The Kingdom of Dressrosa.
The massive Birdcage enveloped the entire island. The kingdom was still in the throes of a violent uprising, while the Marines, maintaining a neutral stance, busied themselves assisting wounded civilians.
As time ticked by, Princess Mansherry of the Tontatta Kingdom continued to heal the wounds of the heroes who had risen against Doflamingo's tyranny. From the Corrida Colosseum to the Underground Trade Port, powerhouse after powerhouse was restored to peak condition: King Elizabello II, the Flash Blade Gergiel Haunger, Calotte the "Moonlight's Smile," the Dwarf Bara, Sai and Boo from the Kano Country, the Evil Hypnotist Pubert... there were simply too many to count!
Doflamingo had originally staged this grand event to lure Straw Hat Luffy and Trafalgar Law into a trap, intending to turn a fresh batch of powerful fighters into toy slaves to bolster his prestige. He never imagined things would spiral so far out of control. Now, bolstered by these restored masters and the Mink warriors, the Donquixote Family officers and the small contingent of the Chris Pirates were failing to hold the line.
Sabo, Chief of Staff of the Revolutionary Army; Gergiel Haunger, the Flash Blade; Duke Inuarashi, Ruler of Day; and Master Nekomamushi, Ruler of Night… each of these four was a top-tier powerhouse on the level of a Yonko's Commander or All-Star. Within the Donquixote-Chris coalition, only Quiniel Vito could truly stand on their level. The others, whether it was Myles Dimitri, Cavendish, Burgess, or Top Officers like Diamante, fell short. While Pica could stall one opponent using his terrain-manipulating abilities, the gap in high-end combatants was becoming a chasm.
Dimitri was not a combat-specialized officer; though the More-More Fruit compensated for his weaknesses, he had held the power for too short a time to wield it with the terrifying perfection of Byrnndi World. Cavendish was gifted but too young and lacked the discipline for rigorous training. Burgess, in his original history, had been decimated by a Sabo who had just eaten the Flame-Flame Fruit; even without that fruit now, Sabo's raw Haki and strength remained superior. As for the Top Officers of the Donquixote Family, they looked impressive on paper, but in practice, Pica was the only one with any real utility.
The healed masters, shaking off their previous exhaustion, began to vent their fury on their former opponents. For instance, Lao G had previously suppressed Haunger, mocking the "legendary" swordsman as mediocre. Now that Haunger was restored, a single lightning-fast thrust pierced Lao G's right arm, silencing the old man's taunts. Haunger's swordsmanship was simply too fast and precise; his estoc, coated in Armament Haki, possessed extreme armor-piercing capabilities. Even Vito had only defeated him by resorting to a "mutually assured destruction" tactic, relying on his near-Awakened recovery speed to outlast the swordsman.
"Doffy, open the Birdcage!"
Suddenly, a cold, detached voice descended from the sky, ringing clearly across all of Dressrosa.
"That's..."
"That voice..."
Countless people looked up in shock at the sky beyond the wires. Their gazes were filled with either desperate hope or paralyzing dread.
"Admiral Issho, that person is..."
On a specialized Marine warship, soldiers stared at a small black dot in the sky. Officers had already raised their binoculars or sharpened their focus to identify the newcomer. They saw a cold, stoic face, a robust frame clad in a black coat with a white wave-patterned hem, and gold earrings that glinted under the sun.
"Ah... that man... has arrived."
Fujitora put down his teacup. Gripping his cane-sword, he rose slowly, opening his sightless eyes toward the sky as if he could see the man descending.
In the heart of the city, Doflamingo stood amidst the ruins. Two massive pillars of thread rose from the ground to intercept a punch from Luffy.
BOOM!
The impact scattered dust everywhere. Doflamingo glanced at the sky, his lips curling into a grin. "Finally here. It seems you had a bit of a run-in with that 'Strongest Shield of the Celestial Dragons' after all!"
Boing... boing...
Luffy bounced on the ground, his face darkening as he stared at the man outside the Birdcage.
The next moment, the threads at the apex of the Birdcage parted, creating a "gate." Aeridar flew in without a word, using his powerful Observation Haki to pinpoint Doflamingo's location instantly.
Pop!
He vanished from mid-air and reappeared instantly beside Doflamingo.
"Golden Ring Aeridar!" Luffy snarled, his eyes burning with rage. "Give Robin and Sanji back to me!"
Aeridar spared Luffy a cursory glance but ignored him, turning instead to Doflamingo. "I sense a lot of powerful presences. It looks like you've lost control of the situation."
Doflamingo's expression soured. "Sugar was knocked unconscious," he said icily. "I need you to help suppress the revolt. Afterward, we'll need to bury this incident."
"An incident this size won't stay buried easily," Aeridar replied flatly.
"With our combined influence, I can move the World Government through my status as a Celestial Dragon. As for Big News Morgans, you'll have to handle him," Doflamingo countered.
"It sounds like you're going to have to pay a steep price this time." Aeridar raised an eyebrow, looking deeply at Doflamingo. An incident involving so many nobles, merchants, and the Marines wasn't something that could be covered up with a simple handshake.
Pausing, Aeridar added, "By the way, I ran into Saint Aeolus Amphitrite. He's the 'Strongest Shield of the Celestial Dragons' from CP0, Mythical Zoan, Red Dragon model. I gave him a bit of a beating. Watch out; he might try to cause trouble for you later."
"Aeolus Amphitrite..." Doflamingo's eye twitched. "That freak from the Aeolus family? I've heard of him. That complicates things, but I'll handle it."
Luffy watched them talk with wary eyes, not daring to strike first. He was growing desperate; his Gear 4 was more than halfway through its time limit. If he didn't end this soon, he would lose his fighting strength, and even a hundred versions of himself wouldn't be able to escape alive.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Aeridar's head tilted slightly. Several rapid images flashed through his mind.
"What did you foresee?" Doflamingo's posture tensed. He knew this man. Aeridar had clearly seen a glimpse of the future.
Faced with the monster who had once crushed his Gear 4 state, Luffy's mind became preternaturally clear. I'm already struggling against Doflamingo, he realized. With this even stronger monster here, I have to find help. If it's one-on-two, I won't even be able to buy time.
CRASH!
Luffy's feet dug into the ground, his legs compressing like springs. The ground shattered under the pressure as he released the tension, launching himself backward like a bolt of lightning. In an instant, he had cleared a hundred meters.
"Trying to run?!" Doflamingo raised his hand to strike.
BOOM!
At almost the same moment, Aeridar erupted into motion, a violent gust of wind trailing him. He moved so fast the air itself roared, appearing behind Luffy in the blink of an eye.