"The Big Mom Pirates... are not finished! And Katakuri will never lose!"
Daifuku spat a mist of blood toward Doflamingo, refusing to believe the words. In his mind, with Chris's strongest, Aeridar, currently absent, there was no way anyone could defeat his own brother. The Big Mom Pirates' "Perfect Man," the undefeated myth, this was no laughing matter.
"Fufufufu! I knew you wouldn't believe it, but it doesn't matter. You can't change anything anyway," Doflamingo chuckled dismissively. His five fingers flickered, and from his fingertips, translucent, nearly invisible threads danced and pulled at the air.
Suddenly, the entire ship began to undergo a rapid "string-ification." The deck, the masts, the sails, all transformed into millions of neatly aligned, transparent white threads. From this new architecture, countless razor-sharp white pillars, each as thick as a human arm, erupted. They attacked the pirates within the ship, coiling around them like pythons to crush them, or piercing through them like spears.
"Ahh—"
"Damn it! What is this?!"
"Help... help me!"
"Strings?! Could it be... a Devil Fruit Awakening? Run!"
Screams, wails, and cries of shock echoed through the ship's interior. Thick pools of blood seeped from the vessel as lifeless bodies fell, their mangled remains too grotesque to even behold.
The flagship Genie was becoming a graveyard; many pirates fled in a panic, leaping into the sea to save their lives.
Doflamingo tilted his head, listening to the cacophony of agony erupting from beneath the deck. He inhaled the heavy scent of blood, a look of intoxicated pleasure washing over his face. He almost groaned, "The scent of blood..."
"Pirates belong in the depths of the sea. Keep this ship as your tomb!"
With that cold declaration, Doflamingo leapt into the air. He stepped gracefully onto his invisible "Sky Walk" threads and, in a blink, was far from the Genie.
Directly behind him, the white color on the ship's hull began to fade, reverting to its original wood. But with a deafening RUMBLE, massive cracks tore through the vessel, and the entire structure began to disintegrate.
The four spear-like threads that had pinned Daifuku vanished. He plummeted onto the shattered, blood-soaked deck.
"G-Genie..."
Daifuku struggled to rise, his arms trembling in agony as he reached out, desperate to summon his companion once more.
"Don't even think about it!"
Doflamingo grinned. He spread his arms, and ten nearly transparent, razor-thin filaments lashed out. They were impossibly sharp, slicing effortlessly through the structure of the Genie.
BOOM! RUMBLE!
In an instant, the hundred-meter-long flagship was carved into a dozen jagged pieces, collapsing into the ocean with a thunderous roar.
"NO—!"
The violent lurch of the deck cut Daifuku's attempt short. He watched in despair as the Genie was sliced into fragments, letting out a roar of frustration before sinking into the depths along with the wreckage.
Across the surrounding Big Mom Pirates' fleet, countless pirates watched their grand flagship sink. Some wailed, some shrieked, others stood in paralyzed, disbelieving silence.
With the sinking of the Genie, the already fragile morale of the Big Mom Pirates crumbled completely. The entire fleet descended into chaos; some tried to fight to the bitter end, while others began to turn tail and flee. In short, the spirit of the fleet had shattered.
"That guy Doflamingo... he actually took out Daifuku. Not bad at all," Oliver murmured, squinting at Doflamingo in the sky. He felt a twinge of surprise, curious why this man was working so hard to dismantle Daifuku, a core officer whose strength was among the highest in the Big Mom Pirates.
High above on Gran Tesoro, Tesoro watched the figure in the sky with deep wariness. From enemy to collaborator, and now to a formal alliance, Doflamingo was the one man he feared more than Aeridar or anyone else. Tesoro's rise to power was fueled by the pressure exerted by Doflamingo; had he not become powerful, the Donquixote Family would have eliminated him long ago. After all, the importance of the Gold-Gold Fruit he had stolen was no less than the Flame-Flame Fruit that Doflamingo had handed over to Aeridar.
One had to admit: between the Gold-Gold Fruit, the Flame-Flame Fruit, the various Devil Fruits circulating from his hands, and the artificial SMILE fruits he peddled, Doflamingo was quite the "Devil Fruit Deliveryman."
Just as the Big Mom Pirates' fleet fell into disarray, the Germa 66 fleet gathered quietly in the distance.
Standing on the bow of a massive black-wolf-headed warship, Abel commanded his dozen new-style warships. High-caliber, high-explosive shells rained down like water, pouring devastating firepower onto the Big Mom fleet.
In less than ten minutes, Abel's fleet had breached the defensive line of the Big Mom armada, driving straight into the heart of their clusters.
HISSSSSS—
Suddenly, the sharp sound of pressurized air cut through the roar of cannon fire. Abel looked up and saw a graceful figure approaching through the sky, white streams of air jetting from her boots.
"Germa... it's that woman, Reiju..."
Abel froze, instantly recognizing the signature flight mode of the Germa kingdom. The figure wore a pink combat suit with a butterfly-wing cloak; only one member of the Vinsmoke family dressed like that.
"We're under attack!"
"It's a Germa scout!"
"Ready the guns! Shoot her down!"
The pirates on the Chris Pirates' ships began to shout, aiming their weapons at the sky. Seeing the sea of muzzles pointed her way, Reiju quickly called out, "Abel-sama, wait! I represent the Germa Kingdom. I come to discuss an urgent matter!"
Abel frowned. What could they possibly have to talk about at a time like this? Was this a surrender negotiation? Still, he signaled his men to hold their fire. The surrounding pirates immediately relayed the order via Den Den Mushi, forcing everyone to stand down.
THUMP.
Reiju landed on the deck. Ignoring the hundred guns still aimed at her, she stepped forward and said gravely, "Abel-sama, I bring news regarding the Mirror World, and the battle between Aeridar-sama and Big Mom."
Abel's breath hitched. He stared at Reiju with a heavy gaze, finally managing to ask, "Are you trying to tell me that the Captain has been..."
Before he could finish, the sky suddenly turned pitch black, thick clouds gathering overhead. A terrifying, oppressive presence descended from the heavens, making Abel feel as if a mountain had been dropped onto his chest.
Across the entire sea, every member of both the Big Mom Pirates and the Chris Pirates felt the same chilling dread. The cannons fell silent. Everything went still.
"ROAAAAR—"
A moment later, a heart-shaking dragon's roar shattered the silence. A massive, winding body emerged from the storm clouds, antlers like a deer, eyes like a rabbit, scales like a carp, claws like an eagle, and palms like a tiger...
It was clearly a legend incarnate, a Mythical Dragon!