To dispel Diamante's suspicions,
Yuno raised his hand. A pale flame gathered in his palm before erupting outward, engulfing every member of the Don Quixote Family.
One unfortunate member, unable to dodge in time, was struck directly by the flames and instantly killed.
The rest managed to evade.
Diamante, the one under Yuno's direct assault, was shielded by his signature cloak. Though uninjured, the sheer force knocked him back several steps.
He narrowed his eyes at Yuno. "Flame... and lightning? What kind of Devil Fruit did you eat? It's not Zoan... not Logia either. Could it be a Paramecia-type elemental fruit?"
Diamante's eyes gleamed. He had studied the Devil Fruit Encyclopedia more than most.
Still, unleashing dual elemental powers was exceedingly rare.
If Big Mom were no longer active in the New World, he might've assumed it was a reincarnation of the Soru Soru no Mi!
As far as he knew, only one Paramecia-type had shown such an ability.
Upon hearing that name, Yuno was momentarily stunned.
Then he thought to himself: What a brilliant idea. Other people's imaginations really are useful. From now on, I'll be the user of a Paramecia Elemental Fruit.
With that thought, he answered flatly, "I guess so."
Compared to common names like Mera Mera or Goro Goro, a Paramecia Elemental Fruit sounded more mysterious—and dangerous.
Besides, Kido techniques offered many elemental effects, so this excuse worked perfectly.
Yuno sneered. "But even if you know what kind of fruit I have… so what? You think you can beat me with just that?"
Thunder cracked behind him. A streak of white lightning split the air. Yuno vanished.
He reappeared beside Diamante, his fist wreathed in blinding white lightning. The concentrated electricity crackled wildly, sharpening his punch's edge and amplifying its force.
"Heavy Explosion!"
He struck with a thunderous fist, lightning serpents coiling from the impact.
(※Note: At 100 proficiency, Yuno now has full control—no longer limited to a single preset attack!)
"Not good!"
Diamante's Observation Haki warned him of the incoming strike, but his body couldn't react fast enough.
He grit his teeth and braced himself.
His cloak and twin blades softened, twisting into a horned shield. He raised it—just in time.
BOOM!
Lightning exploded on contact. The immense force drove the shield down into the earth. A crater formed beneath Diamante's feet, cracks spiderwebbing outward.
The shock ran through his arms and body. He groaned, blood spilling from his mouth.
Still, he endured.
"Army Flag!" he roared.
The ground around them rippled like fabric, warping balance.
Yuno's footing faltered just for a moment—
—but that moment was all Diamante needed.
His horn shield morphed again, its tip extending with a deadly gleam.
"Bullfighting Long Frame!"
The sharp horn lunged toward Yuno's chest, aiming straight for the heart.
But Yuno stepped on air, launching himself with a brief Geppo-like move (CP9-style Sky Walk), twisting midair to avoid the fatal blow.
"Die—Sword Snake Sword!"
Diamante snarled, his longsword—light as silk—striking like a coiled serpent.
So this is what a real New World veteran is like... his combat experience is terrifying.
Yuno's eyes narrowed.
He saw an opening—he went for the counter.
But still...
Too slow.
Too weak.
Although the longsword looked like a piece of cloth, it was still a sword—razor-sharp and deadly.
At this point, Yuno had yet to master Armament Haki. His mortal form couldn't withstand a direct clash.
Naturally, he wasn't foolish enough to try catching it with his bare hands.
Just as he sensed the incoming strike, he flicked his finger—white lightning burst forth, striking the side of the blade and deflecting it. The sword narrowly missed him.
"Impossible! You can use Observation Haki!?"
Diamante's voice trembled in disbelief. Her attack had been read—no doubt, it was Observation Haki.
"Nothing is impossible."
Yuno raised Sokatsui with his other hand and swept it forward. A violent blast surged forth, sending several enemies flying.
A sinister smile curled beneath his mask as he whispered coldly, "I've got you."
Leaning in, he struck before Diamante could react—both fists erupting with white lightning, then crashing down like twin hammers.
Boom! Boom!
Crack!
A thunderous impact, followed by the unmistakable sound of shattering steel.
Diamante's steel cloak and armor-like clothing—ripped apart!
His eyes went wide with shock. His chest caved in, his sternum shattered. Yuno's fists drove deep, rupturing organs and sending him crashing into the ground. Blood erupted from his mouth.
But Yuno didn't stop. He knew well—this was the Pirate World. People survived fatal blows just to come back swinging.
"Killing you while you're weak... is the ultimate strategy!"
A final stomp, wreathed in lightning, thundered down—
Boom!
The ground split for dozens of meters.
The structure, already weakened, collapsed with a deafening roar.
In the chaos, Yuno vanished, reappearing atop another building, calmly overlooking the cloud of dust.
Diamante's breathing was faint—on the verge of death.
"Hey, you're not allowed to die yet," Yuno muttered. "If you do, how am I supposed to pull off the next part of my plan?"
He leapt down, approached the rubble, and pulled out the broken form of Diamante.
With a casual toss, he flung him toward a dazed underling nearby.
"Treat him. If he dies, you die. If he lives, you walk free."
The man trembled in fear, as if facing a demon.
Even their highest officers… were no match.
"Hurry up! Or do you want to die too?" Yuno snapped.
"Y-Yes! Right away!"
The grunt scrambled to find supplies among the ruins, then rushed to administer emergency treatment.
Diamante's breath remained weak. Even with pirate-tier resilience, these injuries would take at least ten days—maybe more—to fully heal.