"Fufufufufu... It's so lively, you don't mind if I join in, right?"
Donquixote Doflamingo's figure descended from the sky, slamming onto the deck, sending wood chips flying.
He straightened up. His height, nearly three meters, carried an intense sense of oppression, and his pink feather coat fluttered dramatically in the sea breeze behind him.
Doflamingo curled his lips into his signature arrogant smile, his sunglasses reflecting the light and fire of the battlefield.
"Marineford Vice Admiral Gion..."
His gaze swept past Gion and landed on Perospero behind her, his smile deepening slightly:
"And the BIG MOM Pirates' eldest son, Charlotte Perospero..."
"Fufufufufu, what a luxurious lineup."
It had to be said, this guy was somewhat late.
Even though the Marines had received the intelligence from him, Garp had ended up being the first top-tier powerhouse to arrive.
This was the result of Doflamingo sensing a change in the situation halfway there, abandoning the flamingo and directly using the Sky Path to rush over.
Gion let Konpira hang naturally, her tone betraying little nervousness:
"Heh, isn't that Doflamingo? What, aren't you running away this time?"
Despite her words, her knuckles tightened silently.
Doflamingo's interference added a huge variable to an already troublesome battle.
She knew very well that the person Doffy truly feared was her older sister, Vice Admiral Tsuru.
But now Vice Admiral Tsuru was tied down by Katakuri and Cracker, making it unlikely she could free herself anytime soon.
However, Gion was not overly panicked.
The Marines had originally obtained the intelligence about the Ope-Ope no Mi from the Donquixote Family, so Doflamingo's arrival was anticipated.
She had already gained the initiative in the fight, and Perospero was injured. Even if he teamed up with Doflamingo... well... she probably couldn't win against their combined strength, but she wouldn't be defeated quickly either.
As long as she could stall for a while, people from the other two battlefields could come over to support her once their fights were concluded.
Perospero's gaze swept over Doflamingo, and he gripped the Candy Cane in his hand tighter:
"I truly didn't expect to see you here, JOKER. Are you also here for that thing?"
The BIG MOM Pirates' source of intelligence was Shakky, and they were not working with Doflamingo, so they had absolutely no expectation that he would appear here.
However, Perospero was the strategist for the BIG MOM Pirates, and Doflamingo was currently just a small pirate who hadn't even left the North Blue. Deep down, he felt Doflamingo had no right to compete for the Ope-Ope no Mi.
But having just been rescued by the man, Perospero found it difficult to say anything harsh.
"Fufufufu..."
Doflamingo chuckled softly, ignoring Gion's mockery, and turned to look at Perospero:
"It seems I arrived at exactly the right time, fufufu..."
Subtly reminding Perospero of the favor, Doflamingo attempted to seize the dominant position in their upcoming cooperation.
Perospero didn't catch the hint, but Gion, who understood Doflamingo quite well, did. She let out a cold snort:
"Indeed! You arrived at the perfect time! It's convenient for me to capture both of you together!"
The moment she finished speaking, a sharp slash shot toward Doflamingo. The sword energy, accompanied by a fierce tearing sound, sliced through the night sky.
Doflamingo turned his head and swung his arm.
"Spiderweb Wall!"
Boom!
The deck instantly shattered, and the dog-head warship rocked violently, creating a depression in the surrounding seawater.
A circle of nearly invisible threads instantly spread out from Doflamingo's center, forming a massive spiderweb barrier between the two of them.
Wood fragments flew from the deck. The moment Doflamingo blocked the slash, he used the force to backflip, landing steadily in front of and slightly to the side of Perospero:
"How about we deal with this Marine first, together?"
Doflamingo was the first to issue a team-up invitation.
Perospero thought for a moment and nodded slightly.
Regardless of whether the other party was after the Ope-Ope no Mi, this was the best choice given the current situation.
Moreover, he didn't believe Doflamingo had any chance of obtaining the Ope-Ope no Mi.
Although the fighting on these two ships was fierce, the people on Minion Island were truly the key to determining the fruit's ownership.
Doflamingo's thoughts at this moment were similar to Vergo's.
Logically, he knew that with such a massive disturbance, it would be difficult for him to acquire the Ope-Ope no Mi.
But emotionally, he was still somewhat unwilling to give up, wanting to see if a miracle might happen.
Having received an affirmative reply, Doflamingo stopped wasting words and, along with Perospero, formed a pincer attack against Gion.
Doflamingo slightly curled his fingers, and the shattered wood fragments from the deck below were manipulated by threads, shooting toward Gion like projectiles.
Just as Gion was about to swing her sword to cut down the wood fragments, Perospero's candy sludge had already surged over her ankles like a tide.
"Imposter String!"
Seizing the opportunity, Doflamingo abruptly swung his arm, and five threads capable of splitting mountains and cracking stone tore through the air, slashing straight down!
Gion held Konpira horizontally, and the instant the blade collided with the thread beams—
BOOM!!!
An air blast several times more violent than before erupted centered on the three of them!
This time, even the base of the main mast emitted a sound of cracking under the overwhelming pressure.
"Armament: Flowing Candy Wall!"
At the same time, Perospero plunged his Candy Cane into the deck, and a thick, viscous candy wall instantly rose, blocking Gion's potential escape routes.
"Tch!"
Gion clicked her tongue, finding the situation somewhat tricky.
However, the fighting spirit in her eyes grew stronger, and wave-like Armament Haki suddenly surged around Konpira!
Clang!
A deafening sound of metal collision echoed in the night sky.
The shockwave even affected the nearby sea surface, sending towering columns of water shooting up.
"Super String Whip!"
"Candy Execution Song!"
Facing the combined attacks of the two men, Gion's gaze became sharper than ever before.
Instead of retreating, she advanced, her blade thrusting straight forward, continuously clashing with their attacks. The energy generated by the shockwaves distorted the surrounding air, creating continuous explosive sounds.
Aboard the queen mama chanter, Vice Admiral Tsuru, who was being besieged by Katakuri and Cracker, still had enough presence of mind to pay attention to the battle nearby.
Seeing that Gion was mostly defending and was at a disadvantage, but not in immediate danger, a relieved smile appeared on her face.
She glanced toward Minion Island again and couldn't help but sigh.
The entire island had been battered into an unrecognizable state, swaying precariously in the waves, looking as if it could sink at any moment.
On the island, Sakazuki blasted half of the Yeti's head off with a single punch.
Yet, he showed no sign of joy; instead, his brows were tightly furrowed.
This was the first time he had faced an immortal monster like those from the God's Knights. Although their individual strength wasn't overwhelming, what truly worried Sakazuki was the overall direction of the battle.
With Kizaru's addition, the battle situation changed once again.
Furthermore, it was foreseeable that as time passed, the World Government might even send more reinforcements.
By that time, the Ope-Ope no Mi would most likely fall into the hands of the World Government.
Sakazuki gritted his teeth, hardening his resolve:
"We absolutely cannot let the Ope-Ope no Mi be stolen by the World Government!"
-------------------------
If you enjoy this story, you can read 70+ advanced chapters on Patreon!
Webnovel will keep getting 1 new chapter every day but Patreon readers can stay far ahead.
Maybe it's not a big deal now… maybe it will be later.
[email protected]/Rexlent
"And If you're enjoying it, drop a Power Stone for me!"