[~1200 Words]
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Doflamingo's face darkened with fury. "Where is Dellinger?" he demanded.
"Maybe… maybe he fell into that big hole…" came the nervous reply.
*The big hole…*
Without wasting another second, Doflamingo sprang forward, leaping straight toward the spot where Dellinger had last been seen.
At the same time, just outside the port in the open sea, Jinbe, Aladine, and the rest of the Sun Pirates formed a tight circle. Each of them struck an unusual stance, quietly gathering power.
Around them the seawater began to swirl, slowly at first, then faster, creating a giant underwater vortex centered on the group.
The next moment their eyes flashed with focus. They all turned to Jinbe. He gave a firm nod and shouted, "Now!"
"Combined Fish-Man Karate: Water Blast — Sea Current Shoulder Throw!"
Each warrior embraced a swirling column of water, spinning it counter-clockwise with tremendous force. The sea answered instantly. In just a few breaths a massive vortex erupted on the surface as well.
The sudden spectacle stopped Doflamingo dead in his tracks as he rushed toward the port. He froze, eyes wide, and instinctively began to back away.
As if the vortex had been waiting for him, its center exploded upward. A colossal pillar of water shot into the sky, hurtling straight toward the heart of Dressrosa.
"This is…" Doflamingo's pupils shrank. Even though the torrent wasn't aimed at him, he instantly wove a protective shield of strings.
"Spider Web!"
The enormous water column roared hundreds of meters into the air before bursting apart with a deafening crash. The impact point was exactly the center of Dressrosa—King's Heights!
The exploding seawater scattered into countless fine droplets, raining down across the entire island. It looked like ordinary rain… except it was seawater pouring from the sky.
Any Devil Fruit user who got even a single drop on them would suddenly feel that familiar, crippling weakness—the kind that could end a fight in an instant.
Jinbe, Aladine, and the other Fish-Men broke the surface with broad, satisfied grins. Their smiles only widened when they saw the results of their handiwork.
"Boss Jinbe, we did it!" the crew cheered, laughing with open mischief.
Just then one of them spotted a figure on the shore and muttered in disbelief, "Is that… Doflamingo? What's he doing here?"
"Could he have been waiting for us? When did his strength get this high?"
Doflamingo's frown deepened. He thickened his defensive net until it formed an umbrella-like canopy attached to the back of his neck. Knowing seawater could soften his strings, he carefully coated the entire structure with Armament Haki.
Only then did he glare at the Fish-Men in the water and snarl, "Sea Knight Jinbe! What the hell are you doing here?! What have you done?!"
"Attacking another Warlord of the Sea—have you thought about the consequences at all?!"
"Hohoho~ My apologies, Doflamingo~" Jinbe answered with a deep, rumbling laugh. Fish-Man Island and Mermaid Island were flourishing these days, and he had thrown himself into his duties with even greater dedication—all for James.
"I'm simply carrying out a few minor tasks~"
"What?!" Doflamingo's veins bulged. "Tasks? For who? The World Government?!"
"Sorry, but you'll learn the whole truth soon enough. It just won't come out of my mouth."
"Jinbe!" Doflamingo roared. Conqueror's Haki erupted from him like a storm, slamming toward the Fish-Men without mercy.
Most of the Sun Pirates left behind were elite veterans. Jinbe himself had stood firm under Charlotte Linlin's Conqueror's Haki; Doflamingo's blast barely made them flinch.
Spiro, one of the crew, rolled his eyes and grinned wickedly.
"Hey, Boss Jinbe, why don't we finish Doflamingo off right here? Taking down a Warlord and hitting Dressrosa—that kind of credit might get James to reward you with one of those special things!"
Jinbe paused. He knew exactly what Spiro meant. They had seen it during sparring sessions with James's Divine Officers: Devil Fruit powers granted through special means, completely immune to seawater. Those officers carried Sea Prism Stone weapons yet felt no weakness at all.
That "special thing" was a Devil Fruit power without any drawbacks.
Jinbe waved the idea away and whispered firmly, "Forget it. We've only just joined up. This isn't the time to stick our necks out and become a target. We don't need unnecessary trouble."
Seeing them ignore him completely, Doflamingo raised his arm and slashed downward toward Jinbe.
"Parasite String!"
Before Jinbe could even move, the Fish-Men beside him simply swept their hands through the water, stirring up a powerful wave that blocked the attack effortlessly.
"Hey! Jinbe, what are you muttering about over there? Have you really reached the point where you can just ignore me now?!"
"But since we've run into Doflamingo like this," Jinbe added, his voice turning solemn and serious, "we definitely have to fight him!"
The Fish-Men answered with fierce, sharp grins and began swimming straight toward the Warlord.
Doflamingo versus Sea Knight Jinbe and the Sun Pirates.
A massive battle was about to erupt!
....
Up in the viewing stands of the Bullfighting Arena, Diamanti lounged comfortably while two gladiators battled fiercely below.
A sudden loud boom split the sky. Seawater began pouring down like ordinary rain.
Diamanti was caught completely off guard. He hadn't realized it was seawater until he was already soaked. A wave of weakness swept through him and he muttered, "What's going on…? This isn't rain… it's seawater! How is seawater falling from the sky?!"
Before he could bark any orders, a loyal Donquixote Family servant hurried over and held a large umbrella above him, shielding him from the continuing sea-rain.
After a few moments his strength returned. With a casual flick of his wrist he turned the steel cape on his back into a sturdy overhead shield, blocking the corrosive droplets.
"Never mind," he muttered. "I'll wait for Doffy's orders. Right now the important thing is the fight down there. Who wins? Who'll make the best toy material?"
In the underground factory beneath the arena, Sugar, Trebol, and Baby-5 had been watching the same gladiators on the monitor for quite some time, ready to turn the winner into a new toy.
*Static—*
Sparks flickered across the screen and the picture vanished.
"Behehehe~ What happened?" Trebol asked in his sloppy, childlike voice, snot dripping from his nose as he tilted his head curiously.
Sugar's round little face scrunched up. She puffed out her cheeks like two buns and whined, "Hurry up and get someone to fix it! They were right in the middle of the best part—I was just getting into it!"
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