Chapter 257: The Imminent Battle
The impending decisive battle's intensity escalated dramatically.
Soon, virtually everyone possessing significant power throughout the New World received intelligence regarding the confrontation.
Shocked and intrigued, they all cast curious attention toward Dressrosa.
Rhodes and Doflamingo's prestige and demonstrated strength ranked second only to the Four Emperors themselves—especially Rhodes.
His legendary duel with Whitebeard that made him famous at Marineford definitely qualified him to compete for a Yonko's throne!
While the Heavenly Yaksha might be marginally weaker in raw combat power, his influence and organizational reach far surpassed Rhodes' current network.
Even Blackbeard and his crew—currently battling the remnants of Whitebeard's forces—as well as Kaido and Shanks, temporarily suspended their conflicts to observe this development.
"Zehahaha..."
"If he can't even defeat Doflamingo, then he's not worthy of being considered my rival."
Blackbeard declared, holding a cherry pie and grinning viciously at Shiryu and the others beside him.
However, this smile—stretching the scars across his face—made him appear rather monstrous.
Shiryu and the other crew members looked distinctly uncomfortable.
They were all renowned figures in their own right. The least accomplished among them had once been powerful pirates dominating their own territories. Shiryu of the Rain had even served as Chief Jailer of Impel Down, yet they'd been thoroughly outmaneuvered by a rookie during the Paramount War.
It was genuinely unacceptable.
Humiliating!
"I've heard he's quite the skilled swordsman. As his senior, I wonder if I'll have the opportunity to teach him a proper lesson..."
Shiryu remarked casually, meticulously wiping his gleaming blade Raiu.
"That outcome isn't guaranteed."
"You should remember that Doflamingo was a former Celestial Dragon, maintaining extremely close ties with the World Government."
Van Augur observed quietly, his sniper's instincts detecting hidden variables.
"..."
Blackbeard remained silent, but his eyes grew distant and calculating, flashing with memories of past encounters.
Could that madman really fall in Dressrosa?
Blackbeard felt genuinely skeptical about that outcome.
However, even if Rhodes didn't fall in Dressrosa, he would certainly suffer devastating injuries and disappear from active operations for some time.
At that point, throughout the vast New World, who could possibly compete with him for the Yonko throne?!
Three days later, Rhodes arrived at the supply island closest to Dressrosa.
Without any attempt at concealment whatsoever.
Almost the instant they docked, they were spotted by the island's intelligence network and the information was immediately relayed through multiple channels.
Everyone throughout the New World instantly knew:
Rhodes, the strongest rookie, was directly targeting Dressrosa—home of the infamous Heavenly Yaksha who'd long dominated New World underworld operations!
Meanwhile, Dressrosa had already prepared comprehensively for the decisive battle, recalling all deployed forces to the kingdom.
From top executives to elite combat members, everyone remained on maximum alert.
The common citizens remained blissfully oblivious, but major powers across the seas were gradually sensing the oppressive atmosphere of an approaching storm.
The battle between the Heavenly Yaksha and the Thunder God Swordsman, while not technically a full-scale war between Yonko crews, was undoubtedly a major confrontation second only to such conflicts—sufficient to influence the New World's entire power balance and capture everyone's attention.
Particularly relevant was the Donquixote Family's position as a cornerstone of the underworld economy, with trading networks spanning the globe.
Any significant disruption to such an organization would immediately affect the entire world's black market operations.
And while countless power brokers worldwide were secretly pondering implications and outcomes, Rhodes and his group finally arrived at Dressrosa itself.
"...Dressrosa..."
Gazing at the island ahead, Law took a deep, steadying breath, memories of Doflamingo's brutal murder of Corazon flooding back. He gripped his cursed blade Kikoku tightly, his eyes turning cold with accumulated hatred.
He understood perfectly that his current strength remained insufficient to kill Doflamingo personally.
Therefore, he'd willingly pledged his complete loyalty to Rhodes.
Moreover, he'd participated extensively in developing the tactical plans for dealing with Doflamingo.
It could honestly be said he'd invested every ounce of his strategic capabilities.
This battle...
A resolute glint appeared in Law's eyes. He'd come prepared to die if necessary, absolutely fearless in his burning desire to avenge Corazon.
Doflamingo must pay the ultimate price for his sins!
