Chương 74: Chapter 74
And so, day after day, Doflamingo endured. His body weakened, his spirit battered, but his resolve never faltered. He knew it in his gut that as long as he held on, there was still a chance for redemption—for himself, for his brother, and for the legacy of the Donquixote family. And so, with each passing moment, he clung to life with all the strength he could muster, determined to survive against all odds.
Just as Doffy was still holding on, he could faintly hear footsteps approaching him. Due to his weakened state, even his senses were failing him, but he was sure that it was one of those bastards who came to torment him every single day. Doflamingo's eyes flickered with a glimmer of defiance, despite his weakened state.
"Hahaha, if it isn't the brat who tried to defy and tarnish the name of the Donquixote family, You sure are pathetic. Look at you now. At least if you had become a slave, you might not have suffered so," sneered an elderly man from the Donquixote family.
He was the same man who had tried to auction Doffy and Ross, and he had always held a grudge against the two kids escaping his grasp back then. Internally, he felt a sense of bliss looking at the tattered form of Doffy—an almost withered mess of a heart that lay beneath the crucifix, which had already turned to dust.
As the elderly man's cruel words echoed through the square, a sense of vindictive satisfaction washed over him. For years, he had harbored resentment towards Doflamingo and his younger brother, Ross, for tarnishing his name due to the failed auction and escaping his grasp. Now, seeing Doflamingo reduced to such a pitiful state, he relished the opportunity to revel in his torment.
"You thought you were above us all, didn't you?" The man taunted, his voice dripping with scorn.
"You thought you could defy us forever with that stupid stunt you pulled last time, but look at you now—broken, defeated, and utterly worthless." The last time, the two kids were let go for some odd reason, and it was an order from the elders, so no one could defy it back then.
Doffy remained calm despite his weakened state and the monks repeated mockery. "You may gloat now, but my time will come," he rasped, his voice barely above a whisper. "My brother will come for me, and when he does, you will all pay for your insolence."
The elderly man laughed, a cruel sound that echoed through the square. "Your brother? Ha! He's probably dead by now, just like you soon will be. No one is coming to save you, brat. You are alone, and you will die alone."
But even as the man spoke, a flicker of doubt crossed his mind. He had heard confirmation of Ross's supposed demise, but something about the conviction in Doflamingo's voice gave him pause. Could it be possible that the other kid was still alive and that he would indeed come to rescue his brother?
Shaking off the thought, the man turned away from Doflamingo's broken form, his heart hardened with resentment and bitterness. He had waited too long for this moment of triumph to let doubts cloud his mind now.
Meanwhile, Doflamingo clung to the faint hope that Ross would come for him, his spirit unbroken despite the cruelty of his captors. For as long as he drew breath, he would hold onto the belief that his brother would save him from this living nightmare, no matter the odds stacked against them.
The old man's sinister grin widened as he drove the spear deep into Doflamingo's shoulder, relishing the sight of his victim's stoic endurance. But Doflamingo refused to give him the satisfaction of a reaction, gritting his teeth against the searing pain coursing through his body.
With a cruel chuckle, the old man withdrew the spear and held it aloft, the moonlight glinting off its polished surface. "You're nothing but a pathetic worm, little brat," he sneered, his voice dripping with contempt. "A mere shadow of a true descendant of gods. Do you honestly believe anyone would shed a tear for you if I ended your miserable existence right here and now?"
Doflamingo's eyes narrowed with defiant resolve, his gaze unwavering despite the agony radiating from his wounded shoulder.
The old man's laughter echoed through the square, a hollow sound filled with malice and derision. "Your delusions of grandeur will be your downfall, Doflamingo," he spat, his grip tightening on the spear as he aimed for Doflamingo's heart. "But fear not—I will put an end to your suffering once and for all."
With a savage thrust, the old man lunged forward, the spear aimed directly at Doflamingo's chest. But even as the metal tip closed in on its target, Doflamingo's eyes burned with an unyielding resolve, his spirit unbroken despite the grim reaper's calling.
Just as the spear was about to pierce Doflamingo's heart, a flash of black lightning flickered, leaving everyone bewildered. Even the soldiers and government agents surrounding the old man from the Donquixote family had no idea what had just occurred.
"Clang!" The sound of metal hitting the ground drew everyone's attention. However, Doflamingo, who was about to face death, held a wide smirk on his face. Suddenly, the sea stone shackles that bound Doffy hit the ground, all within a split second, leaving the soldiers with no time to react.
