Doflamingo wanted to call the cops

"Fuffuffuffuffu..."

Blond hair, sunglasses, a black suit shirt paired with a red tie, matching black trousers and leather shoes-but no suit jacket. Instead, he wore a pink feather coat, looking like a thug with atrocious taste from Blue Star in the 1960s.

The flagship of the Donquixote Family's pirate crew appeared in the waters near Jaya Island, while Doflamingo himself lounged on a beach chair with a cocky air, letting out his signature laugh.

"Young master, Jaya Island is just ahead-in."

A man wearing a Yellow Heavy Coat, with thick chains wrapped around his body and a peculiar propeller-shaped hairstyle, reported to the sunbathing Doflamingo with an odd verbal tic.

"Should we prepare for battle-in?"

After speaking, he flashed a healthy smile, baring his neat teeth and revealing the Donquixote Pirates' emblem on them.

"Buffalo, don't be so impatient~"

Doflamingo crossed his legs and let out another tasteless, fuffuffu laugh.

"Besides, hasn't that place started calling itself Titans...? We're going there to congratulate them..."

As a Shichibukai, Doflamingo was quite free to do as he pleased. If the mood or interest struck him, he was willing to handle even minor matters personally.

According to intelligence coming in through various channels, Titans currently had plenty of intriguing elements.

For this operation, he had brought only two officers: Buffalo, who possessed the Spin-Spin Fruit, and Gladius, who possessed the Bomb-Bomb Fruit. With the confidence of a Shichibukai, he considered anyone below admiral or emperor level nothing more than a pushover.

"The intelligence suggests he's almost certainly a Magnet-Magnet Fruit user, and there's a good chance he's a 'scientist,' too."

Gladius was still somewhat indignant.

During his last phone call with that "Mechanical King," he had initially been so angry that his hair had literally "exploded." But subsequent investigations revealed that the man really was no pushover by the standards of the first half of the Grand Line. His estimated level was somewhere between eighty million and a hundred and twenty million, possibly putting him on par with the family's top officers.

"Fuffuffu, if he's willing to accept my congratulations, everything will be easy enough. If he isn't... fuffuffuffuffu..."

"-Young master! Look-"

Gladius spotted an airship flying over from Titans. At the same time, the Den Den Mushi in his hand relayed a report from the communications room-it was a Pilot Boat, requesting that they follow it.

"Fuffuffuffu... they don't mean well. Follow them."

Doflamingo wasn't afraid of traps. Mercilessly crushing whatever those self-important small fry had painstakingly prepared, making them recognize their place, was quite entertaining too.

What he enjoyed most was crushing someone's hopes when they were at their highest.

"...Yes."

For no particular reason, Buffalo felt the urge to make a sarcastic remark, but decided that would be disrespectful to the young master and swallowed his words.

...In fact, the destination they were being guided toward didn't look like a trap at all. Instead, it was a perfectly ordinary small private harbor.

According to their intelligence, Jaya Island's public harbor had been almost completely destroyed and was currently being rebuilt.

Seeing this, many of the Donquixote Pirates' rank and file sneered. Clearly, these people were afraid of them-they certainly knew how to show proper hospitality.

-Titans No. 3 Coastal Base.

This was one of the military harbors Sephiroth had established along Jaya Island's coastline. Its primary purposes were coastal defense and, in the future, berthing surface vessels.

At this stage, No. 3 Coastal Base had only basic facilities, but it was spacious enough, with no residential areas nearby. It would make a decent battlefield.

Naturally, Sephiroth appeared clad in Babbage's outer armor. Facing the large contingent of Donquixote Pirates alongside him were assorted robots to fill out the ranks.

"Fuffuffuffu... you're even more interesting in person. Robots, huh? I'm very curious about what you look like inside that armor."

Faced with the hulking figure clad in full-body Steam Mechanism armor, Doflamingo found that his Observation Haki couldn't make out what was inside. He could tell someone was there, but couldn't discern their sex, age, or any other details.

In visual terms, it was like looking at someone through frosted glass.

(Steam hiss)

"No need. For words. What you seek. Was expected."

He intended to skip all the pointless pleasantries-or rather, he had no intention of engaging in the verbal fencing supposedly practiced among the upper classes. Doflamingo immediately understood this... and gave a smile filled with admiration and extreme malice.

"Talk. If you wish. Fight first. Talk afterward."

(Steam hiss-)

Radiating a heavy sense of pressure, Babbage emitted an intimidating startup noise and assumed a combat stance. At the same time, chilling words emerged from his metallic acoustic array: "Dignity. Exists only at the sword's edge. Truth. Exists only within cannon range-"

"Fuffuffuffu-fuffuffuffu-hahahahahaha-"

Doflamingo threw his head back and laughed. His sunglasses shifted enough to reveal a sliver of his delighted eyes, their gaze sharp and gleaming in that instant. A spine-chilling smile spread across his lips.

"Good, very good! I like you far too much! Fuffuffuffu... I'll spare your life-join me-! The world is a vast place-!!"

Battle erupted at once, with Doflamingo opening by unleashing his Conqueror's Haki as a greeting.

Almost simultaneously.

The Babbage mech released the sounds of high-pressure air and meshing metal. An invisible pulse spread outward-free electrons dispersed.

Sephiroth had considered countermeasures against Conqueror's Haki, though this was his first direct encounter with it. Even before the battle began, he had voluntarily transformed into his elemental form inside the mechanical armor. Since it exerted mental pressure, perhaps converting his brain entirely into energy and covering it with an Electromagnetic Shield could offer some resistance...

-Suppressive Electronic Interference activated.

-Electromagnetic Barrier activated.

Under the impact of Conqueror's Haki, faint electrical sparks flickered across the armor's exterior Electromagnetic Barrier. With three layers of countermeasures, Sephiroth felt a distinct pressure, but not enough to interfere with his movements or thoughts.

Sephiroth didn't believe he had the innate potential for Conqueror's Haki. Whether someone possessed it was predetermined-that really was part of the original setting, and it appeared in the official databooks too. Oda's exact words in Volume 70's SBS were, "It's decided when you're born." What happened afterward could determine its strength, not whether someone had it.

Besides, he currently had no desire to reshape the world himself. Even when dealing with the World Government, he was merely an opportunist. By his own assessment, he was an ordinary man who exploited his knowledge of the plot for benefits, devoted himself to personal enjoyment, and retained a few moral boundaries.

Though that was what Sephiroth thought, "Babbage's" performance delighted Doflamingo so much that he wanted to recruit him immediately.

The red mechanical monocular eye on the front of Babbage's head lit up with a hum. The Electromagnetic Rocket Thrusters on his back instantly engaged, and with astonishing momentum, he seized his massive Chainsaw Sword and charged straight at Doflamingo.

Laughing loudly, Doflamingo rushed forward to meet him and swiftly launched his offensive. He raised a hand elegantly, sending Five Color Strings slicing toward Babbage like razor-sharp blades.

However, Babbage's powerful armor withstood the attacks. The Five Color Strings threw off metallic sparks as they cut across its surface, but failed to inflict meaningful damage.

Meanwhile, Babbage's mechanically powered arm delivered sixty-five thousand horsepower, swinging the Chainsaw Sword down and forcing Doflamingo to evade.

The Chainsaw Sword hummed, its teeth meshing at incredible speed. The smell of machine oil and metal accompanied its air-rending force as it shredded every web of strings Doflamingo had laid along its path.

Doflamingo sneered. Strings he had set in advance pulled him along an unnatural trajectory, widening the distance between them before he raised his foot to attack again. This time, however, it wasn't a simple probe-he coated the strings in Armament Haki.

