The busy streets fell silent again, as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. Soon, pedestrians once again crowded the sidewalks.
Doflamingo and his group headed towards the hotel. After experiencing such an "interesting" event, it was natural for them to seek some fun to relax.
There's no place more relaxing than a tavern. It's where all kinds of people mix, where diverse forces intertwine. It's a gathering point for information and a refuge to spend money.
Although Doflamingo was still young, a handsome lad, he had no qualms about drinking. After all, what mature man wouldn't appreciate good wine and beautiful women? Unless he was a very peculiar person, of course. It's perfectly normal for young people, full of vigor and vitality, to have their needs.
Doflamingo, however, wasn't too concerned with beautiful women at the moment. Even if he wanted to satisfy his desires, he would have to wait a few more years before he could think about sex. After all, for him, it was still too early. His body hadn't yet reached its maximum development, and there was plenty of room for improvement.
"Nee, Doffy, what you just said was so imposing!" exclaimed Trebol sincerely.
"Yes, I've always believed in Doflamingo." Diamante, his number one fan, looked confidently at Doflamingo, who was walking ahead.
Even the quiet Vergo and the always reluctant Pica joined in the praise.
"My dears, it's because I know I never want to experience a life of deprivation, humiliation, and misery again. That kind of despair is unforgettable. Now, no matter what tries to stop me, I will destroy every obstacle," Doflamingo said with conviction. "Besides, I still have you, don't I? With your help, no matter how great the difficulties, they cannot stop us. I have great ambitions. Is such a small scene already reason to get excited? I need you to support my ambitions. Remember, don't fall behind."
"Hahaha, Doffy, don't worry, we won't fall behind. We'll stay with you on the highest peak to enjoy the view," Diamante said seriously, and the others nodded with the same seriousness.
"Alright, rest and wait for the ship to be built. We still have important things to do. This is our first stop, and no one can underestimate that." Doflamingo said, pushed open the tavern door, and entered first.
The creaking of the opening door did not disturb the hubbub inside the bar.
No matter where you are, a bar is always one of the liveliest places. As the saying goes, where there is wine, there is the world of warriors.
The bar was packed.
Doflamingo observed the group of dirty, vulgar thugs in the tavern. Three or five brutes drank and embraced each other, and although there was no shortage of women, elegant pirates like the future Nami and Robin were still very rare.
Of course, beautiful women attract attention wherever they go. The same goes for handsome men. Doflamingo, such an elegant and noble young man, standing at the tavern door observing the interior, completely stood out from the environment, looking like an alien object there.
None of this escaped the attention of everyone in the bar. Most men just took a quick glance, found it uninteresting, and went back to drinking. Only a few women watched Doflamingo with interest, with a hungry look in their eyes, as if they wanted to devour the handsome young man.
Nothing is surprising at sea, and there are many people with peculiar tastes. Especially in this rotten world, where slave trafficking is rampant and human life is cheap. Doflamingo, as a former World Noble, knew this very well. But this world was more interesting, wasn't it? Whoever wanted to be the savior, let them do it!
Doflamingo looked around the room coldly, without saying a word. He found a vacant spot, walked over to it, and sat down silently, without causing any commotion.
"Boss, bring the best wine," Diamante said to the tavern owner at the counter.
"Alright, please wait a moment, my dear guests. I'm coming right away." The tavern owner was a simple man and greeted everyone with a smile.
After a while, the boss brought the wine.
Doflamingo observed the boss with curiosity. As expected, there were very few beautiful tavern owners like Makino. Most were men.
Doflamingo averted his gaze. He opened a bottle of red wine, tilted his head, and poured the liquid into his mouth. The excess spilled from the corners of his mouth onto his broad chest. His shining abdominal muscles were impressive. If those crazy girls from his previous life saw him, they would scream and shout: "Brother, I love you!"
Trebol and the others also drank in silence, unlike Doflamingo, who seemed very elegant. It was rare to have such leisure time.
On the other side, the gangsters, who had been frightened by Doflamingo's imposing presence, with the help of a clever henchman, the gang boss finally managed to return to his lair, disgraced.
The excruciating pain made Jagger "The Cruel" tremble for a long time. The humiliating defeat he had suffered left him unable to compose himself. In his thirty years of underworld career, he had been injured countless times in fights, but the difference in strength had never been as abysmal as today. Not even the opponent's henchmen were a match for him in a single move. How terrible must their boss be!
