Snapping out of his daydreams, Doflamingo left some food for Rosinante, put on a pair of round sunglasses that weren't nearly fashionable enough, and set off toward the hideout where Trebol and the others were waiting.
As for Rosinante, he had no plans to bring him along just yet.
For one, Trebol and the rest had some seriously flawed ideas about raising children—they were the kind of people who taught kids to commit patricide. He wouldn't have minded if it was just about retaliating against bullies, but their philosophy seemed to be that if the road was uneven, you might as well blow up the entire town. That kind of twisted logic was unacceptable.
Their so-called "education" was nothing but blind indulgence and reckless praise. Leaving Rosinante in their care would only end in disaster. Besides, judging from Trebol's behavior later on, it was clear he had taken it upon himself to act as a guardian figure, something Doflamingo would not tolerate.
Mutual exploitation was fine, but making decisions for him? Absolutely not.
He needed to establish the hierarchy sooner or later.
And if they refused to acknowledge it? Well, he'd find an opportunity to get rid of them.
Loyalty that wasn't absolute might as well be outright betrayal.
The second reason was to draw attention away from Rosinante. If there were still people out there hunting them, Doflamingo would act as the decoy. Trebol and the others would be the ones to handle any trouble while Rosinante, tucked away in a new junkyard, would at least be safe for the time being.
Third, Rosinante needed to toughen up. Witnessing his older brother kill their father had surely left him with a grudge. Letting him get beaten up a bit would help divert that anger elsewhere. Then, when the time was right, Doflamingo would save him in a moment of crisis, reinforcing the bond between them and curing his naïve sense of morality in one go.
And if no one came to beat him up? Well, even after his Conqueror's Haki outburst, there were still plenty of small-time thugs who dared to pick on him. If it came to it, Doflamingo would stage an incident himself.
If even that didn't work, then maybe Rosinante was just unlucky.
Betrayers all deserved to die.
Rosinante, surely you can see that everything I do is for your own good?
He hadn't yet mastered the full swagger of an untouchable king—his body hadn't finished growing, and developing bowlegs could affect his future height.
Weaving through the town, he eventually reached another ruined area, where he found Trebol, Diamante, Pica, and Vergo—who still had breadcrumbs stuck to his face.
Pica, already showing remarkable growth.
The four of them, still groggy with sleep, barely managed to muster two pairs of open eyes between them. Compared to how they'd look in thirty years, Diamante, Pica, and Vergo still had a youthful naivety about them.
Trebol, on the other hand, was already an unkempt old man, with a scruffy beard and that ridiculous green melon-like hat.
Even though Doflamingo had memories of their appearances, seeing them in person—with faces that didn't match their ages—was still a little jarring.
'The One Piece world really doesn't care about appearances, huh?'
Meanwhile, Trebol and the others eyed Doflamingo, noting his empty hands with mixed expressions.
Diamante, the most composed of the group, was the first to shake off his drowsiness. Tightening the steel scarf around his neck, he leaned forward and spoke in a gentle tone.
"Doffy, did something go wrong?"
"Of course not. The plan has just changed."
"You mean… you're giving up on returning to Mary Geoise?"
"Fuffuffuffuffu… Power and treasure are things you seize with your own hands! Anyone who relies on charity will only end up losing everything—just like my pathetic father."
'This kind of awareness? Doffy's growing up fast… Is this what it means to be born a king?'
Trebol, stirred by Doflamingo's resolute words, bent down and spoke with heartfelt devotion.
"Hehehehe~ Listen, listen, Doffy… No matter what you choose to do, you are our king. We will follow you anywhere. In return, please—lead us to our dreams!"
'Blind faith in Conqueror's Haki is dangerous.'
That thought suddenly crossed Doflamingo's mind as he looked at Trebol, kneeling so abruptly it almost seemed comical.
Still, words were one thing, actions were another.
He raised one hand high and placed the other atop Trebol's outstretched palm, his lips curling into a manic grin.
"Fuffuffuffuffu… Very well. Then I will carry your dreams upon my back."
"I will take you to the pinnacle of power and drag those foolish pigs in the heavens back down to where they belong!"
"This beautiful world should dance in the palm of my hand. I—only I, Donquixote Doflamingo—am fit to stand above the heavens!"
A chilling aura exploded from him, shaking the earth and sky.
Trebol and the others could only stare in stunned silence as Doflamingo's Conqueror's Haki surged beyond anything they had expected.
Twisted, violent, bloodthirsty, and destructive—black and red lightning crackled around his young frame like a raging storm.
An invisible pressure rolled over them in waves, threatening to drown them.
Their very souls trembled.
Trebol, Diamante, Pica, and Vergo—like devout followers beholding their god—could only gape in wordless awe.
Then, as they watched, Doflamingo extended thin strings toward the piles of trash around them. The abandoned debris, caught in his threads, was shredded into tiny fragments like waste fed into an industrial grinder.
Trebol's voice quivered with excitement.
"Hehehe… L-look at this unparalleled aura! This terrifying power! Doffy, you're destined to be king of the world!"
Even the usually composed Diamante, the introverted Pica, and the ever-expressionless Vergo couldn't hold back their emotions. In unison, they declared:
"Doffy! The world will bow before you!"
Pica and Vergo, overwhelmed, fell to their knees without hesitation.
Doflamingo listened to their praises, fully aware of the reality—if he didn't have the String-String Fruit, even Vergo could probably beat him to a pulp right now.
But seeing them kneel in absolute submission… that filled his heart with an intoxicating satisfaction.
His lips curled higher, his laughter rising uncontrollably.
"Fuffuffuffuffu! Yesterday, I buried a traitor. I lost a father. I lost a family member. But you… would you be my new family?"
Those words sealed it.
Trebol and the others, who had been unsure whether he had truly killed his father, immediately dropped to their knees.
"Please, let us be your strength! Let us be your family!"
As he looked down at the four of them, bowing in absolute devotion, Doflamingo's heart swelled with satisfaction.
A family that knelt before him?
That was what royalty was all about.
Fuffuffuffuffu… Hahahaha!
"Good. Then I shall share my name, Donquixote, with you all. And one day, this name will rule the world."
After all, he had no Admiral to protect him now.
The seas were filled with ruthless pirates who wouldn't hesitate to kill a fallen Celestial Dragon just to make a name for themselves.
That his family had survived two and a half years of fleeing without running into one?
That was nothing short of sheer luck.