"Explain myself?"
Doflamingo paused for a moment, then let out a signature chuckle, "Fufufufufu," before brushing it off with a wave of his hand. "Well, it's true I made a bit of a miscalculation here. How about this, I'll give you a 50% discount on the weapons. Just pay 150 million Berries."
Hearing this, Cross's face darkened, his voice icy. "Are you joking with me? This cache of weapons is my spoils of war. What the hell does it have to do with you?"
Cross wasn't the only one displeased, General Humil looked just as grim.
He'd spent blood and sweat fighting tooth and nail, and just when victory was in his grasp, just when he was ready to claim the 300 million Berries' worth of weapons as legitimate spoils, Doflamingo swoops in, tries to snatch them, and even has the audacity to ask him to pay 150 million? That was outrageous!
"Fufufufufu~" Doflamingo arched a brow, adjusting his signature shades. His towering frame leaned forward ever so slightly, like a hawk ready to dive on its prey. "So what you're saying… is that you want to walk off with my merchandise without paying a single Berry?"
Cross sneered. "Your merchandise? Try calling it. Let's see if it listens to you."
"What?"
Doflamingo blinked, momentarily baffled.
"But I'll tell you what," Cross continued before he could reply. "When I call it… it will respond."
"You little... are you trying to tell me a joke?" Doflamingo's face twisted into a look of amused disbelief. "Kid, are you out of your mind?"
"I'm not joking." Cross gave a sly grin, raised his hand, and clapped twice.
Clap! Clap!
The crisp sound echoed through the red-brick warehouse, then, the low rumble of wheels turning suddenly filled the space.
Doflamingo glanced down.
From the dark maw of the warehouse, a procession of cannons rolled out in neat formation, completely unassisted, as if they were alive. They gave off an air of dignity and purpose, like proud soldiers on parade.
Trailing behind the cannons were dozens of gleaming black cannonballs and barrels of gunpowder, bouncing and bobbing along cheerfully, as if they were children following their parents.
The entire scene stunned everyone watching, some gawked in awe, others blinked in disbelief, unsure whether their eyes were playing tricks on them.
"A Devil Fruit user, huh?"
Doflamingo's curiosity was visibly piqued. He leaned in, examining the animated weapons with growing interest.
"How about now?" Cross smirked, pointing at the cannons. "You said they're yours. Go ahead, try calling them. See if they'll follow you."
"Fufufufufu~" Doflamingo broke into a grin, the gleam of amusement unmistakable. "Well, now… isn't that interesting? A very entertaining ability, indeed!"
Then, surprisingly, he extended an offer.
"Hey, kid, what's your name? Ever thought about joining my family?"
With that, he leapt lightly from the warehouse rooftop and landed as effortlessly as a bird, before approaching Cross.
"If you join my family," Doflamingo offered, "I'll let you keep the entire weapons shipment. Do whatever you want with it. I'll even make sure your home country gets a permanent 50% discount on any future arms deals."
He stretched out a hand, smiling earnestly.
General Humil stiffened, watching Cross anxiously.
Honestly, he was torn. Part of him wanted Cross to accept. If he did, the Tobias Kingdom could save a fortune on weapons. Not to mention, with Joker's backing, they'd gain access to rare, high-powered arms that were otherwise impossible to obtain.
But on the other hand… if Cross joined Doflamingo, the kingdom would lose one of its brightest stars. The pride of their nation. If pirates ever threatened them again, they'd be left relying solely on their regular military.
Cross hadn't even spoken yet, but General Humil was already deep in a swirl of conflicting thoughts and emotions.
"Tch."
Cross finally responded, casting a contemptuous look at Doflamingo, sneering without a hint of hesitation.
"Save it. I have no intention of ending up like some vagrant crawling around the seas, running from the Marines with my tail between my legs."
"Pirates are nothing but floating garbage. Who do you think you are?"
The words hit like a cannon blast.
The entire room fell silent.
While it was true that many shared Cross's sentiment, that pirates were just violent looters, no one dared say it to a pirate's face.
Let alone to the face of Donquixote Doflamingo, one of the most feared pirates in the North Blue.
But this was exactly what Cross believed.
Three days at sea had taught him more than he ever wanted to know.
Living like a pirate, constantly on the run, eating poorly, sleeping worse, and risking death at every turn? No thanks.
He'd been just a regular guy in his past life. In this one, he'd been born into a noble family. He had fine food, fine drink, a comfortable bed, and safety. Why on earth would he throw that all away to become a pirate?
What kind of lunatic would willingly choose that path?
"Why, you arrogant little brat—"
Doflamingo's expression twisted with rage. Veins bulged across his forehead, and his eyes gleamed with bloodlust.
The air around him turned cold. The sheer pressure of his killing intent made the temperature in the room drop, as flashes of old memories surged through his mind.
If I had a choice… I would be the most noble being on this earth…
Then, suddenly, he lashed out.
In a single, fluid motion, Doflamingo snapped his leg into a wide arc. It cracked through the air like a whip, slicing toward Cross in a flash of black.
But Cross moved just as fast.
In a blur, he raised his sword, Kagehide, and blocked the kick.
CLANG—!
The deafening sound of impact rattled everyone's eardrums. The shockwave from the clash burst outward like a hurricane, sending a visible pressure wave roaring in all directions.
Beneath their feet, the ground shattered on impact. A web of jagged cracks spread outward from their clash, splintering the floor like broken glass.
"AAAHHHHH—!"
"What the hell is going on?!"
"M-Monsters—!"
Nearby soldiers and pirates were swept off their feet by the shockwave, screaming as they were thrown through the air like rag dolls.
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