Dressrosa Mission Arc (2)

"Fufufufufu!"

Below the stage, the real Doffy laughed in fury. His carefully laid plans, years in the making, had been ruined—and in such a ridiculous way! It filled him with rage, and someone would have to pay for it!

"Bullet String!" Doffy pointed with his index finger. An invisible string shot out, slicing the impostor in half at the waist!

"Poof!" A cloud of smoke burst open. The fake "Doflamingo" didn't turn into a corpse. Instead, he became two pieces of chopped wood.

It turned out that the fake Doffy who had earlier exposed the Nation-Stealing Plan was actually Orochimaru in disguise! As the invisible string came at him, he had already prepared to use the Clone Technique, leaving a piece of wood in his place as he retreated dozens of meters.

At the same time, the instant Doffy struck, the ground beneath him softened across an area of several dozen square meters, turning into a muddy bog. The Donquixote Family members were caught off guard and sank straight into it!

Watching the group stagger about, Kitsuchi—hidden among the crowd and maintaining his Earth Style—smiled smugly and quietly increased his Chakra output.

"Damn it, you cowards hiding in the shadows!" A simple bog wasn't enough to hold the Donquixote Family. But just as they were about to use their abilities to escape, dozens of fireballs, each the size of a human head, appeared out of nowhere above them. Burning with scorching, explosive force, they rained down over the Donquixote Family officers!

"Scorch Release: Extremely Steaming Murder!"

A slender figure with a startling presence appeared abruptly in front of them. It was Pakura of the Scorch Release! This technique combined Wind Release Chakra with Fire Release Chakra to create a Scorch Release jutsu. The moment it hit an opponent, it could vaporize the moisture inside their body. Its power was astonishing!

And that wasn't all. While the officers were caught off guard by the successive attacks, Buffalo suddenly burst into a rage!

A flash of blue energy suddenly surged around him. His whole body became a humanoid weapon wreathed in blue light, radiating a fearsome aura! A closer look revealed that this wasn't Buffalo at all—it was Raikage A!

Raikage A unleashed the full power of his Lightning Release Chakra Mode. The force shattered his upper-body clothing into flying scraps, exposing his muscular torso.

"Lightning Release: Lariat!"

Raikage A planted his feet hard against the ground, launching himself forward with explosive speed. A sonic boom burst through the air as he charged like a blue dragon, slamming into the unprepared Doflamingo from behind!

Watching from the shadows, Kisame Hoshigaki saw how precisely everyone was working together according to plan and thought smugly, Maybe I won't even need to step in.

After all, the plan was to have Orochimaru draw their attention, Kitsuchi restrain them, and Pakura's area attack tie up their forces, while Raikage A—the fastest among them and the strongest in a head-on fight—led the main assault and went straight for the target's head! Doflamingo and his men were probably done for! But what happened next wiped the smile from his face.

A hemispherical stone wall quickly formed over the Donquixote Family officers, creating a thick barrier. The scorching fireballs rained down on it, leaving massive craters and gouges, but they couldn't harm anyone beneath the wall.

Only Raikage A's attack got through. His speed was too great, and he himself was inside the stone barrier, so his Thunderous Might struck Doffy head-on. It blasted him through the wall, sending him through several buildings before he landed in the rubble.

"Young Master!" The Donquixote Family officers had now broken free. Pica, one of the family's top officers and a Stone-Stone Fruit User, had turned the bog beneath them into stone, allowing them to escape easily.

"Fufufufufu! You come at me with parlor tricks like those and think you can ruin my plans?"

Doffy's signature laugh rang out from the rubble. Laughing in his fury, he strode out with an arrogant swagger.

Raikage A's attack had been so fast and fierce that it had taken Doffy by surprise. Luckily, his Observation Haki and Armament Haki were both exceptionally strong, letting him anticipate the attack. At the last moment, his Armament Haki blocked it. Even so, he had suffered a serious internal injury. But thanks to the String-String Fruit, he could stitch the wound inside his body, so he appeared completely unharmed!

Nearby, Raikage A clenched his aching fist and signaled Orochimaru and the others to change the plan. He gathered Chakra in his legs, swiftly closed in on Doflamingo, and launched a fierce kick from below!

