-Broadcast-
The arrival of a Donquixote Family executive had come far sooner than expected. For a swordsman to launch such a cowardly sneak attack truly matched the clown makeup plastered across his face—a perfect mask for the ugliness beneath.
"Diamante, codename Diamond," Franky snarled, forcing himself to focus past the grief of Camie's death. "One of Doflamingo's top four executives. Like master, like servant—your methods are as despicable as the Heavenly Yaksha's."
"It was you who turned Lami into this," Trafalgar Law's voice carried the cold finality of a death sentence as his hand found Kikoku's hilt. "Diamante, you're going to die tonight."
"Lami? Oh, you mean the Silver Daughter." Diamante's painted smile widened into something obscene. "Such a pity there's no second Ope Ope no Mi in this world. Your sister's current state is the closest thing to art I've ever created, Law. You should be thanking me."
For a twisted mind like Diamante's, transforming a human being into a living exhibit represented the pinnacle of aesthetic achievement. The fact that Lami had once been a person with hopes and dreams only enhanced her value as a trophy.
"Diamante," Law's voice dropped to a whisper more terrifying than any scream. "You're going to become an exhibit yourself. Tonight, you'll experience every moment of suffering you inflicted on Lami."
"Room."
The translucent sphere expanded outward once again, engulfing the ruined arena in its surgical embrace. Law drew Kikoku in a motion fluid as quicksilver, the cursed blade singing through the air toward Diamante's position.
The attack carried no flashy special effects—just pure, concentrated death. The entire entertainment venue split cleanly in half, as did every building for blocks around them. Stone, steel, and flesh all yielded equally to the Ope Ope no Mi's absolute authority over space.
"Excellent development of your Devil Fruit abilities, Law," Diamante observed with genuine admiration, standing completely unharmed despite the devastation around him. "Corazon would be so proud to see how perfectly the Ope Ope no Mi complements your medical training."
Law's eyes widened in shock. The building behind Diamante had been cleaved in two, yet the man himself remained untouched. By all logic, his surgical cutting should have bisected the executive without resistance.
"Is that your strongest technique?" Diamante's voice dripped with disappointment. "You really haven't improved much these past 5 years. How utterly disappointing."
"Shut your mouth, you painted freak!" Law snarled, though uncertainty gnawed at his confidence. "You're not worthy to speak Corazon's name! I'll settle accounts with Doflamingo personally, but first I'll deal with you."
Law's bravado couldn't hide the truth—he hadn't seen Diamante make any defensive movement whatsoever. The executive had simply stood there and somehow negated one of Law's most powerful attacks.
"Why waste time with words? Full power kinetic laser cannon!"
Franky's mouth opened wide as a devastating beam of yellow energy erupted forth, carrying enough destructive force to vaporize an entire warship. Any human caught in its path should have been instantly atomized.
"A robot that fires lasers," Diamante mused, his tone conversational despite the city-destroying energy beam bearing down on him. "Law, your taste in companions is truly unique."
The executive remained motionless as his blade—the legendary sword Hebi no Ken, uncoiled from around his arm like a living serpent. The weapon's impossible flexibility allowed it to intercept Franky's laser, creating a stalemate that should have been physically impossible.
Hebi no Ken is not an ordinary sword, its serpentine form a testament to both masterful craftsmanship and Devil Fruit enhancement. The collision between cutting-edge technology and legendary steel painted the ruined arena in strobing light.
"The young master wants to see you, Law," Diamante called out over the crackling energy. "Come quietly."
Frustration boiling over, Law manipulated every object within his Room—human body parts, auditorium seats, chunks of floor and wall—hurling them at Diamante in a desperate barrage. Even if the attack failed to kill, it would at least be satisfying to watch the clown dodge.
But Diamante's swordsmanship defied conventional understanding. His slashes continued moving after leaving the blade, writhing through the air like living creatures. The azure cuts twisted and coiled, sweeping aside Law's projectiles with contemptuous ease.
After clearing the debris, Diamante raised Hebi no Ken overhead and began spinning the blade in a deadly dance. The resulting slashes filled the air like a swarm of blue serpents, each one carrying destructive force equal to Law's surgical cuts. The Passionate House, already bisected, was carved into dozens of pieces.
Even Law's Room couldn't withstand the onslaught. The supernatural space shattered like glass under Diamante's relentless assault, forcing Law to confront a terrifying truth—he had grossly underestimated this clown.
With his Room destroyed, Law could only create smaller spheres around himself and his allies, using spatial teleportation to dodge the incoming attacks. The once-grand entertainment venue became a wasteland in mere moments.
Survivors lay trapped beneath massive stone blocks, their limbs severed by stray slashes. A few lucky souls cowered in whatever cover they could find, praying to survive the night. The collateral damage from this battle would haunt Dressrosa for years to come.
"I'll draw his attention," Law said quietly, accepting the grim reality of their situation. "Franky, take Bepo and Lami away from here. Diamante's real target is me."
Law refused to let pride cloud his judgment. After witnessing just two of Diamante's techniques, he understood with crystal clarity that he was completely outmatched. The Diamond executive was operating on a level far beyond Law's current abilities.
As a precision fighter who specialized in surgical strikes, Law excelled against heavily armored opponents who relied on defense. But facing a high-speed, high-damage swordsman like Diamante left him at a severe disadvantage. His Room required enormous stamina to maintain, and his teleportation range was frustratingly limited. Continuous use would only exhaust him faster.
"Diamante's bizarre swordplay has to come from his Devil Fruit," Franky concluded, his quantum processors whirring. "The Hira Hira no Mi—the Flutter-Flutter Fruit. It lets him alter an object's properties, turning solid matter into something that ripples like cloth. He's channeling that effect directly into his blade techniques."
"Now isn't the time for analysis," Diamante interrupted, using his fruit power to transform his body into a ribbon-like state. He fluttered through the air like a battle standard, approaching their position with unnatural grace.
"I'll hold him off," Law declared, raising Kikoku defensively. "You get them out of here."
"Law, my patience with this charade has reached its end." Diamante's voice carried the finality of an executioner's decree. Hebi no Ken straightened from its serpentine coils, revealing the true form.
The attack came faster than thought itself—too quick for eyes to track, too sudden for Observation Haki to predict. Law didn't even have time to activate his Room before agony exploded through his right shoulder.
His arm, still gripping Kikoku, tumbled through the air in a spray of red. Franky, reacting with mechanical precision, threw himself in front of Bepo just as Diamante's follow-up strike arrived. The cyborg's metal body was cleaved cleanly in half, but his sacrifice absorbed enough force to prevent the blade from completely severing Bepo's spine.
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