Raleigh clapped his hands as he spoke.
It was even more dramatic than in the anime.
This very group had just slaughtered hundreds over territorial disputes, yet now they were posing as people who valued family above all.
If not for the pungent scent of blood hanging in the air and the crushed corpse of the Mafia boss beneath Doflamingo's feet, Raleigh might have even paid five hundred Belly as admission to watch this performance.
Doflamingo moved through the crowd, stepped over the bodies and walked to the front, standing face to face with Raleigh.
"Officer of the Marines, we haven't harmed any civilians. May we take our leave now?"
Doflamingo's attitude was impeccable.
Thanks to his former status as a Celestial Dragon, even Raleigh could find no fault with his etiquette.
Raleigh nodded, then shook his head.
Seeing this, the anger Doflamingo had suppressed earlier surged within him once more.
"Officer, what do you mean by this?"
Raleigh clicked his tongue and said.
"Nothing much. I just don't feel like letting you leave so easily."
Doflamingo scoffed.
"Perhaps you're unaware of my identity."
"But since this is our first meeting, allow me to offer you the corpses of these Mafia family members behind me as a military achievement."
"You've eliminated an entire Mafia family without firing a single shot—quite the bargain isnt it ? Let's consider it a gesture of friendship. We'll pretend we never saw each other. How does that sound?"
Raleigh looked past Doflamingo's short figure toward the street.
Layered and densely packed, the corpses of Mafia members numbered around two to three hundred.
Such a generous gift would tempt most people.
But Doflamingo had the misfortune of encountering Raleigh—a slacker who never played by the rules!
Offering him military merits? Wasn't that just setting him up for trouble?
This kid clearly had ulterior motives!
"Heh, Doflamingo of the Donquixote Family. Originally a Celestial Dragon, but..... you lost that status."
"Now you're the young master of the Mafia family—the Donquixote Family. So, should I interpret your earlier offer as the Mafia attempting to bribe the Marines?"
A sharp glint flashed in Raleigh's eyes.
With just a few words, he made Doflamingo—who always believed he had everything under control—frown deeply.
He never expected that in such a remote part of the North Blue, a Marine officer would recognize him and, worse, seem entirely unimpressed by what his identity represented.
"You... who are you? How do you know about my background?"
Doflamingo's fingers curled slightly, and several nearly invisible threads materialized in his palm.
He was ready to strike at any moment.
Raleigh remained unperturbed.
The current Doflamingo was still just a kid and posed no real threat to him.
"It's simple. I know about you taking your father's head to Mary Geoise last year."
"You can also remember my name—Christian Raleigh, Vice commander of the North Blue. My words carry weight throughout the entire North Blue; no one dares to disobey me."
Doflamingo appeared somewhat flustered; he hadn't heard of Raleigh's name before.
But having the most humiliating event in his heart exposed by this Marine officer in front of him filled him with extraordinary rage.
The veins on his forehead bulged one by one, and he gritted his teeth, saying:
"Raleigh... san, if there's nothing else, could you let us leave? After all, you already know my identity."
Doflamingo didn't recognize Raleigh, but he knew Raleigh's name.
The blame lay solely in Raleigh's utter lack of fame.
While others frequently captured pirates and had their latest photos featured in newspapers and news reports, Raleigh, due to his constant slacking off, rarely appeared in the press.
Instead, it was Momonga who often showed up in the news.
Seeing Doflamingo forcibly suppressing his inner fury, Raleigh's interest was piqued.
He had come here for no other reason than to bully Doflamingo.
Because this guy's ambitions were too grand, and without a chain to restrain him, no one could predict what this madman might do.
One thing Doflamingo had guessed correctly: without solid evidence, even the Marines couldn't arrest him.
"Actually, I didn't come here to capture you. I'm just passing by to take a look and, by the way, teach you the rules of the North Blue. Well, the rules I've set."
Raleigh pointed at Doflamingo and the members of the Donquixote Family behind him, then pointed at himself.
Doflamingo's expression turned grim.
Just moments ago, during his battle with the Mafia boss, he had declared that a king need not follow any rules—because a king is the one who sets the rules.
He never expected to be proven wrong so quickly.
A man claiming to be the Vice commander of the North Blue Marines was asserting that he must abide by the rules the latter had established for the North Blue.
What a joke!
The veins at the corners of Doflamingo's eyes throbbed violently.
Watching Doflamingo on the verge of losing control, Raleigh revealed a cat-and-mouse grin.
Indeed, this trip was utterly worthwhile.
Spending every day with a bunch of training maniacs, either training or capturing pirates, made Raleigh feel as though his life had become stagnant.
This was much better—bullying a rising tyrant who hadn't yet fully grown.
This matter was truly, utterly fascinating!!!
"Stop spouting nonsense! How could our young master ever follow your Marine's rules!" Trebol roared, unable to contain himself any longer.
He didn't care about the Marines, but he knew how bright Doflamingo's future could be.
If they were suppressed in a small place like the North Blue, a Doflamingo who lost his ambition could never become king.
Hearing Trebol's words, Raleigh's lips curled into a smirk.
He looked at the silent Doflamingo before him and asked.
"Is that what you think too, Doflamingo?"
Doflamingo said nothing, merely staring coldly at Raleigh as if looking at a sworn enemy.
What Trebol could figure out, Doflamingo naturally could as well.
He had no qualms about sacrificing some immediate benefits in exchange for greater freedom of movement.
But that didn't mean he would choose to abide by the Marine's rules.
He possessed Conqueror's Haki and understood this ability was deeply connected to its user's ambition.
What this ability feared most was submission to the rules of the powerful.
The Marines wasn't lacking in world-class powerhouses, but they were all strong individuals who followed the rules.
That's why throughout the entire Marines, only Fleet Admiral Sengoku and Vice Admiral Garp possessed Conqueror's Haki.
Black Arm Zephyr, and even Kong - none of them had it.
Now this unfamiliar Marine officer before him wanted to strangle Doflamingo's future, something he absolutely couldn't accept.
"Judging by your expression, you seem to have trouble accepting this. Well then, let's fight."
"As you wish."
Doflamingo coldly spat out these words.
A great battle was about to erupt!