KRAKATHOOM!
A sudden bolt of lightning split the sky, shattering the bizarre atmosphere on the battlefield.
Thump-thump-thump…
The drum-like beating of a heart had ceased. In that same instant, the figure of Doflamingo, who had been lying on the ground, vanished without a trace.
"When did he—"
Whitebeard glanced back at the spot where Doflamingo had fallen, only to find it empty. He immediately activated his Observation Haki, scanning the area to relocate him.
"Quick! Look at the sky!" someone shrieked, drawing everyone's attention upward.
It was Doflamingo's grand entrance. The sky was now a maelstrom of crackling electricity and rolling thunder. Floating high above Kaido and Big Mom, Doflamingo looked like a thunder god, his presence sacred and inviolable.
"You little brat, you dare stand over me?" Kaido bellowed. Unlike the others, who were stunned by Doflamingo's new appearance, he was more offended by the fact that Doflamingo dared to hover above him.
Big Mom's expression was just as dark, a dangerous glint in her eyes.
"Let's see what you've got, brat. To think you actually managed to injure Whitebeard," Kaido sneered, launching himself toward the sky.
Doflamingo, his eyes still closed, sensed Kaido's approach. His eyes snapped open, a wicked grin mirroring Kaido's own.
"If you're that eager to experience what Whitebeard went through, then I won't be polite. Thunder Judgment!"
Doflamingo unleashed a torrent of lightning directly at the ascending Kaido.
Kaido simply ignored the electrical assault, plowing straight through the storm of lightning as he charged Doflamingo.
"Lightning? Hah, are you trying to tickle me?" Kaido scoffed, swiping at Doflamingo with his claws.
"You really do have a tough hide, Kaido."
Doflamingo wasn't surprised that his lightning had no effect; Kaido's defensive power was, after all, monstrous.
BOOM!
He met Kaido's attack with a punch of his own. The two were evenly matched, neither giving an inch.
"Boro Breath!"
But Kaido, feeling his pride wounded, refused to let up. He unleashed a searing blast of heat directly at Doflamingo's face.
"Damn it, you're relentless, aren't you!" Doflamingo cursed, narrowly dodging the blast.
"You little punk!" Kaido roared back.
The two clashed again.
CRASH!
A wave of explosive energy radiated outward, churning the once-calm sea into a frenzy. The thunder in the sky above grew even more violent.
"Zeus!"
"Yes, Mama!"
"Emperor Sword!"
Just as Doflamingo was locked in combat with Kaido, Big Mom decided to intervene.
"Lightning!"
Doflamingo casually grabbed a handful of lightning from the air and struck Napoleon.
CLANG!
"What's this, Big Mom? Trying to save your old flame?" Doflamingo taunted, his eyes fixed on her.
"Brat, I'm going to rip that mouth of yours off!" she shrieked in fury.
"Linlin, get out of the way! He's mine!" Kaido snarled, annoyed at her interference.
"You're the one who should get lost, Kaido!" Big Mom, never one to back down, shot back.
"Tornado!"
Seeing that his words weren't working, Kaido wasted no more time and attacked her directly.
"Prometheus!"
"Yes, Mama!"
"Heavenly Fire!"
Big Mom retaliated without hesitation, unleashing her own fiery power on Kaido.
And just like that, Doflamingo was no longer needed. He became a spectator, watching Kaido and Big Mom unleash their awesome power on each other.
"Mama…" Perospero and the other Big Mom pirates watched their mother's rampage with a hint of concern.
With nothing else to do, Doflamingo decided it was time to get a little payback from Whitebeard.
"Lightning, go!"
With a wave of his hand, the shimmering bolts of thunder behind him descended upon Whitebeard below.
Whitebeard quickly raised his Murakumogiri, slicing through the falling lightning bolt by bolt.
Doflamingo knew this wouldn't be enough to defeat him, but he had no intention of engaging Whitebeard in close combat again. His Haki and physical prowess were clearly inferior; fighting him up close would be asking for a beating. The memory of his recent brush with death was still fresh in his mind. He wasn't about to make the same mistake twice.
The lightning bolts that Whitebeard deflected didn't vanish. Instead, they struck the ground, crackling and surging across the island.
"300 Million Volt - God's Judgment!"
Doflamingo brandished a massive spear of lightning and brought it down on Whitebeard from above.
Whitebeard swung his Murakumogiri, meeting the attack head-on with a single, unyielding slash.
The power of his lightning… it's gotten stronger! This brat… Whitebeard thought, inwardly surprised by the force of the blow.
