Jinbe braced low in Horse Stance and unleashed a straight punch at the incoming string attack. Doflamingo sneered. "Let's see if, Rōya, your power is truly limitless."
He smirked, continuing: "For me, using my strings costs almost nothing!"
Before Jinbe's punch could connect, Doflamingo reflected the string—twisting it around the punch—and launched a second strike right at Jinbe's face.
Jinbe grunted, his unexpectedly agile frame twisting back into his Horse Stance mid-movement, narrowly dodging the string just in time.
Doflamingo spurned, his finger flicking. The string curled downward and struck at the back of Jinbe's skull. "Fool," he barked, "I told you: manipulating strings doesn't tire me. How long can your stamina hold up under this intense movement?"
Jinbe twisted again, spinning with incredible speed and springing away from the assault once more.
Rōya chuckled from the side. "Here's a secret: with Jinbe's current mastery of Advanced Life Return, he can outlast you… until you burn out."
Doflamingo snorted: "Waste me in an attrition fight? Fool!"
He thrust both hands forward, fingers spreading, and erupted nine more deadly string shots from his remaining digits. The threads wove into a three-dimensional net converging on Jinbe.
It would be impossible to dodge ten precision-strung attacks—except Jinbe, even with his fluid movement, had no clear escape path.
Steadying himself, Jinbe dropped into Horse Stance and tucked his fists by his waist. Then he closed his eyes—to face ten simultaneous string shots head-on:
With a single breath, he thrust both fists outward. From each extended fist burst two invisible concussive pulses, guided by his Observation Haki, each intercepting a string.
Doflamingo's expression shifted to sheer concentration. He loosed all ten strings, their speed doubling—directions shifting erratically. Dozens of sharp thwacks echoed as Jinbe's pulses met each string precisely.
No matter how Doflamingo twisted his lines, Jinbe's fists blocked them all. His face darkened, rage flaring.
"That's enough!" Doflamingo roared, clenching fists and preparing a new move.
At that moment, Jinbe's ten separate punches converged—flowing like a soaring swan and a swift, sinuous dragon—into a single devastating strike. It hammered directly at Doflamingo's face.
BAM! The impact sent Doflamingo flying back, smashing into the metal wall behind him. The punch cut a half-meter crater into the solid surface.
Only then did Jinbe open his eyes and bow deeply to Rōya. Rōya smiled approvingly. "Excellent control. Start incorporating your Armament Haki next."
Law watched, envious. Jinbe's physical prowess was unmatched—Law would focus more on enhancing his Devil Fruit skills.
From the cracked wall, a low laugh rose—the faint, mocking voice of Doflamingo. A single string drifted out, weaving him back together.
Jinbe scowled. No wonder Lord Rōya wouldn't engage—he knew Doflamingo was merely a puppet!
Everyone knew Doflamingo had mastered the "String Marionette" technique—but this was the first time they'd ever seen it weaponized to such a terrifying extent. His puppet was indistinguishable from the real man, just as deadly as any Fruit user.
Thankfully, Doflamingo feared for his own life—so he rarely deployed this puppet, relying on it for combat while his real body stayed hidden. Otherwise, his true mastery of strings would have overwhelmed Jinbe.
Doflamingo chuckled with brutish confidence: "Training me with your new tricks? Fool!" He raised claws with ten strings unfurling from his finger-tips—each one a razor-sharp, prehensile weapon.
With a leap, the puppet closed the gap to Jinbe, lunging claws toward his skull and chest. The corresponds strings whipped and slashed—twisting and transforming at high speed, converting claw-like edges into piercing tendrils.
Jinbe inhaled deeply and crossed his arms—the perfect defensive stance. His gaze fixed on the shifting sinuous threads. All his strength remained coiled, ready to respond.
Doflamingo's lips curled into a wicked grin. Then he brought up his left foot—and five more strings shot from his toes, hesitating midair. A "rising kick" of unseen strings ascended toward Jinbe's torso.
Jinbe froze—the puppet had exploited a trick no normal human foot could deploy with a simultaneous hand strike. This puppet had no physical constraints.
Jinbe found himself trapped: if he blocked the rising strings with a leg, he'd expose his hands to Doflamingo's claw attack; if he protected his hands, the kick would pierce him.
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