That's right.
After making a round through Dressrosa and roughly confirming the final outcome, Orin boarded the Seagull King and went elsewhere to have fun, and along the way ran into Zou. Orin, who was enthusiastic about play and experience, was naturally very interested in these Mink who actively came over to cling close. Since the Roger Pirates had once been to Zou, Orin was also considered familiar with them—especially the leopard Pedro, who back then had even clamored about joining the Roger Pirates.
When Orin arrived here, an intense battle was already underway. A gigantic mammoth rampaged through the city, while members of the Beasts Pirates dressed like primitives were attacking the Minks, and the city fell into total chaos.
...
New World, Dressrosa.
The battle in the colosseum was still ongoing.
"It's useless, Straw Hat kid, the situation is already obvious, isn't it!!!"
With Armament Haki wrapped around his fist, Lucci exchanged a punch with Luffy, both sides retreating several steps.
"Facing Saint Orin, you have no chance of winning at all."
On the other side, Zoro was also locked in a stalemate. Kuina was gradually adapting to the abilities of the [Pink Dragon Fruit].
"Huff..."
As she let out a breath, flames spilled from Kuina's mouth and slowly coiled around Wado Ichimonji. Possessing the power of a dragon-human, each iaijutsu slash forced Zoro back several steps. The two were originally evenly matched geniuses in swordsmanship, and now the gap in strength and physique had been filled. Kuina's Haki had also been trained by Orin to a considerable level. Victory or defeat was still uncertain.
If Luffy and Zoro's fights were temporarily deadlocked, then Ace and Sabo's side was far from easy. Watching the long-haired youth bathed in flames and completely unaffected, Ace clenched his teeth and frowned.
"What a monster-like body..."
Sabo glanced at the steel pipe that had already been crushed flat, cold sweat breaking out as he spoke to Ace.
"Be careful, Ace. Don't let that guy grab you. With his Haki, you absolutely won't be able to use intangibility."
"I know!!!"
Ace and Sabo stared at Azure Orin's figure, yet truly couldn't think of how to deal with him. Azure Orin also did not act rashly—bathed in flames, he simply stood there with his arms folded.
It wasn't that he didn't want to act freely. It was that when Orin created the painting, he didn't use much energy at all. If he went all out without restraint, he might disappear very quickly.
Orin hadn't set a dead end for the three brothers. Otherwise, he wouldn't have painted Azure Orin. If he had directly pulled in the peak Golden Lion, the original user of the Float-Float Fruit—unless Luffy watched Ace and Sabo both die and then broke through into Nika—he could guarantee chopping the three brothers into mince.
So...
Strictly speaking, the three brothers still had a chance to win. As long as they could take enough hits and wait until Azure Orin's remaining power was exhausted, victory would be theirs.
This could be considered concern from Orin as an elder. After all, only by encountering enough powerful enemies and experiencing enough life-and-death battles can one become stronger~
"Puh—ah!!!"
Sabo took a punch to the stomach, and a mouthful of old blood instantly sprayed out. His mouth and nose filled with blood. This punch from the world's strongest creature truly made him feel how distant the world really was.
This was merely a small price he paid for trying to attack Azure Orin head-on.
Seeing this, Ace's eyes widened instantly, black-red lightning faintly appearing in his hand, power wrapped in flames.
"Fire Fist!!!"
Kaka kaka—!!!!
Only when the power of this punch manifested did Azure Orin finally grow serious. He hooked one corner of his mouth.
"Interesting. An unskilled Conqueror's Haki Infusion?"
Facing the punch, Azure Orin clenched one fist. Black-red scales faintly appeared on it—a fist marinated by Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki. A terrifying aura instantly spread out.
Azure Orin's entire body seemed to sink into darkness. The only things glowing were those crimson vertical pupils and the fist wrapped in black-red lightning.
"Nani?!"
As Ace was about to land the blow, seeing this scene made his pupils tremble, as if he were facing a true mythical creature—such a dreadful presence.
[Fist Punch]
With utterly overwhelming force, Ace's Conqueror's Haki punch was shattered in an instant. Like Kaido beating fourth-gear Luffy, even with the same kingly spirit, there were still differences between Conqueror's Haki.
Immediately after, just like Sabo, Ace's eyes rolled white as he was sent flying straight into the spatial barrier, collapsing on the ground and retching nonstop.
On this sea, no one of the same age could surpass him in raw stats—not even Big Mom with her strongest physique.
As time passed, Sabo and Ace took turns doing sit-ups, continuously consuming Azure Orin's already limited energy. With the boost of demonic aura, Zoro also began to gradually gain a slight advantage in the swordsman's duel.
The only fight that could be called stable was Luffy versus Rob Lucci. Lucci, who had not yet completed his fruit awakening, was somewhat strained facing fourth-gear Luffy who had already mastered Ryuo. With every clash, he could feel pain tearing through his internal organs. Feline animals were agile but weak in defense, and with the colosseum largely occupied by Azure Orin and the others, there wasn't much room left to maneuver. Before long, he was beaten to the point of coughing up blood.
"Damn it..."
In a corner of the colosseum, a camera Den Den Mushi was broadcasting live to the royal palace. Watching Azure Orin's overwhelmingly terrifying power slam Fire Fist Ace and Revolutionary Army Sabo to the ground again and again, Doflamingo curled his lips.
"Fufufufufufu!!!"
"How is it? This gift left behind by Orin—even the descendants of monsters famous across the sea feel powerless when facing a true monster, don't they!!!"
"Even if you live in the same era, you'll never have any chance of victory~"
The Worst Generation???
Just a joke that makes people laugh their heads off. Those who never truly experienced the era thirty years ago can never understand how terrifying the monsters of that time really were!!!
"Watch closely, Law~"
Doflamingo looked at Law, who was utterly miserable, shackled in Seastone handcuffs.
"Take a good look at just how fragile this so-called worst era you're living in really is!!!"
"Fufufufufufuhahahahaha!!!!"
Law's face was covered in blood as he raised his eyes toward the screen. He saw that terrifying figure slowly breaking apart and disappearing, and the Float-Float Fruit appeared where he had stood.
Law: "..."
Doflamingo: "???"
----------------
Fanfic is finished on Patreon (609 chapters in total.)
Patreon(.)com/Jixo (for only $4.50, read this entire fanfic)