At that moment, hidden in the shadows, Yahn's heart was tight with unease.
Doflamingo's constant surveillance was nothing short of a threat.
Especially since Trebol had cried out Doflamingo's name just before dying—tearing away the thin veil between them.
As a member of the mysterious and domineering Hueco Mundo, Yahn—while concealing his identity—could not simply ignore Trebol's dying words.
Yet if he feigned ignorance or showed weakness, that would only deepen Doflamingo's suspicion.
Thus… the only choice was to strike with full force—intimidate him, drive him away.
---
High above, Doflamingo's pupils shrank as the colossal blade came down like it was cleaving heaven itself.
The sheer gale it stirred made him feel… small.
That titanic slash, spanning the skies, left him with no room for wishful thinking. One misstep, and it would not just be injury—it would be annihilation.
Immediately, he called upon the powers of the String-String Fruit. Threads shot out into the sky, weaving into bridges. He steadied himself upon them, arms outstretched as countless threads spread in all directions.
"Spider's Web!"
In an instant, a massive blackened net spread across the sky, threads reinforced with Armament Haki until they gleamed obsidian.
The giant blade crashed into it.
CLANG!
The clash lasted only a heartbeat.
With Yahn driving the Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō at full power, overwhelming force surged through the blade.
Crack… crack!
Doflamingo's eyes widened as the hardened strings began to snap one after another. Before he could spin more threads to maintain his web, the sky-bridge beneath his feet gave way—shattered.
BOOM!
The giant blade swept across the heavens, shredding clouds apart. Doflamingo, the man in the flamboyant pink coat, was blasted away like a baseball struck by a bat.
In the blink of an eye, the pink-feathered man vanished over the horizon.
---
Yahn blinked.
That… had not gone as expected. Even the fearsome Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō seemed momentarily stunned.
He hadn't thought Doflamingo would be so stubborn—or reckless—as to try taking the strike head-on.
Silence fell over the ruined island.
After a moment, Yahn swept his Observation Haki across the surroundings, then directed the Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō to crush the Donquixote ships for good measure. Only then did he release the Bankai—Tenken: Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō.
His spiritual pressure had grown since the Ohara incident, rising from nineteen wagon to twenty-four. Yet maintaining Bankai remained a heavy burden.
By his own estimation, if he only fought at a basic level, he could sustain the form for a day and a night… perhaps a little longer.
But now, with Doflamingo driven off and Little Gold's awakening time uncertain, he couldn't afford to keep burning energy.
If he exhausted himself and Doflamingo returned at the worst moment—he would be helpless.
So Yahn dismissed the Bankai, cloaked himself, and donned a mask resembling that of a Hollow. Emerging from the underground tunnels of the island, he exhaled slowly, calming his nerves.
Then his gaze turned toward the small cart draped in black cloth.
According to Doflamingo's arrangements, this cart should contain five Devil Fruits and assorted treasures.
He reached for the cloth… and stopped.
"What if it's poisoned? Or trapped?"
Ever the cautious outsider, Yahn took several steps back, maintaining a safe distance.
"Roar, Tenken!"
With the release chant murmured under his breath, a massive armored arm formed behind him, gripping a giant blade.
Whoosh!
With a single stroke, the blade sliced the top clean off the cart.
---
Baby 5 would never forget that day.
After the Family suffered an inexplicable attack, Young Master Doflamingo had asked her to stay in the cart as a "gift."
Abandoned by her mother as a child, Baby 5 desperately craved to be needed. Far from being upset, she had taken this request as proof of her worth.
She had carefully chosen her finest maid outfit, tied a fresh ribbon, slipped on the purest white stockings, and sat inside prettily—ready to be a perfect gift.
But the way this man opened the "gift" nearly shattered her world.
Her head felt cold—strangely cold.
For the enormous blade, wider than her own height, had sliced just above her, opening the cart with a brutal yet strangely elegant stroke.
Clack clack clack!
Her teeth chattered uncontrollably. Any second, she was sure, this cloaked stranger would cut her open and devour her whole.
The man loomed, black cloak shrouding his frame, frozen mid-swing. That stillness terrified her even more.
In truth, Yahn was just as stunned.
Who could have guessed that the cart Trebol dragged onto the island—supposedly filled with Devil Fruits and treasure—actually contained… a little maid girl?
Worse, with just the tiniest twitch of his hand, he could have sliced her in two.
The silence dragged on until, finally, Baby 5 swallowed hard and whispered timidly:
"Do… do you not like this gift?"
"I like it—wait, no—"
Yahn almost blurted before catching himself. Quickly adopting a cold, aloof tone, he replied:
"The Hueco Mundo is not some lowly group that treats people as mere gifts."