The Gold Of The Richest King

The air in the throne room is thick with tension, and Law wishes he had Kikoku to cut through it all. At the end of the room, elevated on a dais, sits Doflamingo in all his twisted glory. Even his oversized, obnoxiously pink feather coat can't dull the malice in his eyes.

Standing in the middle of the room as summoned, Law is certain he has misheard. "What did you just say?"

Doflamingo's smile widens. "The King of Laugh Tale has accepted your hand in marriage, and with this, an alliance between our countries shall be born."

Alarm bells start going off in his head, and his ears ring. This is the first time Law has even heard of this.

"Now, as for why I did this," Doflamingo spreads out his arms. "Unlike any other country, Laugh Tale is rumored to be a land of indomitable will, with many powerful kingdoms as allies. If I attacked that land without a decent reason, then—?"

"That would be a declaration of war against a formidable coalition," Law says, his mind racing.

"Exactly," Doflamingo nods, body now thrumming with a manic glee. Law feels violently ill. "But with this marriage, any grievance can become a slight against the royal family, which is a justifiable cause for war. Even the most powerful kingdoms must respect the sanctity of marriage alliances."

Law's eyes narrow. "And you expect me to just go along with this?"

Doflamingo's eyes gleam, mirthful like he's looking at a child. "Then you'll have made an enemy of me. What do you think would happen to your darling advisors?"

Nami and Viola would have his head if he ever dares to let them be the bargaining chip. He needs to discuss this development with them as soon as possible. The timing really couldn't be worse.

Something else tugs at Law's mind, making him frown. "What kind of grievance do you think Laugh Tale could cause Dressrosa?"

If possible, Doflamingo smiles even wider, likely anticipating this question all day. "Why, your death of course!"

Law's about to tell him where to shove it when strings appear out of thin air, coiling around his limbs, keeping him in place. His eyes widen when two guards approach him with what looks to be a pair of anklets. "What do you think—"

His heart drops. Those are made of seastones.

And the full picture finally comes into focus in all its nightmarish entirety.

Just earlier this week, Law has collapsed in the middle of dinner, and later found out that Amber Lead has been lying dormant inside his vein all this time. It simply manifested much more slowly than it did with his younger sister.

Law still hasn't had a chance to use his power to begin treating his body yet. If he can't do that, he will die in just a month, while he's in Laugh Tale. Doflamingo could easily blame his death on the other king and unleash war upon countless innocent people.

Hells, the royal wedding usually takes a whole year to prepare, but the betrothal ceremony can be done right away. If he dies right after the ceremony, the disaster that follows will be just as devastating.

Of course he would take advantage of this too. Law seethes as they put seastone cuffs on both his ankles, which then gets covered behind his long robes. The exhaustion immediately kicks in, sapping away his strength, and Law just can't wait for the day he could rip the vocal cord out of Doflamingo's throat to make that laugh go away.

---

For as long as Law can remember, there has always been a war raging on.

His ancestors had crossed deserts, oceans, and mountains to find a land where flowers stretched endlessly. There, they established a small kingdom. With their strategic minds and renowned empathy, others were drawn to settle there as well.