"Vergo is right."
"Doffy, we really should get out of here."
"Power, wealth, Celestial Dragon, and the title of Shichibukai — all of these must be given up."
"The only way out for the Donquixote Pirates is to abandon everything and escape to the Grand Line before Rosen descends upon the North Sea."
Among the cadres, Pica was the only one who was not stunned by Rosen's Conqueror's Haki. He would never question Donquixote Doflamingo's decision, even if it meant dying in battle.
But at this moment, he had to question it.
It was because the domineering aura released by Rosen condensed into black and red lightning, forming a thunderous net of Haki that spread like clouds blotting out the sun.
With just a single wave, the Donquixote Pirates were completely wiped out.
Such an existence…
It cannot be countered with numbers, weapons, ships, or anything else.
Unfortunately, Vergo's good intentions and the only way out he had offered early on were not recognized by Donquixote Doflamingo.
In the end, it led the Donquixote family straight to their doom.
"Finished."
Pica's eyes were dull as he muttered to himself, repeating the same word over and over.
He still had the strength to fight.
Donquixote Doflamingo was still in his prime.
But was it useful?
No.
In his opinion, the fall of the Donquixote family was already an unavoidable fact.
"Is… it over?"
"As expected of Vice Admiral Rosen."
"Before they could even begin, the Donquixote Pirates, who once dominated the North Sea, were completely destroyed."
"This is the Conqueror's Haki that only one person in a million possesses!"
"Too strong."
...
Unlike Pica's despair, the navy on the warship had witnessed the destruction of the Donquixote Pirates with their own eyes. They had seen the beginning and end of this war in a single moment. They were shocked beyond words.
But what they felt was not despair.
It was pride.
Pride and honor in being Rosen's subordinates.
On the other hand, Donquixote Doflamingo.
At this time, using the silk threads of the String-String Fruit to hook onto the clouds in the sky, Yaksha stood silently in midair, without saying a word.
He was still the same person as before, but the kingly aura that had surrounded him when he first appeared was gone.
It no longer carried the unruly majesty of the Heavenly Yaksha.
At this moment, Donquixote Doflamingo was no different than Zoro when he first faced Dracule Mihawk in the East Blue.
His heart was shaken.
He was overwhelmed, speechless at the sheer scale of power standing at the pinnacle of the world.
Even now…
He couldn't believe the world was so vast.
"Stop staring into space."
"Understand?"
"This is a battlefield!"
Suddenly, Douglas Bullet spoke, jolting Donquixote Doflamingo out of his daze. His eyes instinctively turned toward Rosen.
What greeted him were eyes as deep and endless as the ocean.
And the moment their gazes met, Doflamingo did something unbelievable.
Rosen did not attack. He didn't even release his Conqueror's Haki.
But that single look forced Doflamingo back.
He wasn't repelled.
He retreated on his own.
It was as if his body instinctively knew only distance could mean safety. His body seized control over his will, dragging him back, widening the gap between himself and Rosen.
That retreat carried him all the way back to the Numancia Flamingo, his flagship, from a position barely fifty meters from Rosen.
Hovering directly above the ship, Donquixote Doflamingo's forehead, neck, and back broke out in cold sweat. His breathing turned ragged.
It was as though that single glance had drained every ounce of his strength.
Like the King of the Sea once cowed by a single look from Red-Haired Shanks, all he could do was flee in panic.
This humiliating display only deepened Pica's despair.
Even their king was faltering before Rosen
The spirit of the king was nearly shattered.
Did the Donquixote family have any future left?
"Hehehe."
Douglas Bullet shook his head, laughing after watching Doflamingo's clownish retreat.
And yet, he understood.
He knew all too well what it felt like — because he had once stood before Rosen alone. To face this man required not only unmatched courage, but also the strength of one who stood at the very summit of the seas.
Both were absolutely necessary.
"Why are you retreating?"
"You gathered so many pirates, prepared so many warships, and spent so many days planning this war. And the moment we meet, you immediately declare your sovereignty over the North Sea to me."
"Did you do all this just to stage this ridiculous performance before my eyes?"
"Donquixote Doflamingo."
Rosen's gaze crossed the sea, locking on Doflamingo.
"..."
The Heavenly Yaksha stood on the Numancia Flamingo, his hands clasped together, his face dark yet pale.
Faced with Rosen's words, he was speechless.
Yes.
Wasn't this war just for the sake of confronting Rosen head-on?
And now, when Rosen stood before him… he chose to retreat.
This cowardly display was worse than useless.
He should have accepted Vergo's advice from the beginning — abandoned everything in the North Sea and escaped into the Grand Line.
At least then, he could have claimed decisiveness, the pride of a king.
But now?
He had rejected Vergo, clinging to the dignity of a king… only to be reduced to a pitiful figure retreating in terror.
"After all, you are the first pirate I have to deal with since graduating and going out to sea."
"So here's how this will go."
"Will you put on the collar yourself and return the Heavenly Tribute? Or will I put the collar on you and take back the Heavenly Tribute myself?"
Rosen's voice boomed across the sea:
"Pick one."
"North Sea King."
Every word dripped with arrogance.
Whoosh—
As Rosen finished speaking, Doll raised her hand and tossed a seastone object like a cannonball.
Clink. Clink.
Seeing this, Doflamingo thought it was an attack and immediately prepared to defend himself.
But instead of striking him, the seastone tool landed, hanging from the mast of the Numancia Flamingo.
He looked up.
His pupils shrank.
The veins on his forehead bulged as if ready to burst.
That wasn't a pair of seastone handcuffs.
It wasn't a set of shackles.
It was a collar
A pet collar made of seastone.
The rage inside him surged, impossible to suppress, devouring all reason like a roaring firestorm.
"Why!!!"
Meanwhile, back on the warship, Doll let out a soft sigh after tossing the collar.
"What's wrong?"
Rosen glanced at his adjutant, surprised at her sudden sigh.
"Nothing, just a little regret."
Doll shook her head.
"Regret?"
Rosen raised an eyebrow.
"What else could it be?"
"Thanks to you, Admiral, I'll never dare wear this thing as an ornament again."
Doll sighed again, unclasping the spiked necklace from around her neck, speaking in a helpless tone.
As Rosen's adjutant, she already knew his mission, this voyage. To eliminate the unworthy Shichibukai one by one, while keeping and taming those who were strong.
Donquixote Doflamingo was the first.
She imagined the day when all Seven Warlords of the Sea would stand in a row before Rosen — each of them wearing collars like pets.
And then she pictured herself, Rosen's adjutant, still wearing a necklace that looked suspiciously like a collar.
Suddenly, that necklace she had worn since childhood no longer seemed quite so charming.