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The air over Jaya grew heavy, the tension thick enough to freeze.
Doflamingo felt the sting on his cheek—a disorienting flash of pain that was almost an illusion. The corner of his mouth twitched.
It was a long-forgotten sensation.
He raised an eyebrow.
'With that kind of power... it's no surprise he beat Hanafuda in a straight fight.' Doflamingo thought
Doflamingo pushed himself up, wiping a smear of blood from his lips. He stared at the young king, who was still sitting calmly at his table. "Fufufu... what is it with the youth these days? One more outrageous than the last."
"You've got that kid, Ace, tearing up the New World... and now a monster like this shows up in Paradise."
"Is this the new era I keep hearing about?"
"I can already smell the changing tides... Tell me, how would you like to partner up? We could rule this new era together."
A single punch had been enough for Doflamingo to realize that the young king before him was not to be trifled with. He was dangerous.
Doflamingo, the "Joker," was a creature of pure conspiracy and ambition. Every action he took was dictated by self-interest, completely devoid of emotion.
For his ambition, he had killed his own father and brother.
For his ambition, he had sent subordinates who had followed him for years to their deaths.
He had built a new Donquixote Family, a collection of villains he called his "family," but in reality, it was just a childish game.
He hadn't come here to avenge Machvise out of any sense of familial loyalty.
He had come because Jin's actions were directly threatening his core interests—his weapons supply chain. Jin was in his way.
And so, the moment he recognized Jin's strength and realized he might not come out on top, the death of his "family" was forgotten.
Doflamingo's first, most rational move was to negotiate.
After all, in the mouths of men like him, what was the word "family" but a tool for manipulation and betrayal?
"No," Jin said, his expression placid. "I refuse. Go back to the New World, flamingo. This is Paradise."
A vein throbbed on Doflamingo's forehead. "DON'T PUSH YOUR LUCK."
"I know you're not weak," he seethed, "but on these seas, fists aren't always the answer. The power I wield is beyond your imagination."
He was struggling to contain his rage. Against anyone else, he would have already struck.
He had once said, "If you meet someone who won't submit, you beat them into submission."
And yet, here he was, saying that fists weren't the answer.
On one hand, there was the precedent of Hanafuda's defeat. He worked with Kaido, and though he and Hanafuda despised each other, he knew the man wasn't weak. Doflamingo had no intention of following in his footsteps.
Men of their stature, having achieved so much, were protective of their reputations. They rarely made a move themselves, developing an air of mystery. When they did strike, it had to be with overwhelming force.
Otherwise, it just invited more trouble. The seas were full of wannabes looking to make a name for themselves.
On the other hand, Jin was the king of a member nation. And on his way here, Doflamingo had received a call from CP0.
Jin had connections to the Celestial Dragons.
He was working for them.
That gave him pause.
Doflamingo, for all his ambition, knew he lacked the raw power to become an emperor of the sea. That's why he had become a broker. His ability to operate his black-market enterprises right under the nose of the Marines was entirely due to his "Celestial Dragon" heritage. He knew exactly what that connection meant. It meant that, for now, the Celestial Dragons didn't want anything to happen to Jin.
'That would explain his meteoric rise. The Celestial Dragons have been clearing a path for him.' Doflamingo thought
He saw Jin as a kindred spirit, which was why he had tolerated his insolence for so long.
Jin, in turn, saw the weakness behind Doflamingo's bluster.
'So, CP0 didn't just call me. They called him, too. Cipher Pol's intelligence network really is everywhere. And both of us must be on their high-priority watch list to have warranted a call from the top.'
'In CP0's eyes, Doflamingo and I are just two horses in the same stable—one provides slaves for the Celestial Dragons, the other provides their 'Dream'. Of course they'd want to keep us from killing each other.'
A new wave of confidence washed over Jin.
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His tone hardened. "Mock Town is mine now, Doflamingo. I've already planted my flag. Get out."
"Don't get cocky, you bastard!" Doflamingo's rage finally boiled over. His eyes blazed, and arcs of dark-red lightning erupted from his body.
A fierce, tyrannical wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted outward like a hurricane.
The sea in the harbor began to churn. The air grew heavy, crackling with crimson sparks.
The force of the impact sent the few remaining conscious residents of the town into darkness, their eyes rolling back in their heads as they collapsed.
Robin braced herself against the overwhelming spiritual pressure. She'd felt it before, but it still sent a wave of dizziness through her. It took all her effort to remain standing.
On a nearby roof, Van Augur stumbled, lost his footing, and fell.
Only Jin remained unfazed, sitting calmly amidst the storm.
Doflamingo was surprised, but not entirely. His fingers twitched.
"Five Color Strings!"
Five nearly invisible, razor-sharp strings shot out from his fingertips.
He coated them in Armament Haki.
With a flick of his wrist, the five black threads shot toward Jin's neck.
The String-String Fruit.
A fruit that sounded completely useless by its name alone.
But in Doflamingo's hands, after years of development, it was a terrifying weapon. The soft threads were strong enough to cut through stone and steel.
Faster than any blade.
The Haki-coated strings shimmered in the light.
In an instant, the table in front of Jin was sliced in two, the cut perfectly smooth. The threads were now just centimeters from his face.
But Doflamingo wasn't smiling. He was tense. He was a powerhouse in his own right, and he knew it wouldn't be this easy. If Jin couldn't even defend against this, he never would have been able to land that first punch.
This was just a probe.
He knew nothing about Jin's abilities, which put him at a serious disadvantage.
And it was also a setup for his next move.
As expected.
Jin's hand moved, forming a strange gesture, and a wide beam of light shot forward.
"Slow-Slow Beam!"
Caught in the beam, the incredibly fast threads slowed to a crawl, moving slower than a snail.
They were just three centimeters from his neck, but they couldn't close the distance.
It was as if an insurmountable chasm had opened between them.
Not just the threads, but Doflamingo himself was caught in the light. His movements, his thoughts, his very consciousness—all of it slowed to a crawl.
It was as if someone had hit the pause button.
What??
Doflamingo's mind screamed. He instinctively unleashed his Haki, trying to fight off the effect of the beam.
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