"Unparalleled Flurry!!!"
Countless fist shadows, too fast to track, instantly shredded the thread-white shield and violently pummeled Doflamingo, leaving densely packed dents across his body.
The triumphant BGM blared in the background.
Against the boiling-hot Bond Combination Technique, mere Awakened power stood no chance.
As the final punch landed, Mingo's iconic sunglasses shattered, and his already unconscious body crashed through the Arena like a meteor, vanishing beyond sight.
Gurd & Katakuri, Win!
"Ooooh!"
Gurd roared, thrusting both fists skyward.
Katakuri remained as cold and aloof as ever.
Though this was their first meeting, their coordination was seamless—though mostly thanks to Katakuri adapting to Gurd, his future-sight ability proving far too overpowered.
"Hahaha, we're unstoppable!"
Gurd laughed heartily, extending a fist toward Katakuri beside him.
Katakuri stayed silent.
"Hmm?!"
Gurd frowned, snorted, and insistently raised his fist again.
Katakuri's face darkened.
"Hmm?!!"
"Hmm?!!!!"
Fist raised, fist raised!
After a full three-minute standoff, Katakuri finally relented, reluctantly bumping his fist against Gurd's in a moment of sheer awkwardness.
So embarrassing.
Gurd was satisfied at last.
This was how it should be—post-victory rituals were crucial. A celebratory fist bump was the only way to truly savor the moment.
VIP Seats.
"Doflamingo has been defeated!"
"Who would've thought Gurd would team up with Katakuri?"
"This will shake the world's balance!"
"Don't underestimate Joker's influence!"
The crowd wore grave expressions.
A Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea had fallen. If this news spread, the World Government would surely strip Doflamingo of his Warlord title.
The World Government needed figures who could intimidate Pirates and oppose the Four Emperors. A Warlord's defeat was only acceptable if it came at the hands of an Emperor themselves—like Hanafuda, who had fallen to Fire Fist.
Ordinary Pirates wouldn't overthink it. To them, a defeated Warlord lost all deterrent power.
But Doflamingo was different.
As an Dark King of the New World, his influence was well-known—and his connections in the legitimate world were equally terrifying.
All eyes turned to Morgans.
"Morgans, what will you do?"
"Gahaha, a Warlord's defeat is major news indeed."
Morgans' eyes gleamed.
Whether to report this depended entirely on how much the World Government was willing to pay. He wasn't some easily controlled tabloid hack.
In the neighboring VIP box.
The ministers of Totto Land burst into laughter.
"As expected of Brother Katakuri!"
"Of course!"
"A mere Warlord could never stand against Totto Land's pride!"
Katakuri was the backbone of the Big Mom Pirates, undefeated in his life and hailed as the Charlotte Family's greatest masterpiece.
Their faith in Katakuri was absolute—even the so-called Earth Calamity stood no chance against him.
All they had to do was witness yet another victory for Brother Katakuri!
At the Arena's center, Gurd and Katakuri walked toward each other, passing by before taking positions at opposite ends.
Katakuri stood motionless, his cold gaze fixed on Gurd. He made no move to strike first, speaking calmly instead.
"Make your move."
"Alright, I won't hold back!"
Gurd narrowed his eyes.
During their brief interaction, he had already grasped Katakuri's personality—simply put, he carried too much of an idol's burden, always striving to maintain the image of a perfect older brother.
Like now, voluntarily giving up the first move.
Then don't blame him.
Just as well, he needed some time.
"Foreseeing the future is indeed powerful, but it's not invincible."
Gurd drew his greatsword and plunged it into the ground!
Fighting an opponent whose Observation Haki was so advanced it could predict the future—charging in for close combat would be nothing short of foolish.
"Crack!"
A thin fissure split the ground, spreading rapidly like the growth of a tree trunk, covering most of the arena in the blink of an eye!
From a distance, it resembled an ink painting.
Katakuri's gaze lowered to the branch-like cracks at his feet, his expression growing grave. He had already foreseen what was coming.
Unavoidable!
Gurd gripped his sword with both hands, channeling his strength.
Pebbles at his feet tumbled, and the ground began to tremble. Soon, the entire arena was shaking violently.
An earthquake!
"What's happening, an earthquake?!"
In the VIP rooms above, the chambers shook as dust and debris rained from the ceiling. The Underworld Emperors staggered, realizing the danger.
If the quake continued, the place would collapse!
"Get out of here, now!"
Without another word, the Underworld Emperors bolted. The moment they left the room, the ceiling caved in.
"Boom!"
A cloud of dust and debris blasted into their faces.
But this was only the beginning. The entire arena was collapsing, the tremors jolting the unconscious spectators and fighters awake as they fled in terror.
At the center of the arena, Katakuri's expression darkened further. The future was unfolding in ways even he found hard to fathom.
Even he was stunned!
"Crack! Crack!"
The fissures in the ground widened, and from their depths, an orange-red glow emerged, causing Katakuri's face to pale completely.
"BOOM!!!"
The next instant, the earth erupted!
Pillars of molten lava surged skyward!
"Volcanic eruption?!"
Everyone on Champion Island turned toward the erupting magma at its center. They had felt the island quaking earlier, but no one expected it would trigger a volcanic eruption.
"Run for your lives!!!"
As volcanic bombs rained down, panic erupted among the tourists, who scrambled desperately toward the sea.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
Explosions tore across the island, igniting towering flames.
A natural disaster had descended!
At the island's heart, the central arena had transformed into an erupting volcano, its battlefield now a sea of lava, the spectator stands turned into vents of molten rock.
"ROOOAR!!!"
The colossal Groudon·Gurd emerged, bellowing at the sky as he bathed in the lava, his powerful roar dispersing the volcanic ash.
Full power unleashed!
Gurd scanned the scene below and soon spotted Katakuri, standing atop a floating rock amidst the lava pool.
"HAHAHAHA!"
Gurd laughed heartily.
Champion Island was dotted with hills, its unique mountainous terrain indicating an underlying magma belt. With his abilities, triggering a volcanic eruption was child's play.
In truth, in this world dominated by vast oceans, most islands were formed this way—born from tectonic shifts and volcanic eruptions.
Timing and terrain!
He now held absolute advantage!
What good is foreseeing the future? Unless you possess godlike speed like Kizaru, there's simply no way to evade an attack of this massive scale.
And this overwhelming surge of power!
Gurd could feel the dense magma energy surrounding him as his chest began to glow, a blinding radiance gathering in his mouth!
A torrent of flames capable of engulfing the entire venue erupted forth!
"Blast Burn!!!"