A Draw and a Win! Doflamingo Steals the Show

The banquet continued, but the location changed to the outdoors, to a wide platform with a flat area below.

The Flying Pirates' big signboard, the Skullcrusher Hyde with a bounty of 670 million Beli, was already standing below.

Opposite him stood Abel, silently drawing his sword.

"I was shocked when I saw in the newspaper that you'd taken a Lunarian as your subordinate. They're still alive?!"

The Golden Lion looked down at the calm-faced Abel with great interest. "You're really young. You're not much older than you, are you?"

Don't underestimate Abel just because he's young.

"He's incredibly strong," Roa said with a smile.

"Is that so? Then I'll be watching."

The Golden Lion took a sip of his drink, remaining noncommittal.

But Kaido frowned.

He was quite clear about Abel's strength, or rather, the strength of Roa's subordinates.

In reality, he doesn't have the qualifications to compare himself to the three executives under Golden Lion. Even the strongest, Bullet, might not be as strong as the weakest of the three executives.

Those three guys were genuine, world-renowned warriors who followed the Golden Lion in his conquests.

Bullet and Abel certainly have bright futures, but ultimately they are still too young.

There's no way Roa wouldn't be unaware of this. What kind of person is he, and why did he propose this best-of-three series?

Below, on an open ground.

The extremely robust, bald man twisted his muscular neck and calmly said, "You are Lord Roa's subordinate, I will show mercy."

"Now, make your move."

"How arrogant! Well then, I won't hold back."

Abel raised the Ame no Habakiri in his hand, the tip of the blade suddenly pointing at the burly man in front of him.

Flames suddenly surged from behind him, forming a huge ring of fire, which then abruptly poured into his blade.

"Fire Dragon Emperor!"

A colossal Flame Dragon, over five meters in diameter, roared forth in an instant; its orange-red flames were so viscous they resembled magma.

"The ability to control fire?"

The Golden Lion nodded slightly. "What a wondrous race."

Roa simply maintained her breathing rhythm.

This is nothing.

Faced with the oncoming Flame Dragon, the giant Hyde simply clenched his right fist, and his right arm immediately turned pitch black, with invisible waves swirling around it.

Armament Haki flowing outwards!

"Mere flames!"

With a twist of the giant's waist and a punch, a Haki shockwave pierced through the Flame Dragon from head to toe, propelling it forward with unstoppable momentum!

At that moment, Abel had already flapped his wings and taken to the sky, narrowly avoiding the attack.

"This!"

Bullet, who was unwilling but had not protested because it was the Boss's order, suddenly narrowed his eyes.

What amazing Armament Haki!

I'm still far from being able to do that!

Although I'm very unwilling, I'm afraid I can't beat this guy!

No wonder the Boss sent Abel into battle.

How could I possibly feel resentful about the Boss's decision? How could I possibly be jealous of Abel? I deserve to die!

"The Blade Twin Emperors!"

Abel flapped his wings, and streaks of fiery feathers rained down on Hyde like a sudden downpour.

"It's pointless!"

Hyde simply stomped on the ground, using the powerful recoil to propel himself into the air. Covered in dark, domineering Haki, he charged straight at Abel, enduring the scorching flames.

His speed was astonishing; Abel had almost no chance to dodge.

"It seems to be over."

The Golden Lion said calmly.

Unsurprisingly, even though they were Lunarian, they were not monsters like Roa, and were far Admiral.

"Is that so?"

Roa's smile remained unchanged. "Don't open the champagne halfway through, Uncle Shiki."

Hyde's strength is beyond doubt; he is definitely a master at the level of a future emperor's vice president. Roa himself would have to put in some effort to defeat him. Even Bullet would only be executed if he faced him head-on.

That's why Abel was chosen to play.

Boom!

The giant's fist slammed solidly into Abel's chest, the terrifying force sending Abel flying and creating ripples in the air.

But.

"This is?"

Hyde, who had just fallen to the ground, looked down in disbelief at his fist.

Did that punch land on the Seastone?

Why is it so hard?

"Guardian - Fire Dragon Emperor!"

