Chapter 255: Response
This battle hadn't lasted particularly long—certainly not compared to the legendary ten days and ten nights that Aokiji and Akainu had fought on Punk Hazard.
Of course, this didn't mean Rhodes and Golden Lion were inferior combatants.
The difference stemmed primarily from fighting styles. Akainu and Aokiji were both Logia-type Devil Fruit users, making their clash fundamentally different in nature.
In fact, Rhodes suspected that Akainu and Aokiji's duel on Punk Hazard had mostly involved deploying their Devil Fruit abilities at maximum output, with relatively moderate stamina expenditure. Otherwise, the island's climate wouldn't have been so drastically and permanently altered.
As their battle concluded, witnessing the majestic, shimmering temple still standing tall among the clouds, the Skypiea residents all breathed collective sighs of relief.
"Our God truly is the most powerful..."
Conis and the other Skypiea residents displayed profound reverence, their faith growing measurably stronger through this demonstration of divine might.
After resting briefly to stabilize his injuries, Rhodes didn't linger on Skypiea. He bid farewell to Gan Fall and the others, then departed with Jinbe.
Utilizing a spatial portal, the two traversed the vast ocean separating Paradise from the New World and soon returned to Aurora Island.
Previously, traveling such enormous distances would have been tremendously troublesome, requiring careful navigation and time to determine proper direction.
But now, with his faith power network established, Rhodes could easily reach any destination simply by following those unseen spiritual connections linking him to his followers.
Aurora Island, atop the castle's highest tower.
Rhodes sat cross-legged in meditation, his eyes flickering with golden light.
"My strength still isn't quite sufficient..."
He murmured quietly, clenching his fist and feeling the power surging within him—formidable, yet not overwhelming enough.
He harbored a strong premonition that this upcoming trip to Dressrosa wouldn't proceed smoothly. Perhaps unexpected enemies awaited him there.
Doflamingo was absolutely no pushover—a former Celestial Dragon with extensive connections and resources.
"I can't afford to wait any longer. I need to strengthen my physique immediately."
Rhodes had originally planned to defeat Doflamingo first, then use the resulting surge in faith from that legendary victory to advance his physical evolution dramatically.
However, after his battle with Shiki, he'd recognized his current strength wasn't overwhelmingly superior to top-tier opponents.
Shiki could fly at astonishing speeds. If he'd genuinely wanted to avoid confrontation entirely, Rhodes couldn't have stopped him—and forcibly preventing his escape might have created serious complications.
But Doflamingo had to die.
Otherwise, the deterrent effect of making an example would be drastically diminished.
"Doflamingo can fly using his strings too... it seems the Dressrosa operation requires further strategic refinement."
"Sugar might represent a critical leverage point..."
"These past several days, Fish-Man Island and Skypiea have contributed substantial faith power. Let's see how significantly it can strengthen me."
With these tactical considerations running through his mind, Rhodes began channeling the accumulated faith power from recent days into his physical evolution.
Bzzzzzzt!
Faint golden energy slowly overflowed from his soul space, continuously seeping into every corner of Rhodes' physical body.
This divine power flowed throughout his entire form, dyeing his skin with luminous gold and causing his long black hair to shimmer with crystalline radiance.
This light appeared almost eternal—even more dazzling than the aurora borealis dancing across the sky above.
"..."
Robin glanced over from a distance, her intelligent eyes observing with depth, but quickly withdrew her gaze without comment.
Rhodes' mysterious nature wasn't something that had appeared overnight.
After witnessing it repeatedly, one became accustomed to such displays.
The castle's master, Ziggs, also detected the change in this extraordinary aura and couldn't help but display visible surprise on his scholarly features.
Strength progression in this world was almost entirely achieved through gradual, incremental cultivation over years or decades. He'd never encountered such rapid, almost visibly observable improvement before.
"Is this the secret behind why the Thunder God Swordsman achieved such renown at such a young age?"
Ziggs paused his research work, muttering thoughtfully to himself.
He speculated it might involve some kind of exceptionally rare Devil Fruit ability with unique properties.
There must be limitations, surely?
But even with significant limitations, this capability should provide Rhodes sufficient foundation to genuinely contend for a Yonko's throne.
