The shockwave from the clashing Conqueror's Haki sent Law tumbling across the ground. He watched the two powerful men with a grim expression. Even though Doflamingo was being suppressed by the weight of the aura, he managed to stay on his feet, proving his strength was at least at a level nearing a Marine Admiral. Unfortunately for him, his opponent was Carl, and Doflamingo's power was simply not enough to bridge the gap.
"Five Color Strings!" Doflamingo shouted, swinging his hand to send razor-sharp, colored lines toward Carl's head.
Carl reacted instantly, drawing the Sandai Kitetsu to block the strike. He coated the blade in Armament Haki, meeting the strings with a heavy, metallic clang. Doflamingo immediately shifted his stance, aiming a "Leg Shave String" kick toward Carl's waist. Carl, who despised being targeted there, countered with a fierce strike aimed at Doflamingo's ankle, forcing the Warlord to retract his leg in a hurry.
Carl's grip on Doflamingo's wrist tightened with bone-crushing force. A sickening crack echoed through the air as the bones began to give way, causing cold sweat to pour down Doflamingo's face from the intense pain.
"I didn't expect the real you to show up in person," Carl said with a cold smile. "I thought you would send a string clone. But this is better; I can finish you right here."
Doflamingo's eyes widened in shock. He hadn't realized Carl knew about his ability to create clones. Desperate, he tapped into his final reserve of power. The ground beneath them began to turn into white, undulating waves of thread. This was the power of an Awakened Devil Fruit. One wave rose to block Carl's sword, while another lunged like a predator toward Carl's arm.
"Oh? So you've already awakened," Carl noted calmly. He wasn't surprised; Doflamingo was 39 years old and had spent decades mastering his fruit. However, this legendary power still wasn't enough to threaten him.
The white threads struck Carl's shoulder with a sharp "ding," but they were simply bounced away by his superior durability. Carl didn't even flinch. Doflamingo was horrified, wondering what kind of monster could ignore his strongest awakening skills.
Realizing Carl would never let go, Doflamingo made a brutal choice. He used a string to slice off his own forearm and retreated instantly. Carl looked down at the severed hand in his grip, surprised by the Warlord's ruthlessness. Doflamingo was an expert at his craft; he had stitched the wound closed with thread in the same second he cut it to prevent blood loss. He used a single connecting string to pull the severed hand back toward his body.
Grimacing in pain, Doflamingo quickly reattached the limb with his threads. Though he was weakened, it was better than losing the hand forever. He didn't stay to fight; he connected a line to the clouds above and began flying back toward Dressrosa at high speed. He hoped to reach the palace and convince the other powerful pirates—the Blackbeard, Big Mom, and Beasts crews—to help him in exchange for whatever they wanted.
"Doflamingo, don't run!" Carl yelled.
A giant sword flew out from the forest behind them. Carl and Law jumped onto the blade as it sped into the air, chasing the fleeing Warlord. Law felt a surge of joy seeing the man who had caused so much suffering running like a scared animal. He wanted to see Doflamingo fall completely, whether that meant death or a lifetime in Impel Down.
Back in Dressrosa, the Straw Hats and the Whitebeard Pirates reached the registration booth for the tournament. Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, Tashigi, and Brook signed up to compete. The rest of the crew split up to investigate the city. Since the Straw Hats were famous pirates with high bounties, they had to be careful. Usopp, Nami, and Chopper wore disguises, while others simply walked the streets, knowing Doflamingo's spies were watching their every move.
Their goal was to find the girl named Sugar. If they could knock her out, all the living toys in the city would return to their human forms, creating the chaos needed to topple Doflamingo's regime. The Straw Hats held the advantage because Doflamingo didn't know they were aware of Sugar's secret.
Inside the fighter's waiting room, the other contestants froze in fear at the sight of Luffy and the Whitebeard commanders. The presence of such "Five Emperor" level powerhouses meant the prize was likely out of reach for everyone else.
Luffy soon found himself face-to-face with Katakuri. The atmosphere in the room turned ice-cold as the two powerful fighters stared each other down. Meanwhile, in a private VIP room, Burgess and the other Blackbeard pirates were relieved they weren't in the general waiting area yet; they weren't ready to face the Straw Hats quite so soon.
"Hey, Big Mom Pirates! Do you want to start the fight right now?" Marco asked casually.
"Fighting in the waiting room is forbidden," Katakuri replied sharply. "We came for the fruit, not a brawl. If we meet on the stage, we can settle things there."
Katakuri looked around the room, feeling a sense of relief when he realized Carl wasn't there. Still, facing Luffy, Marco, and Vista was a daunting task.
Luffy looked at Katakuri with a determined grin. "That's fine with me. Just know that when I get on that stage, I'm not holding back!"
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