On the King's Plateau.
Just after finishing his call with Vergo, Doflamingo saw Monet, the snow-woman, rush into his office in a panic.
"Young Master, bad news! Someone is attacking the underground port!" Monet's face was filled with urgency.
"The enemy seems to be a Logia user—the Rumble-Rumble Fruit. And Souta Kiryuu is there too!"
Her report darkened Doflamingo's face. Veins bulged on his forehead as his rage boiled.
"Where is that woman, Violet?!"
He snarled with killing intent, then bolted out of his office toward the underground port.
Just days ago, he had even considered offering Souta Kiryuu some money as a gesture toward the man who had slain a Celestial Dragon. Never did he expect Souta to appear right at his doorstep.
Why attack his territory? Was it for plunder? Or vengeance?
Doflamingo raced through Dressrosa, determined to see for himself if this so-called strongest experiment with a bounty of 1 billion truly lived up to the title.
"Monet! Notify the Navy! Tell them that Dressrosa, a member nation, is under attack by Souta Kiryuu! They'd better send an Admiral!"
He barked the order to Monet, who struggled to keep up. Then, without hesitation, he accelerated until he vanished from her sight.
In the underground port—
Capone Bege grinned around his cigar as he stuffed all the treasure chests from the Yellow Lion warship into his castle-body. Anything of value was looted without hesitation.
BOOM!
A blazing laser tore through the port, sending Buffalo Kun flying.
"Damn it, break!"
Buffalo Kun steadied himself with difficulty, unleashing his Needle-Needle Fruit powers in a frenzy. The long spikes from his arms stabbed furiously at Souta Kiryuu, determined to pierce even this dragon.
"As long as Haki is strong enough, no Devil Fruit power can't be broken through!"
But Souta showed no fear. His massive claw reached forward, aiming to seize the so-called Needle-Man.
Clang!
The hardened spike struck his claw, but it was as though it hit steel itself. With a sharp crack, the weapon snapped clean in half.
Buffalo Kun's eyes widened in horror.
Crack!
Souta's claw closed around his body, bones groaning under the overwhelming force. Blood gushed from Buffalo Kun's nose and mouth as his eyes rolled back.
In less than two seconds, this 233-million bounty man fainted, dangling limp in Souta's grasp.
"Lock him up." Souta tossed the unconscious man to Capone Bege before surging forward toward Pica, who was already coughing blood under Enel's relentless lightning strikes. This Stone-Stone user was useful too—perfect material for construction work.
"Good thing I brought some divine soldiers along—and Seastone cuffs too!" Bege snapped his fingers, ordering the winged, long-eared divine soldiers from within his body-castle to shackle Buffalo Kun and drag him into the prison inside.
With their leader down, Buffalo Kun's men were crushed under the weight of the goods that reverted to normal, dying pitifully beneath the cargo.
Meanwhile, seeing Souta charge at him, Pica scrambled desperately into the ground, merging into stone to escape.
BOOM!
Enel roared in frustration, raining down bolt after bolt of lightning, blasting craters into the rocky floor.
"He ran!" Souta, now half-dragon, landed heavily. Annoyed, his gaze swept across the other Donquixote Family officers.
Feeling his predatory stare, Señor Pink immediately sank into the ground like Pica, vanishing without hesitation.
Gladius, Lao G, and Machvise all broke into cold sweats. This was the man with a 1-billion bounty, the one who killed a Celestial Dragon.
Taking advantage of their hesitation, Capone Bege's grin widened as he brazenly looted more weapons and supplies.
Zzzap! Enel, still seething from losing Pica, materialized as lightning at Souta's side.
"Boss God, leave the rest to me!" His eyes gleamed with bloodlust as he glared at the trembling Donquixote officers.
"Go on." Souta's reply was calm. His eyes then shifted to Baby 5, the maid. Her Weapon-Weapon Fruit could be invaluable to Vegapunk's research.
200 Million Volts—Raijin! Enel pounded his golden staff against his back's drums, releasing a tidal wave of electricity.
A towering lightning giant formed, its presence alone blanching the faces of Doflamingo's officers.
So strong!
Where had Souta found such a powerful ally?
Raijin swung a colossal fist downward. Thunder roared, lightning spread, and devastation followed.
Buffalo and Baby 5 shrieked in terror, fleeing with tears streaming down their faces.
Too terrifying! There was no resisting such power.
But Souta gave chase, diving straight at the pair.
"Don't chase me!" Baby 5 sobbed, fear breaking her voice as snot and tears streamed together.
Overheat! A whip of razor-sharp threads, coated in Armament Haki, lashed at Souta, accompanied by a wave of Conqueror's Haki.
"Fufufu… Souta Kiryuu! Barging in without so much as a greeting—what do you mean by this?!"
Doflamingo, clad in his flamboyant pink-feathered coat, descended in fury.
But Souta met his strike with disdain. The Lunarian flames on his body flared as he seized both the thread-whip and Baby 5 in one claw.
"What do I mean? Just robbery." His cold words crackled with sparks as his own Conqueror's Haki surged forth, overwhelming Doflamingo's.
"Young Master, save me!" Baby 5 screamed in terror from within Souta's grasp. Her arms transformed into blades, but no matter how frantically she slashed, they couldn't even scratch him—only sparks flew.
"I need you quiet. I need you to come with me. I need you to serve me. I need you to take care of me—for the rest of my life…" Souta said calmly, staring down at the trembling maid.
The words froze her. Her eyes widened. Then her tears stopped.
This man… needed her. Needed her forever.
Was this… a proposal?
Baby 5's cheeks burned red. Why now, of all times? And yet—her heart swelled with happiness.
Across from them, Doflamingo's expression darkened into pure rage. The girl he had raised for over ten years—still as unreliable as ever. Her twisted personality had betrayed him again.
But when his eyes shifted to the giant lightning god looming above, even Doflamingo's composure faltered.
Where had Souta found monsters like this? Why would they follow him, a hunted experiment despised by the World Government?