Marine Headquarters.
The Summit War battlefield.
The clash of emperors erupted.
The atmosphere burned with intensity, drawing the gaze of all present.
And at that moment—
A third force suddenly intruded.
The Shichibukai, the Heavenly Yaksha Donquixote Doflamingo, was swept into the battlefield of emperors, accidentally caught up and injured in the chaos.
Enraged and losing all composure, Doflamingo unleashed his fury without hesitation.
He activated the awakened power of his Paramecia-class Devil Fruit—the Ito Ito no Mi.
His threads spread into the ongoing duel between Gear Fourth Luffy and Admiral Aokiji, turning their high-stakes battle into an even greater spectacle.
With the awakened Ito Ito no Mi unleashed, the battlefield changed drastically.
The icy floor created by Aokiji was assimilated, transformed into countless threads.
Like a swarm of demons dancing wildly, they twisted and swirled around Doflamingo's form, giving him an aura of terrifying majesty.
Though the display looked fearsome, in truth, it was more bluster than substance.
Still, his sudden awakening rattled many across the battlefield and even far beyond.
---
Sabaody Archipelago
A great uproar rippled through the crowd.
"That Shichibukai, Doflamingo—what kind of power is this?!"
"I know! That clown Doflamingo ate the Paramecia-class Ito Ito no Mi!"
"The String-String Fruit… the ability to manipulate threads, that I can understand. But what the hell is happening now?!"
"Wasn't the battlefield frozen over by Admiral Aokiji's ice just a moment ago? Why are there suddenly so many threads bursting from the ground?!"
"No… look closer! That ice—it's turning into threads!"
"What?! Don't be ridiculous! Ice turning into thread? Those are two completely different things!"
"Exactly! Ice melting into water I'd understand, but ice becoming thread? Impossible!"
The ignorant laughed and mocked, dismissing it as nonsense.
But then—
"Fools, the lot of you! Frogs at the bottom of a well!"
A large bird wearing a suit and tie swooped down, wings flapping loudly.
"President!"
"President Morgans!"
"President, why are you here in person?!"
The journalists from the World Economy News rushed to greet him.
"With an event this big, how could I possibly sit still? Of course I had to see it with my own eyes!" Morgans said, straightening his tie.
The entire square fell silent—before exploding again in uproar.
"Wha—That bird is talking!"
"A bird in clothes, speaking human words!"
"A rare beast! How much does it cost? I'll buy it!"
"Shut your mouth if you value your life! That's no pet!"
"Indeed… if I'm not mistaken, that's one of the Four Emperors of the Underworld!"
"The King of Big News, Morgans! He actually came himself!"
"What?! One of the Four Underworld Emperors?!"
The crowd trembled with shock, especially those who had just mocked him as a mere beast. They shrank back, not daring to go too far.
Morgans ignored the ignorant rabble. To him, the only thing that mattered was the historic battle unfolding.
"Mr. Morgans, what exactly is Doflamingo doing?!" a reporter shouted.
Morgans adjusted his tie and declared:
"What you are witnessing is none other than a Devil Fruit Awakening!"
"Awakening?!"
Gasps erupted across the plaza. The Supernovas, hearing it for the first time, were left wide-eyed.
"Like the Awakened Zoans—those demon guards of Impel Down?" Drake muttered, remembering the Minotaurus and the others.
"If my fruit awakened…" Urouge mused with a smile, "…I wonder just how frightening it would become."
Capone Bege frowned thoughtfully. "For me… would it just mean turning my fortress into something even tougher?"
Nearby, Apoo coughed violently. "Damn it… even though I wasn't carrying any metal, Kid's power still dragged me back… Could it be his ability is awakened too?!"
"Oi, Apoo, you've got some nerve showing your face. Aren't you afraid Kid will come out and thrash you again?" Bege sneered.
"Hmph." Apoo's face darkened, but he said nothing.
"Now that you mention it…" Urouge said thoughtfully, "…isn't it strange? After Kid defeated both the Sea Roar and the Magician, he completely disappeared. Not even a trace of his crew."
"Not just Kid," Drake added. "Even Trafalgar Law and his Heart Pirates haven't shown up."
"Don't tell me they overslept?" Bege guessed.
"Or maybe they skipped the warm-up and went straight to Marineford to watch live," Bonney said with a smirk.
