"So fast!"
Luffy's Observation Haki sensed the anomaly behind him. He twisted his body mid-air in a desperate attempt to defend. But the moment he turned, a pitch-black, gleaming fist expanded in his vision, smashing ruthlessly into his face.
BOOM!
A visible ring of shockwaves erupted instantly. Luffy felt as if he had been struck by a warhammer; his mind went blank for a heartbeat, and his body was transformed into a black blur, hurtling toward the ground at terminal velocity.
KABOOM!
A thunderous roar echoed as the black silhouette slammed into the street. The ground convulsed, and a violent pressure wave kicked up a massive curtain of dust.
"This guy... he really has gotten stronger again!"
Doflamingo wore a look of genuine surprise. He hadn't expected Aeridar to bring Luffy down with a single blow.
As the dust gradually settled, the bluestone pavement, pulverized by the sheer force of the impact, revealed a crater several meters wide, surrounded by spiderweb-like cracks spreading through the earth.
Boing... boing...
Blood leaked from the corner of Luffy's mouth as he bounced involuntarily inside the pit. He stared up at Aeridar in shock. This monster...
"Straw Hat, I've shown you enough tolerance for Garp's sake." Aeridar looked down at Luffy, his eyes flashing with a cold, regretful light. "Unfortunately, both you and your father have squandered my goodwill. It seems I have no choice but to send you both to hell!"
"Aeridar, taking my life won't be that easy! I'm still taking Sanji and Robin back!" Luffy wiped the blood from his chin, meeting Aeridar's gaze without a shred of fear.
"Fuffuffuffuffu! Still talking big, Straw Hat. Do you really think you're walking out of Dressrosa alive today? Fuffuffuffuffu—!"
Doflamingo cackled, adjusting his sunglasses. He walked forward with his signature splayed gait, his pointed leather shoes clicking against the rubble and debris of the ruined road.
The next second, before Luffy could respond, the streets and surrounding buildings transmuted into countless strands of soft, pure-white thread. Several massive white pillars of string rose into the air, dancing like tentacles.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The pillars suddenly thrust forward. Luffy scrambled to dodge as the earth and nearby structures were skewered. Buildings collapsed, sending up fresh waves of heat and choking dust.
"Dammit! I can't keep this up!"
Luffy gritted his teeth and kicked the air. A white sonic boom erupted under his feet, allowing him to launch himself toward Aeridar like a solid projectile.
"Gomu Gomu no... Leo Bazooka!!!"
In an instant, Luffy retracted both fists into his body before firing them forward with explosive force.
"Perfect timing. I'll crush you head-on!"
Aeridar grinned savagely. He met the attack with his own pitch-black fists, hardened by Armament Haki. With no tricks or feints, he collided directly with Luffy's strike.
DONG—!
The collision of the four fists produced a sound like a giant temple bell. A visible ripple of distorted air swept outward from the center of the impact.
At that moment, Luffy felt an unparalleled, terrifying power surging from his opponent's knuckles. The sheer vibration forced his arms open, leaving him helpless as he watched those metallic, obsidian-black fists smash into his chest.
"Pfft—!"
Luffy sprayed a mouthful of blood. He became a blur once more, sent flying into the distance so fast that a series of sonic boom clouds trailed behind him in the air.
…
Near the Corrida Colosseum.
The coalition of powerhouses led by Sabo, joined by the Mink warriors, was driving the combined forces of the Donquixote Family and Chris Pirates into a steady retreat.
Of the ten Dragonians, six were already dead. Half of the twenty Elite Strike Team members had been taken down, and ordinary pirate casualties exceeded three hundred.
Lao G had been severely wounded by Haunger; Machvise was sent flying by the Dwarf Bara; and Caribou's brother, Coribou, was critically injured after being swarmed by multiple Minks. Almost everyone else bore scars from the fray.
Fortunately, the sound of Aeridar's voice earlier had provided a massive morale boost to the Donquixote and Chris forces, causing them to fight with renewed desperation.
Whiz—!KABOOM!
Suddenly, a high-pitched whistle tore through the air. A black silhouette streaked across the sky and slammed violently into the ruins of the Corrida Colosseum.
The ground shuddered violently. A shockwave of dirt and dust swept across a hundred-meter radius, sending jagged rocks flying in every direction.
"What happened?"
"What was that thing?!"
"It looked like... a person?!"
The combatants on both sides froze, turning their heads toward the crash site. As the dust cleared, a crater over ten meters wide was revealed, its floor webbed with deep fissures.
"L-Luffy!"
Sabo stared in horror at the center of the pit. There lay his younger brother, whom he had only just reunited with, half-buried under the rubble. Only his head and half a leg were visible. Luffy's Gear 4 had deactivated, and his body had shrunk back to its original size.
Sabo abandoned his fight with Vito and sprinted toward the crater.
"Straw Hat!"
"It's Monkey D. Luffy!"
"How did this happen?"
"Was it Golden Ring Aeridar?"
Following Sabo's cry, many others recognized the fallen pirate.
"My, my... quite the crowd we have here."
A calm voice drifted down. Everyone turned their heads toward the source. Two men were hovering in the sky, looking down at the battlefield.
"G-G-Golden Ring Aeridar!"
"And Doflamingo!"
"Captain!"
"Young Master!"
At the sight of the two, the atmosphere shifted instantly. For some, it was a look of grim gravity; for others, it was sheer terror. Seeing an infamous rookie of the "Worst Generation" beaten into such a state left them paralyzed with dread.
Conversely, the members of the Donquixote Family and the Chris Pirates erupted in cheers. Their captains had arrived, the end was near for their enemies.
"Luffy! Luffy, are you okay?!" Sabo knelt in the crater, frantically digging the rocks off his brother.
"Sa... Sabo..." Luffy opened his eyes slowly, grabbing Sabo's arm with a trembling hand. "Be... be careful. That monster... he's too strong!"
"I know! I've got you!" Sabo checked Luffy's condition and let out a small sigh of relief. The injuries weren't as fatal as they looked; Luffy had simply exhausted every last drop of his stamina.
In the heavy silence that followed, Gergiel Haunger stepped forward. He leveled his estoc at Aeridar and roared, "Golden Ring Aeridar! You murdered my two star pupils in the Kingdom of Bivins. Today, I will have your head!"
Faced with Haunger's fury, Aeridar blinked in surprise. The crowd finally understood why this legendary swordsman had been so relentlessly hostile toward the Chris Pirates from the very beginning.