Would the world be better? Or worse?
Issho couldn't help but ponder.
Without supernatural powers…
A world of ironclad warships, deafening gunfire, and brutal warfare.
Battles would devolve into meat grinders—grueling and merciless—until one side was utterly annihilated.
Victory would go to whoever held the superior weaponry.
And right now, who had the largest arsenal?
Doflamingo!
Sweat beaded on Issho's brow, dripping onto the clouds beneath his feet as he envisioned the consequences.
"Fufufufufu… Thinking that kind of world sounds worse? Thinking I'd be the one to win in it?"
Doflamingo grinned, cutting straight to the point as he read Issho's expression.
"I've already seen such a world," Issho admitted solemnly.
"NONONO~"
Doflamingo wagged a finger in front of him, his favorite way to deny what others took as truth.
"But you're missing something crucial."
"The three Ancient Weapons!"
Issho's eyes narrowed. "Those are mere legends... Are you saying they still exist in this world?"
"Oh? I thought you weren't interested," Doflamingo said, clearly enjoying Issho's startled reaction.
"The three Ancient Weapons—Pluton has fallen, Poseidon hasn't yet appeared... but Uranus? That one can still be used. Fufufufufu~"
Nearby, Judge, who had only recently arrived at the Divine Palace, caught the key detail.
Poseidon... is alive?
"Is Uranus in your possession?"
"I wish that were the case," Doflamingo shrugged. "Unfortunately, it's in the Holy Land. Under the control of the Celestial Dragons."
The revelation was delivered so casually, yet it was earth-shattering.
Then Doflamingo turned to Issho with a question.
"Do you even know what Uranus does?"
Issho forced himself to steady his breathing.
"I do not."
"It can strike anywhere in the world… as long as you have the coordinates."
With that, Doflamingo returned to the bigger picture.
"So, tell me—what do you think this world would look like without superhuman powers?"
The World Government would dominate completely.
The Celestial Dragons would take whatever they pleased.
All the people of the world would become toys in the hands of tyrants.
A world with no hope, no alternatives.
Issho's expression grew grim. After a long pause, he said in a low voice:
"That would be… a world of despair."
"Exactly. But there's one small silver lining—Uranus can't be used without limitation."
Seeing Issho start to follow his train of thought, Doflamingo smirked and pushed further.
"So tell me, in a world like that… how would you even begin to topple the World Government?"
"How…?" Issho echoed, falling into thought.
He'd traveled through war-torn nations in the South Blue.
Under unbearable pressure, the people would eventually rise, seeking any path to survive—uprisings would erupt everywhere.
But Uranus… it was like a sword suspended above everyone's heads.
Add in the Navy suppressing the seas and the royals and nobles aligned with the Government...
...
Doflamingo wasn't in any hurry. He glanced up at the moon hanging high in the sky.
Then he waved Judge over.
"Boss!"
Judge had just opened his mouth to speak when Doflamingo raised a finger to his lips.
Silence fell.
Moments later, Issho finally spoke again, voice heavy.
"The entire world must unite… to fight back, to sacrifice without fear. Only then would the World Government be stretched too thin to respond... and only then might we have a chance."
Even as he said it, his voice grew softer.
Because he knew… that scenario would plunge the whole world into flames. Countless lives would be lost.
"Fufufufufu... So you understand now? What a beautiful era this is?"
"As long as I'm strong enough, I can destroy the World Government entirely."
"What does the fall of the Celestial Dragons have to do with the people of the four seas?!"
Doflamingo's gaze drifted toward the brightly lit migrant district in the distance.
"Don't you want every island in the world… every person… to live with dignity?"
Issho could hear it—the laughter and arguments in every home.
He could feel it even more deeply than Doflamingo.
Because he had watched this place be built… piece by piece.
Issho pressed his right hand to his chest.
"I am willing to protect this peace on your behalf. And I'm willing to fight the World Government!"
"Fufufufufu~ You won't regret today's decision."
Doflamingo laughed, hooked a finger, and removed the seastone shackles from Issho's wrists.
The burden lifted from Issho's body, his vision clearing.
He picked up the seastone cuffs from the ground, turned, and walked away.
"Let me bear the mark of a defeated man. It's a kind of training in itself."
Watching him leave, Doflamingo's smirk deepened.
Issho's declaration had layers of meaning.
Willing to defend Sky Island. Willing to fight the Government.
Implying… he wouldn't do more than that. But Doflamingo didn't mind.
If he could squeeze a bit more value out of him, all the better.
"Boss, is he really trustworthy?" Judge asked.
"As long as he's useful."
Doflamingo clapped Judge on the shoulder.
"So, what did you come here for?"
Judge snapped back to the present, recalling his reason for coming.
"Boss, it's about Miss Bakkin... and Weevil… and Stussy..."
As Judge delivered the new intel, Doflamingo's expression stayed composed—but inside, waves surged.
"Damn it… If I had known how useful Miss Bakkin would be, I never would've killed her. We could've mass-produced Weevils! What a waste!"
Right now, Doflamingo wished he could go back in time and stop himself from ending Bakkin's life.
Sure, her cloning tech was unstable and her Weevil clone was an idiot…
But the return on investment? Feed him and point him at the enemy.
Just imagine dozens of Weevils charging onto the battlefield. Now that would be a sight.
"Boss, what about Stussy?"
Doflamingo came back to himself.
"She has another identity—CP0."
"???" Judge blinked in confusion.
Not that he doubted his Boss—Doflamingo had glimpsed pieces of the future before. But…
How the hell did Stussy infiltrate CP0?
Before Judge could dwell on it, Doflamingo kept talking.
"We'll discuss Stussy later. I'm more curious about Egghead Island. This 'future tech' you mentioned... is that the one you and Vegapunk built?"
Vegapunk had been captured by the Government.
Doflamingo had scavenged through the old MADS base. No one would fault him for picking through the trash.
Judge scratched his head awkwardly.
"Boss, when we found that island… the tech there was already far beyond this era."
"We suspect it's a remnant of the lost kingdom."
"Some of our early tech came from that island."
"...What?"
Doflamingo felt like he'd learned more today than in the past few decades combined.
Oda, what are you even doing?
So… technological advancement comes from archaeology now?
Don't tell me Vegapunk's just a fraud?!
"Boss? Oda?" Judge asked cautiously, taking a small step back. Doflamingo didn't look too stable right now.
"It's nothing."
Doflamingo waved it off, suppressing his chaotic thoughts.
"Keep going."
"We created Stussy... then ran out of funding and accepted help from Lu Feld."
"After that, the World Government caught wind..."
Lu Feld—an underworld boss, notorious loan shark.
His combat level? The kind of guy Stussy could one-shot with a single Shigan.
But that wasn't what Doflamingo cared about.
"So now… you've lost the coordinates to Egghead?"
"Yes, Boss. Most likely, it's in Government hands now."
Judge lowered his head, standing respectfully.
"You're dismissed. Your intel was critical."
Judge slipped quietly out of the Divine Palace.
"Is there no hope of digging up the past anymore? Vegapunk, Stussy, the World Government…"
Doflamingo stared at the void.
But his eyes began to gleam.
Vegapunk was captured—but not Stussy.
She's likely a double agent... no, a triple agent at least.
Egghead's location… she might know it.
And then… there was still Kuro.
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Fanfic is finished 527 chapters in total on p@treon/tambeerg