Kaku's giraffe-like neck suddenly contracted!
His already bizarre beast form twisted and folded in an almost unnatural manner, compressing into a compact, cube-like shape. Combined with Iron Body, it formed a defense with virtually no blind spots.
At the same time—
In this form, Kaku unleashed Tempest Kick.
Countless needle-like slashes poured down like a torrential storm, dense and relentless.
By combining his Devil Fruit ability with mastery of the Six Powers, Kaku had, in an instant, created an attack that balanced offense and defense perfectly.
In mere moments—
He forcefully cleared out the surrounding area, wiping away the swarm of ferocious beasts created by Marianne's Painting Magic.
With Kaku holding the field, Blueno finally found an opening.
"Air Door."
Shua!
His figure vanished on the spot.
Marianne's pupils shrank.
Having already experienced it once, she was fully aware of how strange and dangerous the Door-Door Fruit was. She immediately scanned her surroundings with heightened vigilance.
Wax began pouring out from her body, swirling around her defensively.
Even so—
A spatial door silently opened behind her, slightly off to the side.
Blueno's finger shot forward like lightning.
"Finger Pistol!"
Without Observation Haki, detecting such a silent, instantaneous attack was nearly impossible.
However—
Just as Blueno's strike was about to land—
A black figure suddenly appeared between them at incredible speed.
Thunk!
The Finger Pistol struck—
But instead of piercing flesh, it hit something as hard as steel.
Blueno froze.
The sensation at his fingertip—
It was unmistakable.
"Iron Body…?"
His eyes widened in disbelief.
"Kaku?!"
His voice was filled with shock.
Marianne also reacted instantly, retreating rapidly and widening the distance. She turned her head to look back, confusion evident in her eyes.
Kaku…
Had just blocked Blueno's attack?
Compared to their confusion—
Kaku himself looked both furious and alarmed.
"Move!"
He suddenly shouted at Blueno, both legs snapping upward as he kicked out.
"Tempest Kick!"
Two cross-shaped slashes tore through the air toward Blueno.
"Iron Body—Steel!"
Blueno braced himself as he fully emerged from the spatial door.
Boom!
The slashes slammed into him, sending out a shockwave that rippled through the surroundings.
Whoosh—
Kaku stepped forward, closing in as he launched a relentless barrage of attacks against Blueno.
Bang! Bang!
Fists and kicks collided violently.
At this point—
Even the slowest observer could tell.
Kaku had been controlled.
But by whom?!
Both Kaku and Blueno were filled with shock and anger.
"Fufufufufu…"
A distinctive, eerie laugh echoed from above.
Marianne's expression tightened as she quickly looked up.
On a nearby tree—
A figure clad in a flamboyant pink feather coat crouched casually, smiling down at them with amusement.
"World Government agents, hm?"
Doflamingo's curved red sunglasses glinted under the sunlight, a faint crimson sheen flashing across the lenses.
His fingers twitched idly.
Only upon closer inspection could one see the nearly invisible threads extending from his fingertips—
Connected directly to Kaku's body.
Recognizing that iconic appearance—
Marianne's pupils contracted sharply, her grip on her brush tightening.
"Doflamingo! Do you even know what you're doing?!"
Kaku roared in fury as he was forced to attack Blueno against his will.
"So noisy."
Doflamingo picked at his ear lazily with his free hand, his expression tinged with irritation. His fingers flicked slightly—
And Kaku's attacks intensified instantly.
"Which CP unit are you from… ah, never mind. I don't really care."
Grinning broadly, Doflamingo turned his gaze toward Marianne.
"Hand over the Magic Eye Crosses. For your captain's sake, I might let you live."
"Wax Sculpture—Spear!"
"Painting Magic—Lightning!"
Marianne didn't hesitate.
White wax surged into the air, forming a massive spear. At the same time, a bolt of blue lightning descended from her canvas, striking the spear.
In the next instant—
With lightning coursing through it, the spear shot forward like a streak of blue-white light, tearing through the air with a sharp screech.
"Fufufufu…"
"Pointless."
Doflamingo's fingers flicked.
"Bullet String."
Like a gunshot—
A thread shot out at extreme speed, striking the spear and shattering it instantly.
He glanced toward the direction Marianne had already fled, a faint smile curling his lips.
"You can't escape."
Shua!
Doflamingo leapt down lightly from the tree, landing smoothly as he released his control over Kaku.
Kaku and Blueno immediately ceased fighting and stood side by side, their gazes fixed warily on Doflamingo.
His purpose here was obvious.
"Regarding the Sabaody incident… as a Warlord of the Sea—"
Kaku began, casting a quick glance at Blueno.
Blueno, understanding instantly, placed his hand against the air, opening a door to pursue Marianne.
But before Kaku could finish—
Doflamingo raised his hand casually, shaping his fingers like claws—and slashed downward.
The next moment—
Pfft! Pfft!
Kaku and Blueno froze.