"The Thunder God Swordsman versus Blackbeard... who will claim the position of the new Fourth Emperor?"
A hint of genuine interest appeared in Ziggs' analytical eyes.
He wasn't particularly ambitious personally, but he recognized both Aurora Island's strategic value and his own worth as a weapons developer.
Ziggs had previously considered pledging allegiance to one of the established Yonko to secure more substantial research funding and resources.
However, the previous Four Emperors hadn't aligned with his principles or interests, so he'd refrained from taking action—simply maintaining his independent position.
"I wonder how this new era will unfold..."
He harbored a strong premonition that the New World might be thrown into absolute turmoil because of this single individual.
The established order was about to undergo fundamental change!
And just as Rhodes consumed his accumulated faith to evolve his physical capabilities...
Dressrosa, Royal Palace.
"Fufufufu..."
"So he's already reached Aurora Island, has he? The Dragon Slayer himself..."
Doflamingo's expression remained outwardly calm, but his eyes—hidden behind rose-tinted sunglasses—flickered with unreadable calculation.
"Doffy, will the Thunder God Swordsman actually come to Dressrosa?"
Trebol asked with obvious gravity, his nasally voice carrying genuine concern.
"Most likely, yes."
Doflamingo replied with measured calm.
The Donquixote Family and Rhodes shared a long-standing, deeply entrenched enmity. From the initial one-billion-berry bounty incident, to the Conqueror's Haki clash at Mary Geoise, to Rhodes' covetous interest displayed during the Paramount War...
Putting himself in Rhodes' position, Doflamingo felt absolutely certain the Thunder God Swordsman wouldn't let him off easily.
"Blackbeard is currently tied up battling the remnants of Whitebeard's crew and doesn't have time or inclination to assist us."
"Mercenary organizations and assassin guilds throughout the New World probably won't want to accept this particular grudge contract either."
Doflamingo pondered quietly, analyzing his tactical options.
Overwhelming personal strength served as its own deterrent.
At Rhodes' demonstrated power level, unless someone possessed strength comparable to Doflamingo's own, they wouldn't even qualify to intervene in such a battle meaningfully.
Figures on Doflamingo's tier—who were almost invariably leaders of their own domains, such as the Golden Emperor Gild Tesoro—had their own concerns and territories. They wouldn't easily antagonize someone like Rhodes without compelling reason.
"Relying solely on the Donquixote Family's strength, I'm afraid we'll be completely overwhelmed..."
Doflamingo thought heavily, his tactical mind working through scenarios.
He possessed broad strategic perspective and maintained clear-eyed assessment of his position within the New World's power hierarchy.
Facing someone like the Thunder God Swordsman directly, he might manage a respectable showing, but ultimately couldn't escape death.
Naturally, he had no desire to die. However, he also refused to abandon his carefully constructed operations in Dressrosa—it represented his entire power base and legitimacy.
Without Dressrosa's resources and cover, what meaningful difference would Doflamingo represent compared to any other ordinary pirate crew?
"What about the Beasts Pirates?"
Trebol suggested after a moment's consideration.
Due to their SMILE artificial Devil Fruit arrangement, the Donquixote Family had established crucial connections with the Beasts Pirates. Besides Doflamingo's valuable "former Celestial Dragon" status, Kaido of the Beasts represented their most significant backer.
Hearing this suggestion, Doflamingo displayed visible frustration, rubbing his temples with barely concealed irritation.
"Those battle-crazed lunatics are currently locked in constant skirmishes with Red-Hair Shanks. Major clashes and minor battles occurring constantly—they don't have time or interest in my problems."
During the Paramount War, Shanks had intercepted Kaido's attempt to attack Whitebeard, thus incurring considerable hatred from the Beast. Kaido had been persistently antagonizing Shanks' territories ever since.
Doflamingo absolutely didn't dare pressure Kaido on this matter—doing so might actually accelerate his demise rather than prevent it.
As Doflamingo continued pondering potential solutions to his predicament, he suddenly frowned and looked up sharply toward the open doorway.
Three figures had appeared there with complete silence—no footsteps, no warning.
The foremost individual was none other than CP Third Division Captain—"Black Eyes" Kalos!
(End of Chapter)
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