One Piece : Winged Dragons of the Beast Pirates

"Welcome, Ian!"

While Rosinante was deep in thought, Doflamingo had already stepped forward, laughing loudly to greet Ian and his companions.

"Donquixote Doflamingo," Ian greeted the man before him with a hint of irony, "I've heard a lot about you."

He had certainly heard a lot, given Doflamingo's reputation as the "King of the Underworld," even in his previous life.

Of course, Doflamingo had no idea Ian was a transmigrator and assumed Ian was just exchanging pleasantries.

So he responded with a low chuckle, "Oh? I'm flattered."

"It's been a while, Ian!"

Umit approached to greet them, "When I heard you were planning to go to war with the Whitebeard Pirates, I must say, I broke out in a cold sweat."

"Thanks for the concern," Ian replied with a smile.

As they exchanged pleasantries, Jack and his crew began descending the stairs, with Drake following closely beside him.

In just a few days, Drake had become somewhat accustomed to hanging around these guys. 

Since Ian hadn't killed him, he didn't mind too much; he ate and drank his fill every day, and he'd even grown a few centimeters taller in the past few days.

However, at this moment, he was still a bit shocked.

Donquixote Doflamingo!

He knew this man!

The most wanted pirate in the North Blue, with a bounty exceeding 100 million! Such a high bounty was almost unheard of in the Four Seas.

Of course, that didn't even come close to comparing with Ian.

But what were they planning to discuss?

"Fufufufu! Enough with the small talk," Doflamingo laughed, his voice playful. "I've prepared a banquet to welcome you, Ian and your crew."

He paused, then continued, "Or, that's what I would say. But I think, Ian, you're probably like me—you want to take care of business first."

"You want to make sure this journey was worth it, don't you?"

"Let's talk as we walk," Ian replied with a soft chuckle.

"Fufufufu, of course. I've got carriages ready just outside the port."

"Then lead the way."

And so, with the guidance of the Donquixote Family, Ian's group left the port.

Outside, carriages awaited them in rows.

Ian and Yamato climbed into the largest, most luxurious carriage in the center, joining Doflamingo.

Yamato was delighted by the plush cushions, throwing herself onto one to feel the soft bounce as she landed.

"Calm down," Ian said, putting an arm around her shoulder to settle her down. He then looked at Doflamingo. "Alright, Doflamingo, let's get started."

"Fufufufu, of course," Doflamingo replied as he leisurely sank into the plush cushions, leaning back and stretching out his long legs—which, for now, were still straight and not yet bowed. "Now, let me think… where should I start?"

"First off, since you're here, that means, Ian, you've at least confirmed my identity, correct?"

Ian shrugged. "Checked with Morgans."

"Hoh hoh hoh hoh, that guy certainly has a reliable network."

Doflamingo chuckled. "Alright then, let's start with the basics of the Celestial Dragons' structure."

"The twenty kings who originally created the World Government… actually, only nineteen of them brought their families to Mary Geoise. The Nefertari family from Alabasta chose to stay in their own country."

Ian remained unfazed.

I even know the Nefertari family should really be called the Nefertari D. family.

"These nineteen families gathered in Mary Geoise and propagated over eight hundred years, forming the Celestial Dragons as we know them today. Now, their total population is approaching a hundred thousand."

Nineteen families over eight centuries and not even a hundred thousand people? 

The Celestial Dragons must be keen on family planning. If I remember right, the Zhu family of the Ming Dynasty had hundreds of thousands in just a few centuries.

"As their numbers grew, so did the need for hierarchy. Within the Celestial Dragons, there are levels of authority. The Five Elders are undoubtedly at the peak, holding the highest power in the world. Below them is the God's Knights."

Finally, something interesting.

Ian said, "Tell me about these God's Knights."

"The God's Knights are an organization that governs and even judges the Celestial Dragons."

Doflamingo grew serious. "They even have the power to execute Celestial Dragons. Even the Celestial Dragons fear them. And more importantly," 

"They're made up entirely of Celestial Dragons themselves, the strongest combat force."

"Oh?"

"Of course, there are many elite talents among the Celestial Dragons. In fact, with access to all the world's resources, they have far more strong warriors than outsiders might think."

Doflamingo said, "The entire God's Knights could probably match the power of the Beast Pirates."

"Whoa."

Ian raised an eyebrow.

And that's just the God's Knights—not even counting the Five Elders? With the Five Elders and CP0 in the mix, the Celestial Dragons' power might actually surpass that of the Navy Headquarters.

Then, Doflamingo went on to give Ian a detailed introduction to the God's Knights, their organizational structure, and some key figures.

Of course, the information might be a bit outdated, since it had been quite some time since this guy last visited Mary Geoise.

After the Celestial Dragon Knights, he began introducing the nineteen families of the Celestial Dragons.

There is a hierarchy among the Celestial Dragons as well. Those who live a life of ease, eating and waiting for death, are revered as descendant of gods by the outside world. However, within the Celestial Dragons, they hold no real power—they are nothing more than parasites.

The true leaders of the Celestial Dragons are the elites from the nineteen families. Almost every family is involved in some aspect of the World Government's operations.

This was certainly inside information that even Ian had never heard before.

"Finally, we have the Five Elders!" 

Doflamingo's tone grew even more serious. "I don't know much about the Five Elders myself, but there's one thing I do know," 

He looked at Ian. "The Five Elders haven't changed in a long time."

"Is that so?"

Ian wasn't surprised by this. After all, Saturn, from the God Valley incident, already appeared old and frail. 

"Don't they ever age or die?"

"I'm not sure about that."

Doflamingo shrugged. "Maybe they've used certain means."

"Certain means?" 

A smirk appeared at the corner of Ian's mouth. "And then?"

"That's all I know."

Doflamingo said, "I think that's enough, don't you?"

These secrets of the Celestial Dragons are so tightly kept that even high-ranking naval officers or government officials wouldn't be privy to them.

"Enough?"

Ian crossed his legs, leaned back against the soft cushions, and sighed lightly. "Doffy, Doffy, what did I ever do wrong? What made you disrespect me like this?"

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