Then—
Their upper bodies split apart.
Chunks of flesh fell to the ground as blood erupted like fountains.
"Regeneration… resurrection…"
Doflamingo chuckled softly.
"Hehehe… looks like the tides of the era are about to shift once again."
With a step forward, his figure vanished.
Though he could easily catch Marianne using Observation Haki, he made no move to finish her immediately.
Instead—
He leisurely trailed behind her.
The Magic Eye Crosses were valuable—
But to Doflamingo, the captain of the Magic Eye Pirates, Yuuki—
Was far more interesting.
At the same time—
Area 45.
The harbor where the Magic Eye Pirates' ship was docked had already been surrounded by Marines.
They were waiting—
For the crew to walk straight into their trap.
From above, Yuuki was naturally aware of everything—but he paid it no mind.
The truly valuable contents of the ship were all stored within the laboratory inside the cabin—
A space created by magic itself.
Without Yuuki's permission, not only was it impossible to enter—
It couldn't even be discovered.
"Maintain full alert! Report any anomalies immediately!"
"This is the Magic Eye Pirates' ship location. No crew members have appeared yet!"
"Captain Yuuki and Vice-Captain Conrad have both disappeared. No witnesses!"
"But they must still be somewhere on this island!"
"Yes, understood!"
"Understood, Admiral Kizaru!"
"…!"
Reports and orders continued to flow as the Marine officer on-site coordinated operations.
"Colonel!"
A Marine officer hurried over.
"What is it?" the colonel asked.
"We've spotted Marianne of the Magic Eye Pirates. She appears injured. The one pursuing her is Warlord of the Sea—Doflamingo!"
The colonel frowned.
He hadn't expected a Warlord to get involved.
Boom!!
Before he could issue any orders—
A deafening explosion erupted from above.
A figure crashed down from the sky, slamming into the harbor and creating a massive crater.
The resulting shockwave overturned cargo, shattered structures, and sent nearby Marines flying.
"What just happened?!" the colonel shouted.
"Hahahahaha!"
A wild, domineering laugh echoed from the sky.
"Interesting ability—control over wind, and manipulation of weight. A dual-ability user… how fascinating!"
"And that wind control… it comes from the Magic Eye Cross you're carrying, doesn't it?"
Golden Lion Shiki descended slowly from above, several Magic Eye Crosses floating around him as his sharp gaze fixed on the crater below.
His sudden appearance drew everyone's attention—
And caused the colonel's expression to change drastically.
Yet—
To Shiki, the Marines present were utterly insignificant.
In the crater—
Cabaji lay sprawled on the ground, his body covered in wounds. Blood seeped from countless injuries, soaking his tattered clothes.
He looked utterly miserable.
"Cough…"
Pain surged through his chest as he spat out a mouthful of blood.
He tried to stand—
But the overwhelming weakness left him unable to move.
So, this… is the strength of the true monsters of the sea?
Even with two powerful abilities—
Facing Shiki had made the gap between them painfully clear.
"Interesting."
Shiki observed the Magic Eye Crosses floating before him with Observation Haki.
Seastone craftsmanship…
And that peculiar wood entwined around them…
Boom!
Another impact echoed.
A figure hurtled down from the sky, landing beside the crater.
It was Mohji.
His large frame rapidly shrank upon landing—but his condition was far worse than Cabaji's.
His body was severely burned, and one of his arms was reduced to exposed bone.
A wave of scorching heat followed—
And Akainu appeared.
The Marines visibly relaxed at his arrival.
Shiki and Akainu locked eyes.
"Golden Lion."
Akainu's gaze was ice-cold. His arm began to melt into magma once more, heat distorting the air around him.
Their auras clashed invisibly—
The atmosphere itself grew heavy.
"Fufufufufu~"
"Well, isn't this lively? Even a legend of the old era has shown up."
A mocking voice cut through the tension.
A whip of white threads shot through the air—
Binding Marianne and flinging her forward.
Thud!
She tumbled across the ground before stopping in front of Cabaji and Mohji—badly injured.
Though compared to the two of them—
She was still barely holding on.
Shiki glanced sideways.
Doflamingo approached leisurely, his pink feather coat swaying as he walked.
"Leave the Magic Eye Crosses… and get lost."
Akainu spoke coldly, magma dripping from his arm as smoke hissed into the air.
Unlike other Marines—
He had no intention of showing respect to a Warlord.
"These scum of the sea… I'll wipe them all out sooner or later."
Facing Akainu's undisguised killing intent—
"Scary as ever, Admiral Akainu."
Doflamingo smiled, though a hint of caution flickered in his eyes.
One hand in his pocket—
The other still gripping the stolen Magic Eye Cross—
He made no move to let go.
For a moment—
Silence fell.
Even the surrounding Marines swallowed nervously.
Because everyone understood—
None of these three cared about the defeated underlings.
Their real target—
Had yet to appear.
Next Bonus Chapter at 5500 powerstones.