One Piece: So What If I Sin, Lie, and Lust? I'm Still a Good Marine

"You agree, don't you, sir?"

Staff Officer Tsuru smiled warmly, her face full of kindness.

But that smile, coupled with the predatory stares of the surrounding Marines, made the high-ranking World Government official shudder uncontrollably, his legs trembling.

His expression shifted slightly. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught sight of the headless corpses still spurting blood on the ground. His face changed dramatically, and suddenly, he put on a look of righteous indignation.

"That's the truth!"

He waved his hand furiously.

"Doflamingo is cruel and tyrannical, committing countless atrocities. To think he dared to lay a hand on a representative of the World Government!"

"If Vice Admiral Daren hadn't arrived in time, even I would have fallen victim to Doflamingo!"

"Staff Officer Tsuru, rest assured. Once this incident is over, I will personally report everything to the Five Elders and recommend commendation for Vice Admiral Daren!"

Staff Officer Tsuru finally smiled in satisfaction.

Her expression now carried less danger and more genuine warmth.

She lifted her head, gazing toward the distant island interior.

Torrents of air, mixed with black and red lightning, twisted and shot into the sky from that direction.

Countless trees had been felled and swallowed, the mountain faces even cracking and collapsing under the impact, the scene terrifying to behold.

Staff Officer Tsuru frowned, silently praying for Daren's safety.

"Don't be too reckless, Daren..."

...

Deep in the mountains.

Daren and Doflamingo clashed violently, their unleashed auras darkening the sky.

"Godfather-sama, are you really sure those five old fossils will agree to my conditions?"

Doflamingo's face was grim. As he spoke, he casually waved toward a distant mountain range.

Invisible threads tore through the air, slicing dozens of towering trees into smooth, clean cuts before continuing on to shear an entire cliff face, sending it crumbling downward.

Boom!

A deep rumble shook the land, raising a huge cloud of dust.

"They will agree. No matter what, the blood of the Celestial Dragons still flows in your veins,"

Daren said with a smile as he lit a cigar, stamping his foot lightly.

Tear!

A crack over a hundred meters long spread outward from where his military boot touched the ground, swallowing the surrounding vegetation and splitting the earth with a deafening roar.

"And even if the Five Elders are dissatisfied with you, they must consider the opinions of the other Celestial Dragons."

"They don't care about the Shichibukai title. They only want the Heavenly Tribute."

Receiving Daren's confirmation, Doflamingo grinned wickedly, his body trembling slightly with excitement, licking his dry lips unconsciously.

The feeling of manipulating both the Celestial Dragons and the Five Elders was simply intoxicating.

And without the man standing before him, he would never have come this far.

At that thought, Doflamingo's gaze toward Daren grew complicated.

"By the way, Godfather," he coughed lightly to cover the odd look flashing across his face, then hesitated before continuing.

"Something strange has happened recently that I think you should know about."

"Go ahead,"

Daren said.

Even as the two engaged in their fierce "battle," they continued their conversation without missing a beat.

"Stussy, the Queen of the Pleasure District, approached me,"

Doflamingo said.

"She said she wanted to cooperate and help me secure the title of Shichibukai as soon as possible."

Daren's expression turned extremely strange. The corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

"...Such a good thing?"

Doflamingo didn't notice the oddity in Daren's tone and frowned.

"I was also suspicious. At first, I thought it might be a trap..."

"Agree to her,"

Daren cut him off decisively.

Doflamingo froze.

Daren's answer had come so quickly and firmly that he couldn't help but cast a curious glance at him.

"Since someone is willing to help for free, why not?"

Daren smiled faintly.

It seemed that foolish woman was truly getting desperate... to resort to such a clumsy move.

Daren couldn't help but find it amusing.

He instantly saw through Stussy's little maneuver.

She wanted to personally "cultivate" a Shichibukai in order to win the bet she had made with him.

To be fair, it was a good strategy to undercut him at the roots.

Well, her judgment was just a bit off.

But he couldn't really blame her.

After all, who would have thought that Donquixote Doflamingo, with the noble blood of the Celestial Dragons, would actually be the godson of a Marine?

Doflamingo pondered for a moment, then slowly nodded.

"Yes, Godfather."

"Good. Then it's about time,"

Daren said suddenly.

Doflamingo instinctively froze.

Before he could react, the Vice Admiral had already vanished from his sight.

A bone-chilling coldness instantly surged from the soles of his feet up his spine, making Doflamingo's entire body go cold.

An indescribable sense of overwhelming threat blanketed him, leaving him breathless, his heart seemingly stopping mid-beat.

In his wide-open pupils, he could see a fist wrapped in black lightning rapidly enlarging, shooting toward him like a falling star.

The immense power it carried distorted and blurred the scene in front of him.

He couldn't move!

He couldn't dodge!

He couldn't defend!

Doflamingo's eyes widened in terror.

At this moment, he finally understood in despair the insurmountable gulf between himself and his godfather.

"I'm sorry, Doffy."

Boom!

An explosion of smoke and shockwaves burst into the sky.

The deafening rumble made Staff Officer Tsuru and the gathered Marines' expressions change dramatically.

The World Government official trembled uncontrollably.

They all turned toward the mountains in the distance, their eyes widening, their pupils contracting, their faces frozen in stunned shock.

Before their disbelieving gazes, the distant mountains, sprawling like a sleeping dragon, split apart as if struck by a meteorite.

Gigantic cracks tore through the peaks, followed by earth-shattering roars.

With a thunderous crash, the mountains collapsed!

Roaring smoke and dust surged into the sky, blanketing the island.

Soon after, a tall figure shot through the smoke at incredible speed.

The Vice Admiral casually threw down the blood-soaked, unconscious Doflamingo, then exhaled a stream of smoke like a dragon as he smiled cheerfully at the World Government official, whose face was pale as paper.

"Well then, my lord, the criminal Doflamingo has been brought before you."

"Please dispose of him as you see fit."

Looking at Daren's devilish smile and hearing the distant, thunderous echoes of the collapsing mountains, the government official shuddered and forced a smile even uglier than a cry.

"N-no, no, Vice Admiral Daren, I think it's best if you decide."

"Oh? Are you sure?"

"I'm certain! Absolutely certain!"

The official nodded so hard it was as if he were pounding garlic.