Seeing Monet, Gladius, and Bepo in danger, Doflamingo and Enel could no longer stand by. This was their precious family; how could they let Kizaru and Aokiji harm them?
"Thunderfall!"
A cascade of lightning descended from the sky, completely consuming Kizaru's Yasakani no Magatama and giving the three below a profound sense of security.
"Young Master!" the three of them exclaimed, their eyes fixed on Doflamingo as he descended from the sky.
"Are you alright?" Doflamingo landed beside them, his voice filled with concern.
"Young Master!" Bepo rushed forward and hugged Doflamingo, his big, cute eyes filled with innocence.
"I know," Doflamingo said, patting Bepo's head. He understood how hard it had been. After all, he was just a pet. How could he be expected to fight two Marine admirals? That was a job for him.
"Yahahahaha! Bepo, are you scared?" Enel landed nearby, laughing teasingly.
Hearing Enel's words, Bepo quickly released his bear paws from around Doflamingo and said shyly, "I'm sorry."
"Hahaha!"
With Doflamingo's arrival, a wave of jubilation washed over the Donquixote Pirates. The Marines, however, braced themselves for a tough fight.
"Doflamingo, so you've finally shown yourself. But where are Nico Robin and the others?"
Aokiji ceased his attack. Now that Doflamingo had appeared, there was no need to continue targeting the underlings.
He looked at Doflamingo's group but didn't see the familiar face of Robin. A flicker of doubt crossed his mind, but he thought it was for the best. Not coming with them was the right choice. Just run, Nico Robin.
"We meet again, Doflamingo," Kizaru said, descending from mid-air and greeting him like an old friend.
"It has been a long time, Admiral Kizaru, Admiral Aokiji," Doflamingo said, glancing at them both in acknowledgment.
"Next time, I'll come visit you in Impel Down for a chat," Kizaru quipped.
"I'm afraid that won't be possible. I have a big family to protect," Doflamingo retorted.
"That's not for you to decide, Doflamingo," Aokiji said, his voice cold.
"In that case, let's fight!"
Doflamingo drew his sword, Gryphon, and pointed it at Aokiji, his response brimming with authority.
"Ara, ara... Then let's see how much you've improved over the years," Aokiji replied lazily, but his eyes were serious.
"You will," Doflamingo answered confidently.
He then turned to his crew, his voice deadly and his expression cold. "Leave this to me. As for the other Marines... leave none of them alive."
"Understood." The others acknowledged the order and prepared to engage the other Marines.
Enel had wanted to help fight Kizaru, but seeing Doflamingo's attitude, he knew it wasn't possible. He wasn't worried, though. There were plenty of strong opponents. The Warlords over there were waiting for them.
"Be careful, Young Master," Monet reminded him gently. She then transformed into a blizzard and swept towards the Marines.
Doflamingo nodded, a warmth spreading through him at Monet's concern.
"Then I'll go play with the Warlords," Enel said, turning and leaving without another word.
Kizaru had no intention of fighting a two-on-one with Aokiji. They were both proud men. Besides, he didn't want to fight Doflamingo; it was a thankless and difficult task.
But while Kizaru wanted to leave, Doflamingo wouldn't allow it. Kizaru's incredible speed made him a major threat to the Donquixote Pirates on the field. Doflamingo had to stop him.
Just as Kizaru was about to transform into light and fly towards the Donquixote officers, he was shattered by a slash from Doflamingo's sword.
"Doflamingo!" Kizaru was incensed, glaring at him angrily.
"You don't get a choice in the matter, Kizaru. You can be my training partner," Doflamingo said, completely ignoring his fury.
"How arrogant, Doflamingo. Since you're asking for death, don't blame me," Kizaru's lazy demeanor vanished, replaced by a serious expression. He quickly formed a sword of light in his hand.
"Ama no Murakumo!"
"Hmph. Ice Saber!" Not to be outdone, Aokiji quickly formed a blade of ice. The first clash of swords between the two admirals and Doflamingo had begun.
Doflamingo knew nothing of swordsmanship, but with the memories of the Pirate King and Red-Haired Shanks, he could be considered a master swordsman—a master who had not yet reached the level of a true Sword Hero.
Doflamingo swiftly swung Gryphon, clashing with Kizaru's Ama no Murakumo. The clang, clang of their blades was incessant. As he fought Kizaru, his back was exposed. Seeing the opening, Aokiji didn't hesitate, thrusting his saber at Doflamingo.
"Nice try!" Doflamingo's Observation Haki had already foreseen this moment, and he dodged with ease.
What?! Aokiji was secretly shocked. He had found an opening before striking. It was as if Doflamingo had eyes in the back of his head—no, it was even faster. He had anticipated his attack.
"Take this!"
