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"KILL HIM!!"
"KILL THE THUNDER EMPEROR, AND I'LL BE FAMOUS ACROSS THE SEAS!!"
"HIS HEAD IS MINE!"
One pirate after another, eyes blazing with greed, wore the expressions of starving wolves ready to devour Arthur whole. They surged forward from every direction like a massive, unstoppable wave.
There were too many of them—thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands.
The dawn of the Great Age of Pirates had unleashed an uncountable number of them upon the sea, and the strategic location of the Sabaody Archipelago meant that a massive number had converged here.
They waved their swords, scrambling over one another, rushing forward like a swarm.
"KILL THEM!! THE MARINES' GREATEST POWERS, THE TWO PINNACLES OF PIRACY—THEY'RE ALL MINE!"
They roared, their eyes blinded by the fantasy of the future that awaited them.
"Cough, cough..."
The searing pain in his chest and his grievous injuries were making Arthur's consciousness begin to blur. Phantom images appeared before his eyes, and he felt as if he would pass out at any moment.
He staggered, as if a single gust of wind could blow him over. At this moment, he was like an old man at death's door.
Even a tiger without claws isn't something you want to mess with.
It was a pity that the current Arthur couldn't even release his Conqueror's Haki. Otherwise, a single burst would have been enough to knock out at least half of them.
Still, in his heart, he felt no worry.
On the seas, in terms of sheer physical toughness, Kaido was the undisputed number one; no one could compare to him. But even if Arthur couldn't match Kaido, his own body still surpassed that of far, far too many others.
The blades of these weaker pirates, these bottom-feeders trying to fish in troubled waters—if they struck his body, they wouldn't even leave a white mark. He could simply ignore their tickling attacks.
The only ones who could even make him turn his head were the pirates who had actually made a name for themselves.
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"Fuffuffuffuffu! Hawkeye, Crocodile, Kuma, Moria, and the treasure hunter, Mad Treasure... Don't tell me you're like this pack of idiots, dreaming of taking one of their heads to make a name for yourselves?"
Doflamingo, having resurfaced from the depths, had once again encountered these famous Supernovas from the first half of the Grand Line.
The worthless scrubs swarming Sabaody weren't even worthy of his attention. Only these few could make him even slightly wary.
"My only targets are master swordsmen. If the Golden Lion were up there, I would go and test my skills against him," Hawkeye said indifferently. With his cross-shaped greatsword, Yoru, on his back, he departed on his small, coffin-like boat without another word.
The implication was clear: since the Golden Lion wasn't there, he had no interest in fighting at all.
"Jararararara! I'm a treasure hunter. I'm only interested in the thrill of the hunt. And while I'd love to get my hands on the Thunder Emperor's golden ship, I know my limits," Mad Treasure said, the iron chains on his body rattling as he too left Sabaody.
"Hmph." Crocodile took a drag from his cigar. "The only reason I set out to sea is for Whitebeard's head."
With that, he followed the first two, leading his subordinates away.
"And what about you two? Kuma? Gecko Moria?" Doflamingo asked with a grin.
If it wasn't necessary, he didn't particularly want to make enemies of these men. Kuma and Hawkeye—in terms of true strength, even if he didn't want to admit it, Doflamingo had to be wary of them.
Kuma said nothing. He slowly pulled off his glove, revealing the bear-like paw pad on his palm. With a light push, he repelled the air and vanished from the spot as if by teleportation.
"Kishishishishi! If you want to get a foothold in the New World, you have to take the head of an emperor or two... Thunder Emperor is right in front of us! A zombie made from his shadow would be the strongest being on the seas!" the terrifyingly grotesque Moria cackled, holding up his hands, his laugh sharp and piercing.
"You're not going to leave?" Doflamingo's smile grew more and more strained. If it wasn't absolutely necessary, he really didn't want to fight.
However, the favor from the Thunder God Pirates was too important for the future of the Donquxote Family. It was the key to establishing themselves in the chaotic New World.
And Dressrosa—the island that had belonged to his family eight hundred years ago—had to be taken back, no matter what.
"You want to take the 'Thunder Emperor's' head for fame too? Let's team up, Doflamingo! I'll take his shadow, you take his head! It's a win-win! Kishishishishi!" Moria said, baring a mouthful of sharp teeth.
"So in the end, a fight is still unavoidable," Doflamingo said, slowly raising his head, a fierce light glinting in his eyes from behind his sunglasses.
"Five Color Strings!"
He opened his hand, and five nearly transparent, thin strings appeared from his fingertips. He made the gesture of a beast's claw and swiped down. The five strings, like the sharp claws of a wild animal, shot towards his opponent. If the razor-sharp strings connected, they would slice Moria's body to pieces.
"Hmph... Are you insane, Doflamingo?!"
Moria had never expected Doflamingo to attack so suddenly. Caught off guard, he couldn't react in time, and five bloody gashes were cut across his chest by the Five Color Strings.
He retreated rapidly across the deck, his eyes wide with disbelief.
How could he have imagined that, for the sake of the 'Thunder Emperor's' head, this man, who was usually so rational in his madness, would drop all pretenses with him?
"I'll say it one more time, Moria. Take your subordinates and get lost. I don't have time to waste on you," Doflamingo said, his head lowered, his face grim and terrifying, yet also crazed.
"You've already made your move, and now you want me to leave?" Moria sneered. "Brick Bat!"
His sharp fingers clenched into a claw, and shadows emerged from the shade at his feet, materializing into a swarm of bats. The sky-full of bats descended upon Doflamingo, then converged into a cubic black box, trying to trap him completely.
"Fuffuffuffuffu! I don't have time to waste on you here. Parasite String!"
Doflamingo leaped into the air, as if he were stepping on something, and stopped high above. He suddenly raised his hand, and dozens of transparent strings shot from his palm, spreading rapidly into the sky.
A moment later, the strings rained down like a meteor shower, their razor-sharp points piercing into the bodies of the dozens of Moria's subordinates on the ship.
He slowly curled his index and ring fingers, leaving his middle finger, thumb, and pinky extended. His whole hand began to dance, as if he were playing a piano in mid-air.
Parasite String—just as the name suggested, it was like a parasite, invading the bodies of others to control them. Aside from their individual will, every action of their bodies was now in Doflamingo's grasp.
"AH!!"
"STOP! PLEASE STOP!!"
The controlled crew members of Moria began to slaughter each other.
"I'll ask one last time. Are you leaving, or are you staying?" Doflamingo's face was devoid of its smile, his expression utterly cold.
To achieve his goals, he would stop at nothing.
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