Faced with the massive weapon crashing down, Doflamingo's eyes flashed sharply as several nearly invisible threads emerged beneath his feet. His long legs, clad in seven-quarter-length pants, lifted directly.
Boom!
A violent collision resounded, shockwaves mixed with fierce winds spreading outward.
The massive Samehada, resembling a door plank, was blocked by the tip of a dark red leather shoe.
"Fufufufufu... Looks like I overestimated you."
Feeling the force from Samehada, Doflamingo sneered. The threads connected to his foot suddenly tensed.
With a second burst of power, he kicked Samehada back at Kisame. As he spun, his fingers flicked.
Five nearly invisible threads suddenly shot out, slicing through the air toward Kisame's head.
Splat!
The razor-sharp threads instantly sliced Kisame's head into multiple segments.
"Uh..."
"What the..."
Seeing how easily their opponent was killed, Doflamingo froze for a moment, unable to believe how simple it was.
"Young Master is unstoppable!"
"Hahaha... That guy dared to challenge the Donquixote Family and turned out to be so weak?"
"Tch, I thought he was strong, but he's just trash..."
The inexplicable battle and the abrupt ending left even Doflamingo feeling bewildered.
However, just as the crew mocked the fallen enemy, a chilling voice echoed from the ship's prow.
"Is this the strength of a 300-million bounty pirate?"
Hearing the voice, everyone turned toward the prow in shock.
There, standing completely unharmed, was the very same Kisame who had supposedly been killed. Their eyes widened in disbelief.
The crew, their brains momentarily frozen, instinctively looked back at the spot where Kisame had died.
There was no corpse—only a puddle of seawater.
"How is this possible?!"
"What the hell just happened?!"
The ship's crew, including several Donquixote officers, stared at Kisame in shock.
No matter how hard they thought, they couldn't comprehend how someone who had clearly died could be standing there again.
"A Devil Fruit user?"
Doflamingo turned his gaze back to Kisame, his expression becoming more serious.
If Kisame had been just another brute relying on raw strength, he wouldn't have been concerned. But from what he had seen, this man was far more than that.
"If that's all you've got, then your fate is already sealed."
Instead of answering, Kisame returned the words.
Crack!
The ship's railing shattered as Kisame leaped forward, his massive Samehada once again smashing toward Doflamingo.
"Hmph, using the same move twice? How foolish."
Seeing his opponent charge head-on once more, Doflamingo's eyes flashed with disdain. His five fingers flexed, and multiple transparent threads sprung into the air again.
The nearly invisible threads sliced through the air like blades.
They were sharp enough to rival a swordsman's slash.
Though invisible to the naked eye, Kisame could sense their presence.
His massive Samehada crashed down, colliding with the threads.
The impact stretched the resilient threads to their limit, producing a sound like an overstretched violin string.
"Fufufufu... Battles aren't won with brute strength alone!"
Watching the tension in his threads reach the breaking point, Doflamingo grinned and suddenly leaped. The threads at his feet snapped taut, pulling him into the air as he delivered a devastating kick.
Boom!
The moment his leg neared Kisame, it suddenly turned jet black, coated with Haki, and struck with immense force straight into Kisame's abdomen.
Splash!
Again?!
Before Doflamingo could celebrate, the fish-man he had just kicked dissolved into a puddle of water.
"Shit!"
The moment he made contact with the liquid, Doflamingo's face twisted in alarm. A chilling sense of weakness surged through him.
"This... this is seawater?!"
In this world, a Devil Fruit user's greatest weaknesses were Seastone and seawater.
Though he had only touched a small amount, the implications sent a chill down his spine.
Could this fish-man manipulate seawater?
A Water-Water Fruit user?
No, that Devil Fruit was already in his possession, and it didn't work like this...
"Losing focus in battle is a fatal mistake!"
Suddenly, Kisame's cold voice reached Doflamingo's ears once more.
"Nani?!"
Doflamingo's heart pounded.
Boom!
Before he could react, a tremendous force struck his back. The sheer power contorted his face in agony.
With a thunderous crash, Doflamingo was sent flying like a cannonball, smashing through the deck and into the ship's interior.
"What?!"
"Impossible! The Young Master was just... hit?!"
The Donquixote Family members on deck stared in shock at the hole in the deck, then slowly turned their heads toward the prow where Kisame now stood.
Aside from his imposing build, he didn't seem particularly extraordinary.
Yet this man had just sent their Young Master, the notorious "Heavenly Demon" Doflamingo, flying?
A pirate with a bounty exceeding 300 million, defeated by some unknown upstart?
Just who was this guy?!
The entire ship fell into an eerie silence, as if time itself had stopped.
"Fufufu... cough... fufufufu..."
After a long pause, an eerie chuckle echoed from the damaged ship's interior. A moment later, an overwhelming presence surged through the deck like a volcanic eruption.
"Shit, the Young Master is pissed!"
Feeling the immense pressure erupt from within, a snot-nosed man's expression changed drastically. He opened his mouth to shout—
Boom, boom, boom!
But before he could finish, the weaker crew members collapsed unconscious, one by one.
"What is this?!"
Under this oppressive aura, Kisame felt the air grow thick and heavy. Though surprised, he wasn't overwhelmed.
He found the sensation intriguing—but nothing more.
He had no idea what it was, nor that it was the legendary "Conqueror's Haki."
"Fufufufu... Fish-man... you've really pissed me off now."
Boom!
As his cold, arrogant voice echoed, Doflamingo flew out from the ship's interior. Tossing aside his shattered sunglasses, he grinned viciously at Kisame.
"I don't care who you are. I don't care whose subordinate you are. I will kill you."
Wiping the blood from his mouth, his sneer grew darker. Then, his expression turned ice-cold as he thrust out a hand.
"Overheat!"
Dozens of nearly invisible threads erupted, twisting together to form a massive whip-like blade. With a single flick, the attack sliced through the air at terrifying speed.
Anything in its path was instantly split in two.
The thick mast collapsed with a loud crash, showcasing the terrifying power of the attack…
(End of Chapter)