"Have another! 500 Million Volt - Inazuma!"
Doflamingo pressed his advantage, gathering all his electrical energy into one massive attack and blasting it toward Whitebeard.
A brilliant pillar of lightning fell from the sky, instantly engulfing the Emperor.
"Pops!!!"
Marco and the others cried out in alarm as they saw Whitebeard swallowed by the light.
"Whitebeard?"
The fighting Kaido and Big Mom paused, their attention drawn by the commotion. They turned to watch the duel between Doflamingo and Whitebeard.
Doflamingo maintained the output of his attack, continuously pouring pressure on Whitebeard.
A river of white light hung in the air where Whitebeard had been, but Doflamingo didn't let his guard down. He could clearly sense that Whitebeard's presence hadn't weakened in the slightest.
"Break!"
With a mighty roar, Whitebeard burst from the pillar of light, his great blade held high. He flew into the air, tearing the river of lightning in two as he rose.
"That old monster…"
Kaido and Big Mom's faces soured. They had both felt the threat from Doflamingo's attack, yet Whitebeard had shrugged it off with such ease.
Seeing Whitebeard emerge, Doflamingo could only sigh in admiration. As expected of Whitebeard!
In that case, it's about time I took my leave. The thought crossed his mind, and he made his decision. He sent a silent message to Enel, telling him to leave first.
But before he retreated, Doflamingo decided to leave a parting gift for Whitebeard and the others.
Enel took one last look at the scene before soaring into the sky, making his escape. With everyone's attention focused on Doflamingo and Whitebeard, he was practically invisible, allowing him to leave unopposed.
"Prepare to face calamity! Whitebeard, Kaido, Big Mom!"
Doflamingo ceased his attack and teleported even higher into the sky, issuing a declaration to the three legends below.
Kaido and Big Mom had stopped fighting. Whitebeard stood in the air using Geppo, looking up at Doflamingo high above.
"Such shameless boasting, brat," Kaido sneered.
"Mamamamama! Well now, Donquixote Doflamingo. Let's see what you're truly capable of," Big Mom laughed coldly, gripping Napoleon. Unbeknownst to her, Zeus trembled beneath her feet.
"Gurararara! Get on with it, thunder brat!"
"As you wish! Thunder Tribulation Calamity!"
Behind Doflamingo, a violent tempest of lightning began to churn, surging and swelling like a roiling sea.
"A Sea of Thunder Tribulation! Inundate, and Fall!"
The eyes of Whitebeard, Kaido, and Big Mom twitched as they watched the ocean of pure lightning pour down from the heavens.
"How is that possible? Is that even lightning anymore?"
Marco and the others paled. Doflamingo's lightning no longer behaved like normal thunderbolts; it had become a fluid substance, flowing like water, seeping into every crack and crevice as it rushed toward them.
"Fall back, now!"
"Retreat!"
Marco and Perospero issued the command at the same time, their crews scrambling to get away from the battlefield.
A torrent of lightning fell three thousand feet, as if the Milky Way itself was crashing down from the heavens.
The sea of lightning moved with incredible speed, spreading across the land like spilled mercury, unstoppable and all-consuming.
"Tornado!"
"Elbaf Spear: Ikoku Sovereignty!"
"Air Quake!"
Whitebeard, Kaido, and Big Mom launched their most powerful attacks in defense.
But water is yielding and all-encompassing. And liquid lightning is immensely powerful.
Even with their incredible attacks, the three were fated to be submerged by the sea of thunder. The retreating Big Mom Pirates and Whitebeard Pirates didn't fare much better.
When the lightning fell into the ocean, it grew even larger, eroding their ships. Fortunately, most pirate ships were made of wood, a poor conductor, or their fate would have been far worse. Even so, their vessels were battered and broken.
"Farewell! We'll meet again."
Doflamingo watched the chaos unfold calmly, though a trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth. It was clear that unleashing such a technique had taken a heavy toll on him.
"Donquixote Doflamingo, don't you dare run! Get back here!"
Hearing his words, Whitebeard was the first to burst from the sea of lightning, preparing to give chase.
"Whitebeard, I'll be sure to return your son to you safely. Don't be ungrateful."
With that final taunt, Doflamingo ignored Whitebeard's thunderous expression and vanished.
The great battle of Gabrra Island had come to a close. There were no winners, and no losers. As for the tangled history of love and hate between Kaido, Big Mom, and Whitebeard, Doflamingo had no interest. He would leave them to their squabbles.