"Now, you may kneel."
The moment Rozwald uttered this nonchalant remark, an eerie, deathly silence fell over the entire auction hall.
Even the sound of breathing disappeared.
Everyone's gaze was fixed on Rayleigh.
Rayleigh frowned, locking his sharp eyes on the Celestial Dragon elder standing close by.
He could clearly sense the frailty and weakness of the old man before him.
Yet the elder remained unfazed by Rayleigh's overwhelming presence, showing not a hint of fear.
"Is it because years of being in a position of power naturally instill such an air of superiority? This old man is something else."
"Hahaha."
Suddenly, Rayleigh burst into laughter.
"Hahahaha! Not bad, not bad at all. But threatening an old man who already has one foot in the grave isn't exactly a wise choice."
His laughter abruptly stopped. His cold gaze swept across the hall, where over a hundred guards standing beside Rozwald raised their spears and flintlocks.
"Aren't you afraid that I'll slaughter every single person here? I can do it in an instant—so fast that your guards wouldn't even have time to call for backup."
Rayleigh pointed at the CP guard captain, who was pale and drenched in sweat.
"Why hesitate any longer? Have you grown more cautious with age? Dark King Rayleigh, where's the sharpness befitting a legendary pirate?"
Rozwald continued to press him.
Rayleigh stared deeply at him before smiling. "You're right. With age comes hesitation and overthinking. Your threats do put this old man in a tough spot. Are you trying to force me to retreat to Amazon Lily?"
Shaking his head, he clasped his hands behind his back. Without kneeling, he turned around and began walking out through the audience seating aisle.
"Ah, what a pity to leave such a fine place like Sabaody. Can't an old man just retire peacefully here?"
"Sabaody is too beautiful to be tainted by pirates."
Rozwald's voice echoed from the stands, causing Rayleigh to halt mid-step.
A smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. He turned abruptly, his eyes narrowing behind his round glasses.
"Buzz!"
In an instant, a surge of overwhelming Conqueror's Haki erupted from his aged body, sweeping across the entire auction hall like a raging storm.
Under this devastating pressure, everyone in the hall became as fragile as leaves in a gale.
One by one, people collapsed, their eyes rolling back, foaming at the mouth.
Thud.
Thud.
A few seconds later, the massive auction hall was littered with unconscious bodies.
Not a single person remained standing.
The scene resembled the aftermath of a massacre, with bodies scattered chaotically across the floor.
Rayleigh glanced at Rozwald, who had also fallen unconscious, and shook his head lightly.
"An amusing Celestial Dragon."
"Hahaha! Time to tell Shakky. Looks like we really need to find a new spot this time."
Then, he spotted the mermaid floating in the fish tank. Sighing, he turned back, fished her out, cradled her in his arms, and swiftly disappeared from the auction hall.
.....
Minutes later.
The CP guard captain groggily regained consciousness, clutching his aching head.
The first thing he saw was the 'corpses' sprawled all over the floor.
When his eyes landed on the three members of Rozwald's family lying unconscious with rolled-back eyes, a chill ran down his spine, leaving him drenched in cold sweat.
He scrambled to Rozwald's side, pressing his ear to the elder's chest to check his heartbeat.
Upon hearing Rozwald's faint but steady heartbeat, the captain heaved a sigh of relief and quickly checked on Saint Shalulia and Saint Charlos.
After confirming that the three Celestial Dragons were unharmed, his legs gave out, and he slumped to the ground, utterly drained. His body was soaked in sweat as if he'd just been pulled from water.
"Thank goodness… Rozwald and his family are safe. Otherwise, I'd have no way to report this to the higher-ups. Did the Dark King Rayleigh leave? Was that just now Conqueror's Haki? What terrifying power… Truly befitting a legendary pirate. To have Rayleigh on the Sabaody Archipelago is far too dangerous for the Celestial Dragons. This must be reported to the World Government."
With these thoughts swirling in his mind, a few more minutes passed before the unconscious began waking up one after another.
When Rozwald opened his eyes, the CP captain hurried to his side to support him.
Rozwald scanned the scene, then returned to his seat.
A moment later, Saint Charlos and Saint Shalulia also regained consciousness, looking around in confusion.
"Do you have Doflamingo's contact number?"
Rozwald turned to the CP captain standing beside him.
"Yes, my lord. Do you wish to contact Heavenly Yaksha? I'll dial it immediately."
The captain quickly retrieved a drowsy-looking Den Den Mushi from his pocket. Clearly, the creature had also been knocked out by Rayleigh's Haki earlier.
Brrr… brrr… brrr…
The Den Den Mushi rang a few times before being answered.
A sharp, screeching voice came through, as if someone were speaking with their throat clenched.
"Who is it?"
"Get that idiot Doflamingo on the line."
Rozwald coldly grabbed the Den Den Mushi from the captain's hand and spoke.
"What did you say? How dare you insult the Young Master?! Do you have a death wish?"
Before the voice on the other end could finish, the CP captain barked sternly, his face turning pale: "You're the top executive of the Donquixote Family, Pica, right? Listen up! This is the great Saint Rozwald!"
"I don't care who you… What? Saint Rozwald?"
The sharp voice stopped abruptly, followed by the chaotic sound of hurried footsteps.
...
New World, Dressrosa Kingdom, Royal Palace
"Doffy! Doffy!"
Pica, sweat dripping from beneath his metal mask, carefully cradled the Den Den Mushi as he sprinted out of the room.