Doflamingo, having dodged, shouted at the two admirals. The aura around him intensified as he channeled his Conqueror's and Armament Haki into Gryphon's blade.
Seeing this, Kizaru and Aokiji's expressions turned grim. They realized the gravity of the situation. They knew this next slash from Doflamingo would be incredibly destructive and deserved their full attention.
"Divine Departure!"
Doflamingo, the rightful heir to the Pirate King Gol D. Roger's swordsmanship, unleashed Roger's signature move as a grand welcoming gift for the two admirals.
"Ice Age!"
"Laser Beam!"
Neither dared to be careless. They met the attack with their full power.
The battle between the three was earth-shattering, the destruction they caused unparalleled. Ordinary people couldn't even set foot near them.
"Is... is this the power of the truly strong?"
"How terrifying..."
The Marines, pirates, and even the residents who had fled to a safe distance were stunned by the destruction. If they had been caught in the middle of it, they would have been annihilated without a trace.
The commotion from their fight also caught the attention of others on the battlefield.
"Doflamingo... is another invincible great pirate about to rise?" Crocodile muttered to himself, a cigar hanging from his lips, as if reminiscing about his own spirited youth.
"Kishishishi, if I could get Doflamingo's corpse, even Kaido would be no match for me," Gecko Moria daydreamed, even as he witnessed the immense power of the three combatants.
"As expected of the man who defeated Shanks," Mihawk remarked, taking a moment from his duel with Diamante to glance at Doflamingo's battle.
"Of course! He's Doffy! A man born to be king, the Young Master of our Donquixote family," Diamante, not missing a chance to witness his young master's glory, automatically offered the highest praise upon hearing Mihawk's comment.
"Is that so? I'm not so sure about that," Mihawk sneered. Born to be king? He couldn't care less. With the sword in his hand, he could take anything he wanted. His sword was his only trusted partner.
"You will see, Mihawk," Diamante said, his voice filled with confidence.
"But you won't. You will die here. I will send you on your way with this, the world's strongest black blade," Mihawk said, stroking the blade of Yoru. A wave of killing intent washed over Diamante.
"What is there to fear in death? But I won't fall so easily. I still have to witness the pinnacle with Doffy!" Diamante was unfazed by Mihawk's killing intent. In fact, he was excited. The greater the pressure, the further he would walk on the path of the sword.
"I acknowledge your will. You are a good opponent. But Doflamingo... I must kill him," Mihawk said, acknowledging Diamante's words. But both had their own convictions.
"Then you'll have to ask me first!"
They wasted no more words and began their third thrilling life-and-death duel.
Bartholomew Kuma reaped lives dispassionately. Boa Hancock, with an indifferent attitude, was just going through the motions. The power Doflamingo had just displayed had made an impression on her.
She, too, possessed Conqueror's Haki, but she never expected this man's to be even more terrifying than her own. The power concentrated in his sword gave her a sense of unease. She knew she was no match for him and decided to rein it in a bit. Who knew what other tricks a man like that had up his sleeve?
The Donquixote officers moved through the ranks of the Marines, slaughtering them freely. Vice Admiral Doberman quickly intervened, engaging Monet to stop the beautiful but venomous woman who looked so kind on the outside but had the heart of a snake.
"This is the end for you, Donquixote Pirates!" Doberman's slash shattered Monet's snow body.
"Ufufufu, how could it end so easily?" Monet reformed her body, giggling.
"Damn pirate!" Doberman charged at Monet again, and the two became locked in a stalemate.
High above, on the shoulders of the giant stone statue, the battle between Pica and Onigumo was raging. Onigumo was in a sorry state from Pica's toying, but he wasn't seriously injured. The two were also at a standstill.
Enel was at leisure. He was a one-man army. The Marine grunts were beneath his notice. Doflamingo was handling the admirals, Monet and Pica had the Vice Admirals tied up, and Gladius and Bepo were dealing with the small fry. There was nothing for him to do.
But he decided to do something big. He would confront the Seven Warlords alone to reduce the casualties of the Donquixote Pirates.
One had to admit, Enel was incredibly arrogant.
But the Warlords were all proud individuals. They had no desire to exert themselves in such a thankless task. If Enel hadn't provoked them, they might not have even bothered to fight, preferring to let the Marines and the Donquixote Pirates wear each other out.
After all, they had nothing to gain from fighting.
"You lot! Let me see if you're worthy of the title of Warlord," Enel said, appearing before them and stopping their movements.
"Where did this arrogant brat come from?" Gecko Moria sneered.
The others just looked at Enel coldly without a word. Since Moria wanted to be the one to stick his neck out, let him. They weren't going to get involved.
Poor Moria didn't even realize he had been sold out by his fellow Warlords.
"You'll see soon enough!"
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