"Devil Fruit Awakening?"
Vergo asked curiously. He searched his memory for anything Zephyr might have taught him on the subject, but came up empty.
"That's right. Devil Fruit Awakening," Doflamingo confirmed.
"What is Devil Fruit Awakening?"
"It's what will make you stronger."
"Stronger!"
"Yes. It's the next level of a Devil Fruit's power. A Paramecia user's Awakening allows them to affect things beyond their own body. An awakened Zoan user gains a massive boost in recovery and combat power, but failure to control it can have side effects. As for Logias, it should allow them to permanently change the surrounding landscape, affecting the environment and even the climate."
Hearing Doflamingo's explanation, Vergo's eyes lit up, his breathing quickening. "Then how do I awaken my power?!" he pressed.
"The moment your mind and body can catch up to the full potential of your ability is the moment you awaken. Simply put, it's about your physical conditioning and your willpower," Doflamingo advised.
Vergo fell into a long, thoughtful silence.
"I believe you have what it takes, Vergo," Doflamingo encouraged him.
"Thank you, Doffy," Vergo said gratefully.
"Now, show me your full strength, Vergo!" Doflamingo said, firing off a bolt of lightning that snapped Vergo out of his contemplation of Awakening.
Vergo looked at Doflamingo with renewed focus, clearing his mind. He would no longer dwell on Awakening; he knew that when his strength and will were sufficient, it would come naturally.
Bubble, bubble.
Just as Vergo was about to move, he heard the sound of bubbling water. Looking down, he saw a pool of black liquid spreading rapidly toward him.
"What is this?" Vergo asked with curiosity, his body instinctively backing away.
"You can think of it as an Awakening," Doflamingo stated calmly from a distance.
So this is Awakening. To think that violent lightning could take such a form... how strange, Vergo marveled internally, remaining wary of the black liquid creeping closer.
"White String Shield!"
Vergo quickly wove his strings together, forming a shield in the path of the black liquid. To reinforce it, he coated the shield in Armament Haki, wanting to test the power of Doflamingo's lightning.
Sizzle, sizzle, sizzle!
The moment the black liquid touched the shield, it began to hiss and corrode it. Even with the layer of Armament Haki, the defense was proving to be of little use, a testament to the liquid's destructive power.
It's this strong? Vergo thought in shock.
Realizing the danger, Vergo didn't press the issue. He launched himself into the air, preparing to attack Doflamingo from above.
"Descending Rogue String!"
Vergo swiped his claws, and a barrage of sharp strings shot toward Doflamingo.
But as fast as the strings were, they were stopped by the liquid lightning, which morphed into a shield to block their path, preventing them from advancing another inch.
Doflamingo had now transformed into a mage of sorts, no longer needing to engage in physical combat. He simply guided the liquid lightning to attack, saving him time and effort.
The liquid shield morphed into a claw and shot toward Vergo. Seeing the attack, Vergo pulled up, gaining altitude to evade it.
BAM!
Suddenly, Vergo was slammed out of the sky. A hand had appeared behind him out of nowhere, swatting him to the ground and leaving him in a heap.
"You can still fight, can't you, Vergo?" Doflamingo asked the man in the crater.
Vergo's only response was another attack. A massive pillar formed from countless condensed strings shot toward Doflamingo under Vergo's command.
Seeing this, Doflamingo simply waved a hand. The liquid lightning beside him transformed into a gaping maw and swallowed the attack whole.
"Five-Color Strings!"
Having already climbed out of the crater, Vergo had snuck up behind Doflamingo and launched a surprise attack.
Doflamingo, having already foreseen it, was completely unfazed. He shifted his position slightly, and the Five-Color Strings hit nothing but air.
"Foot Blade String!"
One attack missed, and another immediately followed.
"It's useless, Vergo," Doflamingo taunted. "In the future I see, you don't land a single blow on me. Is that the outcome you want?"
"Impossible! I refuse to accept such a future!" Vergo roared, his movements becoming much faster.
He used Rankyaku for long-range attacks, supplemented by his Devil Fruit ability, trying desperately to hold back the liquid lightning surrounding Doflamingo. At the same time, he used Soru to accelerate, pushing his speed to the limit.
Even with the ability to see the future, if an opponent was fast enough, there would be no time to react. It wasn't a bad idea, but Vergo had chosen the wrong opponent. If he were fighting someone like Katakuri, he might have had a chance. But against Doflamingo, it was a futile effort.
After all, Doflamingo's speed was second only to Kizaru's. Challenging him to a battle of speed was underestimating him greatly.
BAM!
Vergo was knocked back once again. He rose to his feet, looking battered but with a resolute expression, showing no signs of giving up.
"Vergo, if this is all you have, then I'm not satisfied," Doflamingo warned.
"I apologize for disappointing you, Doffy," Vergo said, ashamed.
"I don't want an apology, my brother. Fight me with the determination to kill me! Do you think this is child's play?" Doflamingo's words were sharp as he questioned him loudly.
"Message received. Armament: Hardening!"
A Vergo completely encased in black Armament Haki appeared before Doflamingo. Doflamingo said nothing more. While full-body Haki wasn't particularly useful, it showed the remarkable level of mastery Vergo had achieved.
"Soru!"
Abandoning his Devil Fruit abilities, Vergo charged Doflamingo, engaging him in pure hand-to-hand combat.
"Now you're talking!"
The liquid lightning converged into a fist and met Vergo's own. As the two attacks collided, Vergo, for the first time, wasn't sent flying back in defeat, managing to regain a bit of his pride.
"100 Million Volt: Thunder Bird Swarm!"
Doflamingo stretched out his hand, and a vast flock of lightning birds materialized, flapping their wings as they descended upon Vergo.
"Spider Web Nest!"
BOOM!
Dust and smoke filled the air. The massive web Vergo had created was torn to shreds by the thunder birds. From within the haze, Vergo, glowing with a dark purple aura, charged toward Doflamingo once more.
"Thunder Whip!"
Doflamingo formed a whip from the liquid lightning and cracked it with expert precision.
Vergo quickly dodged. Getting hit by that was no joke.
"Abyssal Tarn of the North: Earth Dragon!"
Doflamingo's attacks came one after another, giving Vergo no room to breathe. He realized that letting Vergo take the initiative while he only defended had been a mistake. He changed his strategy, wanting to see just how long Vergo could last under his assault, and what kind of power he might unleash when pushed to his limit.
A massive dragon emerged from the earth and, in a single motion, clamped its jaws around the dodging Vergo.
Hit by the powerful impact and the lightning coursing through the dragon's body, Vergo could do nothing but reinforce his defenses, hoping to withstand the blow.
BOOM! BOOM!
The dragon's head slammed into the ground. Vergo, trapped in its mouth, took the full force of the attack and was unable to break free.
Seeing this, Doflamingo ceased his assault. The flowing liquid lightning quickly receded until it vanished completely.
"Are you alright?"
Doflamingo walked over to Vergo and offered him a hand.
Vergo was breathing heavily. Other than being battered and bruised, he had no serious injuries.
"I'm sorry, Doffy. I'm so useless," Vergo said in shame.
"Then that's all the more reason to stand up, you idiot!" Doflamingo scolded. "Are you going to get any stronger just lying there?"
Vergo looked at the hand hovering before him and, without hesitation, took it. With Doflamingo's help, he got to his feet.
"It seems I'm not destined to lie down just yet."
"When all this is over, then you can lie down," Doflamingo replied with a grin.
"You'd better prepare a big place for me then!"
"How about the world?"
"Deal."