One Piece: A King's Path Anew

Rosinante stumbled through the snow-covered landscape, his progress hampered by the disorienting fog. He was entirely unaware of the imposing figure waiting for him just a short distance ahead.

The snow continued to fall heavily from the sky, relentless as a weeping maiden's tears. The world was a blanket of white. Rosinante had to tread carefully with every step. The Op-Op Fruit, clutched tightly in his coat, felt heavy, a significant weight against his chest.

Screech... screech...

Pushing aside a curtain of mist, Rosinante finally saw him – Doflamingo.

"You've arrived, little brother," Doflamingo said calmly, seated upon a large, bare rock.

"Yes. I'm here, brother," Rosinante replied. He hadn't expected Doflamingo to be waiting for him here. Nevertheless, he suppressed his surprise and shock, his face a mask of composure.

"Hand over the Op-Op Fruit," Doflamingo stated, still seated, his voice even. "You know I need it." He spoke as if this were a perfectly normal conversation between brothers, a mundane request. Yet, the ordinary tone was steeped in an eerie, unsettling tension.

Rosinante didn't answer immediately. He fumbled in his coat for a moment, then produced a cigarette. With an air of casual nonchalance, he placed it between his lips. A look of profound ease, almost relief, settled on his face.

Click.

The lighter flared, igniting the cigarette. Rosinante took a deep, deliberate drag, then exhaled a plume of smoke towards the sky, his body seemingly relaxing with the motion.

"When did you find out?" Rosinante finally asked, ignoring Doflamingo's demand and posing a question of his own to his 'dear brother.'

"Fuffuffuffuffu," Doflamingo chuckled, looking at Rosinante's attempt at composure. "Rosinante, my dear little brother, does asking that question still have any meaning now?"

"It's very meaningful to me," Rosinante hissed, his voice low and strained. "Tell me!"

"I never trusted you, not even for a moment, my foolish little brother," Doflamingo stated, his gaze cool and unwavering. "From the day you left my side without a word, we ceased to be inhabitants of the same world."

"Heh," Rosinante's face contorted in a pained, self-mocking grimace. "So, I was naive. I actually thought my 'dear brother' still harbored some shred of our past brotherly affection."

"Rosinante, you have no right to say such things to me!" Doflamingo retorted, his own expression darkening, his voice dropping to a dangerous growl. "You were the one who abandoned your identity as my family! For the sake of becoming a Marine, you were willing to betray your own flesh and blood, turn your back on your true kin! Did it ever occur to you, even once, that I am your older brother? Why couldn't you stand by my side, just once, and try to see things from my perspective?"

"Doflamingo, are you truly blind to your own actions?" Rosinante countered, his voice firm, showing no deference. "You are a veritable demon king! I oppose you for the sake of justice! The Marines mean nothing to me in comparison. I fight for the justice and goodness within my own heart, for all the innocent people who have died because of you, to cry out against their suffering! Even if you are my kin, merely being in your presence makes me feel a suffocating stench – the stench of filth and sin!"

"Fuffuffuffuffu! Rosinante, you're far too naive," Doflamingo laughed, a sorrowful, almost pitying quality to the sound. "What is justice? What is evil? Only the victor gets to define true justice. You truly are pathetic."

"It is you who are naive, Doflamingo!" Rosinante spat back, flicking the smoldering cigarette butt away. "I protect only my own justice!"

"Further words are useless. The world isn't simply black and white, Rosinante," Doflamingo said, looking at his brother with a profound, searching gaze, as if trying to permanently etch Rosinante's image into the deepest recesses of his mind. "My dear little brother, when we were children, when we were bullied and humiliated together, did anyone step forward to protect you then? Was it your precious 'justice'? When those despicable commoners wanted to kill us, who was it that stood in front of you, shielding you? Why was I forced, not once, but twice, to kill my own true family?"

"Justice is justice!" Rosinante declared vehemently. "From the moment you killed Father with your own hands, you ceased to be my family! You are nothing but a demon!"

"Very well then, Rosinante," Doflamingo said, rising slowly from the rock. He spread his arms wide in an open, inviting gesture, a fearless, almost mocking expression on his face. "Come then! Avenge our father! I am right here. Let me see how this 'justice' you speak of will grant you victory. I, Donquixote Doflamingo, am evil incarnate. You, who proclaim yourself righteous, come and destroy me!"

"Die, Doflamingo!" Rosinante roared, his composure finally shattering. Without hesitation, he whipped out his pistol and aimed it directly at Doflamingo.

At this moment, words were meaningless. Justice, evil – none of it mattered anymore. Only the victor would be deemed just. Only the strong had the right to define anything.

"Come on, then," Doflamingo said softly.

Elsewhere on the island, Diamante and the CP0 leader, Snowden Lenn, were locked in a fierce battle.

"Is that all you've got?" Diamante taunted, deftly sidestepping one of Lenn's powerful punches. "Is this the full extent of the World Government's might? You thought you could take me down alone? That's truly laughable!"

"Silence! The World Government's power is not for you to comment on!" Lenn retorted, his face flushed with anger from Diamante's incessant mockery.

"The World Government, you say? Oh, I'm so scared!" Diamante drawled, his tone dripping with sarcasm.

"You're asking for death!" Lenn, no longer willing to engage in a verbal spar he couldn't win, charged towards Diamante. He was, after all, primarily an operative of action, not words; he certainly couldn't match Diamante's sharp tongue. His only recourse was to fight, each blow aimed to kill, each movement fraught with deadly intent.

But Diamante was no pushover. While he might not yet possess the strength of a master swordsman, he was more than capable of handling ordinary opponents. Just a common government agent? Diamante didn't give him a second thought. If he couldn't even deal with someone like this, how could he ever hope to conquer the world alongside Doflamingo, to stand at its very pinnacle?

Diamante took a deep breath, his grip tightening on his rapier. His movements became even sharper, each thrust aimed precisely at Lenn's vital points.

"Paper Art!" Lenn utilized the Rokushiki technique, his body becoming pliant and elusive as a sheet of paper swaying in the wind, allowing him to narrowly avoid Diamante's strikes. Diamante found his blade passing through empty air.

"Rokushiki, is it?" Diamante sneered, unimpressed. If Lenn thought that was enough, he was sorely mistaken.

Diamante reset his stance, then lunged forward once more. "Rapid Slash!" he barked, his sword a blur as it shot towards Lenn.

Lenn attempted to use Paper Art again, but Diamante's speed had increased. He couldn't evade completely this time; several cuts appeared on his body, his pristine white suit now shredded like a beggar's rags. Lenn was a mess, his face contorting with growing fury.

"You forced my hand! Armament: Hardening!" Lenn roared, incensed by his humiliating state. He hadn't expected this underestimated 'monkey' to actually be a threat. The sting of this misjudgment was sharp.

"Been waiting for you!" Diamante's tongue was as sharp as his blade. "Armament Haki? As if you're the only one who knows it!" Black Haki swiftly coated Diamante's rapier, transforming the silver blade into an ominous black.

"Dammit!" Lenn cursed inwardly. He hadn't expected to find such a den of hidden dragons in the supposedly insignificant North Blue, a swordsman proficient in Haki. Though Lenn was just a rank-and-file CP0 member, he was by no means weak; he didn't even consider most Marine Vice Admirals his equal. To be cornered like this here was a bitter pill to swallow.

The two clashed again, Haki-infused fists against a Haki-infused blade. Lenn unleashed the full repertoire of the Six Powers. He was undeniably strong now; the Diamante of a few years ago would have been no match for him. But Doflamingo had spared no effort in guiding Diamante's training over the years.

The body is the foundation of revolution, and physical strength largely determines Haki's potency. Diamante was confident his Armament Haki was far stronger than Lenn's. Driven by his dream of forging a black blade, Diamante had diligently honed his Haki. His bond with his rapier had grown ever deeper. While he hadn't made great strides towards becoming a master swordsman, his overall combat power had increased considerably.

"Rokushiki Secret Technique: Impact Wave!" Lenn snarled, gritting his teeth. He faced Diamante, who stood ready with his sword, and channeled all his strength into his fist, intending to finish Diamante with this next blow. He had no more time to play around!

Diamante's expression turned serious. He recognized the terrifying power in Lenn's attack. Gripping his rapier with all his might, he unleashed a massive wave of sword energy towards Lenn's incoming fist. "New Moon Funeral Slash!" he roared, his eyes bloodshot with fierce determination.

Their attacks collided in mid-air, creating a vacuum that violently blasted away the surrounding snow and fog. The concussive force of the shockwave threw both men several meters backward.

Diamante braced himself against the blast with his sword. Lenn, however, seeing that even his ultimate technique couldn't finish Diamante, decided to use the force of the explosion to make a quick retreat.

"Where do you think you're going?!" Diamante, seeing Lenn's cunning attempt to flee, had no intention of letting him escape. He immediately pursued Lenn's retreating figure.

"Damn!" Lenn cursed, clutching his chest as he ran. The earlier collision had inflicted significant internal injuries; blood trickled from the corner of his mouth. I have to regroup with my team, he thought desperately. Only with their help can I deal with this guy! He quickly changed direction, heading towards his team's last known position.

Soon, the chase led them to the coastline. But what awaited Lenn was not his team, but a scattering of charred corpses. Their features, though distorted, were still recognizable as his World Government comrades.

"What... what happened here?" Lenn dragged his injured body closer to the fallen agents, examining their wounds.

Their bodies were covered in severe electrical burns, each one blackened and smoking.

"Could there be... another enemy? Hmm! No, wait..." Lenn suddenly looked up towards the sky. A massive bolt of lightning was arcing down directly towards him. CRACKLE!

Lenn threw himself to the side, narrowly avoiding the devastating strike. The spot where he'd stood, along with the unfortunate corpses, was subjected to another unwarranted disaster.

"Half-Moon Sending-Off Slash!"

Lenn had dodged the lightning, but he couldn't evade Diamante's follow-up sword attack, which had been perfectly timed. The blade energy slammed viciously into Lenn's chest. In his panic, he had only managed a hasty Haki defense, but it wasn't enough. He was sent flying, coughing up a large mouthful of blood.

Diamante gave him no respite, pressing the attack with his sword.

Lenn had just struggled to his feet when he saw Diamante's blade coming at him again. He quickly crossed his arms to block, but his injuries were too severe. Under Diamante's relentless assault, Lenn was steadily forced backward, towards the crackling lightning net. He realized the imminent danger; touching that net would undoubtedly lead to a horrific end.

For a moment, they were locked in a stalemate, neither able to gain further ground. CRACKLE! Another barrage of lightning bolts rained down from above, striking indiscriminately towards both of them.

"Doffy, you...! Why am I the one getting hurt?! I'm on your side!" Diamante grumbled internally, but seeing the indiscriminate nature of the lightning, he wisely disengaged from Lenn and floated away.

Lenn seized the chance to dodge as well.

But the intensity of the lightning in this area was even more terrifying. More and more bolts converged on them.

Both men endured a fierce electrical baptism. Diamante, however, seemed to attract more of the lightning – perhaps because he was holding a giant metal "lightning rod."

"I have to get out of here!" Lenn realized with dawning horror. This situation was far too dangerous; things were definitely not as simple as they appeared. But did Lenn think he could just leave? Had he asked Diamante's permission?

"Sword Pierce: Serpent Strike!" Seizing a moment when Lenn was momentarily stunned by the electrical onslaught, Diamante finally unleashed the true power of his Flutter-Flutter Fruit. His sword, moving with the deceptive fluidity of a striking snake, bent and twisted around Lenn's desperate guard, the tip unerringly finding its way to Lenn's heart.

"Aaargh!" Lenn screamed in agony. Diamante, using Soru, flashed towards him, determined to end it with one final blow. THUD.

Lenn's body crashed heavily to the ground, lifeless. The snow around them had long since been vaporized by the relentless lightning. As the fog in the air gradually dissipated, the terrifying visage of the Heaven and Earth Net became clearly visible.

Diamante picked up the sword from Lenn's fallen body and looked up at the sky. In the far distance, a brilliant golden light was streaking towards them, incredibly dazzling against the snow-white world. What's that coming this way? Diamante, Enel, and Pica, having all concluded their respective tasks, wondered as they watched the approaching light.

Doflamingo watched Rosinante, who had his pistol aimed squarely at him. He made no move, his hands casually thrust into his pockets, appearing completely unconcerned.

"Well? Aren't you going to shoot?" Doflamingo drawled. "As I thought, Rosinante. You can't bring yourself to shoot me. You're too much like Father – just as weak."

Rosinante's hand, holding the pistol, trembled. "Shut up!" he snarled, his voice filled with anguish and fury. "You have no right to talk about Father!"

"Divine Judgment."

Doflamingo had no desire for further conversation. A bolt of lightning shot forth, striking Rosinante and sending him sprawling to the ground, motionless.

"Pathetically weak," Doflamingo scoffed. "Is this how you protect your 'justice'? Laughable." He felt no sympathy. He was merely doing what was correct.

Doflamingo walked over to Rosinante's fallen form. He could hear his brother murmuring weakly, "Marine code... 01746... Marine Headquarters... Commander Rosinante... I am a Marine... Doflamingo... my dear brother... sooner or later... you will face the judgment of justice!"

Doflamingo acted as if he hadn't heard a word. He reached down and calmly retrieved the Op-Op Fruit from Rosinante's person, tucking it away safely. Only then did he look down at his brother.

"What meaning does any of this have?" he asked softly. "Farewell... my dear little brother... Rosinante." Doflamingo raised his hand, lightning gathering at his fingertips, aimed directly at Rosinante's heart. The next strike would undoubtedly pierce it.

Rosinante said nothing more. A faint, peaceful smile touched his lips as he looked up at Doflamingo.

"Farewell."

The lightning descended.