This was exactly what puzzled Diarmuid: logically, Doflamingo shouldn't have known all this.
However, when he asked, Doflamingo's face took on a look of "family misfortune," leaving Diarmuid momentarily stunned.
"Back in the day, I was quite the prominent figure..." Doflamingo said with a hint of nostalgia.
Diarmuid thought to himself: If I had that status, I'd be nostalgic too. It's easy to curse it, but if I actually had the chance to be a Celestial Dragon... Hiss, that's a tempting thought.
"I know you were a Celestial Dragon, but how old were you back then? How did you learn these core secrets? Is the internal security of the Celestial Dragons really that lax?" Diarmuid asked.
Doflamingo's face twitched slightly before he spoke. "I was a little over six years old when we left Mariejois."
Right, in my past life, that would be a first-grader...
"But my status was far higher than that of an average Celestial Dragon," Doflamingo added.
Diarmuid was aware of this. There were hierarchies among the Celestial Dragons. The ones who had come to the Gold City to play were likely low-tier, the kind that typically represented the public image of the Celestial Dragons: bloated, arrogant, and seemingly suffering from genetic defects.
In reality, the Celestial Dragons of Mariejois were ranked. The Gorosei were the highest-ranking, at least on the surface. Then there were the heads of the various Celestial Dragon families; they were considered high-tier, perhaps due to higher intelligence or a "purer" bloodline. Their direct descendants, like Doflamingo and Rosinante once were, would be considered mid-tier.
However, these distinctions meant little to Diarmuid now, and even less to those outside the Celestial Dragon clans. To the world, even the lowest Celestial Dragon possessed the "Blood of the Gods," making them far more significant than the most powerful noble. The Celestial Dragons themselves didn't exactly go around advertising their internal ranking system either.
"My..." Doflamingo looked conflicted for a moment before calming himself. "My father, Donquixote Homing, was the head of the Donquixote family before he led us away from Mariejois. He was one of the nineteen high-tier family heads. By rank, he was eligible to become a future member of the Gorosei."
It was true: the Gorosei were drawn from the heads of the nineteen founding families. When they became the Gorosei, they were automatically promoted to "Highest-Ranking Celestial Dragons," theoretically holding the supreme authority of the clan.
Diarmuid hadn't known the specifics, having only heard rumors. He hadn't realized Doflamingo's pedigree was that high. If his father could have been a Gorosei, his access to information would have been unparalleled.
"And then?" Diarmuid prompted.
"Because of his high status, my clearance level was also very high," Doflamingo continued. "Plus, his personality was... well, you know what kind of man he was to have taken us 'down to earth.' Because of that personality of his, I was able to stumble upon even more secrets."
"Theoretically, only the Gorosei should have access to the secrets of Imu, right? Your father shouldn't have been qualified," Diarmuid noted hesitantly.
Doflamingo nodded, admitting frankly, "That's true. But there are always exceptions. Admiral, have you heard of Saint Donquixote Claudius? Ah... I forgot, you share a certain 'bond' with my ancestor."
Doflamingo's gaze drifted to the cursed blade, Kokorowatari, hanging at Diarmuid's waist. That sword had once belonged to his lineage.
How could Diarmuid not know of Claudius?
"Yeah, I've heard of him. The ancestor of the Donquixote family from over two hundred years ago? He supposedly led Mariejois to its zenith and was whispered to be the 'King of the World,'" Diarmuid recalled. He had first heard a whisper of this from Garp and had later researched it himself.
Doflamingo nodded solemnly. "Not whispered. He was the King of the World at that time!"
Seeing the pride on Doflamingo's face, Diarmuid didn't bother arguing. "So?"
"So, my family home held many secrets left over from that era, including records of my ancestor's deeds. It was through those that I learned of the secret called 'Imu-sama.' In fact, it's quite likely..." Doflamingo trailed off, looking pained.
"Likely what?"
"It is highly likely that this 'Imu-sama' is actually my ancestor, Saint Claudius," Doflamingo finally sighed.
Thinking about it now, it felt like he was plotting a rebellion against his own forefather. It felt wrong. But then again, what had that ancestor ever done for him? He had suffered so much; a little rebellion seemed perfectly justified.
Diarmuid was utterly bewildered. What?! Donquixote Claudius is Imu?
"Of course, it's only a possibility," Doflamingo added quickly.
Even if some of this was speculative, Diarmuid now understood how Doflamingo knew these secrets. It all came down to his illustrious, and complicated, pedigree. Between his father being a family head and his ancestor being a "King of the World," it made sense that his family library held more than just bedtime stories.
