Chapter 147: The Whip and the Puppet
"Sugar's ability... it's failed!" Gladius stammered, his usual bravado shattered as he stared at the chaos erupting in the streets below. "Did another Marine slip past our surveillance and infiltrate the royal city to attack her?"
The peacock they had been tailing had vanished into thin air, and now their entire operation was collapsing.
"Gladius, look out!" Diamante shouted, shoving his comrade aside. He spun, his flamboyant cape billowing out. "Bullfighting Cape!"
Using his power over the Flag-Flag Fruit, the seemingly flimsy fabric hardened into a shield of iron-like durability, deflecting a sudden, scorching blast of fire that roared from behind them.
BOOM!
The little pink Azure Dragon, Nami in her hybrid form, hovered in the air, smoke curling from her nostrils.
CRACK!
Before Diamante could recover, a whip made of coiled roofing tiles, infused with Armament Haki, snapped down from above. It struck the back of his hardened cape with tremendous force, slamming him down from the roof and onto the street below with a sickening crunch.
Cough! Blood sprayed from Diamante's lips as he hit the ground.
"Mr. Diamante!" Gladius yelled, his mechanical arms whirring as two black gears popped out. "Exploding Gears!"
The gears shot towards the little dragon, expanding and accelerating as they flew.
BOOM! BOOM!
Nami responded with another torrent of flame, the two attacks colliding mid-air in a shower of sparks and shrapnel.
"My, such cruelty to my pet," a voice purred from right beside Gladius. "It seems I can't let you off lightly."
He spun to find Peacock standing there, a dangerous smile on her face. "I remember you. You were the first pirate Lieutenant General Ian humiliated before Headquarters, weren't you? Gladius, user of the Pop-Pop Fruit."
CRACK!
Her whip, the Beni Beni, lashed out before he could react, striking him squarely on the back.
"Gah! What is this...? My body... it's moving on its own!" Gladius's eyes widened in horror as he felt his limbs seize up, no longer under his command. "It's just like the Young Master's ability... I can't resist it!"
CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!
Peacock delivered several more precise, stinging blows. Gladius's consciousness began to fade, sinking into a deep, suggestible state. The training power of the Whip-Whip Fruit wasn't just for objects or animals; it could also break the will of those weaker than its user.
"You damn woman! What kind of twisted power is this?" Diamante snarled, struggling to his feet from the street, hunched over in pain. The level of Haki she possessed was far more formidable than he'd anticipated.
But as he rose, he found himself surrounded. A crowd of former toys—gladiators, sailors, citizens—their eyes burning with years of pent-up rage, began to close in.
"It's Diamante! A Donquixote officer!"
"I remember him! He's the one who captured me at the coliseum and threw me in the trash!"
"He's hurt! Now's our chance!"
"Revenge! We want revenge!"
"You turned us into toys, you monsters!"
The mob surged forward, a tidal wave of fury. Diamante, caught off guard, was pummeled by a barrage of fists and kicks.
Urk! He spat more blood. "Army Flag!"
In a panic, he activated his Devil Fruit power. The ground beneath the attackers' feet turned into undulating, fluttering cloth, causing them to lose their balance and tumble. Drawing his rapier, he lashed out with a twisted, serpentine motion. "Sword Skill: Serpent Sword!"
SWISH!
"GAAH!"
The enraged crowd was thrown back, horrific cuts appearing on their bodies. The survivors hesitated, the display of power making them wary.
"Come on then, you worthless trash!" Diamante taunted, catching his breath. "I could cut you down in the arena, and I can do it here too! Gladius, you're here! Are you alri— Eh?"
He stopped mid-sentence. Gladius's body was swelling up, inflating like a grotesque balloon. Diamante knew this technique—it was his comrade's ultimate attack.
But his realization came a heartbeat too late.
Full-Body Explosion!
BOOM!!!
A cataclysmic detonation ripped through the street. Diamante, with no defense prepared, was hurled dozens of meters through the air by the blast wave from his own ally. He landed in a broken heap, his body a bloody mess. He twitched, trying to rise, but his limbs refused to obey.
"Sleep tight, you ugly freak," Peacock's voice was a silken threat as she walked over. She raised her boot and brought it down hard on his face.
CRUNCH.
One of the Donquixote Family's core executives was defeated, not by a direct assault, but by the twisted puppetry of his own comrade.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host for successfully defeating Diamante, "Donquixote Family Executive" and user of the Flag-Flag Fruit!]
[Reward: 900 Enhancement Points!]
[Current Points: 5226!]
Near the flower fields of Dressrosa, another chime echoed, unheard by all but one.
[Ding!]
[Congratulations to the host for successfully defeating Senor Pink, "Donquixote Family Officer" and user of the Swim-Swim Fruit!]
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