Impossible!
In mid-air, Doflamingo used his String-String Fruit powers to halt his tumbling body, crouching on a nearly invisible thread as he coughed violently.
Then, suddenly lifting his head to look across at the man, his heart sank with dread.
"Where are you looking?"
That cold, sinister voice once again rang out—still from behind him.
Without hesitation, Doflamingo unleashed a barrage of taut threads, yanking his hands apart to form a defensive web behind him.
Taking that chance, he spun around.
Crack…
The transparent thread-net caught the man's straight, stabbing kick.
"Who the hell are you?"
Feeling the pressure transmitted through his web, Doflamingo's face darkened. It was bad enough this man appeared out of nowhere, but attacking without a word was simply unforgivable.
"Heh… just a passerby. But when I saw a descendant of the Donquixote line, my hands itched a bit."
The man's kick was blocked, but he didn't withdraw his leg. Instead, he peered curiously at the transparent web.
"This must be the String-String Fruit's power, right?"
"Your strength may be lacking… but to take what many consider a garbage fruit and wield it to this level—that's something you can be proud of."
Bastard!
Though his words carried a trace of praise, Doflamingo could feel no satisfaction whatsoever.
"Are you with the World Government?" he asked coldly.
At a time like this, only two factions could mysteriously show up in these seas—one was Ghidorah s forces, to which he belonged, and the other was the World Government.
If it were the former, they wouldn't have attacked him on sight. Which left only one possibility: the man was tied to the World Government.
Still, with such strength, what rank would he even hold within them?
"The World Government?"
"Heh… you could say that. But they can't command me."
The man didn't bother concealing anything, keeping his attack poised. Suddenly, his icy voice sounded once more—this time behind Doflamingo again.
"That thread-net is decent. But let's see if it can block this strike."
Impossible!!
Doflamingo's hair stood on end. He glanced ahead and still saw the man struggling against his web. Yet the voice came from behind. Horrified, he reflexively spun more threads into another web at his back.
But he was a step too late. Just as the net formed, a brutal kick smashed into him, sending him hurtling backward.
"T-two of them?"
Staring wide-eyed at the two identical figures, Doflamingo's composure finally cracked. Disbelief flooded his face.
"Heh… just a Devil Fruit ability."
As the man spoke, yet another figure materialized right before Doflamingo. His pupils contracted sharply as the figure closed in, fist cocked, and struck.
The speed was so great it was suffocating—utterly hopeless to resist.
"This is the Mirror-Mirror Fruit. Each clone I split off raises my own power by ten percent."
What!?
How could such a terrifying Devil Fruit even exist!?
Before he could process it, the punch landed, slamming into him like the charge of a colossal Sea King.
His eyes bulged, blood spewed from his mouth, and his body plummeted toward the ocean.
This time, there were no ships below. If he hit the sea, it would mean certain death. Gritting his teeth against the agony, Doflamingo frantically hooked his threads into the air, desperately trying to halt his fall.
But the force of the blow was too overwhelming. His strings snapped one after another, and he continued his uncontrolled plunge.
Just as the sea rushed up beneath him, that terrifying voice echoed again:
"Brat, dying won't be that easy for you."
Bang!
Splurt!
"You bastard…!"
Though the man had saved him from drowning, Doflamingo felt no gratitude—only deeper hatred.
His battered body was blasted skyward once again, like a falling star flung in reverse. He soared nearly a thousand meters before finally descending, exhaustion overtaking him.
Barely conscious, he managed to arrest his fall with a spread of strings, lying flat on his back across a taut web. Sweat streamed down his face, blood trickling from his lips.
"That's all you've got?"
"With power like this, you think you can rebel alongside 'Ghidora'? Truly, the ignorance of the weak knows no bounds."
The man suddenly appeared before him, looking down from above at Doflamingo sprawled like a dying dog.
"You…"
Through ragged breaths, Doflamingo finally saw the man's face clearly beneath the gray hood.
Golden hair. A wild, defiant face. A grin stretched high and cruel.
And with it came a name buried deep in his mind—a name he never wanted to hear again, a face he wished to erase from memory.
Rosinante…
Though he resembled Rosinante, Doflamingo knew this wasn't him.
That fool would never do something like this.
"Who the hell are you?"
After a brief moment of daze, Doflamingo forced the question out.
"Heh… but don't you already have the answer in your heart?"
"Or do you really want me to spell it out for you?"
The man's face darkened as he spoke, watching Doflamingo tremble slightly before regaining control, teeth clenched in rage.
"Hahahaha… Yes, that look! That gaze of hatred, of weakness!"
"You've felt it too, haven't you? How meaningless this world is?"
"Then destroy it. Tear it apart. Though… with power like yours, you won't get very far."
Clearly savoring Doflamingo's madness, the man reached into his cloak and pulled out a vial—thin as a finger, filled with golden liquid.
After a moment's pause, he tossed it onto Doflamingo's chest.
"With your strength alone, you'll achieve nothing. Drink it. Drink this down, and it will take you to unimaginable heights."
His voice carried a strange allure, almost hypnotic. For a flicker of a moment, Doflamingo's wild eyes wavered.
He picked up the vial, staring at the shimmering liquid within. The temptation was immense… yet he didn't drink.
"Hesitating?"
"No matter. I've already given you the key. Whether you choose to open the door or not—that's up to you."
"I'll be waiting in Wano. You know where to find me."
With that, the man's figure began to blur. In an instant, he was gone—already a distant black speck against the sky.
"Damn it…"
Doflamingo clenched the vial so tightly it seemed he might crush it. But it was impossibly durable.
"What the hell are you after?"
"I swear I'll kill you…"
In the end, Doflamingo did not drink the liquid. He didn't know what it was, nor what effect it might have.
And yet, though he hadn't consumed it, he couldn't bring himself to throw it away either.
After a moment's hesitation, he slipped it into his coat.
Please drop some power stones support me at my
PS: Access the complete chapters/series at