Who could tell him?
What the hell just happened?
The rage on Donflamingo's face hadn't even faded when he saw the Heavenly Celestial Dragon yelling in front of him get sliced clean in half by razor‑sharp strings, and his brain went blank for an instant…
Something went wrong…
Someone is trying to frame him!
The whole world saw this scene at this very moment!
No matter who it is, everyone will believe it was Donflamingo who killed the Heavenly Celestial Dragon in front of him; aside from his String-String Fruit ability, no one else could have done it!
Out on the sea.
On the warship carrying the Five Elders.
The five old men watched this scene with fury written all over their faces!
Even though they only saw the moment the Heavenly Celestial Dragon was killed, they also knew that maybe that Heavenly Celestial Dragon had enraged Donflamingo…
But…
That's not a reason for Donflamingo to go for the kill!
He'd just agreed to help them clean up the Hunters participating in the hunting game, and then he turned around and went to slaughter the Heavenly Celestial Dragon prey instead; this was basically grinding the Heavenly Celestial Dragons' dignity into the dirt!
If this had happened in Mary Geoise or on any World Government turf, Donflamingo killing a Heavenly Celestial Dragon now wouldn't matter; after all, they'd already promised to give Donflamingo a certain status, this would just be infighting among Heavenly Celestial Dragons…
But!
This is on Sky Island!
And it's being broadcast live to the whole world through Image Radio Snails right now!
Not only had the Five Elders not anticipated this, even Donflamingo himself hadn't thought of it!
Donflamingo's face suddenly darkened. As he ran through the causes and consequences of what had happened here, he basically already understood who was targeting him!
Without a doubt…
The ones targeting him had to be the Konoha Pirates!
The Konoha Pirates had somehow managed to use an ability identical to the String-String Fruit, framing him in front of the Navy and the entire world for killing a Heavenly Celestial Dragon!
These bastards…
Are they trying to force him to stand on their side?
The purpose of this hunting game is to force everyone onto the opposite side of the Heavenly Celestial Dragons, and his plan to play both sides might not work anymore!
While Donflamingo raised his hand and controlled strings to attack the charging Navy Lieutenant, he also tilted his head back to look at the Golden Ark soaring in the sky, his expression gradually growing uglier.
Not good…
This is going to be a problem…
As a smart man, Donflamingo knew very clearly whose hands the situation was in. If he refused the "kindness" of the Konoha Pirates here, would they let him go?
Yet before Donflamingo could think it through, the Recording Radio Snail's lens had already darted away, quickly moving to the other side of the arena!
On the other side!
The Blackbeard Pirates also suddenly began a bloody massacre on this island!
Strings dropped from the sky one after another, taking control of a few of the Blackbeard Pirates' crew. The helmsman Burgess swung his fists and smashed a Heavenly Celestial Dragon's head to pulp, and the ship's doctor Doc Q flung an Explosive Apple, blowing another Heavenly Celestial Dragon to pieces!
"Hey, what the hell are you doing?!"
Blackbeard Teach stared in shock as his crew suddenly went on a killing spree!
He'd only just finished negotiating terms with the World Government, so why had his crew suddenly started killing Heavenly Celestial Dragons out of nowhere!
"Careful…"
The Blackbeard Pirates' sniper, Van Augur, gripped his rifle. His eyes turned especially grave and tense, because his eyesight was the best of everyone!
"Someone's controlling them…"
Following Van Augur's warning, Blackbeard Teach saw the two strings attached to Burgess and Doc Q, turning them into puppets being manipulated…
And even…
There was also a string on Van Augur's body!
Van Augur's body finally moved against his will, his hands tightening around his sniper rifle as his finger jerked the trigger, shooting and killing a Heavenly Celestial Dragon who'd been hiding!
"This is…"
"The String-String Fruit's ability…"
"That bastard Donflamingo betrayed the pact!"
A fierce look flashed across Blackbeard Teach's face. A ball of darkness appeared in his palm and completely erased the strings on his crew!
There was no need for any extra guessing or speculation…
On this sea, a Devil Fruit ability was proof enough, and only Donflamingo possessed the String-String Fruit!
And as it happens…
Donflamingo was a complete scoundrel!
That bastard wanted to control the Blackbeard Pirates and make them slaughter Heavenly Celestial Dragons…
Just as Blackbeard Teach was about to go settle accounts with Donflamingo, a dragon of lightning suddenly rose from the forest and flew toward the Blackbeard Pirates' direction!
"Hey, you damn pirates…"
A loud, clear voice came from within the forest, echoing through the trees along with the descending lightning dragon: "You actually dared to kill World Nobles…"
"That Navy with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit…"
Blackbeard Teach's expression instantly soured at the sight of the incoming lightning dragon. His palm shot up, and a swirling vortex of black water appeared in his hand!
"Dark Water!"
The Dark Water Teach gathered in his raised hand directly intercepted the incoming lightning dragon, and in an instant the lightning dragon was completely swallowed up by the Dark Water!
Obviously.
Teach's ability could counter the Rumble-Rumble Fruit.
Yet Teach's mood was awful!
Because…
This Heavenly Celestial Dragon wasn't someone they wanted to kill!
He'd fallen right into a trap; this was Donflamingo trying to frame him!
But before Blackbeard Teach had time to open his mouth and defend himself, Akihara Kagura's figure suddenly appeared in his line of sight, and he raised his hand to scatter a surge of lightning!