While Crocodile was enjoying himself in Wano Country, somethings happening within Holy Land of Mary Geoise.

Meeting hall of the God's Knights...

With Figarland Garling being promoted as a candidate for the Five Elders, Shamrock, who had ascended to the position early, sat cloaked in the commander's chair.

His expression was stern as he watched the members of the God's Knights file into the hall one after another.

In no time, both sides of the long rectangular meeting table were filled.

"Where is Doflamingo?"

Glancing around, Shamrock noticed all the God's Knights members had arrived—except for Vice-Commander Doflamingo.

His brow furrowed as he asked coldly, "Did no one inform him about today's meeting?"

"He's the vice-commander. It's not our place to notify him!"

Killingham, who remained in his half-human, half-kirin form with an elongated neck, replied with a hint of displeasure.

Hearing this, Shamrock's frown deepened.

The promotion of Doflamingo to vice-commander of the God's Knights had left many dissatisfied—not just among the members and squad leaders, but even within Shamrock himself.

In their eyes, Doflamingo's father had voluntarily renounced his Celestial Dragon status, leading to the entire family being scorned by the Donquixote lineage in Mary Geoise.

Many Celestial Dragons even viewed them as traitors.

Naturally, their prejudice against Doflamingo ran deep.

And now, this man—who had once abandoned his Celestial Dragon heritage and later escalated his crimes by plundering the Heavenly Tribute—was not only strutting around the Holy Land under the protection of a Fleet Admiral but had also risen to become the vice-commander of the God's Knights.

The discontent wasn't limited to the God's Knights, many Celestial Dragons in Mary Geoise were seething in silent fury.

Especially in recent days, Doflamingo had been frequently visiting the Donquixote estate in Pangaea Castle, fabricating charges against the Celestial Dragons who were once his kin and punishing them under his authority as vice-commander.

Though he hadn't taken any lives, his actions had already stirred widespread outrage in Pangaea Castle.

Buru buru—

Just then, the Den Den Mushi on the table abruptly rang.

An urgent voice crackled through.

"Commander! Doflamingo is... causing trouble in Pangaea Castle again! This time it's serious—two CP0 agents who tried to stop him have been ensnared by his String-String Fruit powers and are now fighting each other!"

Shamrock shot to his feet.

"I'm on my way!" he growled.

Without hesitation, he stormed out in a rage.

Seeing this, the God's Knights members, who had just taken their seats, quickly rose and followed.

****

Meanwhile, in Pangaea Castle...

One after another, Celestial Dragons gathered before the gates of a lavish estate, escorted by their personal guards.

The area outside the gates was already packed, while dozens of Celestial Dragons—men, women, and children—stood in the courtyard within.

Inside a pavilion in the estate, Doflamingo—now the vice-commander of the God's Knights—perched like a flamingo at the entrance.

Behind his sunglasses, a wicked grin spread across his face as he stared at the scene before him.

The two Celestial Dragons were none other than the masters of this estate—Donquixote Garrison and his son Donquixote Fernando—a collateral branch of the Donquixote family, descendants of the Dressrosa royal lineage from eight hundred years ago.

When Donquixote Homing voluntarily renounced his status as a Celestial Dragon, Garrison seized the opportunity to rise as the head of the Holy Land's Donquixote family.

After assuming leadership, Garrison naturally distanced himself from Doflamingo, who had abandoned his Celestial Dragon status.

Not only that, when Doflamingo once came to the Holy Land seeking to reclaim his title, Garrison openly scorned him, even spitting on him after he knelt.

To Garrison's surprise, though Doflamingo failed to regain his Celestial Dragon status this time, he instead ascended to the position of Vice-Captain of the God's Knights.

While the God's Knights' primary duty was indeed to safeguard the lives and supremacy of the Celestial Dragons, they also held the authority to punish them.

Unsurprisingly, as soon as Doflamingo became Vice-Captain, he immediately began exacting revenge on the Holy Land's Donquixote family.

First, he falsely accused one member of theft and had the entire family strung up and whipped.

Then, he framed another for an affair with a neighboring female Celestial Dragon and buried him in the courtyard, leaving only his head exposed to the scorching sun for two days.

The unluckiest was a Celestial Dragon yesterday who merely glanced at Doflamingo a few times.

Doflamingo accused him of assaulting the Vice-Captain of the God's Knights, then used his String-String Fruit powers to force the man to run naked around Pangaea Plaza all day.

Unaccustomed to physical exertion due to his pampered life, the poor wretch nearly collapsed from exhaustion and remains hospitalized.

Just when Garrison thought Doflamingo might finally relent, he barged into their home today, charging Garrison and his son with "being too ugly and tarnishing the Donquixote family's reputation."

"Doflamingo, what the hell do you want?!"

Garrison, standing outside the pavilion, glared at the CP0 bodyguards slashing at each other with weapons on the nearby lawn, his eyes bloodshot as he roared.

"Which law in the Holy Land says being ugly is punishable? If you keep this up, I'll go to the Chamber of Powers and have the Five Elders intervene!"

"Ask the Five Elders to intervene?"

Doflamingo's gaze sharpened.

Slouching with one hand in his pocket, he stepped out of the pavilion, using the elevated ground to loom over Garrison with a sinister grin.

"Don't rush. Once I've settled my accounts with you, I'll pay those old fossils a visit myself!"

"You—"

Stunned that Doflamingo would dare disrespect even the Five Elders, Garrison instinctively taking a step back.

"What are you planning?"

"Relax, I won't kill you."

Doflamingo's smile remained as wicked as ever.

"After all, being ugly isn't a capital offense—fufufufu~"

Amidst roaring laughter, Doflamingo suddenly raised his palm.

With a flick of his fingers, the two CP0 bodyguards who had been slashing at each other nearby were instantly yanked before Garrison by the String-String Fruit's power.

"Let's play a game!"

Glancing at the two bodyguards now standing beside Garrison and his son, Doflamingo wore an uncharacteristically serious expression.

"As long as you cooperate, I promise it's just a game. Of course, if you refuse to play along during this... well, then it won't just be about being ugly anymore—it'll be about adding crimes to your charges, and people might die!"

"Doflamingo, don't push your luck too far!"

One of the CP0 bodyguards shouted angrily, "Even if you're the vice-captain of the God's Knights, you can't disrespect Saint Garrison like this! Besides, we're not your subordinates—we're CP0!"

Hearing this, Doflamingo's smile vanished instantly.

"A mere bodyguard dares to defy the vice-captain of the God's Knights?"

Squelch—

A soft sound rang out abruptly.

The next moment, the defiant CP0 bodyguard's head tumbled from his shoulders and his body collapsed to the ground with a thud.

"Anyone else object?"

After swiftly eliminating the CP0 agent, Doflamingo immediately switched back to his cheerful grin and looked at Garrison.

"No need to be nervous—this game is very simple!"

"Because this game is called—"

"Red Light, Green Light."

"Fufufufu~"

-----------------------------

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