Amaterasu!

"Fufufu... What a killjoy bunch of Marines. Hey, you... uh... what's your name? How about we take these Marines out together and then continue where we left off?"

"By the way, I'm Donquixote Doflamingo."

Doflamingo sneered wickedly. Faced with the Marine encirclement, retreat never crossed his mind—only wiping them all out. This was likely one of the reasons Doflamingo had managed to stand out from the ruthless tides of the Great Pirate Era.

"What exactly is that guy's Devil Fruit... Why does that red skeleton give me such an ominous, evil feeling?"

Watching Carlos protected by the red skeletal frame, Doflamingo mused inwardly.

"I'm Lucifer Carlos."

"I accept your proposal."

Carlos said, his face brimming with excitement.

The fight with Doflamingo had fully ignited Carlos's battle lust. Ever since arriving in this world, everything he'd done felt like small-time brawls. Only today was there any real thrill—whether it was his opponent Doflamingo or these Marines.

He had to settle the score with Doflamingo on this very day the Great Pirate Era began. He had to raise hell without restraint!

"Fufufu... Good, then let's go on a killing spree!"

Doflamingo laughed arrogantly, his fingers twitching as he released transparent Parasite Strings, stabbing silently toward the Marine soldiers.

"Hmph, cocky pirates. Today's your death day. Increase firepower and take down both of these scum!" The Marine commander of this unit roared with fury. He was a Commander who had come from Marine Headquarters and had seen the big leagues—he wouldn't be intimidated by just anything!

Bang bang bang...

Pfft...

A dense volley of gunfire erupted, mixed with the roar of Rocket Launchers, all blasting toward the two men...

This time, Doflamingo chose not to tank the hits. Instead, he dodged with agile movements. Having just awakened his Observation Haki, he wasn't so easy to hit. Even if he couldn't dodge, he could rely on his String-String Fruit abilities.

Once one's strength reached a certain level, firearms became far less effective—unless one mastered Observation Haki and Armament Haki applied to guns and bullets.

Carlos's response was far simpler and more brutal. He could have easily dealt with it using his Kamui Mangekyo, but since he was in the mood, he opted for Susanoo.

The Susanoo conjured by the original Mangekyo Sharingan placed a heavy burden on the body, and overuse would lead to blindness. But this wasn't the original—it was mimicked and driven by the special Devil Fruit, the Eye of the Devil.

No bloodline or Chakra was needed, and the side effects of Susanoo didn't exist. The fuel for this One Piece version of Susanoo was Pupil Power, a combination of stamina and Mental strength. As long as Pupil Power didn't run out, it could be maintained indefinitely.

The triangular pinwheel in Carlos's eyes spun slightly, surging out vast amounts of Pupil Power. More red energy burst forth, forming additional ribs and two red arms. The crossed arms blocked all incoming bullets and rockets.

After two waves of Marine attacks failed to harm either man, it was their turn.

A dense rain of invisible threads fell from the sky, piercing into the unsuspecting Marine soldiers. Instantly, these soldiers fell under Doflamingo's control. They began slaughtering each other, turning blades, gun muzzles, and even rocket launchers against their own comrades. Caught off guard, the Marine soldiers suffered heavy losses in an instant.

Of course, the most cruel and devastating blow was the psychological and spiritual impact of this eerie power.

Carlos leaped down from the rooftop and charged at the Marines at breakneck speed. All ranged attacks were blocked by Susanoo. He rampaged through the Marine ranks, not only charging recklessly but also using the manifested Susanoo's hands to execute the Eagle Claw Technique.

Who could withstand that?

A Susanoo that knew martial arts—the scene was simply too brutal!

The sharp Susanoo claws swept through the Marine soldiers, slicing through men, guns, and blades alike. Heads, organs, and blood splattered everywhere. The real-life battle was far more gruesome than in the anime, which had sanitized so much.

For instance, when a swordsman like Zoro cut someone in the anime, the bloodshed was minimal. In the real One Piece world, a swordsman's slash would sever arms, legs, and bodies as a matter of course.

In short, it was pure carnage. Carlos's side was visually brutal; Doflamingo's side was psychologically brutal. Ordinary Marine soldiers couldn't last two hits before being taken down.

In just two breaths, the Marines had suffered nearly a hundred casualties. This horrifying death toll made the Marine Commander's scalp tingle, snapping him fully awake.

These two demonic figures were likely beyond his ability to handle. So the Commander immediately pulled out a Den Den Mushi to request reinforcements, calling for a Marine Headquarters Rear Admiral stationed in Loguetown due to the outbreak of the Great Pirate Era!

Frankly, this Commander's decision was very wise. Neither Carlos nor Doflamingo were opponents ordinary Marine officers could handle. At the very least, a Marine Headquarters Commodore would be needed to have a chance, and a Rear Admiral would have better odds.

If they could summon a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral, that would be even better—a Vice Admiral's combat power had a decent chance of capturing both men. Unfortunately, the strongest Marine left in Loguetown was only a Rear Admiral.

Of course, given this Commander's level of insight, he had no idea how special Carlos and Doflamingo were. Calling a Rear Admiral was merely self-preservation. Even a Vice Admiral might not necessarily capture them—both had unique abilities.

Carlos went without saying. As for today's overcast skies, they were a perfect aid for Doflamingo's escape.

Unfortunately, even as Carlos slaughtered these ordinary Marine branch soldiers, he kept part of his attention fixed on that Marine Commander.

If the Commander had been fully focused, killing him wouldn't have been so easy. After all, as a Marine Headquarters Commander, his strength was decent.

Headquarters Marine officers were about three ranks stronger than their branch counterparts. A Commander from a branch would only be a Lieutenant at Headquarters.

Although military rank didn't fully represent strength—there were other factors—a Headquarters officer of the same rank was definitely stronger than a branch officer. One could easily take on three!

But since this officer was distracted by the Den Den Mushi, killing him became much easier. Carlos had no intention of letting Marine reinforcements arrive. From the moment they struck, every Marine here had to die.

Because neither Carlos nor Doflamingo wanted to be burdened with bounties at the very start of the Great Pirate Era. They needed to develop first. So they had to silence everyone!

Amaterasu!

Carlos's right eye surged with Pupil Power, his gaze locking onto the Marine Commander's body.

The Commander, holding the Den Den Mushi, suddenly felt goosebumps all over. A sense of impending doom washed over him. He instinctively tried to dodge, but it was too late.

Pfft!

A jet-black flame materialized out of thin air, landing squarely on the Commander's body. It burned silently, releasing terrifying heat!

Aah... haah... aah...

The Navy Commander instantly screamed, his face twisting like a demon's. He dropped the Den Den Mushi and instinctively slapped at the black flames, only to find they wouldn't go out. He rolled back and forth on the ground...

The adjutant and soldiers nearby rushed to help, but instead of extinguishing the black flames, they caught them too. Yet their agony was brief—everyone touched by Amaterasu's black fire died within two breaths.

The black flames continued to burn silently on the corpses and the earth. Though they made no earth-shattering commotion, they sent chills down everyone's spine!

Even Doflamingo, seeing those black flames, felt his heart race, his scalp tingle, and a cold shiver run down his back!