After taking a direct hit from the Thunder Cannon Fist, Donquixote Doflamingo felt his ears ringing violently. The thunderous impact left him momentarily disoriented, unable to even hear what Sali was saying. Rage quickly took over, pushing him to the brink of losing control.
That lightning ability was a nightmare.
Its speed and destructive force far surpassed his strings, and the intense heat it generated perfectly countered his String-String Fruit. Even if he reinforced his threads with Armament Haki, his opponent's mastery was no weaker than his own. In fact, when it came to the advanced technique of flowing Armament Haki, he was clearly at a disadvantage.
At that moment, Doflamingo finally understood the frustration and helplessness Crocodile must have felt.
Facing such overwhelming power, how was he supposed to fight?
There were no tricks involved, only pure, crushing superiority in every aspect. The gap in strength was suffocating.
But surrender was never an option for someone like him. If he could not outmatch his opponent, then he would overwhelm him with relentless offense.
"Rough White Line!"
Doflamingo struck first. Tens of thousands of translucent white threads erupted from the ground, spreading outward like waves and surging toward Sali from every direction, aiming to bind and shred him.
Sali did not remain still. He leapt upward as lightning gathered in his hands, preparing a counterattack.
In the next instant, a shadow loomed overhead. The palace gate nearby had transformed into countless threads, crashing down like a massive white tide.
Doflamingo knew these attacks alone would not seriously injure Sali, but they would buy him time, and that was all he needed.
Even now, he believed his mastery of the String-String Fruit far exceeded that of weaker users. No Devil Fruit was inherently inferior. Its strength depended entirely on the user.
"The power of a Devil Fruit depends on how it is developed!"
With that declaration, he unleashed another attack.
"Thousand Arrows, Piercing Heart: Feather Strike Thread!"
Sali's patience wore thin. The attacks were not particularly devastating, but they were constant and relentless, like an endless swarm. Compared to Crocodile, Doflamingo was undeniably more troublesome, but the String-String Fruit simply lacked the raw threat of abilities like Boa Hancock's power.
Still, Sali felt no sympathy. Doflamingo was nothing more than a ruthless villain.
Lightning erupted around Sali, instantly shattering the surrounding threads. Even those reinforced with Armament Haki were torn apart under the force of his Ryuo.
As the threads cleared, Sali noticed sixteen massive strands rising behind Doflamingo, each wrapped in dense Armament Haki.
Doflamingo grinned.
"Fufufufufu… Sixteen Holy Bullets: God Thread!"
The sixteen giant threads shot forward at terrifying speed, tearing through the air toward Sali.
Sali frowned. Bringing his hands together, he thrust them forward, and a massive wall of ice formed instantly.
A series of impacts rang out.
Within moments, the ice wall shattered after blocking five of the threads. The remaining eleven pierced straight through toward him.
There was no time to evade.
"Boom!"
The attack landed cleanly.
Doflamingo's grin widened, but it froze in the very next second.
The figure before him shattered into fragments of ice.
"A decoy?"
Before he could process it, Sali's voice came from behind him.
"Is that your ultimate technique, Heavenly Yaksha? If this is all you've got, then it's my turn."
Doflamingo reacted instantly. Without turning, he bent forward and dashed away, avoiding a direct strike.
But Sali was faster.
A powerful gust of wind closed in from behind. With no choice left, Doflamingo turned and raised his arms, coating them in Armament Haki.
What he saw was Sali in a lion-headed, human-bodied form, a cruel smile on his face as his fist blurred through the air.
"Bang!"
The punch struck with far greater force than before. Doflamingo spat out blood as he was slammed into the ground.
Pain exploded through his arms. It felt as though countless internal detonations were tearing through him, blood seeping from his pores.
Gritting his teeth, he forced himself back up and launched another barrage of threads.
This time, Sali showed no restraint.
The threads lashed out wildly, but they could not even touch him. His figure flickered like lightning, leaving afterimages as he moved around Doflamingo.
"Left."
"Right."
"Above."
"Behind."
Each word came just before another devastating strike.
Doflamingo tried to defend, but he was always a moment too late. Even when he managed to block, the force only worsened his injuries.
Under the relentless assault, his body finally gave out. Blood poured from his wounds as he collapsed onto his back, barely conscious.
Sali looked down at him calmly.
Another few strikes would end it.
But killing him would only create unnecessary complications.
Sali turned his gaze toward the palace square. A tall female Marine in a pink vest had arrived, her presence unmistakable.
Gion.
She had come faster than expected.
Looking back at the defeated Doflamingo, Sali smirked slightly and bent down, reaching for the man's still-intact sunglasses.
"You! What are you doing to Doflamingo?!"
A furious shout rang out.
Sali turned to see a thin figure rushing toward him at high speed, wielding a flowing blade that moved like a ribbon.
It was Diamante, one of the top executives of the Donquixote Family, returning after escorting the others to safety.
His blade slashed forward with lethal intent.
Sali's eyes narrowed.
This opponent carried a dangerous presence.
He would not be easy to deal with.
===
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