Encounter

[Cuckoo's favorability has reached 67. The second ability copy can now begin.]

[Please choose one of the following abilities to copy:]

[1. Bird-Style Swordsmanship (Mastery)]

[2. Six Powers (Mastery)]

[3. Observation Haki (Proficient)]

[4. Armament Haki (Proficient)]

[5. Horsemanship (Mastery)]

[6...]

[Note: Ability 4 has already been copied once. Copying it again will only grant a small increase in proficiency. Please consider carefully.]

Kane did not know why Cuckoo's favorability had risen again, but that did not stop him from making his choice.

Without hesitation, he chose Bird-Style Swordsmanship. Kane felt a numbing jolt course through his body.

Then, every move and technique of Bird-Style Swordsmanship appeared in his mind, as though he had practiced it for many years. At the same time, an urge to cut something surged within him.

A rapier happened to hang at his waist. It was Diamante's sword, made of excellent material and just the right length.

Kane slowly gripped the hilt. Under Cuckoo's astonished gaze, he swiftly drew the blade and violently thrust it into the ground beneath his feet!

"...Ugh!"

A muffled groan came from underground. Kane twisted his wrist, and the sword in his hand suddenly unleashed a tremendous twisting force. The groan beneath the ground turned into a scream.

Cuckoo quickly drew her sword in shock, only to see Kane flick his wrist and perform an extremely familiar movement.

That was... a Bird Style sword technique?!

When had he...

As Cuckoo stared in disbelief, Kane's sword suddenly lifted, dragging a man straight out of the ground!

Blood streamed from Señor Pink's mouth and nose. Both hands tightly gripped the sword piercing his chest, preventing Kane from twisting it again and damaging his internal organs.

He had merely spotted Kane and Cuckoo by chance and followed them from afar. When they stopped, he had intended to launch a surprise attack from underground, but he had been discovered and badly wounded the moment he approached.

A trace of regret rose in Señor Pink's heart. Just as he was about to call for his companions, Kane kicked him in the stomach.

Señor Pink spun through the air and slammed into a tree before coming to a stop.

He vomited a mouthful of blood and was about to use his ability to escape underground when Kane appeared beside him like a phantom. With a flick of his wrist, a chain looped around his neck.

A feeling of weakness instantly spread through his entire body. Señor Pink collapsed helplessly to the ground, terror finally appearing on his face.

The enemy's methods were skilled and highly targeted. Ordinary people would never think of an underground ambush, yet Kane seemed to have prepared for it long ago!

"Who... are you? Why do you... know us so well?!"

"That isn't important."

Kane replied coldly. He swiftly placed Seastone shackles on Señor Pink, dislocated the joints in his arms and legs, then looked up at the sky.

The commotion had already caught the attention of the burly man overhead. Carrying a massive shield, he came crashing toward Kane like a meteor, his furious roar echoing through the heavens.

"Thousand-Ton Vise—Bais!"

"Vise your damn mother!"

Kane grabbed Señor Pink and hurled him at the descending Bais.

With the boost of Giant Strength, Señor Pink shot into the sky like a cannonball and smashed toward the charging Bais!

Once Bais saw what was flying at him, he frantically moved his shield aside and shouted:

"W-Wait! Señor Pink, get out of the way!"

"Id... iot! Hurry... cancel your ability!"

Kane shaded his eyes and watched Señor Pink and Bais collide with a smack before falling together toward the distant ruins. He clicked his tongue.

"That must've hurt."

Cuckoo looked at Kane with mixed laughter and exasperation. He seemed like a mischievous child full of malicious amusement.

"Besides Doflamingo, there are three left."

Having dealt with two enemies, Kane showed no joy. Instead, he said gloomily:

"And they're the three most troublesome ones."

Cuckoo knew he meant Doflamingo's three officers: Pica, the Stone-Stone Fruit user; Trebol, the Sticky-Sticky Fruit user; and Gladius, the Pop-Pop Fruit user.

Pica possessed a Paramecia Devil Fruit ability closest to a Logia. He could transform into a massive stone giant and had mastered both Observation and Armament Haki.

Trebol had developed his Devil Fruit to a high degree. He was sinister and cunning, with a wide variety of attack methods, making him the most troublesome of the three.

Gladius's Pop-Pop Fruit could create landmines and bombs anytime and anywhere. One careless step, and they could fall into his trap.

Thinking of how troublesome each of the three was, Kane decisively called for backup and contacted Tsuru.

