"Admiral."
"Look."
"This shows his true colors."
Facing Donquixote Doflamingo's ferocious glare, sharp as a Sea King's, Doll showed no fear at all. Instead, she spoke calmly.
"Fufufufufufu!"
"I am who I am. There is no such thing as revealing my true self."
"Besides, what Lord Rosen wants is a Shichibukai who can bite pirates to death, not a Shichibukai who only wags his tail and begs for mercy."
Donquixote Doflamingo suppressed his anger and murderous intent, then let out a sinister smile.
He had been trained for fifteen days, and in those fifteen days, he had observed Rosen. He knew the man well enough to understand that the collars weren't meant to create obedient lapdogs, but hunting hounds—ferocious, selective, and deadly.
Because of this, he wasn't worried that Rosen would doubt him because of Doll's words. Unless he lost his value as a Shichibukai or violated Rosen's rules, he would not be discarded.
"If you unleash a hyena that hasn't been fully tamed, it will not only kill pirates but also the navy."
"And once it leaves its master's sight, who knows if that hyena will try to break free from its collar."
"Don't you agree, Doflamingo?"
Doll sneered, hitting him where it hurt. But with Rosen right there, Donquixote Doflamingo dared not lash out physically. He could only spit venom with words.
"Stop."
Rosen's single word silenced them.
"Doffy."
"Doll just said that after you leave, you'll find ways to take revenge on me."
"Is that true? I want to hear it from you."
His sharp gaze locked onto Donquixote Doflamingo, making the Heavenly Yaksha tense, sweat sliding down his back.
"No."
Forced to withstand Rosen's penetrating stare, which seemed to read straight into his soul, Doflamingo felt deeply uncomfortable. But he had no choice but to answer. Just as he was about to add more words to sound convincing, Rosen withdrew his gaze.
"You heard him."
"Doll."
"He said no."
Rosen turned to look at Doll, who stood by his side like a loyal guard.
"Vice Admiral, do you really believe what a pirate says?"
Doll frowned, surprised. Just because Doflamingo said no, Rosen believed him? That wasn't the answer she expected.
"I don't believe it," Rosen replied, shaking his head. "And I don't need to believe it."
"Why?"
Doll's brows furrowed deeper.
To her, even if Doflamingo was to be released, it shouldn't happen so quickly. Half a month was nothing.
Training a dog in that time would be rushed, let alone taming one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
She was certain—Doflamingo's submissiveness only lasted when Rosen was in the room. Once released, he would be a dragon freed into the sea, untamable.
"I am responsible for domestication, not supervision."
"Supervision of the Seven Warlords is Bullet's job."
"If you're that worried, ask him what he'll do if Doflamingo breaks free of his collar or proves unworthy of the title."
At those words, Doll instinctively turned toward Douglas Bullet.
And so did Doflamingo.
Swish—
Without saying a word, Bullet reached for the life card Rosen had placed on the table and tore off a corner.
The sight made Doflamingo's chest tighten with unease.
"Once unfaithful, never again."
"If a guard dog can't be tamed, it's nothing but wasted food."
"The Grand Line isn't lacking in pirates. Even Conqueror's Haki is common in the New World."
Bullet slipped the torn piece of Doflamingo's life card into his uniform pocket, keeping it close, before fixing him with a cold stare.
"Remember this, Doflamingo."
"I don't have Rosen's patience to spend fifteen days on you."
"The collar around your neck is your life. Try to break free if you want—but be ready to die by my hand."
With that, Bullet stretched his neck, eyes flashing. A violent wave of Conqueror's Haki burst forth from him, pressing down like a mountain. The overwhelming aura rolled outward like a storm, wreaking havoc across the sea for dozens of kilometers.
Even Doflamingo's distant base camp was caught in the crushing wave.
"He really does have Conqueror's Haki…"
"But the range—isn't this too absurd?"
"Is this the legendary Demon's Heir? A tyrant with such power, submitting to Rosen?"
Doflamingo's pupils shrank. Though he himself possessed a king's disposition and could resist the pressure, seeing Conqueror's Haki spread across dozens of kilometers, covering the sea like a curtain of purple light, was shocking.
And the thought that such a monster bowed to Rosen only deepened his fear.
At that moment, he couldn't help but question himself—could he truly escape Rosen's control?
As he asked himself, his hand unconsciously reached for the collar around his neck. For over ten days, it had sat there, humiliating. He had intended to tear it off the moment Rosen left. But now… he hesitated.
Because one truth became undeniable: Bullet had no patience.
If he so much as hinted at removing the collar, Bullet would kill him without hesitation.
The thought of such a relentless overseer—his life tied to a strip of metal around his neck—sent a shiver through him.
"One more thing."
Bullet's voice cut through the silence.
"You're not special in this sea."
"You're not the only one who can fly."
Having been betrayed more than once, Bullet's hatred of betrayal was carved into his bones. His cold stare bored into Doflamingo as a purple light flared in his palm.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh—
Metal, weapons, steel beams—all flew out of the warship's storage. Under the Fusion-Fusion Fruit's power, they combined and rearranged into a helicopter, its rotors roaring as it lifted into the air.
Boom—
The violent wind from the blades swept across the deck as the helicopter ascended into the sky.
"It's useless to dive into the sea."
Bullet waved his hand again. More materials floated out, fusing together to form a submarine. With a heavy splash, it dove into the ocean, churning waves as it disappeared below.
"From the moment Rosen put that collar on you, your life was bound to it."
"I only recognize the collar, not the person. With it, you're a Shichibukai. Without it—you're a corpse."
"Whether you're eating, bathing, or sleeping, never let that collar leave your neck."
"As long as the collar remains, so do you. If it's gone—you don't need to exist."
"Understand, Doflamingo?"