ROMANCE DAWN

21

"Where are Law and Corazon?!" Diamante asks.

I roll the ball into a cannon as Baby 5 points it in the direction of the enemy boat.

"We haven't seen them since they came on board.

— I think I saw them leave with luggage!" Buffalo adds as he enjoys his ice cream.

I drop the cannonball on the ground.

"Be careful!" Baby 5 yells at me as she lifts her foot to avoid the ball.

"Young Master, I found this in Corazon's hammock." Says Señor Pink, handing Doflamingo a piece of paper.

The blond read the inscription on the paper before crushing it in his hands and throwing it to the ground.

"What the hell is he playing at!?" A vein appears on his forehead as he angrily makes his way to his cabin.

I quickly pick up the paper and unfold it. Despite the sessions prepared by Law and Doflamingo, reading is a difficult ordeal for me. But after a few seconds, I can make out the crudely written words on the paper.

I'm off to treat Law's illness.

And the pain of those words gave me a jolt. They've gone without me. They left me here.

[...]

"Corazon was a naval spy. He joined the Donquixote Family to bring you down. Where are you now?" asks the man on the phone.

—  On Swallow Island." Doflamingo replies. "My fears had apparently proved correct. It confirmed one thing for me, you are my only family."

The snow melts beneath my bare feet with every step I take, forming a trail of my passing. The scarlet liquid under the sole of my foot stains the immaculate white blanket of snow that has formed on the island. I walk over to Doflamingo, who questions me with his eyes. I shake my head as I step over a lifeless body on the ground.

"When we landed, the men were running screaming that the devil fruit had been stolen. The culprit is none other than Corazon, so if he's in front of you, don't let him get away.

— Yes... er... mh...

— Don't tell me he's escaped!" Doflamingo snaps.

He reaches for the sky, his face crumpled with anger.

"I won't let him escape."

He creates a whole bundle of countless thongs that unravel and rise into the sky like colones. Then they fall back down and spread out over a wide perimeter, one after the other, very close together. This forms a dome. The strings are so strong and sharp that you could compare them to razor blades. Anyone attempting to pass through the thongs is immediately sliced open. No one can escape.

[..]

I squint, watching the two men standing in front of Doflamingo, seated on his golden throne. I'm standing behind him next to Trebol, who is leering at the two boys with his stupid idiot smile and his sceptre in his hand. They don't take their eyes off Doflamingo, ignoring Trebol and me as if we were invisible.

"So I'm merciless, am I?" Doflamingo laughs softly. "You amaze me, with everything you've put me through so far. First you destroyed my SAD production line on Hazard Punk. Then you went after Virgo and Monnet and kidnapped Cesar. Once on DressRosa, you set all the toys free before targeting my factory!"