Two figures, one tall and one short, stood in the shadows.
They were none other than Trebol and Doflamingo.
"Fuffuffuffu, too bad his beloved son can no longer feel anything."
"Trebol, what do you think an old man would do if he found someone who looked just like his dead son, only to later realize that person was actually his enemy? Let's take a guess."
Watching Jason run off into the distance, Doflamingo remained where he was, a malicious grin spreading across his face.
Whether Jason followed the script he had planned didn't matter.
After all, he still had a backup—Michael's brother.
Rosinante's beating was inevitable.
The only question was how severe it would be.
...
Meanwhile, flames engulfed the Michael family estate.
In the midst of the chaos, Vergo, wielding a steel pipe in one hand and a flintlock in the other, took down two gangsters charging at him.
His gaze shifted to the center of the estate.
"Clang! Clang!"
Michael clutched his wounded abdomen, brandishing a broadsword to fend off Diamante's relentless attacks. The twisted trajectory of Diamante's rapier made his strikes eerily unpredictable.
Michael's eyes flickered to Zeno, who had already lost consciousness under Pica's brutal assault.
"Wahaha! Are you worried about your dear brother?"
Noticing Michael's momentary distraction, Diamante's rapier traced a bizarre arc before slashing him across the chest, sending him flying.
Crack.
"Your brother looks pretty pathetic, doesn't he?"
Michael barely had time to regain his footing when he heard the sickening sound of something breaking.
He looked up just in time to see Pica's massive hand sinking into Zeno's skull.
A spray of blood and brain matter splattered across Pica's muscular frame as Zeno's body went still.
"No!"
Michael, devastated, shot Pica one last hateful glare before turning and fleeing.
...
Three days after the battle.
Amid the ruins of the former Doflamingo family stronghold, two former enemies—Michael's group and Jason's family—had formed a reluctant alliance, their forces now encamped together.
Bandaged thugs with rifles slung over their shoulders patrolled the perimeter, wary of another Donquixote incursion.
Jason had just finished burying his son, Jason Jr. At fifty-six, the old pirate felt as though his life had ended alongside the dreams he had placed in his son.
Even though Michael was also his child, he was born from a relationship with a pirate. Jason couldn't bring himself to care anymore.
He stared blankly at the gravestone by the shore, ignoring Michael, who stood before him with a flushed face, his anger and sorrow making his already large frame seem even more imposing.
"Father, he's dead. Zeno is dead!"
Jason remained silent, raising his flask to his lips and taking a deep swig, his eyes fixed on the ocean beyond the grave.
"Father, the damn Donquixote family only won because they ambushed us. If we join forces, we can take revenge and reclaim everything!"
"Hah..."
Jason had seen too much of the world. The sight of his estate being consumed by slime and explosions had been a display of undeniable devilish power.
Revenge? That was nothing more than an unattainable dream.
"Damn old man!"
Seeing that Jason was completely unmoved, Michael turned on his heel and stormed off, determined to take matters into his own hands.
...
Three nights earlier.
When the Jason and Michael families barged into his hiding place, Rosinante nearly had a heart attack.
Thinking they were after him and his family, he quickly ducked into cover.
Once he realized they weren't looking for him, he let out a sigh of relief. But even then, he didn't dare reveal himself.
After four days of hunger, he finally decided to sneak into town to steal some bread, only to find every street guarded by the two factions.
As his stomach churned with hunger, he gazed up at the full moon hanging in the sky like a giant biscuit.
Gulp.
He swallowed hard, pressing a hand to his hollowed-out stomach. If he didn't eat soon, he was going to starve to death.
Late that night, he dragged his weakened body out of his hiding spot, activating his soundproof barrier. Dressed in a tattered, wrinkled suit, he crawled cautiously toward the Jason family's supply area.
The suit had been sent by his brother. Initially, Rosinante hadn't wanted to accept it—he refused to be part of Doflamingo's family. But when Vergo told him it was a gift from Doffy as a brother, not as a Donquixote, Rosinante reluctantly took it.
Thanks to his Calm-Calm Fruit ability, his plan was going perfectly.
Clutching an armful of leftover bread, he made his way back with a full heart and an empty stomach.
He could already taste the bread's aroma, but his body was losing strength, and maintaining his ability was becoming harder.
Just a little further...
As he finally slipped past the last sentry's field of vision—
Thud.
He looked up and saw a massive figure towering before him.
A cold sweat broke out across his forehead.
He was screwed.
Jason, drunk and holding a barrel of rum, peered down at the scrawny figure that had bumped into his leg.
A filthy suit, golden hair, a frail and childish frame...
"Junior?"
...
One week later.
After draining both the Jason and Michael families of their remaining assets and seizing their territory, Doflamingo once again set sail toward his destined path.
He arrived at the same lighthouse as before.
The marker symbolizing his return to the Celestial Dragons had disappeared.
Instead, the one representing 'Donquixote' gleamed brightly at the path's end.
With practiced ease, he walked toward the light.
Staring at the lighthouse, which had grown larger since last time, Doflamingo couldn't help but smirk.
'What, does this thing keep growing? Is it going to reach the heavens someday?'
His eyes fell on the lighthouse's exterior.
Three new stick-figure carvings had been etched into the surface.
One showed four figures of different shapes and sizes swearing allegiance.
The other two symbolized the destruction of the Michael and Jason families.
Unlike before, his own stick figure was slightly more refined this time.
"Status."
A semi-transparent panel appeared before him.
Donquixote Doflamingo [Notorious Rookie]
Donquixote Family [New Blood]
Era: 1491
Birthplace: Holy Land Mary Geoise
Skills: Conqueror's Haki [Beginner], Combat [Beginner]
Devil Fruit: String-String Fruit [Intermediate]
Talent: Innate Strength [Achievement Reward]
Achievements: Filial Son, Path Marker: [Donquixote] (Reward Available)
Glancing at his newly acquired skill—
Combat [Beginner]: Slightly better than wild swings. You can now beat up street thugs without breaking a sweat.
'Those three months of sparring with Vergo and the others weren't wasted. Seems like effort is rewarded on this panel. Training must continue.'
'The String-String Fruit progresses quickly with practice, but Conqueror's Haki isn't so easy.'
"Claim reward."
As soon as he willed it, the reward was granted.
A new perception seeped into his mind.
Otohime's Observation Haki.
The magic mirror surfaced once again, and countless specks of light merged into his consciousness.
When the enhancement settled, Doflamingo stepped behind the lighthouse.
Two new path markers had appeared, confirming his previous suspicions.
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+100 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg