One Piece: Lord of Calamity

The entire city had devolved into complete chaos. Terrified people fled like a tide towards the city's edge. Roa stood atop a house, taking a deep breath. "This is great."

"Hm?" Suddenly, Roa spotted a small figure in the fleeing crowd. His cloak had been blown open by the wind, but this time he paid it no mind. The small boy was sobbing, tears and snot making his dirty face even more a mess. He simply cried, stumbling forward.

Roa narrowed his eyes, and a dense black aura surged towards him, making him reveal a somewhat intoxicated expression. Though not much, it was truly a long time since he had tasted such high-quality black energy.

"Lord Roa, it's that guy's brother," Bullet sharply noticed where Roa's gaze lingered.

"Leave him be, he's already pitiful enough," Roa said compassionately. "Don't be too hard on a child, Bullet." Live well, foolish little brother. And when one day in the future you possess power comparable to Doflamingo, then come back for revenge. Hmm, it'd be best if you brought a group of companions with deep bonds.

"That should be enough," Roa gazed in the direction of the commotion; the roaring had gradually subsided. "Let's go back, Bullet."

"Yes."

At the center of the town.

"Hoo—hoo—" Doflamingo gasped violently. He had exhausted too much stamina. But he was laughing, almost maniacally. The surroundings had become a ruin; it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say corpses littered the ground.

This ability was simply too perfect for him. He didn't need to possess overwhelming strength himself; he just needed to combine large amounts of weapons to unleash devastating effects! Finally, he felt exhilarated! If he possessed such power—would Mary Geoise accept him again? Doflamingo wondered.

But before that. He tilted his head slightly. On the roof of a nearby ruined house, a shadow crouched like a cat, unmoving, expressionless, staring intently at him with eyes as black as an abyss.

Who did that inexplicable guy think he was? Did he actually expect this young master to stoop beneath him? Hmph! Celestial Dragons would never be slaves! If he could just kill this monitor, he would be able to—

Huh? Doflamingo's vision blurred. The black-eyed man who had been crouching like a large cat on the rooftop now leaped like a large cat, moving so fast that Doflamingo couldn't even see him clearly.

Thump!

A sharp blade unsheathed from his waist, directly cutting through Doflamingo's proud steel exterior.

"Waaahhh!" The side effect of the Clank-Clank Fruit instantly activated. When the combined material was damaged, part of the damage was reflected back onto Doflamingo. While it didn't create a wound on his stomach, the pain was no less. Doflamingo even coughed up blood.

He was going to kill him? Fear, like a bone-deep parasite, struck.

Vice Admiral Johnson, having lost his reason, didn't care about such things; he was merely executing his master's orders. His left hand, covered in black Haki, plunged into the crack of the steel exterior, grabbing Doflamingo's neck and forcibly tearing him out. Holding Doflamingo aloft, the ghost-minion Johnson shot upwards, stepping on rooftops towards his master.

What kind of monster was this guy? Doflamingo felt like he couldn't breathe, desperately trying to struggle, but the hand gripping his neck was as unyielding as steel. He wanted to speak, to threaten, to entice, to tell this man that he was a Celestial Dragon, that if he was released, he would be rewarded handsomely once he returned to Mary Geoise, otherwise, he would surely die later.

However, with his neck constricted, all he could emit were painful whimpers. His lungs began to ache from lack of air, and his mind grew hazy.

Was he going to die? In such a ridiculous way?

Fortunately, he didn't actually die. Just as his consciousness was about to completely drift away, the hand clutching his neck suddenly loosened, and he was thrown to the ground. Doflamingo lay sprawled, gasping for air. For the first time, breathing felt like such a touching experience. His brain gradually recovered from the oxygen deprivation, and the scene before him became clear.

Doflamingo saw a mast and sails; he was lying on the deck of a ship.

"Sorry, Doflamingo," the voice of the mysterious sunglasses man came from the side. "This guy is just my puppet, without reason, so he can be a bit rough."

Doflamingo slowly sat up, turning his head to look at Roa, who had removed his sunglasses.

A puppet? He then looked at Johnson, the ghost-minion, standing beside Roa. Such a monster was a puppet?

"Who exactly are you?" Doflamingo finally asked the question.

"Your information is truly outdated, Doflamingo," Roa said, a little surprised. "My face should be quite well-known, especially since you were once a Celestial Dragon."

Doflamingo bit his lip. Indeed, he had realized it when he called out his true name—he knew his origin!

"Are you... a Celestial Dragon?" He asked what he thought was the most likely possibility.

"A Celestial Dragon?" Roa almost burst out laughing. "You really know nothing, do you? Did your father never tell you about how I wiped out hundreds of Celestial Dragons six years ago?"

"..." Doflamingo was instantly speechless. He remembered! Although he was only three years old six years ago, he had no memory of that event. But his biological father had mentioned it many times later. During a hunting expedition, the Celestial Dragons suffered enormous losses unprecedented for centuries. Not only was the hunting ground attacked by pirates, but a madman also wiped out most of the Celestial Dragons participating in the hunt in one go! Was it this guy?

"Let me introduce myself. I am Roa," Roa said with a chuckle. "A perfectly ordinary young entrepreneur who hates the World Government, and utterly despises Celestial Dragons. So Doflamingo, don't even think about saying you want to become a Celestial Dragon again." His smile grew wider. "I will kill you."

"..." Doflamingo's pupils suddenly trembled violently.

Fear! An indescribable fear, like a tsunami, instantly completely engulfed him. His thoughts were frozen, and his body was completely rigid.

"Remember this fear, Doflamingo," Roa reined in his ability. "From now on, please work hard for me."

"..." Doflamingo remained silent, his body still trembling. Although Roa had stopped his ability, the bone-chilling fear from moments ago was not so easily dispelled.

Looking at the trembling Doflamingo, Roa sighed slightly. This was precisely the problem; Doflamingo, which of the monsters of the sea possessed such a weak will in their youth? But perhaps this was for the best; this guy was the type who would shine if given a little sunshine. Only fear could restrain him.

"Lord Roa, we've found a navigator!" Just then, Dylan returned with an unfamiliar man. "There seems to have been a commotion on the island." He looked at Doflamingo, who was slumped on the ground, a little surprised. "This is...?"

"A new recruit," Roa said. "Dylan, I'll trouble you to look after him."

"Yes." Dylan simply nodded, asking no questions.

"Then, let's set sail again!"

The next day.

A news bird delivered the newspaper.

"As expected, Auntie Linlin was beaten and sent scurrying away," Roa said, flipping through the newspaper. It reported that the Big Mom Pirates had a fierce battle with the fleet led by Marine Hero Garp the Fist in the Land of Endless War.

"Hope they're okay."

Almost simultaneously, somewhere in the New World.

A somewhat dilapidated ship was speeding across the sea.

"Damn you, Garp! Remember this, old hag!" Charlotte Linlin, now somewhat plump, sat on the deck, devouring food and cursing loudly. "One day, I'll make you pay, you bastard!" Bandages were wrapped around her head, and bandages also extended from her shoulder towards her chest. Beside her, her most trusted second son, the sixteen-year-old Katakuri, ate doughnuts with his large mouth, asking somewhat indistinctly, "Mama, did Roa really join the Beast Pirates?"

"How would this old hag know! Eyewitnesses on the island only saw him have a fierce fight with Kaido, and then they left together!" Charlotte Linlin gritted her teeth. Not only had she failed to achieve her objective, but she was also beaten by Garp the Fist, who had arrived shortly after!

Young Katakuri smiled brightly. Regardless, Roa was not only safe but had also become strong enough to rival Kaido? Truly, he was still that boundless monster Roa! It seemed he needed to work even harder—if double wasn't enough, then quadruple; if that wasn't enough, then ten times, a hundred times, two hundred times! Until they met again, he would make that guy look at him with new eyes!

On the coast of the Land of Endless War.

A huge warship was docked there.

"Keep looking! Garp! Since he left with Kaido, then go find Kaido! You must find that brat!"

The black-haired Marine Hero moved the Den Den Mushi away from his ear with a look of disgust. He still wanted to pursue Roger. Kaido, huh?