"Ope Ope no Mi... It's all my fault. I never expected things to turn out like this..."
Rosinante understood the special significance of the Ope Ope no Mi. It was the Devil Fruit capable of performing the legendary Perennial Youth Operation, a power coveted even by the Celestial Dragons.
Just as in the original events, Law still joined the Donquixote Family during his childhood. However, unlike before, Doflamingo was no longer as extreme as he once had been.
He had never considered letting Rosinante eat the Ope Ope no Mi.
At first, Doflamingo had planned to train Law after he consumed the Ope Ope no Mi and eventually use him as the one to perform the Perennial Youth Operation. Law had displayed remarkable medical talent from a young age, making him an ideal match for the fruit's abilities.
However, after noticing the close bond between Rosinante and Law, Doflamingo abandoned that idea to avoid hurting his younger brother. Instead, he intended to find another suitable candidate.
Rosinante, however, never saw things that way.
His resentment toward Doflamingo ran too deep.
He refused to believe Doflamingo would care about Law's life after obtaining the Ope Ope no Mi. At the same time, Law's Amber Lead Syndrome continued to worsen, forcing him to endure unimaginable suffering every day.
As a result, Rosinante repeated the same actions he had taken in the original timeline.
On Swallow Island, he forcibly fed the Ope Ope no Mi to Law.
By the time Doflamingo learned what had happened, it was already too late.
When he discovered the truth, he was left utterly speechless by his foolish younger brother.
He never punished Rosinante.
Instead, he only said something very similar to what Lloyd had just told him.
"Idiot! Once he ate that Devil Fruit, his fate was no longer his own!"
Later, Rosinante gradually realized that Doflamingo truly had never intended for Law to become a Devil Fruit user.
In fact, Doflamingo had planned to locate another highly skilled doctor to inherit the Ope Ope no Mi and serve as the future candidate for the Perennial Youth Operation. At the same time, he had intended to cure Law's Amber Lead Syndrome.
Unfortunately, by then, everything was irreversible.
Even after Rosinante sent Law away, Law was eventually captured and taken to Mary Geoise.
Fortunately, the person who captured him was Lloyd.
In Rosinante's eyes, Lloyd, despite being a Celestial Dragon Marshal, was someone worthy of trust. If there was a Celestial Dragon who would not casually take Law's life, it would undoubtedly be Lloyd.
That was why, after hearing that Law was safe and would likely regain his freedom in the future, Rosinante felt genuine relief.
Lloyd gestured for the kneeling Rosinante to stand.
"Alright. Is the room ready? I need to rest."
Violet immediately responded.
"I've already arranged everythi..."
Before she could finish speaking, Rosinante interrupted.
"Celestial Dragon Marshal, you can stay in my room. I already had someone replace the sheets before coming here. You can rest there tonight."
Violet froze briefly.
She silently thought that His Majesty Rosinante was being unusually considerate today.
Lloyd nodded in satisfaction.
"Very good. Let's go."
Rosinante immediately snapped to attention and gave a crisp salute before turning to Violet.
"Violet, please escort the Celestial Dragon Marshal to my quarters."
Unable to hold back her curiosity, Violet asked,
"Then, Your Majesty Rosinante, where will you sleep tonight?"
Rosinante scratched the back of his head and laughed awkwardly.
"It's only one night. I'll just stay here."
Lloyd glanced at the slightly embarrassed Rosinante and chuckled softly.
"When you have time, call your brother. He misses you very much."
Rosinante froze.
After a brief silence, he pressed his lips together and nodded.
"I understand."
Lloyd said nothing further.
Holding Wanda in one arm and Carrot in the other, he followed Violet out of the reception hall.
After Lloyd and the others departed, Rosinante stood silently for a long moment.
Eventually, he walked over to the sofa and sat down.
Taking out a cigarette, he lit it and inhaled deeply.
The room remained quiet as the cigarette slowly burned away.
After finishing it, he looked up at the clock on the wall and muttered to himself,
"It's already this late. He's probably asleep by now. Still, I'll call him. Whether he answers or not is up to him..."
Meanwhile, in Wano Country.
The Shogun's Residence remained brightly illuminated despite the late hour.
Inside the main hall, Doflamingo sat at the head seat.
He wore an elegant white kimono decorated with pink cherry blossom patterns, while his iconic pink feather coat rested over his shoulders, making him look as flamboyant as ever.
Vergo sat nearby, while Trebol, Diamante, Pica, and the others occupied seats below.
At the center of the hall, a group of geisha performers entertained the guests.
The Donquixote Family was enjoying a rare family banquet.
Tama sat comfortably atop Pica's shoulders, holding a steaming bowl of red bean soup with both hands.
She sipped it little by little.
Every mouthful filled her face with happiness.
The sight was undeniably adorable.
Pica tore into a piece of grilled meat and spoke between bites.
"Tama, be careful not to spill your red bean soup on me."
Tama giggled.
"Got it, Uncle Pica~"
As she spoke, she pinched off a glowing dango from her cheek and held it toward Pica.
"You've eaten so much meat. It must be greasy. Here, have a dango to balance it out."
"Mm! Thank you!"
Pica happily opened his mouth and swallowed it.
The sweet flavor immediately spread through his mouth.
Nearby, the slightly drunken Diamante glanced over and laughed.
"Pica, you've got quite the life... Hic!"
Pica grinned and casually rubbed the head of the Golden Lion cub resting beside him.
Looking down at Diamante, Tama pinched off another dango.
"Uncle Diamante, do you want one too?"
Diamante accepted it without hesitation.
He tossed the dango into the air, tilted his head back, and caught it neatly in his mouth.
Tama immediately placed her bowl on her lap and applauded enthusiastically, laughing so hard that her cheeks turned red.
Across from them, Baby 5 rested her chin on one hand while slowly drinking from a wine glass.
From time to time, she shot resentful glances toward Doflamingo.
Earlier that day, yet another samurai who had been pursuing her had mysteriously disappeared.
Ever since arriving in Wano Country, she had lost count of how many admirers had vanished.
She knew exactly who was responsible.
Doflamingo noticed her gaze and immediately flashed a wickedly charming smile.
Baby 5 puffed out her cheeks and turned away angrily.
Vergo spoke from beside him.
"Doflamingo, Sea Prism Stone production has doubled over the past six months. Those SMILE users are proving extremely efficient workers."
"Fufufufu..."
Doflamingo leaned back comfortably.
"With such useful labor, Wano Country's economy can grow even faster. Next year's Heavenly Tribute may even surpass Dressrosa's contribution."
His grin widened.
"Vergo, when the time comes, you'll accompany me to Mary Geoise to deliver the Heavenly Tribute."
"Yes. Saint Lloyd will definitely be pleased."
Hearing Lloyd's name, Doflamingo's smile became even broader.
"Fufufufufufu..."
At that moment, something inside his kimono suddenly began vibrating.
"Purururu... Purururu..."
===
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