Several kilometers off the coast of Prince Kingdom
The sky was dark and overcast, with clouds gathering, and the sea surface was gently undulating, hinting at an impending storm.
A large 50-meter three-masted sailing ship cruised smoothly over the sea, flying a flag with a spherical cross at its top and center. This marked the ship’s origin—it was a vessel of the World Government.
Typically, World Government officials traveling to various kingdoms did not use such large ships. However, the deployment of a large three-masted sailing ship generally signified one purpose: the collection of the Celestial Tribute.
The deck was unusually spacious onboard. Dozens of sailors in Marine uniforms and some government employees in black suits diligently managed the sails and helm. Several stern-faced middle-aged men sat in chairs, reviewing a list of supplies.
“Prince Ilya’s ambition is no small thing. To establish his own pirate kingdom in the North Blue, he’s willing to offer triple the usual Celestial Tribute. That’s an enormous sum,” commented a middle-aged man with a small mustache, twirling his whiskers.
“If he successfully establishes a pirate kingdom, the North Blue will likely become a haven for pirates, descending into chaos. Are we really going to give him the authorization letter?” another official asked uncertainly, holding a document.
The mustached man glanced disdainfully at his colleague, calmly sipping his coffee.
“Get this straight—the authorization letter isn’t from us; it’s from the higher-ups. Prince Ilya is exchanging it for an annual tribute of 15 billion Beli. As for the chaos and pirates…” He snorted. “The Four Seas are already impoverished. How else can we extract more wealth if they aren’t in turmoil? We’re just here to collect the money and do our job. Those other issues are for the big shots to worry about, not us.”
The men exchanged glances and silently nodded.
All kingdoms becoming member states of the World Government require an official authorization invitation. Although Prince Kingdom was previously a member state, the recent coup necessitated a new authorization letter. Establishing a pirate kingdom required a special authorization, with the primary stipulation being triple the annual tribute.
As they sipped their coffee and enjoyed the seascape, an eerie laugh suddenly echoed from above.
“Fuffuffuffu, so the World Government is just a massive pirate organization, isn’t it? Fuffuffuffu.”
“Who’s there?!” The officials were startled, looking up in alarm.
When they saw the figure crouched on the ship’s yardarm, their faces turned grim.
A man wearing a pink feather coat and sunglasses, sporting an exaggerated sinister smile, crouched on the yardarm, peering down at them. He wore an open floral shirt, knee-length shorts, and golden pointed shoes.
Cold sweat broke out on the mustached official’s forehead.
“Doflamingo!”
“It’s a Warlord of the Sea!”
The Marines on deck tensed up, gripping their spears but hesitating to fire.
The mustached man tried to steady himself, speaking with a trembling voice, “Doflamingo, what are you doing here?”
“Hmm?” Doflamingo tilted his head, flicking his middle finger. “I’ll go wherever I please. Since when do you lackeys have the right to question me?”
The mustached official froze, fear etched into his eyes.
“Doflamingo, don’t cause trouble. This is a World Government ship en route to collect the Celestial Tribute from Prince Kingdom. It’s being monitored by the government.”
Another official shouted, trembling.
“Annoying.”
Doflamingo stood up, stepping out into the air as if walking on an invisible staircase, descending step by step until he stood before the government officials.
Towering over three meters, Doflamingo made the officials look like children in comparison.
With a sneer, Doflamingo lounged in the mustached man’s chair, picked up a glass of iced juice from the table, and took a leisurely sip.
Surrounded by silent government employees, his face displayed unabashed contempt and disdain, making the officials seethe with anger but unable to act.
“Don’t be afraid. I won’t eat you. I’m just hitching a ride. You’re heading to Prince Kingdom, right? Well, I’m going there to enjoy a play.”
“A play?”
The officials exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of what to do.
Doflamingo, acting as if he were the true master of the ship, picked up the list of supplies and documents and read through them.
Seeing this, the mustached official’s expression changed. He couldn’t help but shout again.
“Heavenly Yaksha! Those are World Government secrets! You can’t just read them. You know the consequences of knowing government secrets better than anyone…”
Doflamingo flicked his finger, causing the mustached official’s mouth to split open with bloody gashes on both sides, exposing his teeth and tongue.
“Ahhhh!”
The intense pain made the mustached official convulse, screaming in agony.
In an instant, all the soldiers on the ship aimed their rifles at Doflamingo.
“Point those guns at me again, and I’ll sink this ship.”
Doflamingo’s calm declaration silenced the soldiers, who lowered their rifles reluctantly.
“Put down your guns! Do you want to die? Get back to sailing!” The surrounding officials, their expressions shifting, rushed to calm the soldiers.
After getting the soldiers back to their duties, the officials warily approached Doflamingo, not daring to make any rash moves, fearing they might end up like their unfortunate colleague.
“Fuffuffuffu, I was wondering why you didn’t bring any strong bodyguards for the collection of the Celestial Tribute. So it’s to line your pockets. Let me see…”
“The total tribute collected is 160 billion Beli, reported as 150 billion, with 20 billion kept back, 10 billion for Rozwald Saint, and 10 billion for travel expenses.”
“Fuffuffuffu, fuffuffuffu!”
Doflamingo laughed wildly.
The surrounding officials turned pale, sweat pouring down their faces.
“What a rotten system, inside and out, top to bottom, reeking of corruption!”
“Dofla…”
“Shut up! I don’t care about your embezzlement. Just keep quiet.”
“Before we reach Prince Kingdom, I don’t want to hear a sound on this ship. Otherwise, I’ll kill you all!”
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