Green Bit.
Deep within the forest, Fujitora (Issho) stood silently, his blind eyes "fixed" in the direction where Law and Zoro had fled, pursued by a livid Doflamingo. A contemplative expression clouded his face.
Nearby, nearly a hundred Marine soldiers gathered. A young officer stepped forward and asked, "Issho-san, should we pursue them?"
Pere-pere-pere… Pere-pere-pere…
Just as Issho was about to answer, the Den Den Mushi tucked into his robes began to ring.
Katcha.
Issho connected the call, and Vice Admiral Bastille's frantic voice immediately blared through the receiver.
"Admiral Issho! Disaster has struck Dressrosa!"
"It's Vice Admiral Bastille, I see. I am already aware of the situation in Dressrosa," Issho replied, his expression remaining impassive.
"Admiral, it's not just the toys! It's our Marine intelligence officers!" Bastille blurted out, his voice trembling.
"Nani?" Issho's brow twitched, his posture tensing.
"From the moment Doflamingo seized this country ten years ago until today... there are forty-seven intelligence agents we seem to have completely forgotten!" Bastille's tone was heavy, laced with a trace of lingering horror.
"I understand. Stand by for now; I will be there shortly," Issho commanded before hanging up.
He then turned to his men, his voice resonating with authority. "Pass down my orders: we head for Dressrosa immediately!"
…
On the iron bridge connecting Green Bit to Dressrosa, Law and Zoro were sprinting at full tilt, never looking back.
"Luffy is on his way; we need to rendezvous with him first!"
"Did Straw Hat-ya get the Flame-Flame Fruit?"
"Not yet. There were nearly a dozen officers from the Donquixote Family and the Chris Pirates lying in wait at the arena. He withdrew early in secret."
"We have to get Franky-ya to bring the ship around, or we might not make it to the original extraction point!"
"..."
Meanwhile, hundreds of meters up in the sky, Doflamingo was "flying" through the air, closing the gap with terrifying speed.
"Law! It won't matter even if you make it back to Dressrosa!"
Doflamingo's face was contorted with rage as he roared. He thrust his hands forward, weaving dozens of hair-thin, shimmering crystalline threads into a massive web that blanketed the middle section of the bridge below.
Squelch—!
The threads constricted instantly, severing the bridge like a hot knife through paper. A hundred-meter section of the steel bridge plummeted into the sea below.
"ROOM!!!"
A translucent spherical dome expanded. Law grabbed Zoro, and the two vanished, reappearing instantly on the intact section of the bridgehead.
"What's the matter, Law?" Doflamingo sneered maliciously. "Don't you want to defeat me?"
As he spoke, Doflamingo raised his arm and swiped downward. Five crystalline threads slashed horizontally through the air. With a faint whistle, the steel railings along the bridge were sliced apart for dozens of meters, sending twisted metal flying into the sky.
"One-Sword Style: 360-Pound Phoenix!!!"
Suddenly, Zoro skidded to a halt and spun around. With a high-speed draw, he unleashed a crescent-shaped flying slash that shot toward the sky.
Seeing the attack, Doflamingo manipulated the threads attached to the clouds to jerk his body to a halt. Simultaneously, he thrust his left hand forward, spraying countless threads that wove into a dense web in an instant.
"Spider's Web!!!"
Zing—!
The crescent slash struck the hardened web, erupting in a metallic clash that sounded like two blades meeting. A powerful shockwave rippled outward.
At that moment, Law expanded his ROOM once more, covering a hundred-meter radius.
"ROOM: Takt!!!"
Law flicked his finger upward. The massive pile of severed steel railings within the radius seemed to fall under his command. They hovered in mid-air before shooting toward Doflamingo like massive bolts fired from a ballista.
"Child's play! Spider's Web: Force Field!!!"
Doflamingo sneered, throwing his arms wide. Countless hair-thin threads materialized, forming a dense defensive perimeter around him. The hail of steel railings slammed into the web but were held fast. Doflamingo used the momentum of the impact to let his razor-sharp strings shred the steel into harmless fragments.
"To think you'd destroy the fruits of my labor after all these years... I'll show you what Hell looks like!" Doflamingo hissed through gritted teeth. He lashed out with seven or eight sharp threads, slicing toward the bridge below.
Sugar's downfall was undoubtedly linked to Law and the Straw Hats! Ten years of meticulous planning, ruined in a single day. He could only imagine the price he would have to pay to stabilize the aftermath of this disaster.
"ROOM!!!"
Law's eyes widened. He barked the command, expanding a massive dome while placing a hand on Zoro's shoulder. They vanished just as the threads struck.
Driven by pure hatred, Doflamingo's attack sliced through the iron bridge as if it were tissue paper. Another hundred-meter section collapsed into the ocean, sending up plumes of water ten meters high.
At the bridgehead, Law and Zoro flickered back into existence. Law stumbled, nearly collapsing to the ground. Zoro quickly caught him, concern etched on his face. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine!" Law gasped, waving him off weakly. The Op-Op Fruit's abilities were a massive drain on his stamina, and despite his own mastery of physical combat, he couldn't sustain this level of output for long.
"Hang in there, we're almost there!" Zoro nodded and supported Law as they resumed their run. He knew that without Law's powers, he never would have escaped the combined might of an Admiral and Doflamingo.
Zip—!
Suddenly, a glowing, heated pillar of thread streaked across the sky from the distance, accompanied by a piercing whistle.
"Overheat!!!"
"Look out!"
Zoro's Observation Haki caught the anomaly. He shoved Law aside just as the heated thread, hundreds of meters long, tore through the air between them. It slammed into a tall tower at the bridge entrance.
BOOM!
The impact was like a hot knife through butter. The heated thread sheared the twenty-meter tower in half. The top section plummeted to the ground, causing the earth to shudder and kicking up a massive shroud of dust.
"You aren't going anywhere, brats!" A roar thundered from above.
They looked back to see Doflamingo diving from the sky like a hawk targeting its prey.
"Dammit!"
"He's too fast!"
BAM—!
Before they could react, Doflamingo was upon them. His pointed leather shoes slammed into both of them, sending them flying.
CRASH! CRASH!
Two thunderous impacts followed as Law and Zoro slammed into the remaining half of the tower, causing the structure to finally crumble into a heap of rubble and smoke.
Tap.
Doflamingo landed gracefully, his face dark as he walked with his signature bow-legged gait toward the ruins.
"I truly underestimated you. To think I'd be made to look so pathetic... what an embarrassment."
Just then, a shout echoed through the air.
"MINGO!!!"
Doflamingo froze, his footsteps halting. At that moment, a red figure wreathed in white steam appeared before him with a whoosh, as if he had teleported out of thin air.
POW—!
A shockwave rippled through the air. Doflamingo felt a massive impact and was sent tumbling backward like a black blur.
KABOOM!
Doflamingo slammed into the bridge, kicking up a massive cloud of dust. The granite pavement shattered under the force of his body, leaving him half-buried in a crater of broken stone.
Amidst the ruins of the tower, Law and Zoro leaned against a crumbling wall. They looked up with relief at the red figure, still steaming, standing ten meters away.
"Luffy!"
"Straw Hat-ya!"