A training ground for him and Nora.
From above, the entire island appeared as a perfect square, devoid of any unnecessary structures.Rather than an island, it was more like an enormous battle platform made of island clouds.
Beyond it lay Upper Yard, which lacked the refined beauty of Angel Island but carried a more primitive atmosphere.
However, Aramaki had no time to appreciate the scenery—sticky mucus and slashing attacks were already coming for his head.
He easily sidestepped the incoming strike and charged forward, eyes locking onto the two monks standing side by side.
Wherever he stepped, wildflowers and grass sprouted rapidly beneath his feet. In mere moments, the once barren Moliti Island was covered in a dense forest.
"Clap, clap, clap."
"Such an impressive display of greenery… This would be great for environmental restoration."
Doflamingo, watching from the sky, applauded enthusiastically.
"Magnificent. You're Aramaki, right?"
Something was wrong. The moment Aramaki set foot on the strange terrain, a heavy feeling settled in his heart—but he didn't let it show.
He pointed toward Doflamingo, his voice filled with the pride of a CP0 agent, the shield of the Celestial Dragons.
"So, you even know my name? It seems you have spies within CIPHER POL."
"Doflamingo, as a forsaken one, offer up the Seastone mines and return to the Holy Land with me."
"As a former Celestial Dragon, your life will be spared."
Doflamingo knew exactly what kind of man Aramaki was. Empty threats and weak insults weren't enough to provoke him.
But his two most loyal officers, Trebol and Diamante, were different.
Hearing those words, a deep sense of humiliation surged through them.
That was their king. Yet, this man acted as if they didn't even exist.
Trebol burst into laughter, voice dripping with fury.
"Heheheheh! So, you think you can insult the Young Master without consequence?"
"Diamante, let's go. Sticky Bomb Barrage!"
With a roar, Trebol transformed into a massive blob of mucus, launching a torrent of sticky projectiles from his chest.
"Crescent Moon Funeral!"
Diamante's expression darkened as he raised his longsword.
Combining his swordsmanship with the power of the Flutter-Flutter Fruit, he unleashed his strongest technique—a circular blade of compressed air, slicing through the island clouds as it surged toward Aramaki.
"Whoa! Such a strong attack!"
Aramaki flailed his arms in mock panic.
"Splat!"
A massive amount of sticky mucus engulfed him, pinning him in place.
"BOOM!"
The spinning blade followed immediately after, slicing through his body at high speed.
The extreme heat from the attack ignited the mucus, engulfing Aramaki in flames.
"That was… too easy?"
Trebol and Diamante exchanged bewildered glances, their expressions filled with confusion.
From his vantage point, Doflamingo smirked.
In his brief time observing him, he had already concluded that this bastard, Green Bull, was even more of a rat than he had expected.
"You two underestimated your opponent. Again."
His voice carried a trace of amusement.
"As punishment, your new training partner will be Enel, instead of Nora. Observation Haki is your weak point, after all."
Aramaki's mocking laughter transformed into something cold and sinister.
"A 'Woods Man' who ate the Woods-Woods Fruit—a power on par with the ocean, the very source of life itself."
"Do you really think something like this would be enough to kill me?"
From within the smoke, countless vines surged forth, instantly regenerating his body.The roots he had planted in the island clouds earlier erupted, coated in Haki, and shot toward Trebol and Diamante at lightning speed.
Trebol and Diamante's faces paled.
Then, rage took over.
"Sticky Bombs!"
Trebol's fingertips glowed red with heat, each coated in Armament Haki, before launching a flurry of explosive mucus projectiles.
"Half-Moon Graveyard!"
Diamante unleashed a barrage of slashes, his airborne blades twisting and curving unpredictably under the influence of the Flutter-Flutter Fruit, making them nearly impossible to dodge.
"BOOM!"
The attacks collided, sending smoke and flames billowing into the air.
"Splurt!"
Thick, blackened vines emerged from the fire, moving at terrifying speed.Before they could react, the vines pierced straight through both of them, their tips coated in Haki.
"AARGH!!"
Even though Trebol and Diamante had attempted to defend themselves with Tekkai and Haki, they couldn't stop the assault.
The vines burrowed into their bodies like an eel sliding into a hole.
Trebol visibly shrunk, his body draining as if his life force was being siphoned away.
"Crackle!"
A blinding bolt of lightning surged through the battlefield, instantly reducing the vines to charred remains.
Both men collapsed onto the ground, gasping for breath.
"Phew…!"
Diamante exhaled sharply, his body trembling.
In just an instant, they had lost.
"Whoosh!"
Two threads of silk shot out from the sky, wrapping around their weakened bodies before tossing them onto Doflamingo's ship, the Numancia Flamingo.
"Tch. You're still too slow."
A muscular figure wreathed in crackling electricity sat cross-legged on a cloud, holding a golden staff.
Enel.
Aramaki's expression darkened as the numbness in his body faded.
"A Rumble-Rumble Fruit user…?!"
As a CP0 agent, he had studied the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia extensively.
Lightning—the embodiment of destruction, a force beyond human control.
Dangerous.
But the strongest power in the world wasn't just lightning.
There was also nature.
"Cursed Forest!"
Aramaki roared as his body expanded, transforming into a colossal tree giant.
Thick roots spread across Moliti Island, anchoring him like an ancient titan.
Enel's eyes gleamed with excitement.
"Thunder God!"
His entire body was engulfed in pure electricity, molding himself into a massive thunder deity.Although he was still slightly smaller than the towering tree giant, his energy surged through the battlefield.
"Fool. The forest survives countless thunderstorms each year, yet trees continue to thrive.
"Even lightning cannot destroy nature!"
The giant tree roared at the sky.
"Doflamingo and Enel combined… If I defeat you both, I'll be qualified to become an Admiral!"
"Cursed Vine Spears!"
Dozens of massive vines, hardened with Armament Haki, shot upward like lances, aiming to pierce through Enel.
"Oh? Is that so?"
A chilling light flashed in Enel's eyes.
"Electrometallurgy."
He superheated his golden staff, reshaping it into a deadly spear, crackling with electricity.
"Gungnir!!"
With a thunderous boom, he hurled the glowing spear downward.
"BOOM!"
The golden lance obliterated the incoming vines before piercing through the forest giant's defenses.
Aramaki's eyes widened in shock.
"What?! There was no Haki on that attack!"
The battle was far from over.
Doflamingo descended, smirking.
"Fufufufu… Congratulations, Aramaki."
"You've made it to the final stage of this little training game."
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+145 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg