Led by Watt, Gilbert's personal bodyguard, Aaron passed easily through the heavily guarded corridors of the castle and arrived without incident at an opulent chamber on the top floor.
"Mr. Aaron, you've come at just the right time please, have a seat," Gilbert said warmly as he rose from his chair to greet him.
Strength always commands respect. No matter how arrogant Gilbert might be, after witnessing Aaron's near-inhuman training over the past two months, he had to admit that this young man was already among the few true powerhouses in Vilia Port.
Moreover, Aaron had proven himself invaluable helping uncover several assassins sent by the royal army. Because of that, Gilbert no longer found him so disagreeable; in fact, he'd grown to view Aaron with genuine respect.
"Fuffuffuffu~ You're finally here. I was just talking about you, Aaron. That Snow-Snow Fruit I gave you works quite well, doesn't it?"
Before Aaron could answer, a familiar, mocking laugh came from a Den Den Mushi sitting on Gilbert's desk.
Doflamingo!
Aaron instantly recognized that magnetic, sinister laugh, it could only belong to the pink-feathered sociopath himself.
He replied coldly, "It's not bad. I've gotten the hang of it. But let me remind you of something it wasn't a gift. The Akio Gang took it from you, fair and square, as part of our deal involving the prisoners."
"You brat! How dare a mere gang underling speak to the Young Master like that!" a shrill, angry voice interrupted before Doflamingo could respond. "Don't think that just because you've eaten a Logia-type Devil Fruit you're strong. You're nothing but trash who doesn't even know how to use Armament Haki!"
Aaron immediately recognized that sharp, grating tone Pica.
He didn't even bother replying. In his mind, Pica was a reckless brute, not worth his time. Revealing his true power just to argue with a fool would have been meaningless.
"What's the matter? Cat got your tongue?" Pica sneered, mistaking Aaron's silence for fear. "Listen well, brat when you speak to the Young Master, you will use honorifics! Otherwise, I'll make you regret it! And one more thing tell that bastard Akio I'll settle our score someday soon!"
As Pica ranted on, venting all his pent-up rage, Doflamingo remained silent, allowing his subordinate to speak freely. Clearly, he didn't mind letting Pica use Aaron as a punching bag to relieve his frustration.
But then
"Heheheh~~"
A laugh—light, amused, and cutting sliced through Pica's tirade.
The sound made Pica's skin crawl.
Aaron's voice followed, dripping with mockery. "Big guy, I remember you. Why don't you shut up already? Just thinking about your face while hearing that squeaky voice of yours… it's hilarious. Heheheh~~"
Aaron had never been known for patience. Against someone who could genuinely threaten his life, he would show proper caution. But Pica? He was just a loudmouthed fool. Aaron wasted no time in striking where it hurt most.
Pure, unfiltered mockery.
And everyone knew what Pica hated most people laughing at his voice.
Hearing that derisive laughter echo through the Den Den Mushi, Pica's face turned crimson with rage. His eyes bulged, veins pulsing as he glared murderously at the phone snail. Were it not for the fact that Doflamingo still needed it, he might have crushed it on the spot.
Even the Den Den Mushi itself began trembling, sensing the killing intent radiating from Pica. Cowering, it nevertheless dutifully mimicked Aaron's exaggerated smirk as it transmitted his laughter.
"Enough," Doflamingo said coolly, his tone hard as steel. "Laugh one more time, and I'll kill you myself."
Typical Doflamingo utterly two-faced. It was fine for Pica to insult Aaron, but heaven forbid Aaron retaliate.
Aaron chuckled again, unfazed. "Heh, then come on, little flamingo. I'll be right here in the Drum Kingdom waiting for you. Unless, of course, you're afraid the lion might bite?"
Doflamingo's expression darkened instantly.
Others might not understand Aaron's meaning, but Doflamingo certainly did.
At this point in history, the Donquixote Family's power was still limited. Their crew was nowhere near as formidable as it would become a decade later. If Doflamingo actually dared to stir up trouble in the Drum Kingdom now, he'd likely return in pieces and possibly incur the wrath of the Golden Lion.
That madman wouldn't care one bit about Doflamingo's Celestial Dragon heritage. If anything, knowing it would only make him more eager to kill.
Once Shiki, the Golden Lion himself, set his sights on someone, only protection from the Marines or one of the emperors could save them. Otherwise, it was a death sentence.
Aaron was sure Doflamingo understood exactly what he was implying.
Sure enough, at the mention of the Golden Lion's name, Doflamingo fell silent. No matter how arrogant he was, even he didn't dare provoke that legendary monster.
Grand Line: A small island port
The Numancia Flamingo, flagship of the Donquixote Pirates, was moored quietly at the docks.
Inside the captain's quarters, Doflamingo sat behind his desk, glaring coldly at the Den Den Mushi. His jaw was tight, the veins on his forehead bulging barely restrained fury radiating from him.
In the room with him were his three top officers: Trebol, Pica, and Diamante. None of them dared to speak. Their faces were tense, Pica's especially his earlier arrogance had completely vanished, replaced by regret and dread.
As Doflamingo's most trusted lieutenants, they all knew the truth about the Akio Gang and the Flying Pirates. Which meant they'd understood the weight of Aaron's words instantly.
They had assumed Aaron was just a small-time figure within the Akio Gang someone far too low-ranked to know anything about the Golden Lion. But the fact that he'd invoked Shiki's name so confidently proved otherwise.
It could only mean one thing: Aaron was already affiliated with the Flying Pirates themselves.
If that were true, then their threats had been meaningless from the start. To Aaron, the Donquixote Pirates were nothing more than an amusing annoyance not even worth taking seriously.
Pica clenched his fists in shame. Only now did he realize how foolish he'd been. Aaron's laughter earlier hadn't been forced; it had been genuine.
But he didn't dare speak another word. He knew as well as anyone that provoking the Golden Lion could mean annihilation.
Even after years in hiding, Shiki's name still carried legendary weight across the seas.
And now, with just a few well-placed words, Aaron had used that reputation to completely cow Doflamingo and the entire Donquixote Family.
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