Michael admitted it without the slightest hesitation. Far from making Doflamingo panic, the pressure even gave him a strange thrill.
He… had just obtained an explosive piece of intelligence like never before!
"Scum? To me, that's the highest form of praise."
"Hmph, I can tell—you're scum through and through."
Michael raised an eyebrow as he looked at the young Doflamingo standing before him.
After all, this Doflamingo was still just a rookie, even younger than Michael by a year.
He wasn't yet the infamous "Heavenly Yaksha" or "Joker."
But the essence of a depraved villain was already on full display.
There was no helping it—he was born this way. Destined to be a pure villain.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be so terrified of Tsuru-san's Wash-Wash Fruit.
Washing away the "evil" in Doflamingo's heart would be tantamount to erasing most of his soul.
He would never accept that.
But still, they were born from the same parents. How was it that Rosinante didn't turn out twisted, even after witnessing his brother murder their father?
It really seems that evil has nothing to do with genetics.
"Doflamingo, I don't intend to waste words with you."
As Michael spoke, the Holy Flame above began to shift. Lifelike flame took form in midair, appearing before everyone's eyes.
Each one had its gaze fixed on a member of the Donquixote Family.
Even a natural-born villain like Doflamingo broke into a cold sweat in the face of this scene.
The reason Doflamingo created the "Donquixote Family" was because deep down, he craved the feeling of family.
Otherwise, he wouldn't have accepted Rosinante's return so readily, almost without suspicion.
Trebol, Vergo, Diamante, and Pica—these were all people he chose to be his "family."
And now, Michael was using their lives as leverage against him.
"Doffy! Do it! These Marines have gone too far!"
Vergo couldn't bear the intense heat radiating from the flame. His hands instantly turned jet black as Armament Haki surged around them.
"It's just Devil Fruit power—Haki can overcome it—"
"Aaaaaaaghhh!!!"
Doflamingo tried to stop him, but Vergo's attack had come without warning.
In the next moment, as Vergo screamed in agony, Doflamingo's eyes widened in shock, and his lips began to twitch.
Because Vergo's hands—coated in Armament Haki just moments before—
Were gone.
Not severed. Not shattered.
But slowly burned away, little by little, as soon as they touched that flame.
Not even ash remained.
"Haki can indeed resist Devil Fruit powers..."
"But your Haki… isn't strong enough to extinguish my Holy Flame."
Michael hadn't moved an inch the entire time. His hands remained clasped calmly in front of him.
Vergo, the most proficient in Haki among the Donquixote Family—aside from Doflamingo himself—couldn't even withstand this small portion of Michael's power?
If they had any fighting spirit before, it had now completely evaporated...
Even Doflamingo started to feel a sense of despair.
The power displayed in just that brief instant…
Why hadn't someone like this become as famous as those Admiral candidates?
What kind of secret was the Navy hiding?
"Doflamingo, you're a good kid, aren't you?" Michael finally stood up, casting a glance at the unconscious Vergo.
"Were you really helping slave traders connect with the Celestial Dragons?"
"Good kid..." The phrase made Doflamingo think of Vice Admiral Tsuru instantly. "Tch, no matter how I answer, you're not going to let me go, are you?"
He stared into Michael's eyes—brighter than any jewel—and felt sweat bead along his temple.
With his mastery of all three types of Haki, he could clearly sense the indifference in those eyes.
He… was even more terrifying than Tsuru!
There was no way he could escape!
"No, you guessed wrong." Michael finally smiled. That cold, holy expression vanished, and a more animated face emerged. "I can give you a chance. A chance to atone for your sins… and to save your subordinates' lives."
Michael's sudden 180-degree shift in attitude almost made Doflamingo's heart leap out of his chest.
"A chance? What kind of chance? Be specific…"
"Recently, I've found the underworld to be… far too messy. And too vast. It's really quite inconvenient to manage." Michael reached out and pinched Doflamingo's cheek lightly. "Back then, it took so many resources just to clean up Sabaody. Cleaning up the entire underground world would be even worse."
"So… Doflamingo."
"I'm giving you a chance."
"A chance to become the biggest star in the entire underworld!"
After speaking, Michael leisurely observed Doflamingo's reaction.
Yes, bad people ought to be killed.
But at a time like this, Michael…
Was short on manpower!
So some capable villains had to be squeezed dry—even down to the marrow.
Letting Doflamingo unify the underworld might look like creating a behemoth, but as long as Michael held Doflamingo's life in his hands, the real control would lie with him.
It would save time and manpower—and could even provide indirect support to the Revolutionary Army or the Navy.
For example… the Heavenly Tribute.
In the original storyline, it was Doflamingo who looted the Heavenly Tribute. So why not "follow history," right?
And villains always believe "a real man shouldn't be subordinate to others for long." When they inevitably rebel, cleaning them up would be a convenient bonus.
After all, Michael was an angel.
He definitely wasn't some demon~
"The entire underworld? Isn't your ambition a bit too big?"
"No, the question is—do you have the ambition to match the task of unifying the underworld?"
Faced with Michael's rhetorical question, Doflamingo fell silent for a long time. Finally, he let out his iconic laugh:
"Fufufufufu! What an irresistible offer… Even I want to live, after all!"
"Then it's… a deal."
With that, Michael turned decisively, leading all the Marine officers toward the exit.
Just before stepping out, he looked back with a cold expression and said:
"Don't think about playing both sides… My eyes are always watching you."
Stella and the others all looked toward Doflamingo…
This guy must've committed no small number of sins in his past life.
That's why fate rewarded him with Michael in this one.
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