"Guillotine Drop!"

Doffy smiled faintly and casually extended his right hand. A web of white strings spread out, blocking Raikage A's spectacular kick.

Raikage A was about to pull away, but to his horror, he found he couldn't control his body! Looking at Doffy, he saw him flicking his left hand as if manipulating invisible strings. Raikage A was rooted to the spot, unable to move, while his own right hand, charged with Chakra, slowly reached for his neck!

This was bad! Raikage A had been controlled. Orochimaru and the others moved to help him, but the Donquixote Family officers blocked their way.

"You circus freaks dare ambush the Young Master!" Diamante, one of the Donquixote Family's top officers, blocked Orochimaru.

Nearby, Pica transformed into a stone giant and attacked Pakura. "You're an annoying little ant, always dodging!"

Pakura scrambled from place to place, making use of the terrain to evade him. Her attacks barely affected the stone giant's incredible defenses, while a single hit from it would end the fight!

As for Kitsuchi, he was already being doggedly harried by the officers Lao G, Gladius the Explosive Man, Senor Pink, and others. If Kisame Hoshigaki hadn't shown up in time to help, Kitsuchi would have been finished after only a few exchanges, overwhelmed by their strange abilities.

Orochimaru took in the situation around him, but he was also tied down by an opponent with a bizarre ability. He would have to end this quickly! Orochimaru licked his lips hungrily and cast a genjutsu.

"Hell Viewing Technique!"

Diamante's mind reeled. He seemed to see the Young Master furiously ordering his execution right in front of him, while the other officers trembled in fear. Not one of them dared to plead for him!

Young Master, I've been so loyal to you! Why are you having me executed? It hurts so much, Young Master! My body hurts so much! Why, why does my body hurt so much? The excruciating pain brought him back to his senses, but he found he couldn't speak. When he opened his mouth, a flood of blood poured out. Then darkness swallowed his consciousness...

[You killed Diamante, a top officer of the Donquixote Family. Earned 1,000 points.]

The Main God's indifferent voice came at just the right moment for Orochimaru. Fortunately, he had recognized Diamante's weak will. He had used genjutsu to confuse him, then finished him off with the Kusanagi Sword while he was vulnerable.

Poor Diamante had nearly reached the Third Rank, yet he hadn't even had a chance to show his strength before the seasoned Orochimaru killed him in one move.

Raikage A, still in danger, didn't get the chance to wait for help. At the critical moment, he used his incredible willpower to regain control of his right hand despite the agony of his muscles tearing, then pushed off with both feet and swiftly got away from Doflamingo.

After taking care of Diamante, Orochimaru came to Raikage A and asked in a low voice,

"How bad is it?"

"My muscles are torn. I've lost about ten percent of my strength. Be careful—his strings are bizarre. He can control people's bodies, his defenses are incredible, and he seems able to predict attacks. My Nintaijutsu is at a disadvantage against him." Raikage A's expression was grave.

Orochimaru narrowed his long eyes. "I'll test him. You support me. Mission One is complete. Mission Two is to escape the pursuit. Let's probe him."

Raikage A knew this wasn't the time to act tough and fight for the lead. He nodded and silently gathered his strength.

"Diamante! And Buffalo! You killed my family! You've made me furious! None of you are getting away. Every last one of you will pay for my family!"

Doffy's expression twisted with rage as he unleashed a terrifying aura. Countless strings shot from his hands straight into the sky, then scattered from their highest point like fireworks, spreading across Dressrosa and covering the entire island with a Birdcage!

Damn it! He was going to seal off the island and stop them from escaping! Shocked by Doflamingo's ability, Orochimaru and Raikage A immediately attacked him.

"Bringer-of-Darkness Technique!"

Orochimaru formed hand seals, and a mass of darkness surged toward Doffy. At the same time, the Kusanagi Sword emerged from his mouth, its blade rapidly extending as its tip aimed for Doffy's throat!

"Lightning Oppression Horizontal Chop!"

The Fourth Raikage held one hand like a blade, covering it in intensely concentrated Lightning Release Chakra. Like a flashing blue thunder tiger, he lunged straight for Doffy's abdomen!

