BOOM—
A five-story inn, several hundred meters away in the city district, suddenly split apart, its upper half collapsing at an angle and slamming into the street below. The impact sent up a towering cloud of dust.
"AAAHHH—!"
"What's going on?!"
"Is it a building collapse?!"
"..."
Panic swept through the streets. Screams rang out as people scattered in all directions, desperate to flee.
Fortunately, this was the edge of the city and pedestrian traffic was light, there were no mass casualties.
At that moment, in a corner near the street, a man draped in a gray trench coat suddenly stood up. He hurriedly pulled out a blue-and-white Den Den Mushi from his coat and whispered into it:
"Marine code: 01994. Codename: Biscuit. Reporting from Port Sara, Lvneel Kingdom. Combat confirmed in the eastern outskirts. Suspected presence of Donquixote Doflamingo. That is all."
"This is Vice Admiral Tsuru's vessel. Message received. Our unit is approaching Lvneel Kingdom. Continue surveillance. Proceed with caution. Over."
Click~
The Den Den Mushi went silent, dozing off.
The mysterious man pocketed the transceiver, glanced around to ensure no one was watching, then swiftly disappeared down the street, running toward the city's outskirts.
...
Meanwhile, at sea.
A first-class Marine warship was slicing through the waves, charging forward with relentless momentum.
However, the ship bore signs of damage, especially the massive sail emblazoned with the kanji for "Tsuru." Torn and riddled with holes, it flapped loudly in the wind.
Vice Admiral Tsuru emerged from the captain's quarters, her Justice coat billowing in the sea breeze. The deck before her was in utter disarray, overturned barrels and crates, tangled ropes, and scattered debris. The female marines bustled about, trying to tidy the chaos.
"Tsuru-sama!"
"Vice Admiral Tsuru!"
"Ma'am!"
"..."
The marines greeted her one after another.
"You've all done well," Tsuru said with a smile. Stepping onto the damp deck, she paced toward the bow, calmly surveying their surroundings.
Just then, a strong, orange-haired marine lowered her spyglass and reported in a steady voice, "Ma'am, we've entered the waters of the Lvneel Kingdom."
"I can see that," Tsuru replied, her gaze locked on the distant horizon. "Who would've thought, one storm this morning, and it pushed our warship all the way to the Lvneel Kingdom. We've saved a full day of sailing."
On the horizon loomed a colossal island, like some mythical beast crouching atop the sea. The cityscape on land shimmered faintly beneath the golden glow of dusk.
"I thought we'd be chasing ghosts again this time," she murmured. "But it seems fate has lent us a hand."
Just then, a tall, striking woman stepped gracefully onto the bow deck. She wore a pink blouse and the standard Marine overcoat, paired with brown trousers and long black boots that accentuated her long legs. Her brown ponytail swayed as she walked, a longsword hanging at her waist that added to her commanding presence.
"Don't be so optimistic, Gion," Tsuru said mildly, shaking her head. Then, her tone turned serious. "Send the word, select two hundred soldiers and have them gear up. The moment we make landfall, we strike. Also, push the speed. Don't worry about the condition of the sails."
"Yes, ma'am!"
The female marines snapped to attention and shouted in unison.
...
"Bullet String!"
Elsewhere...
Doflamingo gazed coldly at the falling Cross. Without retracting his right hand, he raised his index finger while curling the others in. From the fingertip, a near-invisible white thread shot out like a bullet with blinding speed.
A sharp whoosh pierced the air. Several glints of white light, barely visible to the naked eye, flashed in an instant.
Cross, plummeting midair, forced his torso to twist with brute effort. He slashed upward with his blade, Kagehide, to intercept the threads.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang…!
The edge of the blade collided with the white, bullet-like threads carrying condensed force. Sparks erupted midair with every clash, accelerating Cross's descent even further.
"Ugh—!"
Then, one thread slipped through. Caught off-guard, Cross took a direct hit to the left shoulder. Agonizing pain surged through his body, forcing a grunt from his lips.
But at that critical moment, the Enlivened ground surged once more. A giant stone-and-mud hand erupted upward, catching Cross just before he struck the earth. Its fingers curled protectively around him.
Thud, thud, thud…
The remaining Bullet Strings pelted the giant hand, punching holes into its surface and sending mud flying, yet they failed to break through its defense.
Seeing this, Doflamingo ceased his attack, but instead of landing, he launched into a rapid freefall. His right arm raised overhead as he plummeted toward Cross.
"Overheat Flail!"
With a cold shout, Doflamingo conjured five ultra-thin, nearly transparent strings, one from each finger, forming a rake-like, five-pronged attack. The threads punched straight through the giant hand, stabbing deep into the ground beneath.
But Cross had already slipped out from the other side.
Gripping Kagehide tightly in his right hand, he leapt straight upward. Twisting midair, he unleashed a vicious upward diagonal slash, a Reverse Kesa Slash, aimed directly at Doflamingo.
"Goshikito!"
Doflamingo reacted instantly. From each fingertip, he generated hardened threads once more, blocking the incoming blade with a metallic clang.
A blast of wind surged from the impact, kicking up a storm of dust and dirt.
Cross looked up. Doflamingo looked down. Their eyes locked, cold and fierce.
But in the next second...
The ground on both sides suddenly swelled. Two sharp stone pillars burst forth, slicing through the air with whistling force, rushing at Doflamingo from the left and right.
"Damn—!"
Realizing the danger, Doflamingo swiftly retreated, crossing his arms in front of his chest just in time.
BOOM—!
The twin stone pillars slammed into him, sending him flying through the air before he crashed violently into a thicket of trees in the distance. A massive plume of dust exploded on impact.
"Bastard… that actually hurt!"
Back on the ground, Cross landed roughly, teeth clenched. He winced at his left shoulder, which hung limp.
He stabbed Kagehide into the dirt, then shrugged off his blue, dark-flowered trench coat with his good arm. Tearing open the white shirt underneath, he revealed a muscular, battle-scarred torso.
On his left shoulder, a large patch of skin had turned a dark, ugly purple. Even the slightest movement drew a deep furrow to his brow.
"Lucky… it's just a dislocation."
Muttering to himself, Cross reached across with his right hand. After feeling around the joint briefly, he gritted his teeth and pulled sharply.
CRACK—
With a loud pop, his shoulder snapped back into place.
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