Chapter 381: A Masterful Provocateur (9/24)
However, if Doflamingo had kept his mouth shut, it might have been fine. But the moment he said that, Ian couldn't suppress the murderous intent surging within him.
Yes, what else did he want? Ian asked himself the same question.
Clearly, the conflict between him and Doflamingo had become irreconcilable. Through their numerous encounters, Ian had come to realize that Doflamingo was an extremely dangerous man. Not only did he have status, position, and immense strength, but he also possessed an extensive network of connections. Throughout the entire underworld, he was a notorious broker. Now that their conflict was beyond resolution, merely teaching him a lesson and letting him go would be nothing short of suicide.
If he allowed this man to recover, Ian and his Dragon Hunter Pirates would likely face even more ferocious retaliation from Doflamingo.
"Kill him!" Ian made the decision in his heart. He wasn't the type to knowingly court future danger and let Doflamingo go. If there was potential for future trouble, it was better to nip it in the bud.
Earlier, Ian hadn't thought much about it because he had fallen into a mental trap. He had assumed that the World Government and the Marines would not allow the Seven Warlords to kill each other. So, his thinking had been constrained. He only wanted to retaliate within the bounds permitted by the World Government for the attack on his base.
Beyond that, he hadn't considered much.
But now, realizing that Doflamingo was a massive hidden threat, Ian immediately understood how his identity as a Warlord had limited him.
He had obtained this status only to stop the Marines from sending Admirals to hunt him and his crew, buying himself time to recover. It didn't mean Ian had truly aligned himself with the World Government. So why should he care too much about their reaction or the Marines'?
Even if he really killed Doflamingo, what could the World Government do? Revoke his Warlord status?
If they did that, the World Government would lose two Warlords at once! Would they really do that?
Once he realized this, Ian's mind cleared instantly.
And as Ian's mind cleared, Doflamingo immediately sensed the murderous intent radiating from him. He couldn't help but grit his teeth in shock. "You actually want to kill me!?"
At that moment, Doflamingo was truly furious. Even when he had wanted to cause trouble for Ian, he had held back from acting personally. Instead, he had issued a commission in the underworld, using a broker to bring in the Germa Group. But he never imagined that Ian would harbor such murderous intent toward him now.
Wasn't he worried about the World Government's stance?
Thinking this, Doflamingo suddenly burst into arrogant laughter. Pointing a crooked finger at Ian, he said, "You brat, do you really think the World Government won't hold you accountable if you kill me? Let me tell you something: I am also a Celestial Dragon! Although my family left Mary Geoise long ago and was stripped of the title, after I became a Warlord, I reestablished contact with the Celestial Dragons. I may not be able to reclaim the title of World Noble, but I hold a major secret of the Celestial Dragons. If you kill me, they will never let you go!"
"Is it related to the Celestial Dragons' national treasure?" Ian said coldly. "You took the identity chip from me back then for that so-called 'national treasure,' didn't you? But if I tell the Celestial Dragons that you swapped their identity chip, what do you think they'll think?"
"Do you think they'll believe you?" Doflamingo laughed loudly. "Let me tell you the truth: I've confirmed through special channels that the identity chip they took back is functional! In other words, even if that chip is a fake, as long as it works, they'll believe it's real. So they won't believe a word you say!"
"Tch!" Ian clicked his tongue in frustration. That was indeed an annoying piece of news.
In fact, the chip Ian had returned was the real one, but Doflamingo didn't know that. He thought Ian had returned the fake chip he had made. Now, believing the fake chip worked, he assumed the Celestial Dragons wouldn't listen to Ian.
The logic was a bit convoluted, but whether the chip was real or fake, as long as the Celestial Dragons weren't angry at Doflamingo, he could still rely on their support.
"See?" Doflamingo said smugly. "Even if you kill me, the Celestial Dragons will think you've learned the secret of the national treasure from me. At that point, they'll stop at nothing to eliminate you! They can't allow a second person to know that secret, especially someone who isn't a former World Noble but an ordinary person! Even if it means losing two Warlords, they'll kill you!"
Indeed, Doflamingo knew the secret of the Celestial Dragons' national treasure because his family had once been part of the World Nobles. After he became a Warlord, the Celestial Dragons, though displeased that he held this secret, felt it was still within controllable bounds. Doflamingo had always wanted to return to the ranks of the World Nobles, so the Celestial Dragons believed he wouldn't leak the secret but would instead use it as a bargaining chip.
If necessary, the Celestial Dragons could pass a resolution to reinstate Doflamingo as a World Noble. That way, the secret would return to their hands, and Doflamingo, now one of them, would guard it strictly to maintain their special status.
But if an ordinary person learned the secret, the situation would be completely different! The Celestial Dragons would never accept an ordinary person as a World Noble. These bloodline-obsessed fanatics would only think of one solution: kill everyone who knew the secret!
At that point, it wouldn't just be the three Marine Admirals coming after him. The entire Marine force and all CP intelligence agencies would be deployed against Ian's Dragon Hunter Pirates!
So now, the question wasn't whether Ian wanted to kill Doflamingo, but whether he could!
"Hmph! Even if I kill you, the Celestial Dragons won't know whether you told me the secret or not, right?" Ian retorted.
"Of course!" Doflamingo sneered. "But don't forget, there are plenty of World Government intelligence agents in Dressrosa. My crew has been monitoring them. Unless they discover my secret, I won't kill them and offend the World Government for no reason. So there are still active CP agents on this island. You and the Germa Group have caused such a commotion here that they've already taken notice. If I shout the word 'national treasure' right now, they'll report it to the World Government immediately. Do you think you can clear your name then?"
"And not just you, but you too, Boa Hancock!" Doflamingo smirked at her. "Since you came with this brat, you'll also be targeted for elimination by the World Government. Your Amazon Lily will face total annihilation! Ahahaha! Ahahaha!"
The more he spoke, the more exhilarated Doflamingo felt. The thrill of manipulating a group of Warlords was intoxicating!
But in his laughter, Doflamingo failed to notice that Boa Hancock had already lost her composure at his words.
If she hadn't come with Ian, she would never have dreamed that Doflamingo, a fellow Warlord, was secretly a Celestial Dragon!
Even if he was a former Celestial Dragon, it didn't change the fact.
And the people Boa Hancock feared and hated most were precisely the Celestial Dragons! Hearing Doflamingo boast about his identity with that smug expression, she couldn't help but recall the arrogant laughter of the Celestial Dragons when she was branded with the slave mark.
Then, Boa Hancock exploded.
"Die!" Her brows furrowed in fury as she clasped her hands together and unleashed Slave Arrow at Doflamingo.
At the same time, Ian drew his sword and charged at Doflamingo from the side!
Even with all of Doflamingo's threats, Ian wasn't about to be intimidated.
As Kuina had once said, given Ian's nature, if he were the type to hesitate and worry, he wouldn't have caused so much trouble in the first place.
So, without another word, Ian and Boa Hancock attacked.
Take him down!