Transparent threads connected to the clouds in the sky. The power of the String-String Fruit allowed Doflamingo to fight Smoker in the sky as if flying; though "toying with him" would be a more accurate description than "fighting."
Since the fight began, Smoker hadn't been able to land a single effective attack on Doflamingo, while every attack from Doflamingo would stir up a large cloud of smoke and leave two bloody gashes on Smoker's body from the strings.
The Smoke-Smoke Fruit, in Smoker's hands, was merely a fruit used to evade attacks, fly, and add a little more impact to his punches; he had not brought out the inherent properties of smoke itself.
When dealing with Devil Fruit Users, he also relied heavily on the Seastone jitte in his hand, but Smoker's jitte had already been broken in the earlier fight with Vergo.
Smoker himself was also a Devil Fruit User and couldn't directly touch the Seastone portion, which further weakened his attack power.
The Marines of G5 base wanted to help, but under Doflamingo's control, they were just toys. As the Parasite Strings rained down from the sky, the G5 Marines began slaughtering one another.
They wanted to help yet appeared powerless, while a Marine stationed near the shoreline noticed a strange figure out on the sea.
The fierce sea winds seemed mixed with the sound of gears turning; faintly one could hear metal chains gradually being driven to their limit.
Before that Marine could react, a bicycle suddenly appeared beside him.
"Keep an eye on it for me, don't let it get damaged."
Staring at the bike painted in girlish pink, the G5 Marine looked bewildered; that tone, that habit of riding a bicycle out on the sea. In his impression, only one person would do such a thing.
At the same time, Doflamingo's body stiffened.
"Ara ara, sorry about this. Young man, could you move aside? That fellow is my friend."
Kuzan sighed, and the breath he exhaled instantly condensed into a white mist in Punk Hazard's cold environment. A sheen of frost also formed across Kuzan's face.
As long as Doflamingo dared make a move, he could immediately stop him before any attack was launched.
"Y-yes, former Admiral, Aokiji!"
"Didn't he disappear after fighting Fleet Admiral Akainu? Why did he show up here?"
Even to this day, the Marines and the World Government still hadn't announced by any official channel that Kuzan had become a pirate.
Not long ago they'd been running recruitment campaigns across the world, replenishing their forces.
If someone turned around and told everyone that their former Admiral had left to become a pirate, it'd be way too embarrassing.
But lack of an official announcement didn't mean the rumors didn't exist, especially at this moment, the Marine whom Kuzan had asked to watch the bicycle was pushing it over.
As a Marine stationed in the New World, the symbol on the front of the bicycle was far too conspicuous.
"Looks like that rumor was true. Admiral Aokiji really did become a pirate."
Surrounded by G5 Marines, Doflamingo never lowered the hand he'd raised to attack; his attention shifted to Kuzan, though Doflamingo had no idea what Kuzan intended to do.
"Fuffuffuffu, former Admiral Kuzan, if I remember correctly, you've already found yourself a new boss, haven't you?"
Ordinary soldiers didn't know what Kuzan was really up to, but the Marine high command, and people like Doflamingo, who had always acted as information brokers, were well aware of which side Kuzan was on now.
Strictly speaking, Doflamingo and Kuzan were even people of the same camp, so this time Doflamingo didn't try to continue whatever he was doing right in front of Kuzan.
"So you can still stand here and continue to talk to me. Like I said, that guy is my friend. You can go ahead and try laying a finger on him."
Hearing Kuzan's threatening words, Doflamingo's heart remained utterly calm. He even kept walking forward with his signature arrogant swagger until he stood behind Kuzan, then elegantly demonstrated what it meant to back down with style.
"I don't want to fight you. But if I can't shut that man's mouth, my plans will have to change."
In short, your fists are bigger, so you're right. I can't afford to provoke you.
"Plans? So causing this whole uproar with the Quake-Quake Fruit, was that part of your plan too?"
"Chaos breeds opportunity. Only a sea thrown into turmoil offers more choices, don't you think?"
"Then you'd better be ready. Young Miss has come to join in the fun."
At those words, Doflamingo's footsteps faltered. For someone to be called "young miss" by Kuzan in this situation, there was only one person it could be.
"Fuffuffuffu, what a surprise. An incredible big shot indeed. Baby 5, Buffalo, let's go!"
Doflamingo had assumed the Beasts Pirates would just randomly send a few officers, but it turned out they had sent a big shot. It seemed not only his current plan, but even his Dressrosa plan, would have to be rearranged.
Buffalo's hair spun like a propeller, carrying Doflamingo away from the island. Kuzan then called out to the G5 Marines.
