Sengoku's expression turned a little awkward, while Doflamingo regained his composure fairly quickly.
He shot a glance at Ortoren and saw him subtly signal with his eyes.
That made Doflamingo hesitate. After a brief pause, he clenched his teeth and spoke anyway.
"Fleet Admiral, I heard my younger brother has taken you as his godfather. My parents passed away early, so if you wouldn't mind—"
As he spoke, Doflamingo even prepared to bow deeply.
But before he could finish, Fleet Admiral Sengoku abruptly stood up, reached across the desk, and grabbed Doflamingo by the arm.
"Wait, wait. No… let's keep things separate. Separate."
Joking aside, he was Sengoku, the Fleet Admiral of the Navy. How could he casually take just anyone as an adopted son?
Especially someone as high-profile as Doflamingo, whose presence on the seas far outshone Rosinante's relative obscurity. If word spread that he had taken Doflamingo in as a son, who knew what kind of storm it would stir up across the world? That was far too dangerous.
After being stopped like that, Doflamingo, who had already made up his mind, unexpectedly felt a trace of disappointment well up inside him.
Was this what they meant by wanting what you couldn't have?
Off to the side, Ortoren also showed a hint of regret. He had been hoping to enjoy the spectacle a bit longer, but Sengoku hadn't given him the chance.
After stopping Doflamingo, Sengoku quickly moved to dispel the awkward atmosphere, acting as if nothing had happened at all. He turned to Ortoren and asked,
"The one who ate the Ope Ope no Mi, did you bring him back as well?"
"Yes. He's on the warship. Someone's watching him. He's safe," Ortoren replied with a nod.
Hearing that, Sengoku let out a small sigh of relief.
"Good. That way, at least I'll have something to report to the higher-ups. Mary Geoise won't be getting the Ope Ope no Mi itself, but if we hand over an ability user…"
It was clear Sengoku wanted to protect Rosinante, but he hadn't considered sparing the Ope Ope no Mi user as well.
His current plan was to report the mission as a failure to the Five Elders, while turning over the one who had eaten the fruit.
Before he could finish, Rosinante spoke up nervously.
"No, Fleet Admiral. Law—"
"What do you mean, 'no'?" Sengoku barked angrily. "You cause this kind of disaster, and now you're telling me 'no'!?"
Rosinante's face flushed with shame, but he still stiffened his neck and pleaded.
"Fleet Admiral, Law's fate is already tragic enough. If you hand him over to Mary Geoise, it's no different from throwing him into a pit of fire. If that happens, then what meaning did everything I did even have?"
"None at all!" Sengoku snapped through clenched teeth.
Seeing this, Doflamingo wanted to say something himself. He also held Trafalgar Law in high regard. But before he could open his mouth, Ortoren gently shook his head, signaling him to stay quiet.
Doflamingo fell silent.
"Ever since I was a child, you taught me to be upright and kind," Rosinante continued, his voice trembling. "After I joined the Marines, you taught me to always remember the justice we bear, to actively help those who need us, and to make this world a better place. I've never forgotten a single word you said to me."
"And now, you want me to hand over a child who's already pitiful enough to those bastards in Mary Geoise, to place yet another shadow of misfortune over his already difficult life…"
"Fleet Admiral… that child, Law… I've raised him as if he were my own son. I taught him myself. He will become a righteous and outstanding Marine one day!"
Rosinante spoke through sobs, tears streaming down his face, his nose running as he cried openly.
It was as if Doflamingo was seeing his younger brother for the first time. Watching Rosinante in that state, a complicated look flashed through his eyes, and he fell completely silent.
Ortoren stood to the side and quietly lit a cigarette, saying nothing.
Meanwhile, Fleet Admiral Sengoku, who had been furious just moments ago, sank back into his chair with a look of deep emotion. His mouth opened and closed several times, as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, no words came out.
Ortoren knew it well enough.
The old man's heart had softened.
After Rosinante had already said, "I treat that child as my own son," what else could Sengoku, a father himself, possibly do?