"Could be!"
"No way. Even Kid wouldn't recklessly charge into a battlefield like that—it'd be suicide."
"Exactly. Not everyone is insane like Straw Hat Luffy. That brat's already been beaten half to death!"
The Supernovas nodded, dismissing the idea. In their minds, Kid and Law had simply overslept.
Marineford – The Summit War
"The ice has turned into threads!"
"Don't tell me… this is Awakening?!"
"A Devil Fruit Awakening?!"
"The Paramecia-class Ito Ito no Mi… awakened?!"
"As expected of a Shichibukai!"
"To think that clown could develop such a worthless fruit all the way to Awakening… not bad at all!"
Marines and pirates alike gossiped and speculated loudly, shocked at the display.
Many in the Navy even pinned their hopes on Doflamingo now. Perhaps, in his awakened state, he could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with admirals and emperors.
But the true powerhouses—and the Straw Hats themselves—knew better.
So what if he awakened?
Back in Dressrosa, his haki was stagnant, and even Gear Fourth Luffy had overwhelmed him with ease, Awakening or not.
And now?
With Luffy's Haki pushed to emperor-class heights, Doflamingo was nothing but a small fry pretending at greatness.
The thousands of black threads swirling around him might look terrifying, but in reality, they lacked the power to even pierce Gear Fourth Luffy's skin.
Yet Doflamingo himself seemed oblivious.
Overconfident, intoxicated with his own awakening, he actually believed himself equal—or even superior—to Luffy.
"Awakened power, Straw Hat brat! This is the price of underestimating me! Fuffuffuffu!" he laughed arrogantly.
Luffy bellowed back, his Haki flaring. "The one who needs to wake up is you, Doffy! Sorry, Law, but I'm ending this here and now—to finally free Dressrosa!"
"Alala…" Aokiji chuckled, eyes gleaming with interest. "Straw Hat… tell me more about Dressrosa, won't you?"
This was the battlefield.
Now, it was a war of life and death.
Admiral Aokiji unleashed his full might—his great technique, without the slightest restraint.
The frigid, azure air spilling from his body gradually darkened into a shade as black as ink.
This was Admiral Aokiji's Armament Haki—the true might of one of Marine Headquarters' supreme combatants.
As a Marine Admiral, Aokiji had more than just Ice Age in his arsenal.
The bone-chilling cold cut through the battlefield.
Gear Fourth Luffy braced himself, unwilling to show the slightest hesitation.
His arms drew completely inward, then burst outward.
Advanced Armament Haki—unleashed!
Conqueror's Haki—crackling lightning entwined!
His right fist targeted Admiral Aokiji.
His left fist locked onto the Shichibukai Doflamingo.
Luffy was about to take on both at once.
"Gomu Gomu no—!!!"
Gear Fourth Luffy pushed his strength to its very limits.
"Ice Block—!!"
Admiral Aokiji finished his preparations at the same instant.
"Fuffuffuffu! Time to crash head-on!"
Doflamingo laughed with arrogant confidence.
With a grand sweep of his hands, countless blackened needle-threads of Armament Haki shot toward Gear Fourth Luffy in a deadly storm.
"Dofla!!!"
Luffy roared, ready to meet the attack.
But then—
Without warning, a familiar blue dome expanded and covered the battlefield.
Recognizing it, Luffy faltered.
"Law!!!"
From the Thousand Sunny, the Straw Hats spotted a submarine breaking through the waves not far off, with a familiar man standing atop it.
Usopp, Chopper, and Nami cried out together in joy.
"He's finally here!!!"
Even Jinbe broke into a relieved smile.
"Room."
With a single thought, the Law from two years later vanished from sight—only to reappear suddenly in the midst of the three-way clash.
"Straw Hat Captain," Law said coolly, "didn't I tell you already? Doflamingo is my prey. You don't need to interfere."
"You're the one who's too slow, Law!" Sanji shot back in Luffy's place.
"Hi hi hi… fine then," Luffy grinned. "I'll leave that swaggering bastard to you!"
From Law's sudden arrival to their exchange, everything happened in an instant.
"Law!!!"
Doflamingo's expression twisted in shock at Trafalgar's intrusion.