"Ma'am, please urge your subordinates to row harder. We've already trapped Doflamingo on Minion Island."

"They are already rowing as hard as they can. But are you sure it isn't you who have been trapped?"

"If I admit it, can you come any faster?"

"No."

"Then what if I cheer you on?"

"Even if you cried for help, we couldn't go any faster."

"What if I said I've captured five Donquixote Family officers and thoroughly enraged Doflamingo?"

"Grey Pigeon, Swift, you two go row as well! I want to reach Minion Island as quickly as possible!"

"Kane, hold on. In half an hour... no, twenty minutes, I'll reach Minion Island!"

"Thank you, ma'am!"

Kane let out a sigh of relief and hung up. Honestly, he had no confidence in facing Doflamingo.

What kind of normal person could rely on a String-String Fruit to become one of the powerful Shichibukai, then torment the protagonist to the brink of death?

With those thoughts running through his mind, Kane led Cuckoo through Minion Island in stealth, following one simple rule: do not expose themselves, do not engage, do not linger.

Fortunately, Kane had his bat clone and four sniper clones scouting ahead. At the slightest disturbance, they immediately changed direction. After circling around for more than ten minutes, they still had not encountered Doflamingo's group.

However, as the Birdcage rapidly contracted, their space to move grew smaller and smaller. Eventually, something went wrong.

As they passed through a stretch of ruins, the bricks and stones beneath their feet suddenly began to swell.

"Watch out!"

Realizing something was wrong, Kane immediately pulled Cuckoo into his arms and shielded her as they dove to one side.

Before he could even hit the ground, the brick suddenly exploded. Tiny fragments of stone shot in every direction like bullets, striking the ground with terrifying impacts.

"It's Gladius."

Kane whispered into Cuckoo's ear. He cautiously rose and surveyed their surroundings, but found no sign of Gladius.

He did not know how many objects Gladius had turned into landmines, nor did he know whether they had already entered a minefield.

But he had already prepared a plan. Pointing toward the sky for Cuckoo, he took the lead and used Geppo to soar upward.

Cuckoo was about to follow when several swelling rocks suddenly flew toward Kane in midair!

"Kane, be—"

Before she could finish the word, Cuckoo saw Kane abruptly change direction in midair and rush straight toward her!

Caught off guard, Cuckoo was knocked down again. The rocks exploded violently in the air.

The enormous shockwave from the explosion made the ground tremble, while shards of stone shot in every direction with shrill whistles.

Amid the terrifying roar, Cuckoo vaguely heard a series of cracking sounds coming from Kane's back, as though fragments of stone were striking him.

Yet Kane, so close to her, had an exceptionally determined gaze. It seemed that, to him, protecting Cuckoo was the most important thing.

Cuckoo shifted her gaze away with complicated emotions. Just as she was about to say something, Kane, who had been shielding her, suddenly vanished. The afterimage he left behind rushed toward the place where the stone bombs had come from.

"An arrogant and ignorant fool."

A cold snort rang out in the distance. Gladius, dressed in a black trench coat, stepped out from behind a tree. His constantly swelling iron glove pointed directly at Kane as he charged over.

"Be blown to pieces, idiot! Provoking Doffy is the greatest mistake you've made in your entire life..."

"You sure talk a lot."

Kane curled his lip. His charge suddenly came to a stop, and he lowered himself behind a short wall.

Gladius froze in astonishment. Then deafening cannon fire erupted behind him!

Bang! Bang!

Armor-piercing rounds tore through Gladius's shoulders, taking huge chunks of flesh with them and leaving behind two horrifying, bowl-sized bloody holes!

Gladius did not make a sound before passing out. The swelling glove in his hand gradually shrank back to its original shape.

Kane was about to turn and leave when he suddenly felt darkness fall over the two clones that had fired. A figure appeared before each of them.

One was a slovenly man wearing clothes like slime. The other was an extremely tall, muscular man wearing a black spade-shaped stone helmet.

Damn it!

They had been discovered!

To prevent the clones' injuries from affecting himself, Kane decisively dismissed them.

At the same time, an eerie laugh came from not far behind him.

"Fufufufufu..."

"The rat that provoked me doesn't even dare stand before me. It seems the word trash belongs carved on your forehead instead."

Kane's heart sank. He turned around and saw a figure slowly descending from the sky, a flamingo-feather coat billowing in the wind.

The leader of the Donquixote Family...

Doflamingo!