Chapter 155: A Fierce Battle with Doffy, and Shane Emerges from Seclusion
"No!"
The small girl's face went pale, but she gritted her teeth and jumped out, her arms spread wide to shield Kuma.
But the size difference was too great. She was only 20 centimeters tall and couldn't even cover his face.
"Mr. Kuma is a good person, Doffy! Let him go! If you don't hurt him anymore, I'll go back with you quietly! I won't run away again!"
"Fuffuffuffuffuffu… let him go?"
Doflamingo tilted his head and looked down at the small figure. "What nonsense are you talking about, Mansherry? You and he are both trophies I must take back."
He flicked his finger, and an invisible string instantly wrapped around Mansherry's limbs, lifting her into the air.
"This man is a rare Buccaneer. Although he was disobedient and refused to follow my orders, even his corpse has value. He can be used as a bargaining chip with the World Government."
"And besides, this guy is incredibly strong. I had to set so many traps to finally take him down. How could I possibly let him go just because of a few words from you…"
"Ugh!"
Mansherry struggled, tears welling up in her eyes, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall. "You… you're a bad man!"
"A bad man? Fuffuffuffuffuffu!"
Doflamingo's laugh grew even more wild. "Say what you will, little thing. In any case, today…"
"Let her go."
A cold voice suddenly interrupted him.
And then, a flash of cold light!
SWISH!
A sword slash cut through the air, and several strings snapped. Mansherry's body fell from the sky and was caught by a large, rough hand.
"Are you alright?" Jack asked, looking down with a simple-hearted smile.
"Thank you, I'm fine!" Mansherry said, still shaken. She then quickly added, "That guy is very, very strong! You have to be careful…"
"Don't worry,"
Jack laughed heartily and looked up at the figure that was slowly walking forward. "With Vice-Captain Kuina here, that guy will never be able to hurt you."
"Hey…"
Doflamingo frowned and looked over, annoyed.
The one who had attacked was a very young-looking, black-haired girl, who was now expressionlessly sheathing her sword.
Her face was a little familiar, as if he had seen it somewhere before.
"A wanted criminal, huh? To have left an impression on me, you must be a Supernova with a bounty of over a hundred million."
Doflamingo suddenly adjusted his sunglasses, a look of interest on his face.
"A sword… hey, wait… I think I remember now. You're the little girl with a bounty of 200 million Berries, the vice-captain of the Curtain Call Pirates… 'Rain-Slicer' Kuina!"
"It's an adventure group. Don't compare me to you, pirate,"
Kuina said coldly.
"What's the difference!"
Doflamingo's gaze swept over the others. "So the rest of you are also officers of the Curtain Call? I see. So after that man died, you didn't scatter to the winds, but have been hiding in a place like this…"
"FUFFUFFUFFUFFUFFU!"
He spread his arms, his lips pulling back in an exaggerated grin. "Interesting, interesting! What an unexpected bonus! If I'm not mistaken, all of you have pretty high bounties, don't you? Now that your leader is gone, how about you consider joining my—"
"This okama, he's just full of himself. He's really asking for a beating,"
his words were cut off again. Nami crossed her arms, annoyed, and turned her head. "Who is this guy anyway?"
"The Warlord of the Sea, Doflamingo,"
Robin said with a small smile, calmly finishing her sentence. "A very famous man. He's a user of the Paramecia-type String-String Fruit, with a former bounty of 340 million Berries."
"A Paramecia-type? And his bounty is only a little over three hundred million? That's nothing!"
Nami sneered, looking at him with contempt. "And he's trying to recruit us? I thought he was someone special, but he's so old and his bounty is so low. He's not even ashamed."
That was my former bounty!
From many years ago!
Where did this wild brat come from?! Do Warlords' bounties even go up?!
Doflamingo's face darkened, a vein throbbing on his temple. He was about to say something, but Nami cut him off again. "And what about the man on the ground, Robin-san?"
"That's Kuma,"
Robin said softly. "We met once on Drum Island. The captain had a very good impression of him. You could say he's an old acquaintance."
"So, on one hand, we have a yammering okama, and on the other, a friend of my brother,"
Nami said, a look of understanding on her face, and she slapped her fist into her palm. "Then it's pretty obvious who we should help, isn't it?"
"Kuinna!"
She cupped her hands around her mouth and shouted, "It's all up to you! Take him down! Don't show any mercy! OVER!"
"Fuffuffuffuffuffu…"
Doflamingo was so angry he had to laugh. "What do you take me for… a bunch of ignorant brats!"
If that Shane were still alive, then they might have had the right to talk to him like that. Out of respect for his reputation and strength, he would have probably just let it go.