He had long coveted Law for his immortality surgery. But now, Law had walked willingly into his grasp.
Since his attack was already unleashed, there was no turning back. If Law insisted on courting death, Doflamingo would gladly oblige.
"Doflamingo!" Law roared. "Today, we end you!!!"
His black blade Kikoku flashed.
With a single stroke—Doflamingo's awakened storm of threads shattered.
The thousands of Haki-coated needle-threads were severed in an instant, as though cut by heaven itself.
The sight was shocking.
But before anyone could fully process it—
A deafening detonation tore across the battlefield.
The clash between Admiral Aokiji and the Fifth Emperor Luffy had reached its peak!
"Gomu Gomu no—Leo Rex Bazooka!!!"
"Ice Block: Pheasant Beak!!!"
BOOM!
The two titans collided—Luffy's Conqueror's-infused Bazooka against Aokiji's pitch-black Pheasant Beak.
The Lion King against the Pheasant!
A head-on clash of monsters!
The shockwave blasted outward, sweeping the battlefield.
Law, who had just arrived in style, was thrown back.
Doflamingo's defensive wall of threads collapsed instantly, hurling him into the air in disgrace.
A storm of snow and ice engulfed the battlefield, obscuring all sight.
At last, when the thunderous echoes faded, two figures were blown clear from the storm.
"Admiral Aokiji!!!"
The Marines shouted in alarm.
CRASH!
Aokiji hit the ground, skidding across frozen earth.
Blood spurted from his mouth, staining the ice red.
His face had paled, his breath ragged, his aura weakened.
The mighty admiral had been injured in the exchange. And it was no mere scratch.
"How… how is this possible?!"
"That's Admiral Kuzan!"
"One of the Navy's strongest pillars!"
"Don't tell me… that Straw Hat brat is actually stronger than an admiral?!"
Marines shook their heads in disbelief, unable to accept this terrifying reality.
"No! Not true!"
A Vice Admiral suddenly cried out in realization.
"Straw Hat hasn't gained absolute advantage either!"
"He's wounded too!"
"Luffy!!!"
Sanji shouted, sprinting across the frozen battlefield with blinding speed, his awakened Lineage Factor pushing him near teleportation.
"Cold… so cold!!!"
Luffy howled. His Gear Fourth arms were encased in dark-blue ice.
Not even Armament Haki could block Aokiji's searing cold, which invaded his flesh and bones, freezing him from the inside out.
"To fight ice… we need fire!" Sanji decided, preparing to unleash Diable Jambe to warm his captain.
But—
"Black Leg Sanji, leave it to me!"
A streak of azure flame swept past.
It was Whitebeard's first-division commander, Phoenix Marco!
With a wave of his hand, soothing blue fire fell over Luffy's frozen body, burning away the invading cold.
Within mere seconds, the frost vanished.
"Ahh! Not cold anymore! Thanks, Pineapple Head!" Luffy beamed.
Marco: "…"
So it was me he meant back then!
He remembered Luffy casually calling him "Pineapple" beside Whitebeard. If that nickname really referred to him…
Marco's heart stirred with a strange excitement.
Especially now, when the battlefield already had duplicates—two Luffys, two Jinbes, two Yamatos, and two Laws.
Could it be… that the next duplicate to appear… would be him?
The fierce clash between Fifth Emperor Luffy and Admiral Aokiji had ended.
Elsewhere, Whitebeard's reinforcements finally arrived.
Over a dozen division commanders stormed into battle, rallying their forces and clashing head-on with the Marine elite.
At last, the Straw Hats, Jinbe, and Yamato managed to catch their breath and recover.
The battlefield shifted once again.
But the Marine top brass showed little concern, even at their own disadvantage.
On the execution platform—
"Even Kuzan lost… That Straw Hat brat really isn't simple," muttered former Admiral Zephyr, eyes locked on Luffy. His mechanical arm steamed as he readied to strike.
Beside him, Fleet Admiral Sengoku paid no mind to Aokiji's defeat.
His gaze was fixed firmly on another.
The newcomer from two years later—Trafalgar Law.
Sengoku's expression darkened, his face grim with foreboding.
The unease he had long felt had finally taken shape.
Aside from Luffy, Jinbe, and Yamato…
Now even Trafalgar Law had appeared.
And the timing could not be worse.