"How?"
"Don't you want to be one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea anymore?"
Seeing the complicated look on Donquixote Doflamingo's face, Rosen raised a brow with interest.
"Of course I do."
Doflamingo snapped back to his senses at once.
"Then why don't you say thank you?"
Rosen chuckled.
"Thank you, Lord Rosen."
Doflamingo forced a grin as he bowed his head.
No matter what, the title of Shichibukai had been given to him.
Most importantly, in Rosen's words, he heard the implication of release.
That meant…
He could be King of the North Sea again.
"Don't be too happy too soon."
"If I can give you the title of Shichibukai, I can take it back."
"Just as easily as I freed you from the cage, I can throw you back inside."
Rosen's calm words chilled Doflamingo to the bone.
"Also, the system of the Seven Warlords has changed."
"There is no privilege of legal plunder. The only privilege left is temporary freedom from being wanted by the navy."
"From today on, I will take over all of your arms, drug, and slave trades."
Hearing Rosen cut away every privilege, leaving only the bare minimum—not being hunted—Doflamingo's expression twisted again and again.
And the worst was yet to come.
After laying out the new rules, Rosen opened his palm.
Seeing this, Doll reached into the pocket of his coat of justice, pulled out a slip of paper, and placed it in Rosen's hand.
"A Vivre Card."
The instant Doflamingo recognized it, his heart sank.
"It seems you understand."
"This Vivre Card was made from your fingernails."
"If I ever find out you're plundering civilians, running drugs, trading slaves, or selling arms to pirates—your title is gone. And you'll spend the rest of your days with Susanoo."
Rosen's voice wasn't loud. His tone wasn't harsh.
But every word felt like a black blade wrapped in Haki, stabbing straight into Doflamingo's chest.
The Vivre Card was the leash Rosen had prepared.
Even if Doflamingo fled to the ends of the earth, Rosen would only need to tug the rope to drag him back.
A blade hanging over his head—his personal Damocles sword.
"Lord Rosen, forgive my bluntness. If you want me to work for you, it's because you value my abilities."
"Just as the World Government created the Seven Warlords to deter pirates."
"But if I can't sell poison, can't run slaves, can't sell arms, can't even plunder freely—then the Donquixote Family becomes just another ordinary pirate crew. Nowhere near strong enough to dominate the seas."
"By then, how could we intimidate anyone? Even if you ordered me to act, I wouldn't have the means to do it, right?"
Doflamingo's words were measured, desperate to persuade Rosen.
Half a month of "training" hadn't engraved the word master into his soul—but fear of Rosen was burned deep.
Even deeper than his fear of Kaido had ever been.
"What is the navy's mission?"
Rosen wasn't surprised by his resistance. He would've been surprised if Doflamingo had accepted everything quietly.
"Maintaining law and order across the seas, in the name of absolute justice."
Doflamingo answered without hesitation.
"And specifically?"
Rosen pressed.
"Fight pirates. Protect civilians."
Doflamingo paused, recalling his observations of Rosen over the past two weeks.
"That's right."
Rosen's voice carried meaning.
"I understand, Lord Rosen."
"From now on—the Donquixote Family's drugs will only be sold to pirates. Our slave trade will deal only in pirates. Our arms will be sold only to member nations of the World Government. And as for plundering—we will plunder only pirates."
A spark of cunning lit Doflamingo's eyes. He finally grasped Rosen's intent.
This man wanted him to prey on pirates, bleeding them dry to strengthen the navy's position.
"What about drugs? Forget them."
"Even if you only sell to pirates, poison spreads across the seas."
"As for the rest—handle it yourself."
Rosen tapped his fingers lightly against the armrest of his beach chair.
He knew it was impossible to strip away every one of Doflamingo's schemes. Making him a powerless Shichibukai in name only would be pointless—better to kill him outright.
No. He had endured half a month of breaking and caging him because he valued not just his strength, but his talent for managing power.
That power could be useful.
But the rules had to be made clear.
Drugs? A hand cut off.
Arms to pirates? Beheading.
Slaves from civilians? Beheading.
Plundering civilians? Cut to pieces.
Rosen would allow the Heavenly Yaksha to retain his usefulness—but he would obey his rules.
And these same rules would apply to every Shichibukai.
Rosen's rules were the rules of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
"Yes, Lord Rosen."
The drug trade cut off, Doflamingo's profits would shrink by at least a third. He hated it, but he bowed his head.
He would rather lose a third of his wealth than ever again taste Susanoo's jaws.
Compared to being a powerless, empty Shichibukai—or killed outright by Rosen—at least he could still keep arms and slaves.
Even if arms could only be sold to World Government nations. Even if slaves could only be taken from pirates, not civilians.
It was fine.
In the Great Pirate Era, the seas were overflowing with pirates.
There would never be a shortage of bodies for the human trade.
The only difference was that catching pirates was harder than catching villagers.
But Doflamingo remained confident. Once he entered the Grand Line, the Donquixote Family's power, wealth, and influence would multiply again.
As long as he abided by Rosen's rules—arms to nations, slaves from pirates—he would be a legal pirate.
Neither the World Government nor the Navy would touch him.
And most importantly—Rosen would no longer grind his bones like a dog's toy.
"Vice Admiral, are you really going to let him go like this?"
"Only half a month."
"Do you really believe a pirate with Conqueror's Haki will obey you forever, instead of waiting for the chance to take revenge once you're gone?"
As Doflamingo was secretly savoring his restored freedom, a faint voice sounded on the deck.
"..."
The smile froze on his face.
He snapped his head around, locking eyes on Doll, who had just spoken. His gaze sharpened, killing intent surging. The violent Heavenly Yaksha was back, fangs bared.
For Rosen, he was a dog.
But for the others—even Rosen's adjutant—he was still a wolf.
And Doll's words just now might well send him straight back into the cage.