"Hey, don't just stand there like idiots, where are the medics? Get over here and treat him!"
"Y-yes, sir!"
"And who's in charge of maintaining the warships? Repair my bicycle!"
"Yes, sir!"
Kuzan's original destination had been G5. He had wanted to check in on his old friend Smoker, but upon finding no one there, and learning that Smoker had once again disobeyed orders and gone out on his own, Kuzan rushed over here.
How exactly he traveled was a mystery, but his bicycle had definitely been pushed to its limits; the gears and chains now needed a bit of repair work.
Though Kuzan was no longer a Marine, with Smoker lying unconscious, the soldiers still instinctively followed Kuzan's commands.
Rumors about Kuzan's current allegiance were widespread, but judging from his behavior just now, he still seemed like one of them.
"Admiral Aokiji? Those rumors… are they true?"
As the medics tended to Smoker's wounds, Smoker addressed Kuzan with an unusually formal tone.
"Aokiji… that's such an old alias. I never saw the World Government as my whole world. Even without being a Marine, there are still things I can do, and some things you can only truly see once you stop being a Marine.
Knowing your personality, you won't keep this quiet. But here's my advice: without a Marine Admiral's backing, don't expect to get involved in what's coming next."
He was, after all, a defector from the Marines. Spending too long around an active Vice Admiral like Smoker was bound to stir criticism. Once he confirmed that Smoker wouldn't die, Kuzan prepared to leave.
Before departing, he praised the G5 Marines for their repair skills, then rode off toward the opposite side of the sea, but not toward Dressrosa. His destination was another island entirely.
The next day, in the World Economy News Paper, it was unclear who was suffering the biggest headache, but one thing was certain: Morgans was the most excited of all. Today's news was another that would shake the entire world.
"Let's see… Doflamingo resigns from the Shichibukai, the 'Surgeon of Death' Trafalgar Law allies with Straw Hat Luffy… quite the lineup of news today."
Using the secret in his hand, Doflamingo struck a special deal with the Five Elders, releasing a false news announcing his withdrawal from the Shichibukai.
However, the Shichibukai were an organization appointed directly by the World Government, an authority that could bypass the Marines entirely. Thus, only the Five Elders themselves knew the truth behind this arrangement.
As someone whose only job was to report the news, and who delighted in making every incident as sensational as possible, Morgans didn't care whether something was true or false. As long as it was a big story, that was enough for him.
"Oh right, have you still not gotten in touch with Absa? It's such a pity that someone like him won't work under me as a reporter. He's got a natural talent for journalism, only the news industry can make him truly shine!"
"No, President. He's still refusing our invitation, saying he only wants to remain a freelancer."
Absa, a freelance reporter who had gained some fame in the past two years, was in truth Absalom, the man once by Moria's side. Even now, he loyally cared for the depressed Moria.
Using the power of his Clear-Clear Fruit, he often infiltrated various places to steal secrets. With countless scoops and gossip in his possession, even Morgans admired him quite a lot.
"What a shame. His skill at digging up information is top-tier. The young ones from the Worst Generation sure can't stay quiet either, one alliance after another keeps popping up."
Looking at the manuscript in his hand, Morgans began planning the next issue of the newspaper.
As a journalist, Morgans really liked that paparazzi Absalom, but those whose secrets were exposed felt very differently.
"Why?! We just formed an alliance a few days ago, how did this get out already?!"
On an island in the New World, Kid, missing one arm, stared at the newspaper in confusion.
Not long ago, the Kid Pirates had allied with the On Air Pirates and the Hawkins Pirates. None of the three crews had even left the island, and yet somehow their alliance had already made the front page.
Of course, there were many things Kid didn't know, such as the fact that both Apoo and Hawkins had been personally recruited by Queen into the Beasts Pirates because of their particular talents.
Since the two spent most of their time DJing and fortune-telling, the outside world had no idea their crews had become subordinates of the Beasts Pirates.
The reason they had appeared here together was because Queen was currently holed up in the Reverse World building a secure house. Without Queen around, their importance had plummeted, and with no notable achievements, they weren't getting any attention at all.
To salvage this situation, the two rookies, who had joined them at the same time, instinctively began sticking together for mutual support, venturing out together to increase their achievements, and Kid was the target they chose.
High bounty, reckless personality, and seemingly not much of a thinker. He looked like the perfect man for mining.
"Are you sure this guy can count as an achievement?"
"This is the result of divination. Even Lord Queen believes in it, what are you dissatisfied with?"
With Hawkins' unassailable logic, Apoo chose to believe. And while they were scheming how to trick Kid, in Marine Headquarters, Brannew was already preparing to hold a meeting.
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