"Watch out, Mingo!" Yamato, who had distanced himself, shouted in alarm.
But the blade was faster.
At the critical moment, an overwhelming surge of black threads erupted from Doflamingo's body. A pitch-black sphere materialized in midair, meeting the incoming slash.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Unlike the threads that had been obliterated by Big Mom's assault in the past, Doflamingo had now reached an entirely new level of mastery over Armament Haki. His Devil Fruit abilities and physical prowess had advanced to an astonishing degree.
The black sphere was momentarily split by the sword's force, but almost instantly, it regenerated. Thick smoke and dust billowed, shrouding the battlefield in a dense fog.
Suddenly, the black sphere exploded apart, revealing a figure streaking with violet light—Doflamingo, clad in his combat-ready string armor, perfectly suited for high-speed battles. He fixed his gaze on the rapidly approaching Golden Lion, his expression dripping with contempt.
"Of course I don't take you seriously, you old rooster who can't even use Conqueror's Haki!"
The moment his words fell, a massive war hammer launched from Doflamingo's left arm.
BANG!
CLANG!
Shiki's dual swords, Oto and Kogarashi, blocked the incoming violet-glowing hammer. Their weapons clashed at close range, and for a moment, both could see each other's expressions clearly.
"Jihahaha! Not bad, brat!!!" Shiki bellowed in laughter, though fury flashed in his eyes.
Ever since that ridiculous ship's helm had been lodged in his head, he had lost his ability to wield Conqueror's Haki—a humiliation he would never forget. He could mock himself as a rooster, but hearing it from a mere brat was unacceptable.
These young upstarts needed to learn respect.
A sharp pain pulsed through his skull at the mere thought of his lost Conqueror's Haki, and rage flared within him.
"Let me teach you some respect, kid!"
Two nearby islands and the surrounding seawater surged under his control, converging toward Doflamingo as though the heavens and earth themselves were about to collide.
Not only that—Doflamingo's expression darkened as he noticed the very air beneath his feet shifting. The floating pathway he had been using for support was twisting under Shiki's ability.
The Golden Lion had found his weakness.
Without proper footing, no matter how much strength he had, it was meaningless.
In an instant, the tide of battle reversed.
This was not the frail, old, disease-ridden Shiki who would later struggle against Luffy. That future version had been reduced to a shadow of his former self, physically weakened by the toll of time, imprisonment, and injuries. By then, he had even lost his ability to use Armament Haki, relying solely on his Devil Fruit powers for mobility.
But now?
Now, Shiki was still in his prime.
"Jihahahaha! Die, brat!"
With powerful arms strengthened by Armament Haki, Shiki gripped his twin swords and swung down at Doflamingo with crushing force.
Doflamingo was sent hurtling downward like a cannonball, straight into the maelstrom of islands and seawater below.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
The fusion of rock and ocean took form—a colossal lion's head loomed in the sky.
...
Sizzle! Sizzle!
Violent arcs of lightning cascaded from the heavens, forcing the surrounding pirates to retreat toward Weevil's position. Those too slow to evade were instantly struck down, their bodies convulsing before collapsing lifelessly.
Lightning remained one of the most destructive forces in existence.
"Shirolololo~ I'm out of here. We just need Shiki to win," Indigo cackled as he slipped into the ship's palace, hoping to flee amid the chaos.
"You're not nearly fast enough!"
A voice boomed behind him.
Enel appeared, crackling with electricity, his footwork tracing arcs of blue lightning as he moved.
Indigo's pupils shrank. Desperately, he conjured alchemical fireballs in both hands. A massive, ominous green fireball swirled into existence above him.
BOOM!
The green fireball detonated in a deafening explosion, shattering the surrounding structures.
Without hesitation, Indigo turned to flee—only to feel something press firmly against his back.
"200 Million Volts!"
Indigo's scalp went numb as an electric current surged through him. He tried to plead for mercy.
"W-Wait—!"
His words were cut off by the crackling discharge.
ZAP!
Indigo collapsed.
Dragging his unconscious body, Enel strode toward the ship's deck.
...
In the heart of the battlefield, Weevil rampaged like an unstoppable juggernaut. Pirates attempting to resist were mercilessly cleaved apart.
Those who were lucky enough to survive the initial strikes crawled across the ground, desperately searching for their severed limbs.
CLANG!
A group of ten pirates attempted to block Weevil's attack. The sheer force of his swing shattered their grip, sending them flying with torn palms and broken wrists.
"What monstrous strength… it's like he's a giant."
"He must have giant blood in him! No normal human is this huge!"
"..."
Like a squad of low-level grunts trying to mob a raid boss, they struggled against Weevil's sheer might. Though his body was covered in blood, his instinctual Armament Haki negated most of the damage.
Had he not been so simple-minded and easily distracted, the battle would have already ended.
"Jihahahaha! This is what happens when you go against me!"
Weevil turned his head just in time to see his so-called godfather vanish into the lion's maw.
For a brief moment, he wasn't sure whether to be happy or furious, but his attacks became even fiercer.
...
At the center of the battlefield, Shiki scoffed at Doflamingo's so-called "flight."
"Jihahaha! You call that flying?!"
A faint rumble came from within the lion's head.
Shiki's laughter faltered.
HUMMMMMM!
The mud-stone lion's brownish hue was suddenly bleached white.
"Awakening!"
Shiki's pupils contracted. With his keen eyes, he immediately recognized the phenomenon.
He slashed rapidly.
A barrage of sword light rained down, severing the floating lion's head from its airborne position.
But it was already too late.
The lion's head twisted, unfurling into a pair of enormous wings that shielded against the attack.
A mocking voice echoed from within.
"Looks like it's not just your Conqueror's Haki that's gone—you're losing your Observation Haki, too, aren't you, Golden Lion?"
Doflamingo burst forth, slicing through the clouds toward his opponent.
"How about this flying technique, old man?"
Today, he would teach the Golden Lion a lesson.
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