"Did you use Haki?"
Ye Chen neither dodged nor flinched. He raised his sword before him. Boom! The incoming Bullet String struck the blade, and the deafening impact sent a towering wave surging up from the nearby Sea Surface.
Doflamingo gave a soft hum of surprise, then tugged at the Kong with both hands. "Sky Walk!"
The strings overhead formed a dense, interwoven web that let Doflamingo move through the sky at will. He pulled hard and launched himself forward. The Thin String was too fine to see with the naked eye.
At first glance, Doflamingo seemed to be flying. In truth, he was using the power of the String-String Fruit, leaping from thread to thread like a monkey through the trees.
In the blink of an eye, he reached Ye Chen and kicked. His leg cut through the air with a shriek, charged with formidable Haki. Cracks rang out overhead, and a towering wave rose from the Sea Surface.
Ye Chen neither dodged nor flinched. He crossed his Twin Swords before him. One man was above, the other below; one kicked, the other swung his swords. The clash shook the heavens, and their Conqueror's Haki collided as well.
Lightning flashed across the sky. Thunder rolled, sparks flew, and the force of the collision sent boundless waves surging in every direction.
Doflamingo's easy expression changed sharply. A glint of surprise flashed across his purple lenses.
"Fuffuffu... I didn't expect you to grow so much stronger in just two years."
They broke apart after that exchange. Doflamingo hung in the air from his strings, while Ye Chen stood on the waves as though the sea were solid ground. Their gazes locked, and the tension spiked. Sparks seemed to fly from both men's eyes.
"Hm?"
Doflamingo glanced at Ye Chen. Seeing him