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One Piece: As Heavy as a Gale #117
🕑 Added 2025-08-18 14:24:59 +0000 UTCSengoku cleared his throat, his voice booming across the chamber like the toll of a war drum. “This is Captain Harlow Gale,” he announced, h
Sengoku cleared his throat, his voice booming across the chamber like the toll of a war drum.
“This is Captain Harlow Gale,” he announced, his hand gesturing toward the grinning figure standing just behind him. “Commander of the Sabaody Marine Branch during the incident… and the officer responsible for arresting Diamante.”
The Warlords’ collective attention slid toward Gale like a row of knives. Even Mihawk cracked an eye open.
Doflamingo leaned forward, feathers rustling, shades flashing. His grin didn’t reach his eyes.
“Fuffuffuffu… This little twerp?” His voice dripped with mockery. “He defeated Diamante?”
Gale rolled his shoulders in a lazy shrug. “With help from Admiral Kizaru, yeah.”
He tipped an invisible hat toward Kizaru, who looked like he’d rather be napping. “But we’re not here to measure my résumé. We’re here to question your involvement with the assassination of a Celestial Dragon.”
His grin dimmed into a sharp edge. Arms crossed, voice steady. “If I were you, I’d be a lot more worried about that.”
The room went still. The vein in Doflamingo’s temple pulsed again, and his long fingers began to tap lightly against the table. Tap. Tap. Tap. Like a countdown to an explosion.
“Diamante’s been clearly set up by someone. The idea of me—of all people—lowering myself to get involved with something so stupid is ridiculous. I've too much to lose on such a farce...” His voice was smooth, but that vein told another story.
Gale let out a short scoff, leaning forward slightly, eyes glinting with mischief.
“Is it, though? Others might buy that, but the higher-ups of Marine HQ…” His smirk widened meaningfully. “…they know your real identity. And the grudge you carry against the Celestial Dragons.”
The effect was immediate.
For the first time, Doflamingo froze. His shades hid his eyes, but his whole frame stiffened like someone had yanked his strings taut. The grin faltered—just for a fraction of a second.
The other Warlords didn’t bite, though their curiosity flickered like passing shadows. Mihawk tilted his hat back just enough to watch. Hancock raised a perfectly arched brow. Crocodile smirked, savoring the tension like fine wine. Jinbe said nothing, but his gaze weighed heavy.
Sengoku didn’t move. Kizaru’s only reaction was a lazy scratch at his chin. Silent. Watching.
“…Fuffuffuffuffu.” Doflamingo’s laugh came slower this time, heavier. He tilted his head, lenses hiding the murderous glare blazing underneath.
“I can’t believe even a brat like you knows about that.” His voice had lost its airy tone, words sharpened like razors.
The grin returned, stretching tight across his face, but it looked brittle, like glass under strain.
“But it’s all water under the bridge now. You see…” He leaned back in his chair, hands steepling in front of his face. “I’ve reached an understanding with the World Nobles. In fact, I’ve even formed mutually beneficial relationships with them.”
His teeth showed in a predatory grin, daring anyone to challenge him.
Gale tilted his head, brow raised, his smirk tugging wider.
'Mutually beneficial…?' he thought, tapping his chin. 'That’s a pretty creative way of saying blackmail until they’re too scared to say no.’
Of course, he couldn’t say that out loud.
So instead, he gave a scoff. “That slavery business, you mean? Sure, I bet it was real profitable in a lot of ways...” His grin sharpened. “Too bad it’s all gone now. Seeing as you—or your minions—won’t be stepping foot into the Blues or Paradise ever again.”
The words dropped like a cannonball into the middle of the table.
Silence.
Even Moria stopped chewing.
Doflamingo’s head slowly turned, shades glinting, toward Sengoku. His grin was still there, but it was stretched too thin, skin twitching around his jaw.
“…say, Sengoku-san...” His voice had gone lower, rougher. “The joke has gone far enough…” He trailed off, the laugh caught in his throat, before he added in a growl, “I suggest you send this boy away before I really lose my temper.”
Sengoku didn’t so much as blink. His thick fingers steepled on the table, his presence towering without moving an inch.
“Watch your mouth, pirate.” His tone was cold, clipped steel. “Captain Gale may be brash, and young, but he isn’t someone scum like you can threaten—especially not here.”
His eyes hardened like iron. “Exile into the New World is the lightest punishment we could think of.”
The silence pressed tighter, like the room itself had shrunk.
Doflamingo leaned back slowly, one hand drumming his fingers on the armrest. His grin was back in full force, but it was hollow, the kind of grin that creaked like old rope under weight.