Seeing that Doflamingo didn't want to dwell on his family tragedies, Diarmuid moved on. There was no need to keep picking at old wounds.
"Alright, we'll proceed with that assumption for now. What other important secrets of Mariejois do you know? By the way... have you ever heard of Joy Boy?" Diarmuid asked.
He hadn't expected Doflamingo to know anything about Joy Boy. That was a mystery from eight hundred years ago, a secret at least as central as Imu himself. But given Doflamingo's background and his connection to a "King of the World," Diarmuid couldn't help but ask.
What if he actually knew?
"Yes, I know," Doflamingo nodded.
Diarmuid's face froze. Good grief, he actually knows?
"Why are you interested in Joy Boy? Where did you hear that name?" Doflamingo asked curiously.
Diarmuid went silent for a moment before saying, "Let's just say I heard it via Ohara..."
Doflamingo blinked, then nodded as if filling in the blanks himself. He didn't pry further and began to explain: "Joy Boy was a pivotal figure eight hundred years ago. In his youth, he traveled the world as an adventurer. During his travels, he liberated many slaves who were suffering under cruel servitude. His ideology shifted; he went from being an adventurer to a savior. However, as you know, the global climate of that era was rooted in slavery, a poison whose remnants haven't vanished even today."
Without waiting for Diarmuid to respond, Doflamingo continued: "Joy Boy saved many slaves and made countless friends during his journey around the world. Those slaves called him the 'Sun God.' The legend of the Sun God gradually spread among the enslaved. Many believed that in their darkest days, the Sun God would eventually come to save them..."
Diarmuid rubbed his chin. Sun God? Adventurer? Why does this sound so much like Fisher Tiger? Only, Tiger wasn't as legendary as Joy Boy.
"And then?"
"And then..." Doflamingo sighed. "Joy Boy realized that simply saving slaves on his own wasn't enough to change this cruel world. So, he changed his approach. He sought out like-minded companions and sought to transform the world itself. Together, they established a powerful kingdom, one that truly shook the foundations of the world."
"Wait a minute..." Diarmuid was stunned. We're entering familiar territory now. This 'powerful kingdom'... is it the one Ohara discovered the truth about?
"Later, because this kingdom's impact threatened the existing powers, it sparked a united resistance... right?" Diarmuid asked suddenly.
Doflamingo looked at him in surprise. "Exactly. It was shaking the interests and authority of the rulers of that era. And then..."
"And then, twenty kings formed an alliance, defeated this great kingdom, and established the Mariejois and World Government we see today!?" Diarmuid finished the narrative.
Doflamingo looked confused. Did you read a Poneglyph or something? If you knew, why did you ask me?
However, he didn't complain. "Yes. But that Great War and the ideas that kingdom spread had already begun to take root. The twenty kings were wise enough to realize the world had to change. Therefore, the World Government they established didn't simply return to the old ways, but evolved into what it is today."
He paused. "Broadly speaking, you could say the twenty kings launched an unjust war because their interests were threatened. After the war, they realized the tide of the era was unstoppable, so they adapted. But in doing so, they essentially 'stole the fruit' of that kingdom's labor. Combined with the fact that it was a dark past, those hundred years of history were forcibly erased."
Diarmuid curled his lip. It felt like Doflamingo was trying to put a positive spin on the alliance's actions. But one thing was certain: the World Government had become the winner and claimed the 'results' of that era's change as their own.
Thinking deeper, the ideology of that "Great Kingdom" was likely far more advanced and "right" than the World Government that followed. One only had to look at the state of Mariejois today and their fear of that ancient ideology to feel the truth of it.
Still, Diarmuid had no intention of becoming a revisionist historian. Knowing was enough. But then, another thought struck him. "So, what is the Will of D.?"
Doflamingo: "???"
You really know a lot, don't you?! It's a good thing I'm a scholar, or I wouldn't be able to keep up!
"Deliver. To fulfill a promise, to live up to expectations, to realize the future. It is the will passed down by Joy Boy and his companions, the will of that kingdom. I don't know much about it, just that little bit. There might be other interpretations. But among the Celestial Dragons, there is another name for it: The Enemy of God," Doflamingo explained softly.
Diarmuid nodded in understanding, then looked at Doflamingo with a complex expression. Good grief, you really do know too much. No wonder the Gorosei and everyone in Mariejois want you dead the moment you lose your status... If it were me, I'd probably want to kill you too!
"I'll tell you what, 'Heavenly Yaksha' doesn't fit you anymore," Diarmuid joked. "You should change it. Let's call you 'The Encyclopedia' or 'The All-Knowing' instead!"
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