Back at the Divine Temple.
Baccarat compared the thrill of Angel Island's casino to the ones in the Blue Sea. As she took in the breathtaking scenery of Skypiea, she found herself growing increasingly bored.
Suddenly, a flash of pink entered her vision, and her eyes lit up.
"Boss!"
Doflamingo caught the approaching Baccarat and made his way to the bed, intending to rest after a long journey at sea.
"Baccarat, once this matter is settled, you'll need to head to Sabaody..."
Gurururu!
Frowning, Doflamingo pulled out his Den Den Mushi and spoke coldly.
"Enel, this better be important."
"Young Master, I want to witness Roger's public execution."
Instead of giving an immediate response, Doflamingo asked, "Enel, how are things on Raijin Island?"
"The entire supply of Secret Medicine Long Tongue has been transported. When Diamante left, he mentioned the next batch would be ready in a month. Tesla's special weapon factory is more than halfway built. Lately, any pirate ships attempting to land have been sunk by me."
Long Tongue? Perospero, perhaps?
"Well done. What about Moria?"
"He's training. He has no intention of going. He only wants to defeat you, Young Master."
"Hand him the Den Den Mushi."
...
"Doflamingo, next time, I'll definitely defeat you!"
On the other end, Moria clenched his fist, the sound of grinding metal ringing out.
In the past, he had underestimated Haki, but as a naturally gifted fighter, once he mastered it, he would only grow stronger.
"Fufufufufu. Then you'd better work hard. I'm always improving, Moria. Follow Enel to Loguetown. A warrior like Roger reaching his end is worth witnessing."
"...Fine!" To be honest, as a legend of the West Blue, Moria was curious about the man the world called the Pirate King.
"Oh, and Enel, pick up Tesoro when you pass through Sabaody."
"..."
Click!
How could such an iconic moment be missing key players? Not only should they be there, but there should be even more of them.
Doflamingo set aside his twisted thoughts. Under Baccarat's resentful gaze, he resumed training.
There was no room for complacency.
He hadn't reached the pinnacle of the world yet—this was no time to relax.
...
Marine Headquarters
Sengoku, soon to be officially named Fleet Admiral, sat at the head of the table.
"Roger's execution will serve to intimidate the increasingly chaotic seas. To prevent his remnants from disrupting the event, Kizaru, Akainu, Aokiji, Onigumo, Doberman... all of you will be deployed."
"Yes!" The young Marines, entrusted with this crucial mission, burned with determination.
"Tsuru, you should go as well."
"Garp! Garp? Garp! Don't sleep at a time like this, you idiot!"
"Ahahahaha, is it over already? I was thinking about taking a stroll back home!"
"Well, perfect timing..."
A moment later, only Tsuru and Sengoku remained.
"For Garp to witness that man's death firsthand..."
"This is the course of history. I still have my doubts about Roger's true intentions."
"Roger's era is already over."
...
Time Passes
Loguetown.
One of many islands in the East Blue, unremarkable in every way.
No extreme weather, no unique resources, not even a significant pirate presence.
But lately, the town's quiet atmosphere had been shattered.
All because of Roger.
As both his birthplace and the site of his impending execution, this once-ordinary town had suddenly become the center of the world's attention, drawing all kinds of people from across the seas.
And, of course, Doflamingo was among them.
At this moment, dozens of Marine battleships were anchored outside Loguetown, with tens of thousands of Marines on high alert.
Their mission was to ensure the security of Roger's public execution—and to use the opportunity to purge a few criminals.
...
In the outer waters, the Numancia Flamingo was docked alongside a cluster of pirate ships and merchant vessels.
Looking at the dense formation of warships, Enel couldn't help but be curious.
"Young Master, are we really just walking in?"
After all, they weren't exactly law-abiding citizens.
The senior members of the Donquixote Family might have avoided Marine bounties despite their smuggling, weapons deals, and other crimes.
But Moria, as a feared figure of the West Blue, still had an active bounty hanging in Marine records.
"Fufufufufu. It's fine. Just wait a little—there's an old relic here to keep them entertained."
As Doflamingo gazed at the distant sky, a knowing smirk spread across his face.
The moment his words fell, fierce winds suddenly swept across the sea.
The sky darkened as if midnight had descended, shrouding everything in gloom.
Countless ships began rising into the air, blocking out the sun!
At the forefront was a vessel as massive as an island.
"Even after the Battle of Edd War, he still commands nearly a hundred pirate crews and over ten thousand men. No wonder he's considered the most powerful pirate force in the world. So in the original timeline, Golden Lion attacked Marineford alone—was he insane?"
Doflamingo did a quick count. Even after a prior defeat, Golden Lion's forces were stronger than he had expected.
The pirates and merchants who had been arguing moments ago fell silent in sheer terror.
Then, the fear spread, erupting in panicked cries.
"Golden Lion!!!"
"The world's strongest swordsman!!"
"The flying pirate is here!!"
"A monster!!"
...
Alarms blared across the warships.
Under the Marines' wary gazes, a lone figure descended slowly from the sky, standing above their fleet.
He wore a kimono, wooden sandals, and carried two swords at his waist—distinctly styled after Wano.
His hair was absurdly long, almost like a Super Saiyan 3, with thick eyebrows and a cigar between his lips.
The only flaw? The ship's wheel embedded in his forehead, adding a comically absurd touch to his intimidating presence.
He took a slow drag of his cigar and glanced at the wary Marines before scoffing.
"Oi, Marines, bring Roger out here!"
Facing Golden Lion's arrogance, Sakazuki gritted his teeth and spat, "Golden Lion, this isn't a place for you to run wild! Great Eruption!"
The young Vice Admiral Akainu was the first to attack.
His massive fist turned to molten rock, launching forward like a volcanic explosion, covering the sky in a blazing assault.
"You're not ready yet, kid!"
Golden Lion's eyes flashed as the lava rain approached.
To the horror of the Marine soldiers, the molten rock suddenly froze in midair, condensing into a massive lion's head hundreds of meters wide before being sent hurtling back toward the Marine warships.
Before the weaker Marines could even react—
"Ice Block."
A massive ice bird shot up from the sea, colliding with the molten lion head.
BOOM!
Thick steam and debris obscured the battlefield.
"Yasakani no Magatama!"
Countless light bullets pierced through the mist, aiming for the sky.
Golden Lion scowled at the central warship.
"Enough of these childish games. Garp, bring Roger out."
In response, a booming laugh echoed.
"Hahahaha! Golden Lion, stop talking nonsense. Come at me!"
And with that, the battlefield erupted into chaos.
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+220 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg