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This must be one of the powerful weapons Ikki gives to his companions and partners.
Doflamingo stared at the greatsword in Kyros's hands, envy flickering behind his sunglasses.
The weapon changes shape, and even the user's clothing changes with it.
It's similar to the weapon Hancock uses. The one capable of releasing flames.
His eyes narrowed.
If I could get my hands on that sword and hand it over to Caesar for research...
Perhaps the results could become a bargaining chip for future cooperation with the Four Emperors or even the World Government.
Doflamingo licked his lips greedily as he examined Balmung.
He had personally witnessed Hancock and Gion fighting with the weapons they had obtained from Ikki.
He had even fought Hancock himself.
No one understood better than him just how troublesome those weapons could be.
Now that Ikki had already moved against his family and his crew, Doflamingo had no objections to hunting down Ikki's companions in return.
"Fufufufu..."
A seemingly gentle smile appeared on his face.
"That sword looks quite impressive, Kyros."
He slowly extended a hand.
"How about handing it over to me?"
"If you do, I might even spare Dressrosa."
Anyone familiar with Doflamingo knew that his smiles were the most dangerous thing about him.
Kyros merely stared back.
"Doflamingo, do you really think I'd trust you with something Lord Ikki entrusted to me?"
His grip tightened around Balmung.
"King Riku once trusted you."
"He borrowed money from every citizen in the kingdom because of your demands."
A cold light appeared in his eyes.
"And then you used the String-String Fruit to manipulate his body and force him to attack innocent civilians."
"The people turned against their king."
"You used that chaos to seize control of Dressrosa."
Kyros pointed his sword directly at Doflamingo.
"And after all that, you still expect me to trust you?"
His voice became even colder.
"If you want this sword, then come and take it."
"But I can promise you one thing."
The blue light surrounding him intensified.
"You'll never get the chance."
"Because you're going to be defeated here."
As those words fell, magical energy surged from Kyros's body.
Wrapped in deep blue light, he suddenly released an overwhelming pressure that felt strangely similar to Conqueror's Haki.
Doflamingo's expression darkened.
That feeling again.
He remembered the same sensation when facing Hancock.
"Fufufufu..."
His smile slowly vanished.
"I hope you don't regret that decision, Kyros."
Although he still didn't fully understand the source of Kyros's power, Doflamingo had no intention of continuing the conversation.
The longer he waited, the greater the chance that something unexpected would happen.
Without warning, he raised his hand.
The power of the String-String Fruit erupted.
Countless threads shot into the sky.
Within moments, they had climbed more than a thousand meters above Dressrosa.
Kyros frowned.
What is he doing?
His body remained tense as he carefully watched Doflamingo.
Before leaving Dressrosa, Ikki had specifically warned him about Doflamingo's awakened Devil Fruit abilities.
That warning was one of the main reasons Kyros had immediately revealed Balmung.
Then—
The threads suddenly changed direction.
Instead of continuing upward, they spread outward in every direction.
At astonishing speed, they reached the borders of Dressrosa and anchored themselves into the ground.
A giant cage of razor-sharp strings instantly surrounded the entire kingdom.
"The Birdcage..."
Kyros's expression darkened.
Across Dressrosa, countless citizens also noticed the abnormality.
Panic quickly began spreading through the streets.
Far from the battlefield, King Riku stared at the enormous structure with a grim expression.
"So Doflamingo actually used that."
His heart sank.
"Is this the awakening of the String-String Fruit?"
At that moment, Rebecca hurried over.
"Grandfather!"
She was visibly anxious.
"We've received reports from across the kingdom."
"The strings have reached the borders of Dressrosa."
"They're incredibly sharp."
"Even steel weapons are being damaged by them."
Her expression became increasingly serious.
"And they're moving inward."
"Doflamingo plans to cut the entire country apart."
Rebecca hesitated briefly.
"Grandfather... should we tell everyone what's happening?"
"Should we tell them Doflamingo has returned and that Father is fighting him?"
King Riku remained silent for several seconds before nodding.
"Yes."
His voice was calm but firm.
"Keeping silent will only create more fear."
A trace of confidence appeared in his eyes.
"But if the people know that Kyros—the man who fought alongside Lord Ikki—is standing against Doflamingo..."
"They'll feel much safer."
Rebecca nodded immediately.
"I understand."
Without wasting another second, she turned and left.
She intended to coordinate with the soldiers throughout Dressrosa, inform the citizens, and maintain order throughout the kingdom.
Meanwhile, back on the battlefield, Doflamingo spread his arms wide and laughed.
"Fufufufufu!"
"This is the power of my Birdcage!"
His voice echoed throughout the area.
"Kyros, you still have a chance to change your mind."
He pointed at Balmung.
"Once the Birdcage fully closes, this entire country will be destroyed."
His grin widened.
"And by then, even if you decide to hand over the sword and beg for mercy, it'll already be too late."
To Doflamingo, Hancock and Kyros were completely different.
Although both possessed weapons granted by Ikki, Kyros clearly wasn't capable of drawing out the same overwhelming power Hancock had displayed.
Otherwise, the intelligence reports wouldn't have described his battle against Diamante as such a hard-fought victory.
"A Birdcage..."
Kyros shook his head.
"You truly are insane, Doflamingo."
Then he slowly lowered his stance.
"But I have a better option than surrendering my sword."
Blue magical energy erupted around him once more.
"I'll defeat you."
The instant those words left his mouth, Kyros moved.
Boom!
The ground beneath his feet shattered.
Without even using Thunder Breathing to accelerate himself, the immense physical strength granted by Siegfried's Heroic Spirit and the amplification from his magical energy burst propelled him forward like a cannon shell.
His speed was so great that he seemed to vanish.
In the blink of an eye—
Kyros appeared directly in front of Doflamingo.
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