"You made me wait, little brother." Despite his pathetic condition, Doflamingo's majestic aura soared into the sky. Within the next few moments, I moved with unparalleled speed, cutting down all the soldiers surrounding the scene leaving only the Celestial Dragon alive. My eyes filled with rage as I understood my brother's condition—he was a mere husk, his life clinging to him only through sheer will.
Anger clouded my mind entirely, and I wanted nothing more than to burn down the entire holy land and kill them all. With a quick slash, clad with armament haki, I severed the remaining chains that bound Doflamingo and caught his frail body before it hit the ground.
The old World Noble was already planted on his arse, frozen by sheer terror. One moment, he was about to claim his prize, but the next instant, he was at the mercy of the two youths he had wanted to kill. Now, Doffy's earlier words resonated in his ears again.
"Help me up, little brother!" Doffy commanded, and I assisted him, knowing his frail body wouldn't support him. However, he pushed aside my hand aside after I helped him up and took a shaky step towards the now-downed Celestial Dragon, who was shivering in sheer terror.
"I told you earlier, didn't I? That you would pay for your insolence. Even I didn't think that retribution would be so swift," Doffy chuckled as he extended his arms towards the Celestial Dragon.
"You, you little bastard! What are you trying to do? Get away from me, you dog! I will have you butchered!" the old man shouted. Meanwhile, I was already cutting down the soldiers who were in the square, rushing in to save the Tenryubito.
"Revenge tastes so sweet," Doffy laughed maniacally. Despite the struggle of the old man, Doffy caught him by the neck. With the Sea Stone shackles no longer restricting him, Doffy unleashed his flame powers, starting to burn the old man alive. He took it slow, cherishing every second of the blood-curdling screams from the Celestial Dragon as he was being roasted alive. Just a minute in, all that was left was a burned husk, completely charred. Doffy was completely exhausted, and he staggered and fell to the ground not being able to hold himself upright.
But then Doflamingo's hoarse voice cut through like a voice of reason as he tried to gesture me from the ground with his now bony, feeble hands. Instinctively I flickered next to my brother and helped him up. "Not yet, little brother, not yet. The gap between us is too large; we stand no chance even with your current strength. Let's fall back for now. I am sure the head of this single dog would suffice for now," Doflamingo said, bending down with my support to rip out the charred head of the old man from the Donquixote family.
Although I was raging on the inside, I knew that my first priority was my brother, and I couldn't risk doing anything foolish with so many powerhouses around. I had absolute superiority when it came to speed, so I decided to retreat first alongside Doffy.
"Crimson Serpent!" Just as I was ready to retreat with my brother, I detected a blood serpent flying towards me, and I knew exactly who it was. I pulled out Kitetsu with one smooth motion and sent out a flying slash of my own, "Thunder Serpent!" Agana, who was rushing forward with ferocity, completely paused as a massive black lightning serpent, comparable to her own attack, manifested. Two serpents, one crimson and the other black, clashed midair, each trying to gain dominance over the other.
I knew I had yet to reach Agana's standard, but I was not completely helpless like last time. However, I did not want to be entangled in a fight with the peak Admiral-level powerhouse right in the midst of the Holy Land. Even as we clashed, I detected more and more strong presences approaching the central square. With one last defiant look in Agana's direction, I flickered away from the Holy Land while carrying Doffy in my arms, who had already fainted.
As I retreated away from the Holy Land, the entire place stirred as they realized a celestial dragon had just been killed. They mobilized in force, trying to capture me, but I had left a large gift for them. Just as they were about to depart, a massive thundercloud that had been floating in the night sky, which I had charged to the extreme, rained down on the Redport.
Massive lightning pillars descended like ferocious dragons, tearing through the side of the Red Line. I was sure that if I had directed such a massive attack towards the Holy Land itself, it would have been completely stopped. My lightning attack rampaged through the entirety of Redport, devastating it almost completely.
The one advantage I had was my speed. Even if there were devil fruits that granted flying abilities, they were really rare, and the movement of lightning was not something most users could catch up to. Maybe only Borsalino and a few users who could directly increase their speed with their fruit powers could possibly outmatch me when it came to speed.
Agana, who stood at the top of the Redline, watched the havoc the black pillars of lightning were causing on the Redport below. My lightning tore through the lifts and ships that lay anchored; even the ships patrolling nearby were not spared. She immediately formed wings made out of blood and flew into the air to clash with the thunderstorm head-on.
"Crimson World!" Agana's voice bellowed through the skies as massive pillars of blood rose, clashing with the lightning that descended. But by the time she reacted, I was already far on the horizon, moving towards a small island a few hundred miles away, where the caravel was anchored.
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