Chapter 303: Chapter 303: The Clown

Chapter 303: Chapter 303: The Clown(T/N: There is now a p.atreon for this work, and any new work I add will be dropped there first. check it out for an early release of up to 30 chapters edited

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Doflamingo was in a foul mood.

His latest endeavor had proven to be a wasted effort-not only had he returned empty- handed regarding the Op-Op Fruit, but he'd also been insulted by someone he didn't even know the identity of.

Most importantly, that guy knew those secrets about him...

Despite his powerful network of contacts, Doflamingo's investigation yielded no leads on the perpetrator, only an inkling that Kakuzu, a figure from the East Blue, was somehow connected.

As for the mastermind behind it all? Doflamingo had nothing but questions piling up.

Still, he wasn't one to back down from a challenge.

The other party had thrown down a gauntlet, and he wasn't about to shy away from confronting whoever was responsible.

Being a Warlord of the Sea allowed him the freedom to cross the Red Line and return swiftly to Dressrosa.

But something felt off upon his arrival.

The streets of Dressrosa were lively as always, teeming with tourists and locals alike in the so-called "land of love, passion, and toys."

Yet a strange silence blanketed his palace grounds, an unsettling quiet in place of the usual fanfare.

His family cadres-those ever-loyal pillars of his rule-should have come out to greet him the moment he returned.

Today, though, not a single one was in sight.

With an unease prickling at his spine, Doflamingo used his String-String Fruit powers, gliding back to the palace along a silk thread that stretched into the clouds.

As he entered, his unease morphed into white-hot fury.

"Diamante! Trebol!" he shouted, his voice echoing through the halls.

The throne room was a gruesome sight.

His four main executives lay strewn around the throne like discarded puppets, their dried blood staining the marble floor. Sёarᴄh the NôᴠeFire.ηet website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

"Who the hell are you?!"

Doflamingo's gaze fell upon a long-haired man seated casually on his throne, dressed in red

armor.

The man in question was looking at him with a smirk.

"Did they call you the Joker or the... Clown? Ah, doesn't matter anyway, but it sure took you long enough to come back," the man said, mockery dripping from his voice.

The man was none other than Uchiha Madara, the legendary shinobi who had carved his name into history.

Madara's patience had long since worn thin; he'd arrived in Dressrosa three days earlier, only to be kept waiting.

To maintain the impact of his ambush, he'd kept Doflamingo's cadres subdued, ensuring they stayed unconscious each time they stirred awake.

In regular terms, he kept beating the shit out of them until Doflamingo returned.

Credit to the guy in question, his expression quickly calmed down, and he turned serious as he looked at Madara.

"Are you the one behind Kakuzu?" Doflamingo asked, masking his alarm behind a mask of rage.

Madara's lips twisted in disdain.

"You think a God would acknowledge an insect like you over something like that? Hardly. You're just a sideshow, and I was merely passing by., so I might as well take care of this matter,"

Doflamingo's outrage spiked, but the venom in Madara's voice pierced through, lacerating his pride.

"Remember this name: Uchiha Madara. It will haunt you from this day forth."

As Madara stood up, Doflamingo's mind was racing.

He noticed something.

"Uchiha? Are you connected to Uchiha Sasuke?" Doflamingo asked, cautious but also intrigued.

His reach in the underworld extended far and wide, and though the World Government kept a tight lid on it, rumors had leaked about a certain Uchiha Sasuke severely wounding the Marine Admiral Aokiji.

Madara's gaze softened into a smirk.

"So, the Uchiha clan's reputation has reached these seas. It appears that the kid is doing well."

Doflamingo forced a laugh.

"Fufufu, how terrifying. An elder of the Uchiha family..."

Doflamingo's words turned a bit panicked.

Sasuke could already injure an admiral, this guy looks much older and took care of his cadres, so, he was definitely as strong if not stronger...

'I need to fix this...'

He took a deep breath and smiled.

"I was in the wrong this time, but I'll admit my mistake and even offer you a gift. Money,

weapons, Seastone, Devil Fruits-name your price."

His voice was laced with a blend of fear and diplomacy.

The Uchiha name and the overwhelming aura Madara projected were enough to make even Doflamingo back down, calculating his best odds of survival.

'Not to mention, this scary guy said a God would not care about an ant... which means the guy I

provoked is even stronger than this guy and Sasuke...'

That was certainly something in need of urgent fixing.

Madara's eyes narrowed, his tone dripping with contempt.

"Do you think your wealth or your pathetic trinkets are of any worth to me? If you want to keep breathing, stand down and surrender all that you own. Including your soul"

Doflamingo's grin stretched wide.

"Fufufu, do you think I'm a slave? Even Kaido wouldn't dare command that much from me!"

His body crouched in a seemingly submissive stance, but at the final instant, his hands flew forward, unleashing his attack.

"Five Color Strings!"

Ten nearly invisible threads shot from his fingers as he used both hands and sliced through the air with enough sharpness to cleave steel.

Madara remained seated, however, his Susanoo materializing around him like a spectral

shield.

The translucent blue skeleton blocked the assault effortlessly.

In a flash, Madara was in front of Doflamingo, their forearms colliding with bone-crushing

force.

Boom!

Redish-black Lighting crackled as the two met.

The entire palace shook, a shockwave rippling through the air as Doflamingo was blasted

backward, blood spraying from his mouth.

"Conqueror's Haki! Who is this... monster?!"

His mind reeled.

Only those of the Four Emperors' strength could wield Conqueror's Haki at this level.

Doflamingo now confirmed that Uchiha Madara was at least as dangerous as Sasuke.

Before he could regain his bearings, Madara appeared beside him, delivering a crushing blow that drove him into the ground, splintering the stone floor beneath them.

"I overestimated you," Madara said in disgust.

"If you're one of the highest powers here, then being here is gonna be more disappointing

than I thought."

He was certainly annoyed, after all, he had been excited to come for so long...

Doflamingo wiped his mouth from the blood, defiance flaring in his eyes.

"Don't underestimate me. I, too, am a man with the will of a king!"

"Leg Shave String!" White threads burst from the ground behind Madara, closing in from a

blind spot for him.

Doflamingo's Conqueror's Haki also surged with renewed force.

Madara snorted. There was also some anger in his eyes.

"Tsk"

"A king? You're nothing but a clown with delusions."

He reached back, his Susanoo's arm was cloaked in the black energy of Armament Haki, and it

tore through the threads as if they were nothing.

Another pulse of his Conqueror's Haki burst forth, overpowering Doflamingo's with ease,

sending ripples of thunder and lightning across the sky.

As Doflamingo watched in horror, his Haki was forced back into his body, quelled by Madara's

sheer dominance.

Madara's gaze bore down on him, his expression one of utter contempt.

"Now," he intoned, his voice as sharp as a blade.

"Tell me, Doflamingo... what kind of king are you?"