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Rumble!
The sky roared violently, and the air trembled.
Throughout the Kingdom of Dressrosa, countless eyes were fixed on the battlefield where Kyros and Doflamingo clashed.
Witnessing a scene that looked like a natural disaster, countless ordinary citizens were so terrified that they collapsed to the ground.
Even many people with considerable experience and insight were shaken.
Among them were Elizabello II, who had come to Dressrosa to congratulate King Riku, and Dagama, the strategist of the Prodence Kingdom. Elizabello was renowned for his King's Punch, a technique said to be capable of striking a Yonko head-on.
"What a terrifying attack! I didn't expect to witness something like this so soon after arriving in Dressrosa."
"Strategist Dagama, can you tell who's fighting inside that birdcage?"
King Elizabello frowned as he looked toward the source of the battle's aftershocks.
Although he possessed considerable strength, they were simply too far from the center of the conflict.
Moreover, they remained outside the birdcage and had no way of clearly seeing the combatants within.
"King Elizabello, the one using string-based abilities should be Doflamingo."
"He probably took advantage of Ikki's absence to return to Dressrosa and reclaim the kingdom. Or perhaps he's simply seeking revenge."
"As for the one fighting him... if what King Riku told us earlier is true..."
"Then we can rule out Ikki and his companions. They've already departed for Marine Headquarters."
"Aside from them, the only possibility is Kyros, Dressrosa's strongest warrior."
Dagama adjusted his sunglasses and stared intently ahead.
Soon, however, his attention shifted to someone not far away.
"The Surgeon of Death, Law! What's that guy doing here?!"
Dagama muttered to himself, a trace of confusion flashing through his eyes.
"I never imagined Kyros possessed such strength. He's truly incredible."
"Good. That means I won't need to warm up by trying to break the birdcage first. Hahaha!"
Elizabello laughed loudly before turning toward Dagama, quickly noticing his unusual expression.
"Dagama, what's wrong? Did you see something?"
As Elizabello spoke, he followed Dagama's gaze.
He was briefly stunned when he saw Law.
As though sensing their attention, Law turned his head and looked at them as well.
"Don't worry. I heard your conversation."
"You must be friends of this country's king."
"Although I'm a pirate, I don't have any ill intentions toward Dressrosa."
"I'm only here to repay a debt of gratitude to Ikki."
"Still, I didn't expect to run into that guy here."
Law's expression turned serious as he looked toward Doflamingo.
Others might fail to recognize Doflamingo from a distance, but Law would recognize him even if he were reduced to ashes.
"You want to head over there, don't you?"
"How about I take you with me? I might be able to help."
Without waiting for Dagama or Elizabello to respond, Law immediately activated the power of the Op-Op Fruit and swiftly transported the three of them toward the center of the battlefield.
"How... how is this possible?! How can your sword possess such power?!"
Doflamingo gritted his teeth and stared in disbelief at the beam of light unleashed by Kyros's sword strike.
He acknowledged Kyros's strength.
But he had never expected the light cannon fired from Kyros's blade to overpower the thread gun he had created with the String-String Fruit.
"You still underestimate the power of the sword Lord Ikki gave me, Doflamingo."
"Now fall right here!"
Kyros roared as his physical strength was converted into pure magical energy, pouring wildly into the greatsword in his hands.
The beam of light released by the sword surged forward with even greater force.
The deadlock between Kyros and Doflamingo did not last long.
The Noble Phantasm, Balmung, shattered the String Gun and continued advancing toward Doflamingo without slowing.
"How could this be? I can't possibly—"
Before Doflamingo could finish speaking, the beam cannon blasted him backward toward the birdcage overhead.
Boom!
The beam slammed his body directly into the birdcage before detonating.
Already heavily injured from the Noble Phantasm's impact, Doflamingo suffered even more devastating wounds from the explosion.
If not for his overwhelming willpower, he would have lost consciousness on the spot.
Crack!
A sound like breaking glass reached Doflamingo's ears.
Grinding his teeth, he instinctively turned toward the source of the noise.
To his shock, the birdcage he had created with the String-String Fruit had cracked under the force of the explosion.
One thread snapped.
Then another.
And another.
Soon, thread after thread broke apart until the massive cage that had enveloped all of Dressrosa vanished completely into the air.
With the birdcage gone, nothing obstructed Doflamingo's flight, and his battered body was hurled even higher into the sky.
"You did it! You really did it, Father!"
Rebecca leaped up excitedly.
She felt immense pride in her father and an even deeper admiration for Ikki's strength.
Her desire to join Ikki's crew grew stronger than ever.
Unfortunately, he had previously rejected her because she was still too young.
"Excellent work, Kyros."
"Everyone, let's go meet him immediately."
Even the usually composed King Riku couldn't help laughing at that moment.
With a wave of his hand, he led the others toward the battlefield where Kyros and Doflamingo had fought.
At the same time, he intended to take advantage of Doflamingo's severely injured state and arrest him.
While it would be difficult for him to execute Doflamingo due to the man's former status as a Celestial Dragon, he believed Ikki would know how to deal with the problem.
"I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you again, Mr. Ikki."
"Though... if Viola were truly to marry Lord Ikki..."
"It wouldn't be a bad thing to let him manage Dressrosa."
King Riku smiled to himself.
Swish!
A blur flashed across the battlefield as Law, Dagama, and Elizabello appeared not far from Kyros.
Still in his Heroic Spirit form, Kyros immediately sensed their arrival.
Already under immense pressure from his battle against Doflamingo, he instinctively assumed they were enemies.
Gripping his two-handed sword tightly, he raised it and took a combat stance toward the newcomers.
"Who's there?!"
Exhausted from the fierce battle, Kyros immediately mistook Law and his companions for members of Doflamingo's group.