"Pops!"
"Doffy!"
Stunned cries echoed across Bugara Island.
No one had expected the battle between Whitebeard and Doflamingo to be so shocking and bloody.
Let's rewind to the moment just before. After Whitebeard had calmly blocked Doflamingo's reckless attack, he had relaxed his guard slightly, assuming his opponent wouldn't try anything else so audacious. But he had underestimated just how ruthless Doflamingo was willing to be—ruthless enough to sacrifice his own arm for a chance to land a devastating blow.
Doflamingo was in a bad state. He had lost an arm, and the massive blood loss was making him weak. But having seized this opportunity, he was determined to make Whitebeard suffer the same pain.
The blood had blinded Whitebeard, and in that moment of chaos, Doflamingo had found his opening, plunging his Lightning Cutter deep into the old man's chest.
But Whitebeard was Whitebeard for a reason. Even blinded by blood, he had calmed himself in an instant. Though he hadn't been able to completely block the Lightning Cutter, he had stopped Doflamingo's hand from advancing any further.
Seeing his hand caught in Whitebeard's grip, unable to push even a centimeter deeper, Doflamingo unleashed the full power of the lightning in his palm. It ravaged Whitebeard's flesh, the small wound rapidly expanding as the violent electricity tore through him.
Whitebeard's brow furrowed in pain. He tossed aside Doflamingo's severed arm and swung his left fist. Seeing his chance, Doflamingo prepared to retreat. Whitebeard, wanting to stop the lightning from doing more damage to his body, let him go.
It was an unspoken agreement.
Doflamingo instantly teleported to where his arm had fallen, picked it up, and put some distance between himself and Whitebeard.
"Cough, cough..."
Holding his severed arm, Doflamingo's face was pale, a wave of weakness washing over him.
"Doffy, are you alright?"
Enel, who had been waiting on the sidelines, rushed to his side.
"I'm fine. That old bastard is in no better shape than I am," Doflamingo said with a grim smile, a hint of pride in his voice. This was Whitebeard, after all. To have injured him was an incredible feat.
"Doffy, your arm..." Enel wasn't concerned about Whitebeard's injuries; his focus was on Doflamingo's arm.
"It's just an arm. Don't worry, with Law here, I'll be good as new in no time," Doflamingo said without a hint of worry. If the Op-Op Fruit couldn't handle something like this, it wouldn't be worth so much.
"That's good," Enel said, relieved.
On the other side, seeing Whitebeard injured, his sons were horrified and rushed to his side.
"Pops, how are you?" Marco was the first to reach him, his voice filled with concern.
"Gurararara! I really underestimated that thundering brat," Whitebeard laughed. Marco saw no displeasure on his face, only the exhilaration of a hunter who had found worthy prey.
"Pops, let me take a look," Marco said.
Whitebeard glanced at Doflamingo, who was making no move, and gave his silent consent.
Marco understood and quickly began to treat his father's wound.
At the same time, the rest of Whitebeard's children arrived. Seeing the large, flame-like burn on their father's chest, their expressions turned grim, and they glared at Doflamingo with pure hatred.
"Pops! I'm sorry, this is all my fault," Whitey Bay said, her head bowed in shame, tears streaming down her face.
"Gurararara! I am Whitebeard! I'm not dead yet! What are you crying for?" he scolded.
"Pops, you rest. Let me handle this guy," Vista said, drawing his sword, ready to take over the fight.
"Vista, stand down. This is my fight. I'm not dead yet," Whitebeard said, his voice sharp with anger.
"But..." Vista froze, his advance halted by his father's command.
"Vista," Diamond Jozu said, placing a hand on his shoulder. Though they all wanted to avenge their father, this was his battle to fight. They could not interfere.
In the crowd, Blackbeard's eyes darted back and forth. Seeing Whitebeard injured had shaken his belief. He never thought the old man could be brought to such a state by some upstart brat.
"Thundering brat, you want to continue?"
After a brief respite, with Marco having staunched the bleeding, Whitebeard was eager to get back at it.
Doflamingo had also stopped his own bleeding and, after a moment's rest, some color had returned to his face.
"Fuffuffu... old man, are you in such a hurry to die?" Doflamingo laughed.
"Doflamingo, you damn bastard!"
Hearing his insolence, Marco and the others couldn't hold back their anger and began to curse at him.
Even a clay doll has a temper. Doflamingo was getting angry.
He handed his severed arm to Enel for safekeeping, then kicked off the ground, launching himself into the air.
"Shut your damn mouths! And accept the punishment of a god! Divine Punishment!"
Bathed in the blinding sunlight, Doflamingo looked like a deity as a massive bolt of lightning shot toward Whitebeard.
"Gurararara! Such big words! A god? I'm the one who kills gods!" Whitebeard scoffed, but his hands did not stop moving.
He crouched low, the muscles in his arms bulging as he punched the air with all his might. The space before him shattered like a mirror, ripples spreading outwards as the force of the shockwave shot toward the lightning.
"Quake."
Lightning and shockwave clashed once more.
The arrogant, domineering lightning was extinguished by the force of the tremor.
"Gurararara! Thundering brat, is that all you've got?" Whitebeard taunted.
Doflamingo had no time to retort. After neutralizing the lightning, the residual force of the shockwave was heading straight for him.
He threw a punch, using his own power to finally dissipate the last of Whitebeard's attack.
"Whitebeard, did you forget to eat breakfast?" Having been mocked, Doflamingo had to return the favor. At his words, Whitebeard's anger flared.
"You damn brat!"
He was truly angry now. He stomped his left foot, and Murakumogiri, which had been embedded in the ground beside him, leaped into his hand. He pushed off with his legs, launching himself into the air and bringing his great blade down on Doflamingo with his full strength.
The old man was in a youthful frenzy. His power surged to its peak, and Doflamingo, locked in his sights, could not escape. He had no choice but to face him head-on.
"The old bastard is going all out."
Doflamingo's eye twitched. He gathered all his strength into his right fist (the arm he had re-formed with lightning), coating it first with Armament Haki, and then, without reservation, with Conqueror's Haki.
"Die!"
He shot through the air to meet Whitebeard.
Their attacks exploded in mid-air. The two seemed to be caught in a magnetic field; their fist and blade never made contact, but the power radiating from them grew more and more violent, warping the environment around them.
The sky changed color, and a fierce wind began to blow. This was a clash of titans. Marco and the others quickly retreated, not wanting to be caught in the crossfire.
The third round had officially begun. This time, it would be a battle to the death.