"Celestial Dragons," Kuzan said, his voice flat and unimpressed.
"Not that impressive, are they?"
"..."
Doflamingo froze, a flicker of disbelief in his eyes.
That disbelief quickly morphed into a dark, simmering fury.
"Do you have any idea what you're saying, Kuzan?" he growled, his voice thick with a rage he was barely holding back.
"Are you insulting the Celestial Dragon?"
Kuzan just shrugged.
A thin layer of frost began to form on his hands, and the temperature around them plummeted.
"And what if I am?"
"..."
Doflamingo's face twisted as his mind raced.
'Something's wrong.'
'Something is definitely wrong here.'
'There has to be a major problem within the Navy's command structure.'
For 800 years, the Celestial Dragons had been the untouchable rulers of the world.
They were revered as gods, and even the most savage pirates knew better than to cross them.
Everyone knew that if a World Noble was threatened, a Marine Admiral and the full might of the government would be sent to crush the offender without a second thought.
Yet here was Kuzan, a Marine Admiral, openly disrespecting them.
He wasn't even trying to hide his disgust.
'Is he planning to rebel against the World Government?'
"Fufufufu!" A cold, sharp glint appeared in Doflamingo's eyes, as if he'd just uncovered a delicious secret.
"Seems like I've discovered something quite extraordinary!" His laughter stopped, and he locked his gaze onto Kuzan.
"Are you planning to betray the Navy?"
"Doflamingo," Kuzan said, his voice now as cold as the air around him, "you shouldn't throw around accusations like that."
'I can't let him leave here and start spreading rumors.' Kuzan thought.
With that thought, he raised his hand.
"Ice Time!"
An overwhelming surge of cold erupted, instantly engulfing the area.
Doflamingo barely had time to react before the intense chill seized him, nearly freezing him in place.
Gritting his teeth, he activated the awakened power of his String-String Fruit.
"Hey, hey, hey!" Doflamingo's grin grew even more arrogant.
"I'm not some small fry, you know!"
Countless white strings shot out from the frozen ground around him, slicing through the air and shattering the ice.
The strings surged towards Kuzan like a deadly, white tide.
"16 Holy Bullets: God Threads!"
Kuzan merely swayed slightly.
"Freeze."
—Whoosh—
A blizzard-like gust of wind swept forward, and the sixteen razor-sharp threads of string were instantly frozen solid in mid-air, their attack completely sealed.
The frigid energy then washed over Doflamingo, and with a final thud, he collapsed to the ground, trapped in a prison of ice.
Just then, the crisp sound of footsteps broke the silence.
Mike, Enel, and the others descended from the warship, their expressions calm.
'Heh,' Enel thought, smirking at the sight of the frozen Doflamingo.
'Wonder if that's cold?'
Doflamingo, still conscious inside the ice, saw them approaching.
'Perfect opportunity!' he thought, a flash of malice in his eyes.
'I'll use my Conqueror's Haki, knock out these regular marines, and escape in the chaos!'
A wave of Conqueror's Haki began to erupt from his body.
But before it could even fully form… an even more terrifying, majestic Conqueror's Haki crashed down on him like a natural disaster.
Doflamingo's Haki was instantly snuffed out, completely overwhelmed.
"What the fuck…?" he muttered, his heart filled with pure shock.
"Whose… whose Conqueror's Haki is this?"
****
Fish-Man Island.
Deep below the sea, the banquet hall of the Ryugu Palace was filled with lively music and laughter.
But King Neptune couldn't hide the worry in his eyes.
He stared into his wine glass, his thoughts was a million miles away.
What drew his attention most wasn't the celebration, but the sound of his old friend, Whitebeard, coughing.
It was a heavy, low, rattling sound that seemed to shake his entire massive frame, a constant reminder that the "Strongest Man in the World" was growing old and frail.
"Sigh..." Neptune sighed softly, his heart heavy.
He understood why Newgate wanted to find a new protector for Fish-Man Island.
But he had seen too many Marines who swore to uphold Justice, only to crumble before the temptation of money and power.
A single fish-man slave could sell for an astronomical price at the auction houses.
And the Celestial Dragons they protect.... were the biggest buyers.
'Captain Mike…' Neptune thought grimly.
'Can he really uphold his "Justice" in the face of that kind of greed?'
'Can he really resist a direct order from the World Nobles?'
He had no confidence that any Marine could.
Just then, the doors to the banquet hall opened, and a tall, sturdy figure stepped inside.
He had wild eyebrows, a short black beard, and two large tusks protruding from his lower jaw.
A lightning-shaped scar marked his left eye.
"Jinbei?" King Neptune blinked, a flicker of joy on his face.
He quickly set down his wine glass.
"You're back?"