Chapter 241: Prediction
Facing the incoming Marco, Doflamingo's expression did not change.
He raised his arm and swept it through the air.
Thin threads spread out instantly, weaving into a web that blocked Marco's path.
However, faced with those razor-sharp threads, Marco did not hesitate at all.
He crashed straight through.
The moment his body touched the web, it broke apart into scattered pale blue flames.
To anyone watching, it looked as though he had been cut to pieces.
But after those blue flames drifted past the barrier of threads, Marco's body reformed almost instantly.
Even Doflamingo was slightly surprised.
Of course, he was not naive enough to think such a small trick could defeat Whitebeard's First Division Commander.
It was just that this method of breaking through was somewhat beyond his expectations.
He had never imagined someone would charge straight through his threads head-on.
That brief hesitation gave Marco an opening.
Marco flew directly above Doflamingo and kicked down with tremendous force.
Doflamingo plummeted from the sky like a falling meteor, crashing into the rock wall along the coast with a loud bang.
Seeing the attack land, Marco's subordinates immediately burst into cheers.
But Marco's stern voice rang out from above.
"Don't be careless. I didn't feel that last strike land solidly!"
The moment Jozu heard that, he moved without hesitation.
He rushed forward in a few heavy strides and raised his right arm.
His arm suddenly transformed into brilliant diamond.
With the hardness of diamond and the strength Jozu had just displayed, one could easily imagine what would happen if this blow struck Doflamingo directly.
Even Doflamingo would not escape unscathed.
But just then, figures suddenly appeared in front of Jozu, blocking his path.
They were members of their own pirate crew.
"Stop it!"
"Captain Jozu! Our bodies are moving on their own!"
If Jozu and Doflamingo had switched positions, Doflamingo's answer would have been simple.
Kill whoever stood in his way.
Even if they were his own subordinates.
But Jozu was different.
The members of the Whitebeard Pirates treated one another as family.
How could he possibly bring himself to strike down the people blocking him?
He immediately restrained his strength and came to a halt.
Meanwhile, Doflamingo climbed out of the crater, a grin spreading across his face.
"What a touching scene."
Jozu naturally understood what he meant by touching.
It was nothing more than mockery.
Mockery that he had given up such a good opportunity for the sake of his own crewmates.
His expression became even more solemn.
He did not like people like this.
Marco descended from the sky and saw what had happened.
At the same time, he noticed the threads in Doflamingo's hands.
It had to be those threads controlling the others.
Their presence here would only become a hindrance now.
Marco spoke to everyone except Jozu.
"All of you, fall back."
His tone was firm.
"This man is not someone you can handle right now."
At the same time, the nearby Marines were also thrown into chaos.
The Seven Warlord representing the World Government and the Whitebeard Pirates representing one of the greatest powers in the New World were clashing.
A conflict like this was practically Mars colliding with the earth.
Although they had anticipated it, seeing it actually happen was still enough to shock them.
"Rear Admiral Ribery, should we go stop them?" a Marine asked.
The Marine Rear Admiral lowered his head in thought.
His thumb kept rubbing against the hilt of his sword, the surface already damp with sweat from how long he had been doing it.
Just like the restless movement of his hand, the problem before him had thrown him into hesitation.
After a long time, he finally made a decision.
"No. Until Vice Admiral Doberman arrives, we will stand by and watch."
"Watch?"
This answer puzzled the other Marines.
Standing by seemed far too strange.
It was like law enforcement choosing to watch from the side at the scene of a fight.
But after thinking about it carefully, it was somewhat understandable.
After all, both sides of this battle were entities they could not afford to offend.
"Yes. Watch."
Ribery's voice was heavy.
"We cannot interfere in a battle like this right now."
Ribery was an unremarkable Marine Rear Admiral.
He did not possess extraordinary strength, nor did he have brilliant wisdom.
He had attained his rank purely by slowly accumulating military merit over many years.
Because of this, he was more cautious than most.
He understood very clearly that this kind of battle was definitely not something he could interfere in.
There was only one thing he had to do.
Monitor their movements.
Ensure they did not leave his sight.
That was the limit of what he could accomplish.
The battle continued.
Only Doflamingo, Jozu, and Marco remained on the field.
"You should give up early, Doflamingo."
Marco hovered in the air, blue flames burning around him.
"Losing to the Whitebeard Pirates is nothing to be ashamed of."
"Fufufu..."
Doflamingo laughed while his body flexibly dodged Marco's attacks.
"But I don't think I'll lose to you."
As he spoke, he still kept part of his attention on Jozu.
Compared to Marco's attacks, he was more wary of Jozu's.
Taking a direct punch from that man was something even his current body would have trouble enduring.
Fortunately, although Jozu's attack power was terrifying, his mobility was somewhat lacking.
"Besides," Doflamingo continued with a grin, "Whitebeard is only a relic of the previous era. If the man himself were here, perhaps it would be different. But I don't think I'll lose to one of his subordinates."
"Heh."
Marco's expression changed.
"You actually dare call Pops a relic of the previous era?"
His voice rose sharply.
"The era of Whitebeard is far from over!"
Marco was usually calm and composed.
But whenever it involved Pops, another side of him would emerge.
"Facing both me and Jozu, you will eventually be defeated."
His eyes locked onto Doflamingo.
"And when you lose, I'll make you regret what you just said."
Jozu did not seem to react outwardly.
But the moment Doflamingo said those words, his entire body transformed into transparent, dazzling diamond.
Brilliant Crash.
He charged fiercely toward Doflamingo.
The violent impact tore through Doflamingo's threads and carved a deep trench into the ground as he rushed forward.
At the same time, Marco had already blocked Doflamingo's retreat, cutting off his path into the sky.
Jozu's impact landed.
But Doflamingo's body instantly unraveled into threads.
There was no need to think.
That was not his real body.
Just as the battle was reaching its fiercest point, a sound came from the direction of Doflamingo's castle.
Doflamingo's true body appeared nearby.
He slowly withdrew the limp threads scattered on the ground, then looked at the equally puzzled Jozu and Marco.
"That brat really went there after all."
Then he smiled.
"Let's stop the fight for now."
Marco's eyes narrowed.
"What do you mean?"
Doflamingo chuckled and used his threads to pick up the pink feather mantle that had fallen aside during the battle.
"Our fight isn't something that can be settled in a short time."
He draped the mantle back over his shoulders.
"Before that, don't you think we should catch the mastermind first?"
"That brat is currently attacking my castle."
His grin widened.
"I have no interest in fighting you right now."
Then his tone became teasing.
"I assume the Whitebeard Pirates aren't the type to be afraid of a head-on battle."
.....
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