One after another, blazing Flame Dragon roared down from the sky, baring their fangs and claws, towards Hyde.

What's going on?

Golden Lion couldn't help but look at Roa in astonishment.

The latter shrugged casually, "The Lunarian race is born with the strongest defensive capabilities, surpassing even Aunt Linlin's."

"..."

The Golden Lion paused for a moment, then sneered, "Is that what you're planning, kid?"

Below, Hyde had already launched himself into the air again, smashing the raging fire dragons to pieces with just a few punches and kicks, and then mercilessly punched Abel away with another punch while stepping on the air.

You know how to use Geppo?

Roa was somewhat surprised.

The Six Powers, this thing is really common. In the original work, Aunt Linlin's children could also use Geppo.

"It's useless,"

Although he was knocked away, Abel clothes were only slightly dirty, flew back again. "You are strong, but I am an insurmountable wall for you."

"Where did this city wall come from?!"

Hyde was unwilling to accept this.

Having followed Admiral Golden Lion for so many years, surely he can handle a mere brat?

The second-in-command of the Flying Pirates then attacked Abel like a whirlwind, knocking him away time and time again, only to see Abel fly back each time.

On the contrary, he himself became somewhat disheveled under Abel's fire attack— Armament Haki cannot completely resist elemental attacks.

"That's enough, Hyde,"

The Golden Lion said coldly, "Stop making a fool of yourself."

"... Admiral!"

Hyde's body trembled slightly, instinctively wanting to argue, but upon meeting the Golden Lion's cold, stern gaze, he instinctively flinched and quickly withdrew his fist. "Yes."

Let's call this a draw.

The Golden Lion looked at Roa.

"Alright, although Abel doesn't even have a scratch, while Mr. Hyde is burned beyond recognition,"

Roa shrugged. "But who told you to be my most respected Shiki? I'll let you win this time. A draw it is."

Golden Lion's forehead vein throbbed, and he turned to look at the tall, thin man holding the sniper rifle. "Berg, we can't lose."

"Yes, Admiral."

The man named Berg, the third-ranking member of the Flying Pirates, the legendary sniper of the New World, Heartseeker Berg, stood up.

"Boss!"

Bullet spoke hastily.

Dylan also looked at Roa. Heartseeker Berg also possessed a Zoan Devil Fruit ability that allowed him to fly, he would be the most suitable person to fight.

"A match for a gun?"

Roa's gaze swept back and forth between Bullet and Dylan's faces, then suddenly fixed on Doflamingo, who was stuffing himself with food. "Doflamingo, go and bring me victory."

Doflamingo, his cheeks bulging, looked up at Roa blankly.

Hallucination?

Why did I hear Roa call his name?

Then.

"Huh? Me?"

Doflamingo nearly became the first user of Conqueror's Haki in history to choke to death.

Not to mention him, even Bullet and Dylan stared at Roa in astonishment.

How could it be Doflamingo's?

"Dylan,"

Roa, however, said seriously, "Go and get Doflamingo's equipment first."

Dylan instantly understood what Lord Roa meant.

Yes, Heartseeker Berg is also a formidable and incredibly powerful character, and his fighting style is extremely effective against Bullet, giving him no chance to get close.

Neither he nor Bullet would likely be able to win.

That's why Doflamingo was chosen to fight.

This kid may be weak, but he can basically replicate Abel's fighting style from earlier!

Soon, a jumbled mess of stone giants, incorporating elements of rocks, heavy cannons, and heavy machine guns, stood on the flat ground.

"That damned Roa!!"

Inside the stone golem, Doflamingo gritted his teeth and cursed under his breath.

"What are you up to now, you little rascal?"

The Golden Lion looked at Roa suspiciously.

That blond brat can only be described as utterly pathetic. Even Roa, who's the same age, probably couldn't beat Berg, right?

"Won't we find out soon enough?"

Roa grinned and raised his voice, "Doflamingo, good luck! If you lose, I'll kill you!"

"You bastard!"

Doflamingo roared furiously, "Bring it on, you bastard!"

We have no choice but to fight!

Buzz!

An invisible aura spread out.

"Conqueror's Haki?"