“…Are you saying this… knowing what I know?”
Sengoku’s stare didn’t budge an inch.
“Knowing what you know,” he said, his tone like a hammer blow, “is the only reason you’re not in seastone cuffs… or on a public execution stand.”
That made Trebol twitch, mucus splattering as he let out a strangled noise behind Doffy. “G-g-gyahhh, you can't talk to D-Dooofi like—!”
On the side, Kizaru leaned back in his chair, shoulders rolling like he was at a beach picnic instead of a powder keg.
“Oooh, this is all far too scary for me…” he drawled, voice stretching with lazy amusement. “But, mm… if you really wanna test Sengoku-san’s point…” His head tilted, eyes half-lidded but glinting sharp. “…I’ll be more than happy to show you exactly what he means.”
A thin silence followed. Tighter. Heavier.
Gale, for his part, just chuckled, letting his eyes wander across the table at the gathered Warlords. “Y’know… by the looks they keep throwing you, Doffy…” His grin turned wicked as he jabbed a thumb casually toward the others. “…I’m real sure they’d be happy to help with that too.”
Doflamingo leaned back in his chair, his grin stretched tight as piano wire. His shades hid his eyes, but his gaze swept across the table. And sure enough—just as Gale had jabbed at—Moria was gnawing on a bone while staring at him like he was already marinated.
Crocodile’s smirk was sharper than his hook, and he hadn’t stopped eyeing him since the word “execution” had entered the conversation.
Hancock remained inscrutable, chin tilted high. She might as well have been carved from marble—gorgeous, disdainful marble that would happily watch him burn if it came to it.
Only Mihawk and Jinbe looked disinterested, though Mihawk’s subtle glance in Doffy’s direction said it all: If you slip, I’ll notice.
The Joker wasn’t about to show weakness. Not here. Not with these vultures circling. He exhaled slow, forcing his shoulders loose, and let a more relaxed expression return to his face.
“Fuffuffuffuffu… I thought this was a meeting to get to the bottom of things.” His grin cut at Sengoku now, teeth glinting behind the words. “But it seems you’ve already decided I’m guilty. For a man called the Buddha…” he tilted his head, feathers shifting as he leaned forward, “…you sure are merciless, Sengoku-san.”
Before the silence could settle, Gale let out a loud scoff. He didn’t even try to hide it.
“What’s there to discuss?” he said flatly, arms crossing. “Your man personally stopped me from interfering with your so-called merchandise while he was busy stabbing Saint Shepherd.”
A vein twitched in Doffy’s temple, but Gale wasn’t finished.
“He also got in my way when I chased him. All of it happened in your little den of chains and collars.” He tilted his head, grin sharpening. “And you’ve got every motive in the world. So what else is there to say?”
Trebol twitched like a bug about to explode, but Doflamingo raised one hand, forcing him quiet.
He wanted to snap—oh, he really wanted to snap—but with half the room’s eyes fixed on him like predators waiting for a misstep, he held it back.
His grin didn’t falter, but his fingers tapped the table, tok… tok… tok, betraying the pressure underneath.
“…It’s exactly because it was done in my place of business, by one of my men,” he finally said, his voice low, deliberate, “that it doesn’t make sense. Do you think I’m stupid? To bring that kind of storm on my own head?”
Gale let out a chuckle—one of those irritating, sharp ones that just screamed I’m not buying it.
“Heh. Nope. You’re not stupid. In fact…” He leaned forward slightly, smirk tugging higher. “…it was a clever plan. Would’ve worked brilliantly if I wasn’t there.”
The silence tightened again.
“A slave lashing out, killing a Dragon who wanted to buy him? That’s the kind of thing the Government would bury before it even hit the streets.” Gale shook his head slowly, almost mockingly. “It would’ve been perfect.”
Doflamingo’s jaw clenched under the smile.
“But then I got involved,” Gale continued, tapping his own chest with his thumb. “And your man panicked. Got anxious. Screwed the whole thing up.” His grin widened, eyes glinting with mischief. “Great planning, truly. Top-notch. But the execution? Terrible.”
Crocodile chuckled under his breath, smoke curling from his lips. “Heh. He’s not wrong.”
Moria broke into a wheezing cackle, food flying from his mouth. “KEHEHEHEHEH! He’s callin’ ya sloppy, Joker!”
Trebol made a wet, strangled noise in the back of his throat, mucus dribbling everywhere as his hands wrung nervously.
Inside, Gale was savoring every second. 'Man, watching him squirm while trying to grin through it all? Priceless. I love my job...'
Comments
trollord3000
HAHAHAHA suck it Doffy!!!
