Chapter 44

All the senior officers of the Tang Jihede family were basically present, except for Vergo, who was undercover in the Marines.

Starting from Doflamingo, they toasted Luo Xing one by one.

Luo Xing accepted every one of them.

When it was a woman's turn, fragrant as a violet, the woman said:

"This humble woman Viola offers a toast to Imperial Son-in-Law Luo Xing."

But Luo Xing did not drink. His gaze flickered slightly, and in a voice only the two of them could hear, he said:

"Don't you know that staring at a man without blinking is a very dangerous thing, especially for a beautiful woman like you?"

The hand holding the wine cup in Viola's grip trembled violently.

Her originally deferential eyes suddenly snapped up, fixing tightly on Luo Xing, filled with shock and panic.

Had her gaze already been discovered by this mysterious Beasts Imperial Son-in-Law before her?

Discovered from four thousand miles away?

This man's Kenbunshoku Haki was simply too terrifying!

Viola desperately suppressed the turmoil inside her, forced a smile, and said:

"Imperial Son-in-Law Luo Xing is so handsome and dashing, this humble woman couldn't help stealing a few extra glances."

Then she downed the wine in her cup in one gulp and left in a fluster.

The corner of Luo Xing's mouth curved up.

Doflamingo noticed this scene, and seeing Viola approach, his expression grew visibly displeased.

"What were you just saying to that Beasts Imperial Son-in-Law?"

"N-nothing… nothing at all…"

A look of suspicion flashed in Doflamingo's eyes, and he suddenly said with chilling coldness:

"Violet, the royal house of the Riku clan fell long ago. You are my subordinate now. Don't be thinking of borrowing someone else's power to deal with me!"

Viola's jade-like face turned deathly pale.

Doflamingo then added with an evil grin:

"Tonight, I will come to your room."

Not a trace of color remained on Viola's face.

Though she was an undercover agent, Doflamingo was no fool and had never truly trusted her.

On the contrary, Doflamingo had always wanted to possess her completely, to conquer her, so she could never betray him again.

Viola had held out for so many years, but tonight, could she still refuse Doflamingo?

Viola didn't even know when the banquet ended.

With a dazed, soul-stricken expression, she returned to her own room.

Waiting for that demon-like man to arrive.

No, no, she couldn't. He was her enemy—how could she submit!!

Extreme hatred and unwillingness rose in Viola's heart. Her fists clenched so tightly that her nails dug into her flesh.

Bright red blood seeped out.

She had to save herself. She could not let Doflamingo have his way, or she would truly become a member of the Tang Jihede family, with no turning back!

But,

In all of Dressrosa, who could save her? And who would dare to oppose Doflamingo?

At any other time, this question would surely have had no answer.

But at this moment in Dressrosa, there happened to be such a person.

And that person could not only deal with Doflamingo, but was enough to make Doflamingo not dare offend him.

Without a doubt, that person was the Beasts Imperial Son-in-Law, Luo Xing!

But Viola recalled what Luo Xing had said to her when she toasted him at the banquet, and she hesitated again.

Her intuition told her he was a man perhaps even more terrifying than Doflamingo!

Not someone she could use or control.

If she used Luo Xing to deal with Doflamingo, she might well be escaping the wolf's den only to fall into a tiger's mouth.

Viola was caught in a tangle, torn.

She didn't know how much time had passed before her gaze grew firm.

"Even if it means giving herself to the Beasts Imperial Son-in-Law, she absolutely would not let her enemy Doflamingo have his way!"

She made her decision, deciding to invite Luo Xing to her room.

Activating the Glare-Glare Fruit's power, Viola quickly located Luo Xing's room.

The moment she looked inside, her pretty face flushed crimson.

"That man was actually with his maid, the rabbit-eared girl…"

Viola hastily withdrew her power, her heart pounding wildly.

The scene she had just witnessed struck her with too great a force—it utterly shattered her previous worldview!

Luo Xing's room.

The little maid Carrot asked in confusion, "Master, what is it?"

Luo Xing pulled on his shirt and said calmly, "Nothing. I'm going out for a bit."

"Yes, Master."

Carrot obediently nodded, her long rabbit ears adorably drooping.

Luo Xing went straight to Viola's residence, and without even knocking on the door, walked right in.

"You saw everything just now?"

Luo Xing gazed calmly at the woman whose face was flushed red.

Viola spat, "I didn't expect you to be that kind of person!"

Luo Xing stepped toward Viola, a cold smile curling on his lips:

"Very soon you'll know even more clearly what kind of person I am!"

Viola retreated in panic.

This man was indeed not someone she could use; the development of events was completely beyond her control.

Luo Xing wrapped his arm around Viola's slender waist.

The rich fragrance of violets lingered at the tip of his nose.

Viola resisted at first, but then suddenly stopped resisting.

Because,

she saw Doflamingo walking toward her.

48. Those who do great things do not sweat the small stuff (begging for flowers)

Doflamingo's mood lately had indeed been quite good.

Ever since eating the abnormal human cells, his strength had advanced greatly, his String-String Fruit ability had awakened, and his training in Haki had also made some progress.

At the same time,

he had also secretly formed an alliance with two underworld kings, Feild and Pica.

Feild was the king of the sea's loan-sharking, controlling the currency circulation of the underworld.

Pica was the king of assassins, the controller of the underworld's assassin domain.

With the support of these two, Doflamingo now, whether in strength or in power, was at his peak!

It was precisely because of this that he dared to pluck up his courage and use the Smile Fruit to coerce Kaido into trading for Senzu Beans.

And Kaido's agreement made him grow even more inflated.

"Fuffuffuffuff, a Warlord of the Sea, a middleman of the dark world, the king of Dressrosa, a noble Celestial Dragon—possessing so many identities at once, I am one of a kind in the world!"

"Fuffuffuffuff hahahahaha!"

Doflamingo let out a low, sinister, terrifying laugh; behind his crimson sunglasses were wild eyes brimming with boundless ambition.

"I'm the one who'll be the last to sit on that throne!"

"Kaido, the Four Emperors, the Marines, the World Government—all of them must be destroyed!"

Doflamingo grinned, hands stuffed in his pockets, in cropped trousers, a pink-feather coat, red pointed-toe shoes, legs splayed outward, strutting with a swagger that disowned all kin, heading toward Viola's room.

Before carrying out his ambition, he had to first thoroughly conquer that disobedient, thorny rose.

However, the next moment,