"Now that Vladimir intends to reclaim it and hold a second auction, whoever wants it will have to spend a fortune in Devil Fruits all over again. In the end, it will still come down to a battle for possession. No matter who bids, the winner will ultimately be decided by strength."
"Wait a moment!"
Suddenly, Kong spoke out in a booming voice: "There are supposed to be two blueprints... what is the meaning of all this?"
"Who knows? Someone snuck into the auction venue, made a copy, and stole it. We have already sent people to retrieve it." Vladimir replied casually.
Hearing this, Doflamingo stepped forward several paces and said respectfully, "My deepest apologies, Lord Vladimir, but we were unable to recover the copy."
"I know. Whether there is one blueprint or two to reclaim makes no difference to me."
Vladimir waved his hand, then turned his gaze toward Rayleigh.
"Dark King Rayleigh, Phantom owes you a favor, so we will not make a move against you. That is our principle. However, I must ask you to hand over the blueprint in your possession."
"Is that so?"
Rayleigh smiled faintly. "I have retired from the world and have no intention of joining this struggle. But since this has fallen into my hands, rather than returning it to you, I would much prefer to destroy it."
"Destroy it? Very well."
Vladimir nodded, and instantly his expression sharpened.
In the blink of an eye, three tomoe patterns appeared in his pupils, which then transformed into the Mangekyō Sharingan.
"Amaterasu!"
Whoosh!
Out of nowhere, black flames ignited upon the blueprint in Rayleigh's hand, turning it into ash in an instant.
"...Black fire!"
Rayleigh's heart skipped a beat. He hurriedly threw the remains of the object away.
The blueprint was reduced to cinders, and as it vanished, the black flames of Amaterasu faded as well.
Witnessing this, everyone felt Vladimir's overwhelming dominance — he acted as he pleased, giving no one even a moment to react.
Furthermore, to destroy the blueprint in Dark King Rayleigh's hand with nothing more than a glance, from hundreds of meters away... such power was nothing short of terrifying.
"Now it is your turn, Kaido."
Only then did Vladimir turn his attention to Kaido. He leaped lightly, floating downward with ease.
The Empress watched, hesitated for a moment, then followed suit, jumping down from the high altitude.
The two landed one after the other. Instinctively, everyone present tensed up.
"Hmph! You think I'll just hand it over because you said so? Don't you dare look down on me!"
Kaido laughed furiously and actually took the initiative to attack.
"Today, I want to see for myself exactly what the so-called Captain of Phantom is truly made of!"
He struck out in a rage, unleashing his full power without holding back.
His fist surged with immense momentum, as if intending to shatter the space itself.
"Do not speak such arrogant words lightly. I know you are a brute, but I did not think you were a fool incapable of recognizing the difference in strength between us."
Vladimir shook his head and met the punch with one of his own.
BAM!
The devastating collision everyone expected never happened. The moment Kaido's fist made contact with Vladimir, all its overwhelming power vanished like snow melting in the sun, dissipating into nothingness...
All that remained of that fearsome strike was raw physical force.
"Impossible?!" Kaido's eyes widened in utter shock, his face filled with disbelief.
"I will give you this much credit: you possess immense strength in sheer physical power alone."
Vladimir chuckled softly, turning his fist into an open palm. He clamped his hand firmly around Kaido's wrist, then gave a gentle tug.
In an instant, Kaido lost his balance and stumbled forward, falling toward Vladimir.
At the same time, Vladimir sidestepped, transforming his right hand into the shape of a blade, and slashed downward violently.
"Armament Encasement!"
In this moment of crisis, Kaido unleashed his strongest Haki.
An invisible armor instantly enveloped his entire body — focusing nearly all its defensive power on his back, where the blow was aimed, to reinforce his defense to the limit.
However, this defense, which was thought to be absolute, proved completely useless before Vladimir's palm strike.
CRACK!
With a heavy thud, the invisible armor shattered as easily as if it were made of paper. The palm landed squarely on Kaido's back, striking so hard that it shook his very soul.
"Pfft!"
Kaido vomited a large mouthful of blood and turned deathly pale.
He was sent crashing face-first onto the ground, unable to rise for a long time.
Vladimir's strike carried a very special kind of power — it pierced straight through the skin and flesh, attacking his internal organs directly.
To sustain such a blow meant massive internal bleeding. An ordinary person — or even a top commander under an Emperor — would have been beaten half to death.
Seeing this, everyone stood frozen in place. The entire chaotic battlefield fell into a state of absolute silence.
No one spoke. They even forgot to breathe, staring blankly at Kaido lying on the ground.
Vladimir spoke again: "You truly live up to your name as the Strongest Creature in the World — your physique is monstrous. I shattered your internal organs with that strike, yet you are already beginning to regenerate."
"VLADIMIR!!" Kaido struggled to push himself up, glaring sideways at Vladimir with an extremely dark and venomous tone.
"You people do not abide by the rules! You set the rules for this auction yourselves — and now you intend to tear them up yourselves?!"
"Hahaha..."
Vladimir couldn't help but laugh. "Kaido, do you really have the face to speak of rules? Rules are made only for those who cannot survive without following them. I stand above the laws. Now then... hand over the blueprint."
Kaido's face turned red with rage, teetering on the edge of total madness.
"You truly are Vladimir... the strongest man in the world!"
He ground his teeth together, his killing intent surging to the limit.
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