Rhodes, however, remained perfectly calm, standing with his hands clasped behind his back at the ship's bow, serenely observing the approaching island.
The hatred between Doflamingo and himself had originated with Diamante's assassination attempt.
It wasn't fundamentally a matter of moral right or wrong, but simply a consequence of strength dynamics.
If Rhodes had been weaker, he would have already perished at Diamante's hands during that first encounter.
If Rhodes had been weaker, he too would have fallen under the relentless waves of assassins Doflamingo had deployed.
If Rhodes were weak, Doflamingo would definitely have seized opportunities to eliminate him during the Paramount War chaos.
Just as Doflamingo himself proclaimed: the victor defines justice.
Survival of the strongest represented this world's fundamental essence.
Hopefully, Doflamingo possessed sufficient resolve to face this reality himself.
"Law, Robin, and Jinbe—come with me."
"Everyone else who lacks sufficient combat strength, remain aboard the ship and proceed according to our established contingency plans."
After issuing these instructions, Rhodes leaped gracefully from the ship and went ashore, with Robin and the others following closely behind.
In this confrontation, Rhodes and Jinbe would serve as the primary combat force.
After receiving extensive training from Rhodes, Robin's current strength was no less than what she'd possessed two years later in the original timeline. Her dual Haki was proficient, and especially under Rhodes' personal guidance, her Hana Hana no Mi had been developed exceptionally well.
As one of the strongest among this generation's Supernovas, Law was naturally formidable as well.
These two, combined with the former Sun Pirates' fish-man officers, might not possess sufficient strength to decisively defeat the Donquixote Family's top executives individually—but they could definitely hold them off long enough.
In battles of this magnitude, the final outcome was ultimately determined by the strongest combatants anyway.
"Let's go."
Rhodes, dressed in an elegant white shirt with his thick black hair casually flowing behind him, cut a striking figure with his handsome features and profound eyes.
He radiated no perceptible aura whatsoever, yet naturally commanded everyone's attention—as if even the sunlight itself paused to illuminate him with faint luminescence, mysterious and enigmatic.
Jinbe, his expression serious and composed, followed close behind, his tall imposing figure moving like a mobile fortress.
Robin and Law also fell into formation behind them.
The group of eight marched directly toward Dressrosa's heart, walking openly through the streets without any attempt at concealment, heading straight for the Royal Palace at the kingdom's very center.
Eerie silence reigned throughout the normally bustling streets.
Clearly, Doflamingo had already learned of their arrival and had evacuated residents to the opposite side of the island.
"Quite confident, isn't he? The strongest rookie, just walking in so brazenly."
"Fufufufu..."
"This is rather troublesome. This battle will probably destroy half of Dressrosa at minimum. The reconstruction costs will be quite burdensome."
Inside the Dressrosa Royal Palace, Doflamingo smiled slightly, standing with perfect composure, radiating an aura of complete control over the situation.
He turned gracefully and addressed the shadows behind him:
"Since our guests have arrived, let's go greet them properly."
Almost the entire Donquixote Family executive roster appeared—except for Monet, the Snow Woman, who remained stationed at Punk Hazard.
Pica, the Ishi Ishi no Mi user; Lao G, master of martial arts; Trebol; Diamante; Gladius; and numerous others... everyone wore grimly determined expressions, their eyes flashing with lethal intent.
The Donquixote Family, renowned throughout the New World, had never been directly assaulted at their headquarters before!
Just as Rhodes and his group arrived at Lover's Avenue, the Donquixote Family members—led by Doflamingo himself—also emerged to meet them.
The two forces faced each other across a distance of nearly one hundred meters.
At this moment, the world itself seemed to hold its breath. The atmosphere grew oppressively heavy—an ordinary person standing here would probably faint from overwhelming pressure alone.
In a secluded observation position not too distant, several disheveled reporters watched this scene unfold, each gripping professional camera equipment with white knuckles.
"Attention, everyone!"
"It's about to begin!"
"Capture as much footage of the Thunder God Swordsman and the Heavenly Yaksha as possible!"
The reporters were simultaneously excited and terrified—like domesticated dogs who'd accidentally wandered into a wolf pack's territory.
However, they remained thoroughly professional, even utilizing rudimentary Observation Haki techniques to conceal their presence and avoid detection.
(End of Chapter)
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