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Chapter 277: Doflamingo Takes the House, A One-Sided Bet
Rumble—!
The earth trembled!
That desolate little island, which usually received no attention, now seemed to have transformed into an active volcano about to erupt!
Two distinct, yet equally heart-palpitating power fluctuations were recklessly assaulting everyone's senses from across the sea!
On one side was the top-tier Haki belonging to an officer of a Four Emperors crew. It was an iron-blooded will forged through a thousand hammers and a hundred refinements on the battlefield! Deep as an abyss, heavy as a prison! So heavy it made it hard to breathe!
On the other side was a strange aura never seen before.
Cold. Violent. It even carried an ominous feeling that made one's hair stand on end!
And there was that strange breathing sound that seemed capable of resonating with heaven and earth!
This collision of unprecedented powers instantly ignited the hot blood of all the pirates present!
"Let's go look!"
"A battle of this level is hard to see even once in a few years!"
"An elite Vice Admiral of Marine Headquarters versus a Senior Officer of a Four Emperors crew!"
"We have to go open our eyes!"
In an instant, the crowd originally packed in the Foosha Village plaza surged toward the coast like a receding tide! Pirate ships, warships, even fishing boats—anything that could float was commandeered!
Everyone scrambled to get to that deserted island, terrified they would arrive late and miss this peak duel that might be recorded in history!
——————
Edge of the deserted island.
The originally quiet beach was now a sea of people. Thousands of pirates and Marines occupied two directions, clearly separated.
Although they glared and spat at each other, due to Blake's rule of "No Fighting," no one dared to make a move at this critical juncture.
Everyone's eyes were fixed dead on the center of the island, where two battlefields rolled with smoke and dust!
On the reef with the best view, several figures carelessly occupied the "Special Seats."
Red-Haired Shanks. Whitebeard Edward Newgate. Even the usually low-presence head of the Big Mom Pirates' Three Sweet Commanders, Charlotte Katakuri, was standing with them.
If this scene were captured by an uninformed reporter, tomorrow's newspaper headline would probably be: "Shocking! Three Emperors Join Forces, The End of the World Has Come!"
"Fufufufufu..."
Just then, a burst of highly recognizable strange laughter suddenly came from above the crowd. Everyone looked up to see a figure draped in a pink feather coat walking with an extremely arrogant splay-footed gait.
Like a proud flamingo, he descended from the sky and landed on the highest giant rock.
Warlord of the Sea. Heavenly Yaksha. Donquixote Doflamingo!
Even facing three Emperors of the Sea, this man's face still wore that insufferably arrogant smile. The eyes behind his sunglasses flickered with a shrewd, cold light.
"Such a wonderful slaughter."
"Isn't it boring to just watch?"
Doflamingo spread his arms. His ten fingers danced in the air like he was playing a piano.
That was a posture of controlling the entire venue!
"Since everyone is in such high spirits."
"Why don't we..."
"Play something exciting?"
Doflamingo's voice, laced with temptation, clearly spread throughout the audience.
" Betting is open! Betting is open!"
"With the future of this sea as the stake!"
"Will the overlords of the old era be able to defend their dignity?"
"Or will the new Marine upstarts, who have mastered the power of the 'Dungeon,' achieve a counterattack?"
"Come, come, come!"
"Place your bets and take your hands off!"
"Fair play for the old and young!"
Boom!
As soon as Doflamingo's voice fell, the atmosphere was instantly detonated to its peak! Pirates were inherently a bunch of gamblers who tied their heads to their belts! Now with a Warlord taking the house and figures of the Four Emperors' level as "witnesses," what was there to hesitate about?
"I bet on Yasopp winning!"
"Are you kidding? That's the World's Number One Sniper!"
"That Marine Vice Admiral named Doberman, although quite famous, is still a bit lacking compared to Yasopp, right?"
"Exactly! I'm betting on the Red Hair Pirates too!"
"Ten million Beri! All on Yasopp!"
The reputation of the Red Hair Pirates in the New World was forged through real iron and blood. Especially Yasopp. His god-like marksmanship had long become a legend on the sea.
In comparison, although Doberman was a representative figure of the hawkish Vice Admirals, he was indeed slightly inferior in fame and combat record.
So, once the betting pool opened, the majority of pirates, and even some bounty hunters watching the fun, almost one-sidedly placed their money on Yasopp!
Looking at the rapidly piling mountain of Beri and treasure, the smile on Doflamingo's lips became even more brilliant. But deep within that smile lay a trace of mockery that only he understood.
"The vision of the old era..."
"Is always blinded by so-called 'common sense'."
Doflamingo pushed up the sunglasses on the bridge of his nose. His gaze pierced through layers of smoke, landing on the Marine figure in the battlefield radiating a pitch-black aura.
"Boss Blake's merchandise..."
"If it were really that simple..."
"Then why would those old geezers in the World Government be as anxious as ants on a hot pot?"
...
"I'll join in the fun too."
Just then, a low and magnetic voice rang out.
The 3rd Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates, "Diamond" Jozu, walked out with heavy steps. He glanced at the distant battlefield, then pulled a heavy bag of gems from his bosom.
Those were top-quality raw stones he had dug up from the ocean floor! Priceless!
"Five hundred million Beri."
Jozu's voice was muffled but carried an unquestionable firmness.
"Bet on Flower Sword Vista to win!"
Whoosh—!
The crowd went into an uproar!
Five hundred million Beri! That wasn't a small sum! It seemed the Whitebeard Pirates had absolute confidence in their comrade!
"Fufufufu..."
Doflamingo laughed loudly as he took the bag of gems.
"Great spirit!"
"As expected of a Whitebeard Pirates Division Commander!"
"I'll take this bet!"
With Jozu's bet, the atmosphere at the scene became even intense. Everyone began to analyze the situation of the other battle.
"Vista is a world-famous Great Swordsman!"
"He's a fierce man who can exchange moves with 'Hawk Eyes' Mihawk!"
"Although that Vice Admiral Onigumo uses Eight Sword Style..."
"Swordsmanship isn't about having more swords!"
"That's right! I'm betting on Vista too!"
"Flower Sword must win!"
The vast majority of people still favored the established powerhouses. After all, the inherent impressions formed over decades were not so easily broken. In their view, how could the so-called "Dungeon Power" bridge the massive gap between a Four Emperors' Officer and a Vice Admiral in an instant?
═════ To Be Continued ═════
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