"Tch, two fools."
Sasaki crossed his arms, his lips curling beneath his metal jaw mask.
He deliberately stood at the edge of the crowd, maintaining a subtle distance from his "comrade."
Though both were members of the Tobi Roppo, they tacitly understood there was no intention of teaming up—after all, what Kaido wanted was the result, not the process.
Who's-Who leaned against a stone pillar, his fingers unconsciously stroking the hilt of his neko-te dagger.
Narrowing his eyes as he observed the Warlord and the Supernova arguing, he licked his sharp canine teeth.
"Let them fight like dogs," he muttered.
As a former CP9 agent, he understood the importance of conserving strength better than anyone. He smiled faintly, ready to enjoy a good show.
Doflamingo suddenly raised his hands high, striking an exaggerated surrender pose.
"Fufufu... Don't get so worked up, Red-Haired Brat."
He took two steps back, his pink feathered coat tracing an elegant arc in the wind. "Since you're in such a hurry to die, I'll let you go first."
Kid's mechanical arm emitted a grating metallic screech as he stepped forward with a vicious grin.
"What's this? Is the great Warlord of the Sea actually scared?" His crimson pupils brimmed with disdain.
"Or has your String-String Fruit gotten rusty?"
A cold glint flashed across Doflamingo's sunglasses, yet the smile on his lips deepened.
He gracefully made a "please proceed" gesture.
"The youth are so full of energy," Doflamingo mused aloud.
As he turned away, a sharp, predatory glimmer flashed in his eyes hidden behind the lenses. "I hope you'll still be this spirited later."
A fanatical smile spread across Kid's face—he knew he had gained the initiative.
Gripping his mechanical arm tightly, his eyes shone with battle lust. "Then don't blame me for showing no mercy!"
Doflamingo simply smiled, his gaze carrying an inscrutable depth. He knew Kid's impulsiveness was his weakness—all he needed was to wait for the right moment to crush whoever survived.
Kid snorted coldly, turning to stride toward the arena ahead. His coat billowed behind him, each step landing with a dull metallic clang.
Killer followed silently behind, his helmet scanning the surroundings vigilantly for potential threats.
He murmured quietly, "Captain... he's deliberately provoking you to test the waters."
His voice carried a trace of concern, clearly not wanting to see Kid act recklessly.
"I know," Kid grinned, baring his teeth in a ferocious smile. "But so what?"
His mechanical arm began transforming and reassembling into a massive electromagnetic cannon, its muzzle glowing with dangerous purple light.
"Against absolute power, such cheap tricks are useless!" His voice overflowed with confidence and fervor, as if he could already see victory.
Doflamingo retreated among his family executives.
Trebol shuffled over, his snot forming icy prongs in the cold air. "Beheheh! How wise of you, Young Master~"
"Fufufu..." Doflamingo's fingertips twined with nearly invisible strings, his eyes glinting with cunning calculation.
"Let that brute exhaust Shiki's stamina first."
His gaze swept over the Glint-Glint Fruit floating in the air.
"When they've worn each other out—that will be our opportunity..."
Diamante grinned viciously in understanding, his sword tracing an elegant flourish in his hand.
"What a foolish brat."
...
Shiki hovered above the arena, watching Kid approach before suddenly bursting into laughter.
"Jihahaha! Kid, can't you see you're being used as a pawn?"
Kid paid no heed, slamming his metal arm heavily onto the ground with a deafening crash.
"Enough talk, old man!" His eyes burned with fighting spirit. "Get ready to hand over the Glimmer-Glimmer Fruit!"
The arena's atmosphere reached its peak as the surrounding pirates held their breath, awaiting the eruption of battle.
Shiki hovered mid-air, the two famed swords Oto and Kogarashi slowly orbiting around him like loyal beasts.
Looking down condescendingly at Kid, he wore a mocking grin, his golden mane whipping wildly in the air currents, radiating arrogance.
"Brat," Shiki deliberately drawled, lightly tapping the sword hilts, "are you coming alone, or bringing your little lackeys along?"
His gaze swept over Killer and the others behind Kid, a glint of shrewd calculation flashing in his eyes.
A one-on-one might fetch ten million, but wiping out an entire pirate crew could net hundreds of millions of Belly.
Kid grinned widely, his metallic arm clanking as it morphed. "Old man, I'm enough to take you down by myself!"
"Captain!" Killer suddenly stepped forward, his voice firm beneath his mask.
He lowered his voice urgently. "The Glint-Glint Fruit is the crew's collective target."
His finger subtly gestured toward the surveillance Den Den Mushi floating in the air. "And... that old fox is clearly scheming something. We need to overwhelm him."
Kid's single eye narrowed, instantly grasping his partner's implication.
He cracked his neck with a sinister chuckle, then abruptly spread his arms.
All metal fragments instantly assembled into dozens of floating cannon barrels.
"Since you're so eager to die... Kid Pirates, all units—crush him!"
"Jihahaha! Perfect!"
Shiki roared with laughter, sweeping both hands outward. The entire arena floor suddenly trembled violently.
Countless rubble floated upward, forming a dense meteor belt around him. "Let this old man see what you New Era brats are made of!"
Killer swiftly made tactical hand signals, and the pirate crew immediately split into three combat teams.
Wire raised his modified trident, electromagnetic energy humming; Heat opened his mouth, blue flames flickering in his throat; Killer drew his twin Punishers, the rotating blades spinning with a lethal hum.
"All units, attention!"
Kid's mechanical right arm reconfigured into a giant drill, dark red Haki blazing like flames.
"The old man's Float-Float Fruit can manipulate terrain! Priority target: destroy his footholds!"
Shiki's eyes flickered with surprise before his laughter grew more maniacal.
"Not bad!"
Crossed swords slashed downward.
"Lion's Threat: Earth Bind!"
Dozens of floating boulders crashed toward the Kid Pirates like cannonballs. "But still far from enough!"
BANG!
The boulders suddenly froze mid-air, held by an invisible magnetic force.
Kid's body crackled with electromagnetic sparks, metal fragments swirling around him in a violent metallic storm.
"Magnetic Slam: Punk Gibson!"
With his roar, the metal fragments transformed into a massive mechanical arm that clamped onto Shiki's floating rocks, crushing them instantly.
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG—!
Shiki's swords wove an impenetrable net of steel, sparks flying as the ground beneath him suddenly collapsed.
Killer had somehow tunneled underground, his rotating scythes completely demolishing the foundation to force Shiki into the air.
"Tch, decent coordination."
Forced to float higher, Shiki's eyes gleamed with excitement as his famed swords became coated in black Armament Haki.
"But let me show you the power of a Legendary Pirate!"