This Beast is Indeed Fishing for Him Again

With the healing of the String-String Fruit, Doflamingo stood up from the mud, having recovered considerably. His face was covered in blood, and he was panting, looking somewhat surprised and uncertain.

This time, he didn't rashly charge forward.

Being ambushed twice in a row had left him with quite a few scars. He feared Wilton would try the same trick again. Despite looking like he was on death's door, who knew if he'd suddenly spring back from the brink and bring down a heavy hammer on him.

The cracks on his skull were still there. It would take at least a month or two of recovery back in Dressrosa, and his head was still ringing.

His vision was still blurry.

If he got hit again, he might collapse on the spot.

"Raging Waves White Line."

The ground all around was assimilated again, and tens of thousands of transparent white threads arranged themselves, forming an attack like a surging tidal wave that quickly assaulted Wilton.

Doflamingo had learned his lesson.

He needed to use ranged attacks.

He himself stayed in a relatively safe location, allowing him to react quickly to any sudden developments, unlike the previous two times when being too close had put him on the defensive.

Wilton, whose consciousness was also a bit sluggish, sighed inwardly. There was no helping it; he couldn't trick Doflamingo a third time.

That guy had gotten smarter.

Now, he could only go all out.

In an instant.

A colorful rain of life energy drifted down. Wilton, who had been on death's door, rapidly gained strength. His battered body quickly recovered more than half its damage.

The flesh around his broken waist regenerated rapidly.

All negative effects vanished, and he was once again full of vigor, revived with half his health.

He quickly leaped thirty meters away, picked up the dumbbell on the ground, and looked up at the grim-faced Doflamingo.

"Insidious scoundrel."

Doflamingo gritted his teeth, his mood utterly shattered. This beast had indeed been baiting him again. If he had charged forward earlier, the consequences would have been unimaginable.

Boom!

The two violent wills continued to clash. The lightning-filled clouds churned, and a suffocating pressure swept the entire area.

"I didn't expect you to be a Devil Fruit User."

Doflamingo's gaze was icy.

He couldn't think of anything other than a Devil Fruit that could grant the opponent such monstrous recovery abilities. He had been hiding it quite deeply.

He had paid attention to Wilton a while back because of Crocodile.

The intelligence reports hadn't indicated he was a Devil Fruit User. Now it seemed he wasn't just a Devil Fruit User, but one with recovery abilities.

The thought made Doflamingo's expression even uglier.

Two consecutive mistakes had left him in a poor state, while the opponent could quickly recover using his Devil Fruit abilities. If the fight continued, the advantage would no longer be his.

He didn't have absolute confidence in defeating the opponent now.

If he had gone all out from the beginning...

Doflamingo deeply regretted it. He had a hand full of aces, a royal flush, but his arrogance and carelessness had ruined it all.

"Explosive Double Axes."

Wilton didn't answer Doflamingo's words. Instead, he launched a new round of assault, leaping forward and smashing towards Doflamingo.

He still had the air of someone willing to die, ready to take Doflamingo down with him.

To be honest, Doflamingo couldn't handle this fighting style. It was too aggressive, a life-for-a-life exchange right from the start.

He desperately needed a breather.

"Shield White Line."

Two massive white lines shot up from the ground, firmly blocking Wilton's assault while simultaneously retreating. With a deafening roar, Wilton flipped and landed on the ground.

"Fufufufu—"

"I've got you now."

Doflamingo's face was sinister. He didn't intend to continue fighting Wilton. In his current state, even if he defeated the opponent, he would be on the verge of death.

A single misstep and he might be dragged down with him.

It wasn't worth it.

His own life was priceless.

As Doflamingo vanished from his spot, the battle ended.

Wilton's clothes were tattered, and he looked terrible. The ground beneath his feet was stained a bright red.

He didn't stop Doflamingo from leaving. He had to admit that he didn't have the strength to crush Doflamingo like he had the Straw Hat Pirates.

If it weren't for his suicidal fighting style and the safety net of his Golden Finger, he truly wouldn't have been a match for the other party.

Let's count.

Starting from Loguetown, he crushed opponents in low-tier matches. In mid-tier matches against people like Ace and Doflamingo, although he was at a disadvantage and not their equal, his fighting style compensated for the gap.

Ultimately, it could be considered a fifty-fifty fight.

If he were a bit more cunning, he could still inflict severe injuries or psychological trauma on his enemies.

Only in high-tier matches was he truly helpless, with no ability to fight back. Even using all his skills, he was simply crushed, like in the battle against Dragon.

Even a mutually destructive strategy couldn't bridge that chasm.

As it stands.

In low-tier matches, he crushes his opponents. In mid-tier matches, even with a gap, he can fight to a fifty-fifty draw. Only in high-tier matches is he still lacking.

Currently, Recovery, Heal, and his ultimate move, Justice Potential, have all been used up. It's no longer suitable to continue using the "go together to the underworld" tactic.

It just so happens that Doflamingo is already weakened, so it's better to take the opportunity.

Once the Ton-Ton Fruit is developed, facing Doflamingo again won't be so exhausting. This time, even with all his trump cards, he wasn't sure he could defeat the opponent.

However, this battle was very rewarding.

Awakening Conqueror's Haki was the biggest surprise of all. Wilton always thought he didn't have the aptitude for it, but unexpectedly, he awakened it after being stimulated several times.

It was quite sudden.

"Lord Wilton."

Sadi and a group of Marines ran over, all looking at Wilton with adoration and reverence. The previous battle had, as always, made them feel incredibly passionate.

Even if the Yonko were here now, if Wilton gave the order, they would charge forward without fear, shedding their heads and spilling their blood.

They would even bite off a piece of the enemy's flesh, even in death.

This was the influence Wilton brought.

It couldn't be helped.

Wilton always led from the front, fearless of death. Over time, none of his subordinates were cowards.

"You know how to do this too."

Wilton was surprised once again, watching Sadi skillfully bandage his wounds. She clearly knew some medical skills.

This perverted woman's work capabilities were constantly breaking new ground.

He wasn't actually seriously injured. After activating the ultimate move, Justice Potential, the negative effects were halved, even for a body riddled with wounds.

"Doesn't everyone know how to do this?"

Sadi darted around, the white bandages sliding smoothly in her hands. She quickly applied medicine and wrapped Wilton's upper and lower body.

He looked like a mummy on the verge of death.

Wilton didn't argue with Sadi, but inwardly sighed. He had truly found a versatile subordinate. What if she was a little mentally unstable with such work ethic?

"Notify the nearest Marine base and have them send five warships. I'm going to sweep the pirates in Spiders Cafe Town."

Wilton twisted his neck. He planned to sweep Spiders Cafe Town in one go. Even though he knew it was only a temporary solution, he wanted to gain prestige and establish a persona as a rigid and upright person who hated evil and upheld justice.

Ever since he became a Marine, he had been cultivating this image, because a good persona could reduce a lot of trouble for him.

Right now, having just repelled a Shichibukai, his subordinates were highly energized. Their spirited and imposing aura could be felt.

The matter of awakening Conqueror's Haki couldn't be kept secret, but it was harmless.