What had he done?
He had just threatened a Celestial Dragon!
A moment's thought was all it took to realize the caller must have been someone of considerable importance.
After all, this Den Den Mushi was Doflamingo's personal line, known only to a select few, such as Kaido and other high-ranking figures above Doflamingo in status.
"Pica, why the commotion?"
In the palace's grand hall, Doflamingo lounged sideways on his throne, propping his head up with one hand while Violet massaged his shoulders. Beside them stood Baby 5...
Placing the peeled grape into his mouth, the scene unfolded.
"Doffy! It's a call from the Celestial Dragons. They said... it's Saint Rosward."
Pica's throat tightened as he whispered the name, his voice as small as possible, fearing that his tone alone might provoke more fury from the person on the other end of the Den Den Mushi.
"The Celestial Dragons? Saint Rosward?"
Hearing the name, Doflamingo, who had been lounging leisurely, immediately straightened up. He waved his hand dismissively.
"Violet, Baby 5, Pica, leave."
"Celestial Dragons?"
Standing behind him, Violet's eyes flashed with deep curiosity.
She didn't say anything but obediently followed behind Pica as they exited the hall.
Once outside, Violet separated herself from Baby 5 and Pica. Finding a corner, she formed two circles with her index fingers and thumbs and placed them in front of her eyes.
"Vision… Clairvoyance."
Her eyes glimmered as if piercing through the thick walls to see what was happening inside the hall.
Inside, Doflamingo held the Den Den Mushi cautiously and spoke, "Saint Rosward, what could prompt you to contact me?"
"To demand accountability, of course."
The Den Den Mushi's features shifted to mimic Saint Rosward, confirming his identity.
"Accountability? Fufufufu, I'm not sure what you mean. I don't recall offending you, Lord Rosward."
Doflamingo licked his lips, offering a slight smile.
"No offense? Hmph! In your ridiculous auction house in Sabaody, you dared to put the Dark King Rayleigh on the block as a slave. What exactly were you trying to accomplish, hmm?"
Doflamingo's eyes widened instantly, and his face twitched.
"Dark... Dark King Rayleigh? Are you saying that Berkley captured and auctioned off the legendary Rayleigh as a slave?"
He pinched his thigh to make sure he wasn't dreaming.
If Berkley was capable of such a feat, why was he even running an auction house? He could've been second-in-command of the Donquixote Family instead!
"Why don't you ask him yourself?"
Saint Rosward's tone was icy.
Quickly, the Den Den Mushi morphed into a tearful Berkley.
"Berkley, what the hell is going on? What did you do in Sabaody? Do you have a death wish?"
Doflamingo's forehead veins bulged as he bellowed.
"Master Doffy, it wasn't me! I didn't know that drunk old man was the legendary Dark King. He came to the auction himself, saying he was broke and wanted to sell himself for drinking money…"
"Shut up, you brainless idiot!"
Doflamingo couldn't listen any longer. His patience snapped.
"Doflamingo, do you have an explanation? Do you realize that ten minutes ago, the distance between Rayleigh and us was less than ten meters? He strolled out casually, but not before hitting my entire family with his Conqueror's Haki. Oh, and..."
"He claimed to have a partnership with you."
"He's lying! It's a slanderous lie! I have no ties with him whatsoever!" Doflamingo hurriedly denied.
"Then how do you explain his appearance in your auction house?"
"Doflamingo, I was close friends with your father, Homing. When you were little, I even held you in my arms. Back then, what did you call me? Ah, yes—godfather. That's right."
"Now, I want to hear you call me that again."
Saint Rosward's voice was calm but carried a heavy pressure.
Doflamingo's handsome face twisted in rage. His hand gripped the throne's armrest, slowly crushing it into powder.
"What's wrong? You seem reluctant. In that case…"
"Godfather."
The word was squeezed out from between Doflamingo's teeth.
"What was that? I didn't quite hear you," Saint Rosward said, raising an eyebrow.
Doflamingo took a deep breath, lifted the Den Den Mushi, and forced a wide smile, baring his teeth.
"Godfather."
"Hahahaha, good. Doflamingo, my dear boy, I like you. Perhaps I'll put in a good word for you with the Five Elders to restore your status as a Celestial Dragon."
"Thank you, Godfather," Doflamingo replied, lowering his head, his face showing a feigned gratitude.
Saint Rosward laughed a few more times before his tone turned cold.
"My dear boy, send someone to clean up the mess in Sabaody. I want to see your sincerity. Remember, you have two days."
Click.
The Den Den Mushi disconnected.
Sitting on his throne, Doflamingo's forehead veins throbbed. His handsome face contorted into a terrifying snarl.
"Argh! Damn you, Rosward! How dare you humiliate me!"
He hurled the Den Den Mushi across the hall.
Smash!
The unfortunate Den Den Mushi hit the wall and splattered into a mess of goo.
"And Berkley, that moronic fool! Useless garbage! A thousand deaths wouldn't be enough for him!"
"And Rayleigh, that old bastard! If I ever get the chance, I'll send him straight to hell to join Roger!"
Hearing the furious roars coming from inside the hall, Pica cautiously pushed open the door and entered.
Before he could speak, Doflamingo issued his orders in a cold voice:
"Prepare 5 billion Berries in cash and ten mermaids. Have Diamante personally deliver them to Saint Rosward's family in Sabaody."
"Now! Immediately! Use the fastest means possible!"
(End of Chapter)
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