But Shane was dead! Killed in a pincer attack by an Emperor and a Marine Admiral! He was deader than dead!
And without the protection of their captain, they dared to be so arrogant in front of a powerhouse from the New World like him?
SWISH—
A sharp sword slash suddenly came from the side. Doflamingo hastily dodged, but a corner of his feathered greatcoat was still sliced off.
Kuina was holding the Wado Ichimonji, her voice cold. "Too much talking. If you're going to fight, then fight. If you're too scared, then get lost. I'm protecting these two!"
"Good… very good!"
Doflamingo's anger turned to laughter. "Since you're so eager to die, then I'll grant your wish! You remnants of Shane!"
Goshikito!
His right hand suddenly shot out, and five sharp strings shot out like venomous snakes!
Kuina narrowed her eyes slightly, her Observation Haki flaring.
In her perception, time seemed to slow down, and the trajectory of every deadly string was clearly visible.
Sweeping Blade!
Her figure flickered, and she dodged in a near-instantaneous flash, her speed even faster than Shave.
When she reappeared, she had already dodged all the strings and had, at some point, appeared behind Doflamingo, her gaze icy, and she slashed out with her sword.
Not good!
Doflamingo's pupils constricted. He quickly sidestepped, but his cheek and shoulder were still grazed, and a bloody gash appeared.
She can break through my defense?
So she can use Armament Haki too…
Doflamingo wiped the blood from his cheek, his eyes narrowing slightly. To have mastered both types of Haki while still in Paradise, and with such impressive swordsmanship…
He had underestimated this young swordswoman's strength.
But…
This level is still not enough to challenge me!
Doflamingo shot a string from his fingertip, attaching it to a cloud in the sky, and his body shot into the air.
"Hey!" Nami had been enjoying the show, but now she stomped her foot in frustration. "What's the deal?! Are you trying to run away?!"
"Run?"
High in the sky, Doflamingo snorted.
What is this stupid brat talking about? Why would he run away?
It's just that in the air, he doesn't have to worry about a swordsman getting close to him, and he can unleash the full power of his Devil Fruit ability!
"Now, I'll show you my true strength!"
Doflamingo's sinister voice suddenly echoed. He raised his right arm high, and his five fingers suddenly pressed down!
Overheat!
Five thick strings intertwined, and with a piercing whistle, they shot down toward Kuina's head!
SWISH—
With a subtle sound of tearing air, Kuina's pupils constricted slightly. She abandoned the idea of blocking and quickly retreated, dodging the impressive attack.
BOOM!
The strings that missed still embedded themselves deep in the ground, carving a terrifying trench over ten meters deep.
In the swirling dust, Kuina quickly steadied herself, her longsword reflecting the cold light in her eyes as she traced a white arc.
"Steel Tempest!"
A violent tornado suddenly shot up from the ground and, with a devastating force, it shot into the sky, heading straight for Doflamingo.
Swordsmanship that can control the wind? Unheard of. Or is she also a Devil Fruit user?
Faced with this ferocious attack, Doflamingo raised an eyebrow.
He hadn't expected that even in the air, his opponent would have such a bizarre sword technique that could threaten him.
But he wasn't worried. He pointed his fingertips forward, and countless transparent strings shot out, weaving a massive, web-like barrier in front of him.
"Spider's Web!"
The strings rapidly extended, and in the blink of an eye, they had formed a defensive net hundreds of meters in diameter, so dense it blotted out the sky.
The seemingly majestic tornado seemed small in front of this giant wall.
BOOM!
The two clashed, and after a stalemate of only a few seconds, the seemingly indestructible web of strings snapped in the middle, the threads unraveling!
Its power slightly diminished, the tornado continued on, unstoppable, and shot toward the man behind the net, engulfing him.
How?!
Doflamingo's pupils suddenly constricted.
He knew how tough his Spider's Web was. When fully deployed, it was almost indestructible against a large-scale attack like this.
And yet… it had been broken so easily?
I can't take it head-on!
The power of this tornado is clearly more terrifying than I had expected. If I take it head-on, I'll be seriously injured!
In a flash, Doflamingo made a decision.
He shot a string from his fingertip, attaching it to a higher cloud, and shot up another hundred meters, narrowly avoiding the still-powerful tornado.
On the ground, Kuina frowned slightly.
She had mastered her Wind Wall technique and had combined it with her own swordsmanship, modifying its moves. The tornado that came with "Steel Tempest" was now infused with Haki, greatly increasing its destructive power.
But although this move was very effective against large, grounded targets, its weakness… was also obvious.
It was difficult to threaten an agile opponent like Doflamingo, who could move freely in the air.