Thinking about it, Jagger started to sweat coldly. Fortunately, others considered him a mere ant. After all, why would an elephant care about an ant?
However, every time he thought about that man's words, his heart seemed to be on fire, as if a thorn pricked and whipped him incessantly, and the pain was a hundred times more excruciating than physical pain.
Because of that man's attitude and words, he was simply ignored. His dignity vanished.
"Hahaha, so my thirty years of fights and battles are so insignificant and a failure in the eyes of others? They are too lazy even to kill me. They really ignore me."
Jagger laughed in his office. Although he was in a difficult situation, his spirit was increasingly invigorated.
The two henchmen guarding the door looked at each other and whispered: "Boss, you're not going to take the blow and give up, are you? After all, these people are monsters of the sea."
"Humph, what are you two brats complaining about? Is your boss that weak? I haven't been defeated yet. Since my dignity has been trampled, I will go there and reclaim it. Besides, I don't regret losing to such a strong man."
Suddenly, Jagger's voice came from behind the door, startling the two henchmen.
Upon hearing their warnings, Jagger didn't reprimand them. Instead, he was silent for a while and then sighed: "Yes, my dignity was trampled today. I was really a frog in a well before. I thought I was a big shot in this small world. Today I realized how insignificant I am. Compared to this magnificent ocean, we are really small. Revenge, ha! We always overestimated our abilities, but now there are more important things than revenge, so..."
Jagger took a deep breath: "Sorry, everyone. I want to follow that man's footsteps; I want to see a broader world; I want to see if that man can become king."
When Jagger's words were uttered, the henchmen didn't laugh at him, but looked at their boss with admiration. Yes, who doesn't want their people to live a brighter life?
People's dreams will never end.
In North Blue, survival is more important than anything else.
To survive, they would do anything. Blackmail, extortion, deception, and betrayal were commonplace. You couldn't trust anyone! You shouldn't let others perceive your intentions! Hidden in the darkness, looking into the abyss of sin, walking on the edge of hell—this was North Blue!
Jagger had lived in North Blue for over 30 years and deeply understood the difficulties and sufferings of life there. He, who trusted no one, would today place his dream in that man because on that day he met the king.
After saying these words, Jagger immediately ran towards Doflamingo and his group.
As the sky gradually darkened, Doflamingo and his companions, who had just finished their drinks, were leaving the tavern when they saw the "ant" they had spared before kneeling at the door. However, Doflamingo's expression remained unchanged as he lazily walked past him.
Seeing this, Jagger rushed to Doflamingo's front again.
Doflamingo continued without saying anything, but Diamante mocked him: "Hey, hey, hey, you're blocking the way, didn't you know?"
Jagger said: "I want to join your army, sir."
"Pffft, guess what I heard? Not just anyone can join us," Diamante continued to mercilessly mock him.
"Why? The weak are not qualified to choose. Are they just a mob?" Doflamingo said lazily.
It turns out that, behind Jagger, there was a group of kneeling men dressed in black. Jagger looked back and instantly understood what Doflamingo said.
"It's not easy to support the king, and I don't need a bunch of scoundrels like you," Doflamingo said, impassively.
"I don't want to be behind the king, but rather in front of him, and do my part for the king's great cause. Even if I die, at least my life will have been splendid. At least I won't have regrets, unlike before, when I was mediocre. And you are the king I am willing to follow," Jagger respectfully expressed his thoughts.
"You, who have lost even your dignity, have nothing more to lose. You, a weakling, let me see if you have the necessary qualifications."
After Doflamingo finished speaking, a powerful and dominating aura surged forth. Dark red lightning continuously flashed, illuminating the entire street. The spectators watching the scene were stunned by the powerful and dominating aura, one after another. In the end, only a few people were still standing on the originally noisy street.
Contrary to Doflamingo's expectations, Jagger persisted under the Conqueror's Haki.
"That pain is not worth mentioning." Jagger's hands and feet were covered in blood, and he used the pain to stimulate himself and not faint.
"He's quite a man," Doflamingo thought, glanced at him, then at Diamante, and walked forward without saying a word.
Diamante, who understood Doflamingo's intention, said mercilessly:
"Can you still do it? We don't accept trash."
"I still can."