"Some things you shouldn't ask. Learn to stay silent."
That was the warning.
Now, comparing what he knew to what the World Government had revealed—
He knew Stussy was CP0, and that she was a clone created at Egghead.
The World Government knew Stussy was CP0 too, but whether they knew she was a clone? That part remained unclear.
So why complicate things? Why kill off Lu Feld and the others, when there was little tangible gain?
Simple—this was all about crafting a narrative for the world: that the darkness and chaos were the result of BIG MOM and the Heavenly Yaksha trying to monopolize every industry in the New World.
That's why every underworld king had to be eliminated.
If it were just Stussy taken down, it would feel too abrupt, too suspicious.
And if the World Government became cautious, they could swoop into Egghead and clean the place out before he even blinked.
Then all his efforts would have been for nothing.
Bringing that bird-brained Morgans along was a necessary evil—to keep him from filling in the blanks with his imagination and publishing some ridiculous story that would screw everything up.
"I... I understand!!"
The threat was clear as day, and Morgans visibly trembled, lowering his feathered head.
Immediately, he shut his beak and stared straight ahead, silent as a chicken in a fox den.
"Smoothie, I'm sorry... but the wedding ends here."
Ignoring the now-obedient Morgans, Doflamingo turned to the elegant woman at his side and spoke with a trace of apology.
Even his own wife's wedding had been part of the plan.
"No, Doffy. This was more than enough."
Smoothie's smile bloomed like a flower. The Float-Float Fruit made her flowing white wedding gown ripple gently, like caught in a breeze.
She wasn't truly upset.
After all, in her memory, family banquets had always been stained with blood.
This time, the ones bleeding were just a little different.
Her jade-green eyes sparkled like gemstones as she gazed lovingly at Doflamingo's striking face, lips parting slightly.
"Besides, our married life is just getting started, isn't it?"
"Fufufufufu~"
Doflamingo chuckled softly. Once again, he had made the mistake of judging Smoothie by his old-world standards.
He gently offered his arm and smiled.
"You're right. Let's go—we've got an exit to make."
In the bloodstained banquet hall, Doflamingo and his party rose into the air and left first.
...
Doflamingo returned to the quiet chamber on board the ship.
Stussy, who had been pretending to be unconscious in his left hand this whole time, finally opened her eyes.
Her legs bent slightly, and the torn hem of her dress only made the view beneath all the more tempting.
She stared up with pleading, alluring eyes.
"Doflamingo-sama, with my help, you can take over the entire Pleasure Street effortlessly. Be it sensitive intel from the New World, money, or even myself... You can have it all—just please, spare my life."
Umit and Giberson's fate had given her a new idea.
He hadn't killed her outright—that meant she had something he still wanted.
Her body? Was that really important?
But faced with her offer—
Doflamingo only gave a faint smile. He opened his right hand and slowly cracked each knuckle.
The veins on the back of his hand bulged, and a violet-red stream of Haki began to ripple across his skin.
"Fufufufufu~ You're still not being honest. I don't like lies... Let me help you a little."
"W-Wait!!"
Stussy's pupils shrank to pinpoints.
She hadn't done anything! There was no prior conflict between them!
So why was Doflamingo's hostility toward her this intense?
She couldn't afford to keep hiding now.
She activated Kami-e from the Six Powers, combining it with the physical prowess granted by her Zoan-type body.
Her neck and head stretched instantly, trying to slip free from Doflamingo's grip.
But in the next instant, countless threads shot out from his hand.
Like vines, they wrapped tightly around her neck again.
"Fufufufu~ My dear CP0 agent, couldn't resist anymore, could you?"
Doflamingo's mouth curled into a predatory grin, and he drew back his right fist like a drawn bow.
"??! My identity's blown?!"
Shocked to her core, Stussy didn't stop struggling. Her silver teeth clenched tight.
Bat wings burst from her back, tearing through her skin, while her fangs grew into twin daggers.
Her fingers sprouted sharp claws.
She entered a more feral hybrid form.
Stussy lunged at the massive hand gripping her, her lips ready to bite down.
Her Haki-coated claws slashed at the threads restraining her.
Her transformation only made Doflamingo more excited.
This was further proof of her connection to Vegapunk.
A clone with powers? Who else could've created that but Vegapunk?
"As expected—Vegapunk's creation. MISS Buckin's clone. You're a lot more than you let on!"
"And mixing Seastone into your lipstick? Clever. Technical, even."
"But I smelled Seastone on you a long time ago!!"
"And now—it's already too late!!!"
Every secret, every last layer laid bare, Stussy didn't even get a moment to be shocked.
Doflamingo's monstrous fist crashed into her vampiric face.
Her beautiful features crumpled like paper.
"ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA ORA!"
A barrage of fists erupted from behind Doflamingo, raining down blow after blow.
Each punch ensured Stussy's entire body received... a deep, thorough massage.
...
Inside the Hall of Power in Pangaea Castle.
The Five Elders had already received word of the disruption at BIG MOM's tea party.
"What are Doflamingo and Charlotte Linlin trying to pull?"
The sword-wielding Elder's fury burned hotter than it had in years—perhaps not since Rocks was alive.
"They're just greedier than the pirates before them. They want to control every aspect of the New World."
The Elder with the long beard calmly stroked his chin. This wasn't the first time they'd seen this pattern.
Rocks had done the same thing, after all.
"Are we just going to let them do this? Do you know how long it takes to raise another queen of Pleasure Street?"
The Elder with the slicked-back hair grumbled. The fact they couldn't target Doflamingo directly irritated him.
"We let them. The Whitebeard Pirates don't have the backing of Totto Land or Wano. Everything Doflamingo and BIG MOM are doing will become the noose around Whitebeard's neck. And Whitebeard isn't the type to surrender easily."
The bald Elder gave a faint smile. With his strategic foresight, he already saw what was coming on the seas.
"Stussy... we should consider her a loss. Her value has run its course."
The silent Elder, Saturn, narrowed his eyes slightly and raised a possibility.
"Is there a chance... Stussy's identity has already been exposed?"
"Impossible. Absolutely impossible!!"
The Elder with the slicked-back hair responded instantly.
"Even Aramaki hasn't seen Stussy in person. Her identity is completely secure!"
The other Elders nodded in agreement.
Stussy, raised and trained from childhood, was someone they could trust without question.
Saturn leaned back on the sofa and looked up at the ceiling.
"I hope I'm just overthinking it..."