Her thoughts raced, and her gaze once again locked on the pink figure in the sky.
At this moment, Doflamingo had already readjusted his position and was now diving toward her at high speed, his right hand charged and open, countless strings shooting out and converging into a single, extremely thick, white string, like the arm of a giant.
"Ever White!"
The giant string, with a thunderous force, shot down from a hundred meters in the air, as if it were going to slice Kuina, the castle behind her, and all her crew members in two!
"Just in time!"
Faced with the transparent strings that were coming at her from all directions, Kuina's eyes were filled with a cold light. She swung her sword, and a dozen or so sharp sword slashes shot out like a torrential rain.
SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!
With a series of piercing whistles, the giant string, which was powerful enough to cut a town in two, was instantly shattered, dissolving into a shower of fragments.
If the tornado can't get you, then I'll just have to get closer!
Moonwalk!
In the next instant, Kuina's foot tapped the ground, and she shot into the sky like an arrow!
When she had closed most of the distance, she suddenly used "Sweeping Blade" again, her figure flashing and appearing above Doflamingo. The Wado Ichimonji, instead of slashing, was now a thrust, aimed at his heart.
Again?
This move, it seems to be part of her swordsmanship, but it's much more unpredictable than 'Shave.' Even his Observation Haki can't predict it in time or lock on to her aura.
Doflamingo's face changed slightly, and he quickly dodged to the side, but the sword still grazed him, leaving a deep, bone-exposing gash on his shoulder.
A gush of blood sprayed out, dyeing his signature pink feathered greatcoat red, and a searing pain shot through him.
Pierced to the bone?
Doflamingo looked down at the wound on his shoulder, his gaze growing cold. It had been a long, long time since anyone had been able to injure him to this extent…
"Fuffuffuffuffuffu…"
An eerie laugh echoed in the air. His lips pulled back in a grin, and his face slowly twisted into a savage expression.
That's it, then!
He had been completely enraged.
This girl's swordsmanship was indeed far beyond his expectations, and he couldn't underestimate her. But… she was just a rookie with a bounty of 200 million, and she had managed to injure him first?
Who was he?
A member of the Donquixote family, a true Celestial Dragon! The king of Dressrosa! The infamous Heavenly Yaksha, who was feared throughout the seas!!!
"You're the first rookie to make me go all out!"
With Doflamingo's low voice, a terrifying, suffocating aura exploded from him!
Conqueror's Haki!
The sky suddenly darkened, and the clouds were churned into a massive vortex by the violent energy, a thunderous rumbling coming from within.
Doflamingo, like a god, looked down from on high, his golden hair whipping in the wind, his sunglasses glinting with a terrifying red light.
"Fuffuffuffuffu!! Are you ready… to face the wrath of the Heavenly Yaksha, little girl?!"
"..."
So he's finally going all out? Kuina gripped her sword, her expression growing exceptionally grim, but a flicker of anticipation also appeared in her eyes.
Then let's continue!
After the previous exchange, she was now certain that, after two months of hard training, she could now fight a Warlord-level enemy on even terms.
If they both went all out, it was still unclear who would win!
But… just then.
CRACK!
A thick, black and red bolt of lightning suddenly shot up from the edge of the island, illuminating the entire world!
"Fuff…"
Doflamingo's laughter was cut short.
He looked up, a look of confusion on his face—
The sky, which had been under the control of his Conqueror's Haki, was now being torn apart by an even more violent force!
The black and red lightning that had just shot into the sky had split into countless smaller bolts, which were now writhing in the clouds like snakes.
The entire sea was suddenly pressed down by an invisible, giant hand, and a suffocating atmosphere filled the air. Doflamingo's Conqueror's Haki, as if it had met some terrifying natural enemy, suddenly retreated in a panic, shrinking back into his body.
Who is it?
The terrifying level of this aura, it's almost on the same level as those old geezers at the top of the world!
A bad feeling rose in Doflamingo's heart, and he looked down at the sea, his face grim.
There, a vortex of inky black Haki was swirling madly, as if a giant beast that had been slumbering in the abyss had finally awakened and opened its gaping maw.
BOOM—!!!
In the next instant, a thousand-meter-high column of water suddenly exploded from the sea. A figure, wrapped in black and red lightning, shot out of the waves and hovered in the air, his soaking wet black hair plastered to his forehead.
The man looked up, as if he hadn't seen the sun in a long time, and took a deep, satisfying breath of fresh air. Then, he unhurriedly turned to look at him.
The face that met his gaze was handsome and extremely familiar.
Doflamingo's pupils suddenly constricted. His body froze, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
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