Carl did not take Blackbeard's dark power lightly. He chose to maintain his distance, maneuvering through the air while launching two sharp flying slashes. Blackbeard simply smirked as a swirling mass of black mist emerged from his body, swallowing the slashes whole before redirecting the kinetic energy back at Carl. It appeared the primary function of this dark mist was to devour and release attacks with interest.
Recognizing the danger of the "darkness," Carl refused to make physical contact. He kept up a steady pressure of long-range sword strikes, but Blackbeard had no intention of a long-term stalemate. The black mist expanded, consciously blocking Carl's flight paths as a pack of water-lions—fueled by the stolen Float-Float Fruit powers—charged at him.
Using the chaos as a distraction, Blackbeard flew onto a nearby Marine warship. Using his ability to manipulate gravity, he lifted the massive vessel and hurled it directly at Sengoku. Sengoku's eyes widened, and he glanced sharply at Law.
Understanding the silent command, Law extended his hand, his voice cool and calculated. "ROOM. Shambles!"
In a flicker of blue light, the warship and the Marines aboard were swapped with chunks of debris, landing safely back in the water. Irritated, Sengoku shifted into his towering golden form and struck at Blackbeard with a powerful shockwave. Blackbeard soared higher into the sky to evade, simultaneously releasing waves of black mist toward Vice Admiral Tsuru and Law, forcing them to retreat.
Doflamingo seized the opportunity to launch himself upward, reaching Blackbeard's side. Though his safety net from Kaido was gone, standing beside the "Six Emperors" gave him a surge of renewed confidence. A wild, predatory smile returned to his face—until the Den Den Mushi in his pocket began to ring.
A cold dread pooled in his stomach as he answered. "Doffy! It's bad!" Diamante's panicked voice crackled through the line. "The toys... they have all recovered! They are swarming the palace, screaming for revenge! What do we do?!"
"What?!" Doflamingo's forehead throbbed with bulging veins. "The toys are back? Where is Sugar? Where is Trebol?!"
"I don't know, but they must have been defeated!" Diamante shouted. "The factory was attacked. The Straw Hat crew—the painter Marianne, Richie, Usopp, Nami, Franky, and Chopper—they must be the ones who did it!"
"Damn those Straw Hats!" Doflamingo hissed, his rage nearly causing him to choke. Dressrosa was his masterpiece. The toys were his greatest secret, and the factory was his lifeline. Now, the crew had dismantled everything he had built for years.
"Doffy, what are our orders?" Diamante asked urgently.
"Kill them all!" Doflamingo screamed, slamming the phone down.
Back at the palace, as Diamante hung up, a blonde young man wearing a top hat appeared behind him, an iron pipe resting casually on his shoulders. He offered a sharp, confident smile. "I was wondering... do you happen to know where the Multiply-Multiply Fruit is? I'd like to have it."
Out on the sea, Law watched Doflamingo's descent into fury with a sense of grim satisfaction. This was better than a quick death. To Doflamingo, the operation of Dressrosa was as precious as his own life. To destroy his business, force him to feel the agony of loss, and then watch him perish in despair—this was Law's true revenge.
"Damn you, Law!" Doflamingo roared, his eyes murderous behind his shades. "You planned all of this from the start!"
"You sound distressed," Law replied, his voice like ice. "But it isn't over yet. You will watch every piece of your empire crumble before you die."
Sengoku and Tsuru didn't fully understand the internal details, but they knew the tide of the battle in Dressrosa had turned. Regardless, they would not let the Warlord escape today.
"Blackbeard! Help me stop these people!" Doflamingo shouted. "I need to return to Dressrosa immediately!"
"Zehahaha! Go on then!" Blackbeard laughed. "Burgess and the others are already there. Feel free to use them. As for these Marines, I'll see to it that they don't follow you!"
Sengoku didn't wait for the speech to end, launching another Buddha shockwave. Blackbeard condensed his darkness into a shield, successfully neutralizing the impact before hurling the energy back.
Doflamingo turned and swung through the air toward the island, his movements frantic. Law moved to intercept him, but Carl's hand landed on his shoulder, stopping him. They watched as Doflamingo retreated toward the city.
"Carl, why did you let him go?" Law asked, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"Because Luffy said he wanted to beat him with his own hands," Carl said naturally. "It's only right to let him go back to meet his fate."
Law fell silent. He knew Carl was prioritizing Luffy's growth and the captain's desires. Even if Doflamingo was injured by Law's earlier Gamma Knife, the strength gap between Law and the Warlord remained significant. Handing the final fight to Luffy was the logical path.
"Marshal Sengoku, Vice Admiral Tsuru, Admiral Kizaru, Uncle Fujitora... I'm leaving this mess to you!"
Carl signaled to Law, and the two of them sped off toward Dressrosa, leaving the Marines to deal with the overwhelming power of Blackbeard and Kaido. Sengoku's face turned red with indignation, but he was too busy fending off Blackbeard's darkness to argue.
Back in the Corrida Colosseum, the fight between Luffy and Katakuri reached a fever pitch. Suddenly, a wave of light washed over the stands. The toy monkey beating the gong transformed into a terrified man; the teddy bear in a child's arms became a weeping pirate. The entire stadium erupted into chaos as thousands regained their true forms.
"What is this?!" Katakuri and Burgess paused, looking at the transformation in shock.
"Shishishi! The toys are back!" Luffy laughed, his eyes bright with excitement. "Usopp actually did it!"
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