Eight nearly transparent threads emerged from the tip of his foot, instantly wrapped in black Armament Haki. They sliced the ground along their path to pieces and struck toward Babbage with lightning speed.

-Athlete.

His Observation Haki detected the attack. The instant his opponent launched it, the Babbage mech adjusted its posture with multiple Electromagnetic Rocket Thrusters and pulled out of range along a Cobra Maneuver trajectory. But Doflamingo's Observation Haki was excellent too.

In fact, Sephiroth's detection range far exceeded Doflamingo's, but his precision at close-combat distances was somewhat inferior.

The side of his shoulder armor was still hit. This time, the Haki-coated attack wasn't fully stopped by the armor and cut a short distance into it. But the armor seemed "alive": it released intense heat, "melted through" the strings, then "repaired itself" right before Doflamingo's eyes.

That exchange confirmed one thing for him. Whether his opponent could use Armament Haki remained uncertain, but his Observation Haki was first-rate even by New World standards-Doflamingo was growing increasingly satisfied.

Pleased with the test results, Doflamingo decided to finish things quickly rather than let his "future subordinate" underestimate him. He pointed a hand at Babbage and released more than a dozen nearly transparent threads from his palm, then twisted them together into a cable-like whip.

"Don't die on me-Overheat!"

Overheat was less destructive than his stronger whip attack, but more flexible. Doflamingo merely wanted to bring Babbage into his fold, not kill him.

But things didn't go as he wished-

"-Expand functionality. Transform into second form."

The pipes and nozzles all over the Babbage mech transformed into a more ostentatious configuration, followed by a black... dust cloud?

The black dust cloud instantly gathered into a thick black wall. Overheat carved a terrifying slash into it, but couldn't penetrate a defense that thick.

Doflamingo cautiously retreated at speed. That strange black powder had a distinct "weight" in his Observation Haki. After examining it closely, he confirmed that it must be some kind of metal dust. The sight of someone surrounded by "sand" reminded him of an old acquaintance.

Out of caution, he silently covered his entire body in strings while activating Black Knight. He intertwined and tightly bound strings together to create a duplicate Puppet.

The String Puppet looked exactly like its user. He could freely control it to perform any technique, and under his control, it could even speak.

Meanwhile, he used Black Knight's color-disguising ability to cover himself in "Optical Camouflage" and turn invisible. In an instant, he attached Sky Walk Strings to the clouds above and rose into the air as he switched places with the Puppet.

Sephiroth's Mantra detected a slight anomaly. All he knew was that Doflamingo seemed to have fired something into the sky. He could sense that whatever it was had remained motionless up there.

He remained on guard, but continued controlling Babbage's attacks as usual, creating a formation reminiscent of a certain strongest Third Kazekage's technique-Iron Sand Shigure.

Wave-like iron sand formed countless fine needles and shot toward Doflamingo at high speed. This really was troublesome; he knew all too well how difficult it was to deal with attacks that could slip through every gap.

He first swung his arm sideways, casting an enormous spiderweb made of hundreds upon thousands of transparent threads to the side. A densely woven sphere enveloped him completely.

The iron sand clung to the white sphere's surface, then pressed inward-Iron Sand Coffin.

This attack was largely ineffective. The iron sand couldn't breach the string sphere coated in Armament Haki. They seemed to have reached a stalemate, though judging purely by appearances, Babbage had the upper hand.

But the instant he trapped his opponent, Sephiroth's Mantra sensed danger. He immediately fired his thrusters and left his position, dodging another Overheat that slashed down from above and behind him to one side.

According to his Mantra, that object whose overall nature had been unclear was actually Doflamingo himself.

Elsewhere, the iron sand receded from the string sphere. The exposed sphere unraveled in turn, revealing the "Doflamingo" inside. This Doflamingo gradually "disintegrated" from the head down, turning into a mass of white strings and vanishing.

"Fuffuffuffu-you managed to gain the upper hand against my Puppet. You really are talented."

