"Well done, Rōya—really well done!" Doflamingo kicked aside a careless underling, crushed the drooping Den Den Mushi beneath his boot until it was rubble, and watched strands of his Devil Fruit's parasitic threads pour out nonstop under his feet. As he strode toward the entrance of the underground lab, the threads wove a vast net across the entire Punk Hazard island, ensnaring it completely.
Crossing into the shadows of the base's entrance, his footsteps grew stiff and measured. Rōya dropped the now-completely transparent Caesar Clown's form, then swept back along the path they had come. With all of Caesar's toxins now secured, Rōya could decode an antidote to save the children. The mad scientist was useless and broken. Caesar, stuck in his gaseous state, could no longer restore his flesh and blood body, and was quickly dissolving into the air. After Rōya, Jinbe, and Law departed, Caesar's form vanished entirely—drawn into the ventilation system without a trace.
Back in the room with the children, Rōya pinched a drop of clear liquid from his fingertip and gently placed it on each child's forehead. A soft glow radiated from their brows and quickly spread through their bodies. The hypnotized children awoke, their eyes no longer clouded with madness, but sparkling with the innocence of their true ages.
Jinbe sighed quietly, "Their futures are gone. Even if they return to their families, I doubt they'll ever be accepted again."
Law, recalling his own past suffering, nodded gravely. "What worries me most is… someone with ill intent might abduct them again, using other means to control them as living weapons." He shook his head, "There are too many ways to manipulate people besides this damned toxin!"
A voice echoed from the hallway: "No need to worry any longer—for today, all of you are going to die!" Doflamingo said, stepping into the doorway. He paused, visibly impressed, "Huh. These children are in far better shape than I expected. You do have some skills, Rōya." His tone turned mocking: "Come, serve me. Show your loyalty and earn everything you want."
Jinbe and Law tensed, disgusted by his demand. Serve him? They thought. Just because he's descended from the Celestial Dragons? Didn't Rōya make it clear what he thinks of them?
Rōya let out a quiet breath. "The only reason you and your kind still exist is because you're scattered across the world." He paused, then continued coldly, "Eliminate you one by one… they'd just be delays. If you'd just kill yourself from the start, we'd save time."
He raised his fist—gently, but with authority. The metal ceiling trembled and split open, a ten-meter-wide hole appearing overhead. Through that gap, Rōya smiled at the children and said, "Alright—everyone get out through here. Go back to the ship and wait for me, okay?"
The children nodded excitedly and clambered up through the ceiling's opening, chattering and laughing as they disappeared into the light above. With them safely away, Rōya turned toward Doflamingo again.
Calmly, he said, "I gave you enough time to set your parasitic threads—just to let you marinate in your illusion of world-domination before you die. Give it your all…" He paused, voice low and steady: "…then go to your death in peace."
He leaned his finger in the air and lightly snapped—breaking a single, translucent thread with pinpoint accuracy. The snapped thread whipped ten times at Jinbe and Law. They trusted Rōya completely, so they didn't flinch or dodge. They waited to see what would happen.
In truth, they hadn't even noticed the thread until it snapped. Its trembling motion on snapping caught their peripheral vision. Suddenly, fifty parasitic threads whipped around them.
Law looked in terror at Doflamingo's hands—and recognized the familiar gesture: thumb touching middle finger, the classic posture for controlling his Parasite Force.
A cold sweat ran down his face. Damn Doflamingo... he's refined his skill to the point that you can't even tell when you're hit. He and Jinbe exchanged a glance, both silently backing away.
This was no longer a fight they could intervene in. Doflamingo's Parasite Lines were relentless. If Jinbe or Law got stuck, they'd be turned into puppets—just luggage, burdens on Rōya, no use at all.
Doflamingo cracked a twisted grin. "Smart eyes—evading even my invisible lines with that Observation Haki." He regarded them with chilling delight. "But since you decided to save those two idiots… I'll just use them as my stepping-stones to get to you."
With that, he raised his right index finger sharply. A thick parasitic thread shot out toward Law's chest—his signature "String Shot." Law, already anticipating its power, instantly sprang forward and drew his Blackblade. The blade crackled with electric brilliance.
The thread shot straight—but at the last moment, veered around the blade's edge, like water flowing around a rock. It slid past the sharp edge onto the flat side of the blade—still aimed straight at Law's heart. Its twisting motion did nothing to slow its speed.
Law froze, heart pounding with primal fear of death. He felt his chest go cold as the thread slid through—even though it was translucent, he sensed its passage through his flesh. This is spatial misalignment. His Observation Haki let him detect its presence. He exhaled in relief—knowing Lord Rōya had saved him again at the last possible moment.
Doflamingo sneered in amusement. "Impressive ability—your Observation Haki spots my lines." His grin grew more feral. He raised the other hand and shot another thread—this one aimed straight for Jinbe's forehead…