Chapter 17
"There were some complications with this mission."
Facing Doflamingo, Senor didn't intend to deflect any blame; instead, he took full responsibility.
Hearing that someone had dared to target his smuggling ship, Doflamingo's eyes, hidden beneath his sunglasses, instantly flared with vicious rage!
It was as if his prior noble elegance was merely a facade.
He was a fiercely brutal individual!
But when Senor finished explaining, Doflamingo showed no intention of blaming him.
After all, given the circumstances, it could be said that Senor handled the situation exceptionally well.
Not only did he save the ship and the cargo, annihilate the Bear and Hundred Swords pirate crews, but crucially, he also preserved the face and reputation of the Donquixote family!
Once word of this spreads, it would undoubtedly serve as a strong deterrent to those troublemakers planning to oppose them.
As for the lost weapons,
Doflamingo glanced up at the emotionless Senor.
"Forget it. It's not the first time he's stood up for his subordinates."
Normally, he would have punished some people harshly to establish 'clear rewards and punishments' and maintain his rule.
However, when it came to Senor, Doflamingo was willing to grant him some leeway.
After all, these 'family members' he had recruited, despite not resembling pirates in character, had to be accepted, tears or not.
"I've heard the story. Add the two seized pirate ships to the smuggling fleet, lock up that Black Bear Miles somewhere for now, and when the time is right, find a buyer and sell him off. An animal-type Devil Fruit user could fetch a good price. It would be a waste to hand him over to the Marines for a bounty. Let's consider this matter closed."
Doflamingo decided this after giving it some thought.
Senor had no objections.
However, Law felt as if he was being overlooked. Without waiting for Senor to speak, he suddenly said, "Are you the captain of these people? The boss of the Donquixote Family?"
Without any fear, Law stared directly at Doflamingo.
The previous admonition by a crew member to be polite and respectful had long been forgotten.
Strangely, Abel did not seem to have any intention to prevent Law from doing this.
"An impolite brat."
"It doesn't matter."
Diamante seemed dissatisfied with Law's tone and was about to teach him a lesson, but Doflamingo stopped him.
"Yes, I am. So, what do you want to do?"
Under Doflamingo's intrigued gaze, Law continued, "I want to join you, to become a pirate."
"I want to destroy everything I see."
"Whether it's towns, houses, or people, I want to destroy the entire world."
That despair, as tangible as death itself, was palpable. Even someone like Doflamingo was taken aback in that instant, involuntarily recalling painful memories from many years ago that he'd rather forget.
He seemed to see his past self in this boy's eyes.
Abel didn't intervene earlier because he didn't want to disrupt Law's momentum.
While they had similar experiences,
...
Abel, with thirty more years of experience, a mature mind, and his golden finger, had not been completely destroyed by that horrific experience. Instead, it had only amplified his ambition.
If he had been the one to speak these words, it wouldn't have the same effect as it did coming from Law.
By the time Doflamingo had finally recovered from his surprise, he realized that he had momentarily lost his composure. So he looked at Senor, the one who had brought these two, with a hint of confusion.
Senor simply said, "They're the two survivors who escaped from Flevance, the white town. They probably have two or three years left to live."
Doflamingo suddenly understood. No wonder such a young boy could utter such terrifying words.
Under normal circumstances, he might not be inclined to waste time on two short-lived individuals.
But because of Law's words earlier...
He suddenly wanted to give them a chance, to see what they could achieve!
Even if the outcome proved disappointing, he had nothing significant to lose.
Thus, he broke into a smile, "Joining my pirate crew isn't that easy. Let's see what you two are capable of."
"Trebol, Diamante, these two brats are yours to handle."
"No problem, leave it to us, hehehe~"
Trebol spoke first, his face adorned with a strange smile.
As Trebol and Diamante took the two young boys away, Senor revealed everything he knew under Doflamingo's curious questioning, including how he found the boys and the stories that Abel had told him.
After listening, Doflamingo slowly nodded. Although the identities of the two boys seemed genuine, a thorough investigation was still necessary to be certain.
...
The test took place in the garbage dump outside.
"Pick up the knives and attack me."
Without wasting any words, Diamante threw two short knives onto the ground.
Abel quickly picked them up, finding the length perfect for him and Law, leaving no room for excuses about the weapon not fitting.
Under normal circumstances, even if he and Law were multiplied by a hundred, they wouldn't stand a chance against Diamante.
So, the purpose of this test was to let them show off their skills and to gauge their potential.
They couldn't mess around.
"Law, in a moment..."
Abel was about to discuss tactics with Law when he saw that Law, with a knife in hand and gritting his teeth, had already charged forward.
Damn it!
What happened to careful planning?
What happened to cunning strategy?!
Law, did you know that you fought so recklessly as a child?
Damn!
Plan B was aborted, transitioning to Plan A!
Don't ask what Plan A is. A it is!
With no other choice, Abel, too, gripped his short knife and charged forward.
Clang, clang!
With two clear sounds, Diamante casually blocked their attacks, his blade unmoving.
The gap in their abilities was just too great!
Despite Law and Abel putting their full force into the attack, their effort had no effect whatsoever.
Even Diamante had a mocking smirk on his face, yawning casually in between.
They thought, these boys, with their pitiful strength, were absolutely unqualified to join their ranks!
What was Doflamingo thinking?
At this point, Doflamingo, who was observing the fight from the second floor, spoke up, "Don't kill them, Diamante. This is just a trial before they become junior members of our family."
"I understand, Doflamingo."
Diamante casually responded, although he didn't understand what Doflamingo saw in these two boys, he would undoubtedly carry out any order from Doflamingo without question.
...