tone dial played not only Doflamingo's words, but also captured his exact tone and smug inflection.
Aramaki could practically see the bastard's face as he said it.
"That..."
He listened to it three times in total.
Only then did he snap back to reality.
And then, from deep within the castle, came a roar that shook the heavens.
"DOFLAMINGOOOOOO!!!"
...
Click.
The call ended.
And thinking back on the expressions of the Five Elders at the time—
Doflamingo couldn't help but grin.
He imagined Aramaki's reaction upon receiving his "gift," and it made him even happier.
After all, joy is meant to be shared with good friends.
...
In the center of the arena, Tesoro sat atop a golden fountain rising from the floor.
Gambler eyes all around turned bloodshot with greed.
Gold surged like a geyser from the fountain—
How much was that worth?!
Before anyone could lose themselves and rush to their deaths, Tesoro raised the mic, his voice bursting with enthusiasm and reaching every corner of the coliseum.
"Next up!"
"Please welcome the head of the Donquixote Family—"
"The man who slew the great flying pirate, Golden Lion Shiki!"
"The Heavenly Yaksha!"
"Donquixote Doflamingo!!!"
Some pirates smirked coldly from the sidelines.
A new legend? More like someone who got lucky and finished off a half-dead lion.
They could've done it too.
But then, the crowd erupted.
"Heavenly Yaksha!"
"Heavenly Yaksha!!"
"..."
"Fufufufufufu. That's right. The world should cheer for me. Applaud for me!"
Wrapping his arm around Baccarat, Doflamingo stepped lightly with one foot—
BOOM!
The central chamber above the arena opened up.
The translucent panels of glass shifted slightly, adjusting their angles.
A cascade of rainbow-hued light beamed down to the center stage.
And there—hovering midair—stood a figure in pink, like a god surveying the mortal realm.
The entire audience held their breath.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Explosions rang out from all sides of the coliseum.
Pirates, unwilling to stay silent, launched themselves into the air.
The crowd stirred in chaos—
"That's Winston the Serpent, bounty ninety-eight million!"
"There's Vanlong, the Butcher from the South Blue—bounty one hundred and twenty million!"
"And that monster's a heavyweight—Cory the Silver Lion! Two hundred million!Slaughtered three towns in the West Blue—utterly ruthless!"
"..."
BZZZZZ!
The arena buzzed in a brief, stunned silence.
As for the airborne pirates—
Their minds went blank.
SWISH SWISH SWISH!
Threads glowing with violet energy shot out and pinned each one midair.
"AAAHHHH!"
Only after being completely pierced and immobilized did they even feel the searing pain.
Doflamingo didn't bother sparing them a glance.
The threads coiled in the air, weaving into a magnificent throne.
Seated with Baccarat in his lap, one elbow propped lazily on the armrest, he looked down at the crowd with a faint smirk.
"Now," he drawled, "you may continue your cheering."
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