The island was soaked in blood.
Pirates continued to die in the frenzied battle, only for new ones to arrive and join the carnage. The box containing the Devil Fruit changed hands over and over, but no one could claim it for long.
Even when someone briefly held onto it, they couldn't open the box to eat the fruit, nor could anyone leave the island with it. The fighting had raged for nearly ten days, and still, no victor had emerged. As the conflict escalated, more powerful pirates arrived, with bounties in the tens of millions becoming a common sight.
"Hand over the box!"
"Quick, the Undertaker has the box!"
"Surround him! Don't let him escape with it!"
Pirates, bloodlust in their eyes, roared as they fought with all their might. Even ordinary Devil Fruits were considered treasures to these pirates, but a Mythical Zoan fruit? That was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to change their fate.
Suddenly, a figure descended from the sky.
"Fufufufu!" An arrogant, mocking laugh echoed across the blood-soaked battlefield.
"It's Doflamingo!" someone shouted.
"Damn it! What's he doing here?"
"We're doomed."
"It's been too long—the commotion must have attracted monsters like him."
"What do we do now?"
For a moment, the slaughter ceased as the pirates turned to face the approaching figure. Fear rippled through the crowd as they watched Doflamingo, casually walking across the battlefield.
They could only watch helplessly as he approached the box that had caused all the bloodshed.
With a smirk, he planted his foot on it.
"So, it's real," Doflamingo muttered in awe, gazing down at the contents of the box—the Mythical Zoan Phoenix fruit.
A manic grin spread across his face as he burst into laughter. "It's mine now, you worthless trash. Get lost."
He didn't even bother to acknowledge the thousand or so pirates surrounding him. They were beneath his notice.
"Why should we? Just because you're Doflamingo doesn't mean you can take our Devil Fruit!" shouted a pirate with a 20 million bounty.
His defiance lasted only until Doflamingo sliced his head clean off.
"Let's take him down together!" one pirate shouted.
"Yeah, we'll defeat Doflamingo first and then fight for the fruit!"
"Right!"
Pirates weren't known for their fear of death. Doflamingo's presence alone wasn't enough to make them back down. Fueled by greed and desperation, they charged toward him, hoping their combined efforts would bring him down.
Doflamingo sneered, a cold, murderous aura spilling from him. "A pile of trash is still just trash."
With a surge of Haki, his Conqueror's Haki rippled across the battlefield, crushing the spirits of most of the pirates. The weaker ones collapsed instantly, unconscious. Those who managed to resist were drenched in cold sweat, their legs shaking uncontrollably.
Even the bravest among them could hardly muster the will to continue their attack. Against Doflamingo, their efforts were laughable at best.
The Heavenly Demon moved through the crowd, effortlessly dodging attacks. With a simple flick of his fingers, razor-sharp threads sliced through pirate after pirate, cutting down countless foes.
He alone overwhelmed them all.
Meanwhile, in the shadows, Admiral Akainu and Vice Admiral Chaton had been observing the chaos on the island for ten days.
"Admiral Sakazuki, this isn't good. If Doflamingo gets away with the fruit, the plan will fail," Chaton said, his voice laced with concern.
Akainu remained expressionless. "I'll kill him," he said flatly.
"No!" Chaton protested. "If you show yourself now, it will ruin the plan. We'll lose everything."
"Then I'll kill them all. No witnesses, no problem," Akainu growled, bloodlust seeping into his tone.
Chaton shook his head. "If everyone dies, people will know something's off."
Akainu's scowl deepened. "Then what do you suggest?"
The pressure was mounting. He'd sworn to capture Kuke, and the weight of that promise was taking its toll. Failure wasn't an option.
Chaton glanced down, avoiding the admiral's gaze. "It's been ten days, and Kuke hasn't shown up. He's too scared to come for the fruit. So much for him."
Akainu snorted derisively. "Hiding in fear, unable to claim even a Devil Fruit."
Just then, the situation outside shifted.
A figure appeared before Doflamingo, moving so quickly it seemed like teleportation.
"Planning a trip somewhere?" came a calm voice.
Before Doflamingo could react, a massive hand, padded like a paw, came crashing toward him.
Whoosh!
In an instant, Doflamingo vanished from where he stood, narrowly dodging the attack. He reappeared a distance away, his eyes filled with wariness as he faced the newcomer.
"Kuma... even you've come," Doflamingo muttered, his arrogance giving way to caution as he stared down Bartholomew Kuma.
"Joker, will you hand the fruit over to me?" Kuma asked calmly, his voice devoid of emotion.
Doflamingo's forehead pulsed with anger. "Are you joking? You think I'll just give it up because you ask?"
"Then I suppose there's no other way," Kuma replied, slipping off his second glove.
Doflamingo immediately shifted into a battle stance.
The clash between them erupted in an instant.
Threads sliced through the town's buildings, leaving crisscrossing scars on the ground, while Kuma's paw-generated shockwaves obliterated everything in their path.
Watching the intense fight from the sidelines, Chaton clapped his hands together in glee. "Great! They'll be too busy fighting each other. No need for us to intervene."
Akainu clenched his fists, suppressing the urge to join the fight. His eyes burned with murderous intent. "Once this mission is over, I'll deal with all these criminals."
Chaton, however, remained worried. "I just hope Kuke shows up soon. If he doesn't come soon, even the monsters from the New World might make an appearance."
That would complicate matters, making it difficult for them to control the situation.
"We'll wait three more days. If he doesn't show, the mission fails."
As they spoke, Kuke was already watching the island from a distance. Even from kilometers away, the stench of blood filled the air.
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P.S.: This story was never completed, and I want to finish it. If you'd like to help me financially so I have the time to translate it as fast as possible, you can join me on my Patreon at patreon . com / Emik01 and you can read up to chapter 31.
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