"C-C-Cipher Pol?!" Upon hearing the name of the World Government's most elite and capable, or perhaps most notorious, intelligence agency, Trebol nearly lost his mind, white mucus splattering from his eyes, ears, and nose.
Diamante, meanwhile, maintained his previous state of alarm.
Having traveled halfway across the Grand Line, they had, intentionally or not, picked up many rumors about Cipher Pol.
Doflamingo removed his sunglasses and looked down to wipe them. A subtle, cold glint appeared in his eyes. It wasn't directed at Cipher Pol, or the World Government and Celestial Dragons behind them, but rather at Trebol and Diamante's subconscious reaction to merely hearing the name Cipher Pol.
"Two terrified cowards!"
Doflamingo held extreme disdain for Trebol and Diamante. Their current behavior, combined with their past experiences, and even his "premonition" of their future uselessness, solidified his opinion.
Everyone experiences various forms of failure in life. Failure itself isn't terrifying; what's terrifying is the process of failing and one's reaction afterward.
Doflamingo had already categorized Trebol and Diamante as "complete failures" due to their utterly cowardly process of failure and their post-failure reaction, where the fear instilled by "Golden Lion" had crushed even their souls.
Doflamingo had no desire to associate with failures and be influenced into becoming one himself. However, he was too young right now and lacked the ability to survive on his own. Therefore, he was willing to feign cooperation with Trebol and Diamante for the time being.
He also seized the opportunity to magnify the fear "Golden Lion" had instilled in them, using his Conqueror's Haki to make them realize the absolute disparity in spirit and talent. This would quickly dispel any unrealistic notions they had of cultivating him as a guide to extort gratitude and achieve success or equal standing. He intended to seize dominant control.
"Fufufufu~ That's right, it's Cipher Pol. Did you think the great secret I hold about the Celestial Dragons was fake? During my unconscious period, they've had ample time to track us, those omnipresent agents," Doflamingo said, putting on his sunglasses, effectively masking his emotions, and then tilting his head back, flashing a wide smile. "No need to fear. I suspect they'll send the ones specialized in handling unsavory tasks: Cipher Pol Number 9."
"CP9? Aren't there only CP1 to CP8?" Diamante exclaimed, suddenly understanding with a startled look.
Doflamingo said playfully, "As I said, CP9 handles 'unsavory tasks.' They have the authority to execute on sight anyone who is, or potentially is, a threat to the World Government. That's why you only know about CP1 to CP8, but not CP9! For example, CP9 is Cipher Pol's black gloves, and CP0 is Cipher Pol's brain."
Trebol and Diamante: "..."
There's even CP0?!
Their different standing limited their scope of knowledge, which was far inferior to Doflamingo's.
"As far as I know, CP9 is currently in an awkward transitional period, lacking truly formidable agents, and even the truly formidable ones wouldn't be sent here," Doflamingo said languidly. "I am, after all, just a child; I'm not worth such a large-scale mobilization. I have someone in mind from my memories, fufufufu~ a loyal dog of the World Government, a super careerist. He'll probably be sent to apprehend me."
Trebol was about to say something.
"Less chatter. I have absolute reason for this adventure. Prepare yourselves, set a trap!" Doflamingo ended the conversation abruptly, leaving no room for doubt. He thought to himself, 'Only a Celestial Dragon can kill a Celestial Dragon. This is a forbidden zone no one can touch, not even the Gorosei. Cipher Pol wouldn't dare do anything to me, but you two are a different story. Of course, I dare to take risks; even if it doesn't succeed, it's no big deal.'
.....
A couple of hours later.
On the desolate island littered with garbage, a dozen incongruously clean and tidy men in black suits arrived, their appearance starkly out of place amidst the filth.
"Ugh~ What a terrible environment, it stinks! Why am I so unlucky to be assigned this task..."
"Being a Celestial Dragon is so good, isn't it? That brat, even though he's lost his World Noble title, he's still so highly regarded. It's all my useless old man's fault, no, my ancestors'. If they had been one of the royal families that established the World Government seven hundred years ago, I'd be a 'descendant of the creators' who could do whatever he pleased, wouldn't I? I wouldn't have to work so hard, would I? I wouldn't have been assigned this miserable task that could ruin my future if I'm not careful, would I?"
"Hahahaha...!"
"Just thinking about it makes me excited, sigh~ but it's only thinking."
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!"
The middle-aged man leading this small team had a curly, slicked-back hairstyle, a long face, and a large chin. As soon as he disembarked, he began to mutter to himself.
"Sir, stop daydreaming. This mission has been repeatedly emphasized by both the Gorosei and the World Nobles," his subordinate reminded him.
The middle-aged man stepped forward listlessly, looking utterly fed up with life. "I know, I know. Donquixote Doflamingo. Find him, bring him back to Mariejois. Do not harm him."
"As expected of an errand boy, not even aware of the true purpose, fufufufu~" The cutting words, paired with a mocking, silent, low chuckle, were nothing short of sarcastic.
The middle-aged man immediately became furious, turning his head in anger and roaring, "You bastards! Who's talking bad about this officer!"
The dozen men in black suits were uniformly speechless, pointing towards a nearby garbage pile.
"Spandine, CP9 squad. Just as I predicted," Doflamingo said, sitting on a broken sofa, legs crossed, hands resting on his knees, gripping a flintlock. His posture was utterly arrogant.
Spandine paused. "Huh?! You know me?"
"An agent who can't flatter isn't a good careerist, the famous Spandine. After all, Cipher Pol once served me," Doflamingo said awkwardly.
Spandine scratched the back of his head, chuckling foolishly. "I actually got praised, thank you very much... Not!," he immediately realized that Doflamingo was no longer someone he served, and the malice contained in that sentence. His expression darkened. "We finally tracked you down, Donquixote Doflamingo. By order of the Gorosei and the World Nobles, we will escort you back to the Holy Land."
"They kicked me out when I willingly went to Mariejois, and now that I've left, they want me back?" Doflamingo sneered. "Fufufufu~ Losing face once is enough for me; it's someone else's turn to lose face now."
Spandine said, "Does that mean you refuse? With that toy gun of yours?"
"That's right," Doflamingo cocked his gun, aiming at Spandine.
Spandine burst out laughing. "Hahahaha! What a joke!"
"You don't believe me?" Doflamingo adjusted the angle of his gun, aiming instead at the ground near Spandine's feet... Silently, the ground for dozens of meters around the CP9 squad began to flow with white mucus.
It was Trebol's Devil Fruit ability: white mucus that explodes on contact with fire.
Bang!
The gun fired.
Rumble, rumble, rumble!!!
Explosions followed one after another, thick smoke mixing with garbage debris rising, and the stench in the air intensified.