Doflamingo had been deliberately kept alive just long enough to extract the String-String Fruit from him.
It wasn't necessarily because of the fruit's value, but rather that Devil Fruits inherently held immense worth. If an opportunity to acquire one arose, it was only natural to seize it.
Maude retrieved a pre-prepared fruit from the Shadow Casket.
A familiar scene. A familiar procedure.
Law took the fruit, skillfully activating his spatial domain, enveloping Doflamingo's battered body.
Though the domain was in place, Law didn't immediately extract Doflamingo's heart.
He looked down at the man, bloodied and beaten, as memories of Corazon flooded his mind.
The very reason he had lived this long was to destroy everything Doflamingo held dear in Corazon's name.
"Finally..."
A sharp glint flashed in Law's eyes. Raising his middle finger, he remotely extracted Doflamingo's heart with a precise motion.
Thump. Thump.
The heartbeat was slow but steady—proof of Doflamingo's monstrous vitality.
"Prepare to go to hell, Doflamingo."
Muttering to himself, Law activated the Op-Op Fruit's ability, inserting the fruit into the gelatinous membrane surrounding Doflamingo's heart.
As Law completed the final step of the Devil Fruit extraction, Maude hesitated for a moment, suppressing his urge to finish off Doflamingo himself.
He knew that Law's ultimate goal had always been to personally end Doflamingo's reign. And since Maude already considered Law one of his own, he wasn't about to interfere and rob him of that satisfaction.
However…
A Devil Fruit Awakening like Doflamingo's would yield a considerable experience boost.
Letting him go just like that? Maude knew he'd lose sleep over it for months.
Still, he had no regrets.
Instead, he remained silent, watching Law closely.
Even after successfully extracting the fruit's power, Law did not make a move to kill Doflamingo. Instead, he turned to Maude.
For a moment, the two simply stared at each other.
"You're not going to finish him?"
"You're not going to finish him?"
They spoke in unison.
Maude blinked, puzzled. "Wait… hasn't it always been your goal to personally take him down?"
Law replied calmly, "I'm a doctor. I don't enjoy killing unless necessary. Besides, isn't that why you're here?"
"..."
A metaphorical question mark floated above Maude's head.
Thinking back, it was true—after Doflamingo's defeat in the original timeline, Law never delivered the final blow.
It seemed that what Law truly sought wasn't Doflamingo's death but the complete destruction of everything he had built—his power, his status, his family, his freedom…
Still, hearing Law's reasoning firsthand left Maude slightly surprised. It felt like he was seeing him in a new light.
"Got it."
Without hesitation, Maude stepped forward and snapped Doflamingo's neck.
As life faded from Doflamingo's body, the hatred buried deep within Law's heart finally began to dissipate.
It was over…
With Doflamingo's death, the Devil Fruit power within his heart transferred to the fruit inside the membrane.
Within seconds, the ordinary fruit transformed into a gray, fibrous-skinned Devil Fruit—the String-String Fruit.
"Here."
Law, regaining his composure, pulled the newly formed Devil Fruit from the membrane and handed it to Maude.
Maude took the fruit, and a shadowy ripple spread from his palm, swallowing it into the Shadow Casket.
"That makes three now."
Including the Bomb-Bomb Fruit obtained in Alabasta and the Tone-Tone Fruit acquired in Sabaody Archipelago, Maude now possessed three Devil Fruits within the Shadow Casket.
Each one represented a potential powerhouse.
Among the three, the Bomb-Bomb Fruit had the highest combat acceleration potential, as it allowed the user's body to become a medium for explosions.
Next was the Tone-Tone Fruit, capable of transforming sound waves into various attack forms.
The least promising in terms of raw combat efficiency was the String-String Fruit. Only someone with exceptional talent—like Doflamingo—could maximize its potential and even awaken it.
"The only ones in our crew who haven't eaten a Devil Fruit yet are Gaya and little Philo. I wonder if either of them would be interested."
Maude pondered over his crew's progress.
He hadn't seen them in a while and was curious about their training results.
Jin, in particular, would need to endure repeated injuries to push the limits of his Ancient Zoan Triceratops Fruit—an undoubtedly grueling process.
The unfavorable geography of the Thriller Bark ship might limit Gaya's culinary options for nutritional support.
As for little Philo, Maude wondered if she could successfully master Armament Haki. If necessary, he might have to remove her crow mask during training.
If Armament Haki proved too difficult, at the very least, she needed to develop Observation Haki.
Meanwhile, under Lafitte's supervision, Brook's mastery of the Revive-Revive Fruit should allow him to harness the chill of the underworld sooner than expected. If he could reach the level of manipulating souls, that would be even better.
Boom—!
Just as Maude was lost in thought, a powerful impact struck the shadow barrier from the outside.
Someone was attacking it—an opponent with immense strength.
"That giant from earlier…"
Though he couldn't see the attacker, Maude had a good idea of who it was.
Before removing the shadow barrier, Maude stored Doflamingo's corpse in the Shadow Casket.
Since his Shadow-Shadow Fruit ability had evolved to an eight-star level, the space within the Shadow Casket had expanded further.
Holding a few corpses was nothing.
Doflamingo's body, in particular, was an excellent material for a zombie warrior—Maude certainly wouldn't let it go to waste.
Previously, he had used Whitebeard's corpse as bait to mislead the Blackbeard Pirates. Now, that corpse lay undisturbed within the Shadow Casket.
In hindsight, Maude had completely played the Blackbeard Pirates for fools.
"Law, this war has nothing to do with you. Try to avoid any further battles."
Maude gave a casual reminder.
Law nodded.
With that, Maude dismissed the shadow barrier.
Standing before them was the giant Vice Admiral, Lacroix—the one responsible for attacking the barrier.
As expected.
The other Marines, including Vice Admiral Momonga, were nowhere to be seen.
They had likely reached an agreement during a brief discussion, allowing Lacroix to engage Maude alone while the others retreated to reinforce the rear.
"Bacardi Maude!"
As soon as the shadow barrier vanished, Lacroix's eyes narrowed. His massive sword, initially aimed at the barrier, swiftly turned toward Maude.
The blade shimmered with a jet-black hue—localized Armament Haki reinforcement.
As the blade came down, Maude lightly leaped backward.
The sword struck the ground with a deafening crash, cracking the earth beneath it.
Maude landed gracefully and remarked, "Too slow. But I suppose that's just a common flaw among giants."
"Don't underestimate me!"
Lacroix's face darkened. He stepped forward, thrusting his massive blade straight at Maude.
"I don't underestimate you. It's just…"
A crimson gleam flickered in Maude's eyes. In the blink of an eye, his figure vanished from Lacroix's sight.
A black flash swept through the air.
The next moment—
Maude reappeared behind Lacroix, calmly sheathing his blade.
"…you chose the wrong opponent."
Lacroix's eyes widened in shock.
His head flew skyward, a fountain of blood erupting from his neck.
It landed at the feet of the retreating Marines, including Momonga.
They froze.
A chill ran down their spines.
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