The spacious office fell completely silent, broken only by the intermittent sound of Rosinante's choked sobs.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku slumped back in his chair. After a long while, he finally spoke, his voice heavy with bitterness.
"I've always been proud of you, Rosinante… From the time you were little, you were obedient and sensible, with a heart full of justice and kindness. When I looked at you, it felt as though I could see all the beauty in this world. Even when… I sometimes thought your kindness was a bit too naive…"
He paused, then let out a quiet sigh.
"Thinking about it now, this whole matter should be blamed on me."
"When I first saw that… that somewhat foolish innocence in you, I should have shattered it. If I had, maybe you wouldn't have made this choice, wouldn't have done what you did today. But I didn't. Back then, I thought that as a father, I should protect that innocence."
"The one who should teach you to break that innocence shouldn't have been me. The role I should have played was this: when you realized that innocence couldn't survive on the seas, when you suffered and were wronged because of it, I should have stood up, protected you, and told you not to be afraid. Your kindness and justice were never wrong. It's just that many things in this world can't be solved by kindness and justice alone. And when that happens, it should be me, your father, who helps you face the storm…"
"That's the kind of person I should have been."
"So, Rosinante, I shouldn't blame you. Just as you said, it was I who raised you to be this kind and righteous person…"
A faint glimmer of tears appeared in Sengoku's eyes as he murmured to himself.
After a brief pause, he spoke again, his tone firm.
"What comes next should be faced by me, as your father. This is exactly the moment when a parent must step forward, isn't it?"
Sophistry, twisted logic, call it whatever one liked. At this moment, Ortoren could easily think of countless ways to refute Sengoku's words.
Yet when he met Sengoku's resolute gaze, saw the determination etched into his expression, he chose to remain silent.
What reason could there possibly be to stop a father from stepping forward to protect his child?
He could come up with many arguments, but not a single one that justified opposing this.
Rosinante had already collapsed onto the floor, sobbing uncontrollably. After making his decision, Sengoku turned to Ortoren.
"That's enough. The rest doesn't require your involvement. Even though I spoke decisively just now, it's mostly for appearances. Rosinante won't escape punishment. Ortoren, take him to the detention room. Lock him up for now."
Ortoren exhaled a stream of smoke and said nothing more, simply nodding.
"I understand. You've worked hard."
With that, he hauled Rosinante up from the floor and dragged him out of Sengoku's office. Doflamingo, naturally, didn't stay behind alone with Sengoku. With a contemplative expression, he followed Ortoren out in silence.
Before long, Ortoren tossed Rosinante into the detention room and looked down at him.
"Rosinante, you should be grateful you have a father who truly cares for you. Naivety, kindness, those are all fine qualities. I won't deny your strengths. But I still want to remind you of one thing."
"Some lessons only need to be learned once. People who fail to learn from them, I usually call idiots. I don't want you to become one."
Rosinante looked up at Ortoren, a complex emotion flashing through his eyes. In the end, he nodded.
"I'll remember that, Ortoren…"
"Good. Then I won't disturb you any longer while you savor this suffering. I'm leaving."
Ortoren waved his hand and walked out of the detention room.
Once outside, he saw Doflamingo leaning against the wall, staring blankly at the sky and the distant blue sea.
"What's wrong? What are you thinking about?" Ortoren asked casually as he walked over.
"I suddenly feel a bit regretful…" Doflamingo replied softly.
"Regret about what?" Ortoren asked, slightly curious.
"Regretting that I didn't just decisively call Sengoku my old man back there," Doflamingo said with a faint smile.
"Hahahaha. Feeling like you missed out on unimaginable glory and wealth?" Ortoren burst out laughing.
Doflamingo laughed along with him.
But after a moment, he shook his head. His expression grew serious as he looked straight at Ortoren.
"No. It has nothing to do with that. It's just because… he's a truly admirable father. Someone who can stand up and protect his child. That's all."
After saying that, Doflamingo turned away and gazed out at the distant blue sea, falling silent.
For some reason, Ortoren felt as though he saw a faint trace of sadness in him.
"Do you envy him?"
"…Yeah. You could even say I'm jealous."
...
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