Hearing Law state so bluntly that the father he revered as invincible had once been defeated by Gern, the tiny shred of confidence Momonosuke possessed—born only from his bloodline—finally burst out in protest.
"N–No… that's impossible!"
His voice still trembled, but now it carried a trace of stubborn defiance.
Even so, he was careful not to reveal his true identity. In the eyes of everyone present, he was still merely Kin'emon's son.
"Kozuki Oden… he… he was invincible beneath the heavens!"
"When he lost to Kaido, it was only because he was distracted! How could he possibly have lost to a Marine like this?!"
"How could he not?" Law replied coldly, his tone brutally realistic as he shattered Momonosuke's fragile illusion without mercy.
"To put it bluntly—if Whitebeard hadn't intervened back then, Kozuki Oden might very well have been killed on the spot by Gern."
"He didn't just lose… he was defeated completely."
Law paused slightly, as if recalling records and rumors that had circulated over the years.
"And the defeat was… rather tragic."
"Some might even call it a humiliation that can never truly be washed away."
Law's words were not mere speculation.
Back then, the newspapers reporting Kozuki Oden's defeat had spread far and wide. Even now, if one searched through old archives, one could still find the infamous image that accompanied those reports—
The humiliating photograph.
Oden's neck pierced through by two swords.
His body nailed like a criminal to a pillar of shame.
A symbol of absolute defeat.
Meanwhile, along the coastline of Green Bit.
As Doflamingo watched the Thousand Sunny—the ship carrying the embodiment of his nightmare—draw closer and closer, the trembling of his body became harder and harder to suppress.
Fine beads of cold sweat had already soaked the lining beneath his pink feather coat.
Could he run?
In theory… yes.
In fact, the moment he sensed Gern's presence earlier, he could have immediately fled thousands of miles away.
But—
He didn't dare.
Because he understood something with perfect clarity.
The instant he turned and tried to run…
The next moment awaiting him would be an utterly inescapable, annihilating blow.
From the very beginning, Gern had been lurking nearby.
Yet he had deliberately chosen to reveal that suffocating Haoshoku Haki only when Doflamingo was at his most triumphant—when victory was within reach.
That alone was a warning.
No—
A sentence.
Run… and you die.
Especially since Doflamingo had personally witnessed this man's explosive strength during the Summit War of Marineford.
He had seen it up close.
The same terrifying power that once shook heaven and earth alongside Whitebeard at his peak.
The force that made all living beings tremble.
That absolute dominance that seemed to look down on the entire world itself.
Doflamingo did not doubt it for even a second.
If Gern wanted to kill him…
It would truly be effortless.
Before long, the Thousand Sunny slowly reached the shore.
Nami, Chopper, and the others stepped carefully onto the sandy beach of Green Bit.
Their hearts were filled with tangled emotions and deep unease.
They instinctively stood in a line, keeping their distance.
None of them dared approach.
Law, enduring his injuries through sheer willpower, also stepped forward with Caesar in tow, his eyes fixed sharply on the scene unfolding before him.
Meanwhile—
When Gern stepped onto the shore, Doflamingo immediately forced an extremely strained smile onto his face.
The smile even carried a faint trace of ingratiating flattery.
He stepped forward a few paces, attempting to hide the terror in his heart behind a familiar laugh.
"Fufufufu… what a surprise."
"I never expected something as trivial as resigning from the Seven Warlords of the Sea would bring you here personally, Grand Governor."
"'Skyquake.'"
Gern did not respond.
He didn't even bother to raise his eyelids.
His gaze remained calmly fixed ahead, as though Doflamingo simply did not exist.
That complete indifference placed even greater pressure on Doflamingo than a direct reprimand ever could.
But he dared not show the slightest disrespect.
The cold sweat on his temples flowed even faster as his mind raced desperately, searching for something—anything—that might ease the tension.
"Actually… regarding my resignation from the Seven Warlords…"
"There have been some… misunderstandings."
Doflamingo lowered his head slightly, adopting an unusually humble posture.
"I was planning to explain the matter in detail to Marine Headquarters—especially to you."
"But since you've personally come here, I assume it's also for the sake of maintaining stability in the New World."
"Dressrosa has always been a peaceful nation."
"I am more than willing to cooperate fully with any Marine investigation to ensure order in these waters…"
Unfortunately—
Gern still didn't even look at him.
Seeing this, Doflamingo's anxiety intensified.
His tone grew even more humble.
There was even the faintest hint of pleading buried within it.
"Fufufufu… not long ago, you single-handedly intimidated Totto Land, upholding the dignity of justice."
"That is the true bearing of a strong man!"
"Compared to someone like you… my own minor actions are hardly worth mentioning."
"If the Grand Governor ever requires the Donquixote Family's assistance—whether it be intelligence or resources—I would certainly…"
The scene was an almost grotesque contrast to his earlier demeanor when he had been hunting down Law and the Straw Hat Pirates.
Back then, he had been arrogant beyond measure.
The infamous "Heavenly Yaksha."
A man who treated all others as insects beneath his feet.
Now—
That same man stood here speaking with near-servile humility.
In his heart, Doflamingo still clung to a tiny fragment of hope.
After all, he had once been a Warlord of the Sea.
And he was still one of the underground world's most powerful brokers.
Perhaps—
Just perhaps—
Gern would give him a sliver of face.
At the very least, allow a proper conversation.
At that moment—
Gern finally moved.
Slowly, he turned his gaze toward Doflamingo.
But the look in his eyes was not one of equals.
It was the indifferent gaze of someone looking down upon an insect.
Then—
Under the stunned, disbelieving eyes of everyone present—including the Straw Hat crew and Law—
Gern lowered his eyes slightly.
His voice was calm.
Quiet.
Yet every word struck like thunder.
"Heh… Doflamingo."
"Did you forget…?"
"When facing me…"
"What posture your line of sight should be at?"
The instant those words fell—
Doflamingo's pupils shrank to needle points.
In his mind, two memories flashed by like lightning.
The terror he had felt looking up at Gern during the Summit War.
And even earlier—
The moment this man had appeared before him alongside Dracule Mihawk.
That unforgettable warning about power…
And about status.
Of course.
How could he possibly have forgotten?
Before this man—
He had never once possessed the qualification to stand as an equal.
"...Understood."
Doflamingo clenched his teeth.
"So… sorry."
For a moment, the combined weight of humiliation and terror made him bite down so hard that blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.
The face that normally carried his wild, domineering grin was now twisted beyond recognition.
Then—
Under the watchful eyes of everyone present—
Under the stunned gazes of the Straw Hat crew—
Under Law's complex, almost vindicated stare—
The once untouchable ruler of the underground world…
The infamous "Joker."
The "Heavenly Yaksha" who had shaken the New World—
Began trembling uncontrollably.
And then—
He performed an action that none of the witnesses would ever forget for the rest of their lives.
Slowly.
Trembling.
Using every ounce of strength and dignity he had left—
Doflamingo bent his knees.
In front of Gern.
"Thud."
A soft sound.
Doflamingo—
Knelt.
Only when his gaze dropped low enough that he could see nothing but the tips of Gern's boots…
Only when his height had completely fallen beneath the other man's—
Did he dare slowly lift his eyes.
Looking up.
From a posture of absolute submission.
Meeting Gern's cold, emotionless gaze from below.
In that moment—
All arrogance.
All ambition.
All defiance—
Were crushed into dust beneath the weight of absolute power and authority.
This…
Was the posture he was meant to take.
Because from the very first time he had ever met this man—
He had already been told the truth.
In the eyes of "Skyquake" Gern—
Doflamingo was only ever worthy of speaking…
On his knees.
...
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