Who was Doflamingo?

One of the Shichibukai, emperor of almost the entire underground world, a former Celestial Dragon… Every part of his identity screamed power and danger!

And yet such a man died—silently, without warning.

Once the news spread, what kind of impact would it have on the World Government?

A pirate invited by the government itself… couldn't even protect his own life? Dying mysteriously in his own territory?

It would be a massive blow to the people's trust in the World Government.

Just then, Sengoku's Den Den Mushi began to ring.

"Any news?"

He snatched it up quickly.

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, we… we're afraid we can't investigate any further…"

The voice on the other end was trembling in fear.

"What happened?! What's going on?!"

Sengoku's expression changed immediately.

"A man-eating monster!"

"It was a man-eating monster that killed Doflamingo!"

"Fleet Admiral Sengoku, there's a monster here in Dressrosa, please send help—ARGHHH—"

The terrified voice cut off with a blood-curdling scream. The call ended.

"Damn it!"

Sengoku slammed the receiver down.

The CP0 agents sent to Dressrosa were dead. And "man-eating monster"? That wasn't even a proper codename! How could something so vague be treated as the confirmed culprit?

"Who the hell is this guy?"

"Anyone capable of killing Doflamingo couldn't possibly be some unknown!"

Sengoku's expression turned grim.

The Navy's intelligence network spanned the globe. Even if someone strong rose from obscurity, the moment they displayed power, they'd be added to the watchlist.

But now, under their very noses, someone powerful enough to kill Doflamingo had appeared—and they knew nothing. No face, no name, no age, not even whether he had a Devil Fruit.

If this continued, this unknown threat could become a major enemy to both the Navy and the World Government.

"We must find out the truth!"

"Communications team, get me Vice Admiral Maynard. Tell him to report to me immediately!"

Sengoku decided to send a Vice Admiral to Dressrosa for intelligence gathering.

…

"The rats of the World Government really had to mess with me… Looks like Doflamingo's death has really stirred up the government and the Navy."

In a quiet alley, Lance smoked silently. Around his feet lay several corpses sprawled in blood, red pooling beneath them.

These guys had been tailing Lance for days. He hadn't wanted to deal with them at first—but recently, their behavior had become more aggressive. So he simply ordered Kuro to eliminate them.

"If the World Government has its eyes on me, they won't let up. Fine. I've stayed in Dressrosa long enough—it's time to see more of the world."

He looked up toward the sky.

It had been a whole month since he killed Doflamingo.

In that time, countless pirates had come to Dressrosa to take revenge.

With Doflamingo dead and the Donquixote Family destroyed, they had lost access to SMILEs and weapons—and in their rage, some had turned their eyes on the innocent civilians of Dressrosa.

Doflamingo truly had been a king of the underground. His reach had been vast. Now, notorious New World crews were arriving one after another to pillage Dressrosa.

The country's military stood no chance. They were a peaceful nation, never meant for war. Their only real fighter was Kyros, the man who had once won 3,000 arena battles.

But even Kyros couldn't take on an entire pirate fleet.

For the citizens of Dressrosa, it was an apocalyptic threat.

But for Lance… it was Doflamingo's final gift.

These New World pirates… were all premium IBM feed.

He'd worried about having too many IBM units and not enough prey for them. Not anymore. These overconfident fools made perfect nourishment for all six of them.

"Did Kuro and the others already wipe out an entire New World pirate fleet?"

"My Armament Haki and Observation Haki both improved a bit. Even my physical strength feels enhanced… That last batch must've included a brawler."

Lance felt heat surging inside him—it was the life energy passed on by the IBMs after devouring their prey.

"It's time to go."

He flicked away his cigarette and leapt into the air, stepping off nearly invisible threads and soaring over the rooftops of Dressrosa, crossing streets until he returned to the modest apartment he used as a hideout.

His reputation had exploded in Dressrosa. Countless people wanted to see their so-called savior. To avoid the attention, Lance had hidden himself in a quiet place.

The moment he walked in, he tossed his coat to the ground.

"You're back!"

From the kitchen came a beautiful woman in a maid outfit, with flushed cheeks and a shapely figure.

It was Baby-5—the only former member of the Donquixote Family, aside from Violet, who had been spared.

Gone was her rebellious girl image, always with a cigarette in her mouth. She now looked like the perfect, doting housewife.

"It's been a month. Your injuries should be healed, right?"

"This time, I'm not falling for any more of your excuses. Get out of my room!"

Lance replied coldly.

(End of Chapter)

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