The Golden Lion raised an eyebrow slightly.

Is this brat also a user of Conqueror's Haki?

Kaido also looked utterly bewildered.

Are there two users of Conqueror's Haki under Roa's command?

I will do everything in my power to beat you!

Without any hesitation, Heartseeker Berg launched himself into the air, creating distance between himself and Doflamingo.

He had witnessed Hyde's predicament firsthand, and that Lord Roa probably wouldn't really send a weakling up here to die!

The three arms transformed into wide wings, and the protruding face became a long mouth.

In the blink of an eye, Berg transformed into a pterosaur!

"Take this, you bastard!"

Doflamingo struck first, activating his heavy cannons and machine guns simultaneously. Shells and bullets converged into a metallic storm, hurtling towards Berg in the sky.

"Too slow."

The pterosaur simply flapped its wings, soaring through the air like the wind, and Doflamingo's attacks couldn't even touch a hair on its head.

"Dragon-Dragon Fruit, Ancient Zoan, Double-toothed Pterodactyl Form!"

Dylan whispered the name of Berg's ability.

It was much smaller than his Pteranodon, but its agility was on a completely different level.

"If this is all there is to it, then it's my turn."

Berg flapped his wings and took off, widening the distance further. He gripped the sniper rifle with his feet and aimed at the stone giant.

Is this how it's used?

Roa couldn't help but complain.

No, it's a sniper rifle, and it's Longarm Tribe; any normal person would assume it's used with their hands, right?

"That's how ancient dinosaurs fired their guns."

Berg spoke coolly, his Haki infusing the gun, and in the next instant, bullets flew.

Bang!

Almost instantly, the massive stone golem was also blasted away.

"Wow!!"

Doflamingo was immediately thrown around, completely disoriented.

Not again?

The Golden Lion's eyes widened. "And what's wrong with this brat?"

Berg's bullet, capable of piercing even the heart of Haki expert, only knocked the stone golem away after hitting it, without causing any damage whatsoever.

Kaido was suddenly startled.

Poneglyph!

So that's how it is. That guy, Roa, really knows how to come up with a plan!

In the sky, Berg's forehead was already sweating. Could it be that Hyde's misfortune was about to repeat itself on him?

Is he really going to fight to a draw with a kid who's not even ten years old?

The sniper rifle was now aimed at the stone golem again.

Noticing this, Doflamingo scrambled to his feet, shouting, "Combine!"

The purple light spread downwards, and in the next second, the lower half of the stone golem had merged with the ground.

"Smack!"

Another shot was fired, and the ground shook violently, but the stone man was not knocked away.

"Fufufufu! My abilities are truly invincible!"

Doflamingo instantly swelled up.

What can that birdman do if he stays inside the rock?

The Golden Lion's face was extremely grim. "Grab that brat and throw him off the sky!"

Berg's eyes lit up. That's right, what's the use of strong defense? This kid can't fly like that Lunarian!

Thinking this, the pterosaur suddenly swooped down, slung the sniper rifle back behind its back, and grabbed the stone giant's head with both feet, about to pull it off the ground.

"So,"

Roa raised the corners of his mouth. "That's it."

"Fufufufu! Idiot! You actually dared to touch me!"

Doflamingo suddenly burst into laughter.

Smack

A soft gunshot rang out.

"Forehead!"

Berg's body jolted suddenly, and he was instantly forced back into human form, rolling awkwardly to the ground.

Then, the stone man grabbed him and lifted him up triumphantly.

"Fufufufu! I won!"

Doflamingo was extremely pleased with himself.

What kind of high-ranking official is he? If you don't have the ability, you simply don't have the ability!

The Golden Lion paused for a moment, then looked at Berg's foot, where there was a bloody hole; he had been shot.

There is only one thing that can render Berg's Armament Haki ineffective, or rather, prevent Berg from using Armament Haki the moment they make contact, and also prevent him from using his abilities at all.

"Seastone!!"

The word "Golden Lion" was practically squeezed out from between his teeth.

3.8K words. It's a bit filler because it's split into two chapters, so I'm posting it together. Hope you can give me some monthly votes as encouragement!