Doflamingo struck a smug pose that said, You were actually only fighting my Puppet just now.

Sephiroth badly wanted to retort, If my Mantra weren't so good, I might actually believe your bullshit.

-When it comes to showing off, I'm the professional.

"Combat data. Collection complete. Logical model. Established-"

Before attacking Jaya Island, Sephiroth had known full well that he would probably provoke Doflamingo. So even before the descent operation, he had prepared something spectacular for him-guaranteed to give Doflamingo one endless surprise after another!

"Activate Artificial Angel LATES Model."

-BOOM!!!

An object packed with mechanical components, resembling some kind of high-tech coffin, dropped from the sky and abruptly smashed down in front of the Babbage mech.

Doflamingo frowned, then relaxed. In truth, he hadn't gone all out yet. Ever since taking control of Dressrosa, it was as though something had become clear within him, and not long ago, he had even brushed the threshold of Devil Fruit Awakening. He wanted to see what other tricks this intriguing Mechanical King could produce.

"-Confirming workflow."

"-Beginning comprehensive analysis."

"-Analyzing external awareness."

"-Analyzing awareness of existence."

The Babbage mech placed a mechanical hand on the "coffin," extended an interface to connect with it, and then issued a string of mechanical announcements through its acoustic array.

-Analyze behavioral patterns, analyze psychological and physical isomorphism, observe various phenomena, test thinking ability, test thought processes, test problem-solving ability, monitor Gustalt Index, check growth rate, check knowledge requirements, check internal motivation, check visual environment, confirm normal system operation, confirm perception and memory...

"Combat parameter installation. Confirmed. Awakening ritual. Confirmed."

Once the series of procedures-which served no real purpose beyond showing off and intimidating others-ended, the metal coffin opened amid the sounds of machinery and steam, and a petite figure stepped out.

She was a girl with long black hair, crimson eyes, and fair skin. She wore white training clothes, a Black Cloth Hat decorated with a silver five-pointed star, and a black qipao patterned with golden dragons over them.

Her appearance had an aggressive, aloof quality. The instant she opened her eyes, she displayed a fierce, sinister charm, yet, seemingly contradicting that, she also carried a faint air of transcendent, unfathomable mystique.

This was Black Enchantress, a Puppet Sephiroth had painstakingly crafted using Lunar Technology, pouring enormous effort into her with the mindset of someone creating a character in a certain Scrolls game.

In fact, her intelligence was no different from that of the other Servo Angels, so she wasn't particularly "intelligent." Fortunately, she could also be controlled manually, which was more than enough to bluff people.

If he hadn't needed to preserve his image, Sephiroth would almost have said, Black Enchantress, show him a trick.

And so-

Looking every bit a supreme martial arts master, Black Enchantress took a light step forward and assumed an opening stance facing Doflamingo.

More than a dozen streams of high-temperature metal sprayed from her palm, forming gleaming threads that twisted together.

"..."

Doflamingo could no longer keep his expression under control-Holy shit, hold on a second.

-Overheat!

Confined by an electromagnetic field, the superheated metal jet struck back with an attack much like Doflamingo's own.

-I want to call the fucking cops!

At this act of imitation, the corners of Doflamingo's eyes twitched beneath his sunglasses.

Meanwhile, Babbage's mechanical right arm transformed, and the Portable Electromagnetic Cannon began charging.

Black Enchantress rushed in and tied Doflamingo up in close combat, leaving him unable to disengage for the moment.

-HUM-!

Warned by his Observation Haki, Doflamingo formed a shield with his strings while pulling himself aside. A reddish-orange "beam" pierced through the shield at his former position with a sonic boom, leaving a thin, molten scar across the ground.

"...Fuffuffuffu-"

Doflamingo's Observation Haki also detected organized units of robots nearby, their strength unknown.

To win in style, he might need to use his Awakening. This reminded him of Gild Tesoro.

-Looks like becoming "allies" would be the better deal this time.