Doflamingo's vision went dark. It was as if he were trapped in a pitch-black world, without a single trace of light! His sight had been taken from him for a brief moment! But his powerful Observation Haki had already sensed two attacks aimed straight at him, one at his throat and the other at his abdomen. Without hesitation, he used his Devil Fruit Awakening ability.

"Shield White!" Several massive white strings surged up from the ground, shielding him completely.

The man's attack and the sword were held back by Shield White for a moment. The Kusanagi Sword's sharpness allowed it to cut through several layers of string, but the endless flow of thick white strings wore down its momentum. Doffy easily caught the blade with one hand, his Armament Haki protecting him. He reached for Raikage A's hand blade with the other, but Raikage A twisted away, using the momentum to escape.

"If you want this sword so badly, you can have it!" Orochimaru let go of the Kusanagi Sword. Doflamingo used the String-String Fruit to wrap it up like a silkworm cocoon and tossed it aside.

"You're a slippery little eel. Fine, I'll just finish you off directly. Torrential Waves of White Strings!"

The ground around Doffy had already turned into a world of white strings. This was the hallmark of a Paramecia Devil Fruit Awakening: the ability to affect the surrounding environment.

The ground began to churn, and buildings twisted as they were transformed into waves made of countless white strings. The surging tide swept toward Orochimaru and Raikage A, surrounding them.

"Raikage, it's time to show our true strength." Orochimaru licked his lips excitedly. Raikage A gave no cool reply; he simply continued to gather Chakra in silence.

"Triple Rashomon!" Orochimaru swiftly formed hand seals and pressed one hand down. Three enormous stone gates, like the gates of hell, appeared and surrounded the two of them.

Doffy flicked his right hand. The massive wave of white strings pounded fiercely against the gates, while the ground beneath Orochimaru and Raikage A suddenly transformed into terrifying white strings. They surged upward like beasts ready to devour their prey and swallowed the two of them!

Watching the pair disappear into the strings, Doffy felt some of his murderous rage ease. But he soon realized something was wrong!

When the strings receded, all that remained was a heap of broken stones and pieces of wood. There wasn't a trace of flesh or blood, and even the weapons that had been bound earlier were gone!

The murderous rage that had just begun to cool within Doffy surged again. An overwhelming wave of Conqueror's Haki burst from him and spread in every direction. The invisible aura swept across Dressrosa, and people hiding throughout the island collapsed, foaming at the mouth~

"The Young Master's furious! You bastards!" Pica, the Stone-Stone Fruit User, felt Doffy's Conqueror's Haki and roared.

Feeling his master's fury, Pica began to unleash his power. He used his Devil Fruit ability to merge with the surrounding buildings, transforming into a stone giant hundreds of meters tall. A hand as large as a skyscraper blotted out the sky as it came down over Pakura.

Seeing Pica grow even larger, Pakura decisively abandoned the fight. Using the terrain for cover, she cast the Clone Technique and fled in all directions...

On another battlefield, Kisame pretended to be losing to Pique, the Swim-Swim Fruit User, as he moved in and out of nearby walls and the ground. Then he seized his chance and rapidly formed hand seals with both hands.

"Water Release: Thousand Feeding Water Sharks!" A huge mass of water sprang into being, and countless sharks made of water tore Pique to pieces, leaving him gravely wounded! Lao G and the other non-Devil Fruit Users risked their lives by rushing into the water to save him.

Seeing Orochimaru and the others retreat, Kisame took the chance to rescue Kitsuchi. He also unleashed various Water Release techniques to slow down the Explosive Man Gladius and the other officers.

Before long, the members of the Samsara Team had all used various strange jutsu to retreat! Only the furious members of the Donquixote Family remained behind.

Doffy coldly swept his gaze over those around him: Diamante was dead, Buffalo was nowhere to be found and was probably in dire straits as well, while Pique and Lao G were badly injured. This time, the Donquixote Family had suffered heavy losses!

Laughing in fury, Doffy stretched out his hands and clenched them. The Birdcage covering all of Dressrosa began to contract slowly. The white strings woven into it mercilessly sliced apart buildings and anyone who couldn't get out of the way as it closed in!