One Piece: From Picking Up Red Hair's Broken Arm

Chapter 157 Bitter Battle Against Doflamingo, The Death of a Celestial Dragon
“Xia Nuo…”

Doflamingo broke out in a cold sweat, his voice hoarse, "You, you... you're not dead after all?"

how so!
The World Government publicly announced this guy's death. Besides, how could he possibly survive being attacked from both a Marine Admiral and Kaido, one of the Four Emperors?
"Yes, we were pretty lucky."

Xia Nuo nodded.

Amidst the towering waves, he somehow managed to float above the crest of the wave and walk towards them.

With each step he took, a ring of black and red lightning would explode beneath his feet, and the overwhelming aura of domineering power would continue to spread, causing the entire island to tremble.

This also froze Doflamingo in place, unable to move an inch.

He watched helplessly as Xia Nuo stood before him, looking down at him with an indifferent gaze, as if looking down at an ant.

"You are... Doflamingo, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"

"This should be our first meeting, right? Why do you look like you're afraid of me and want me dead?"

The black-haired boy looked around before noticing the shattered ground and the girl gripping her sword, which bore the marks of battle.

He raised an eyebrow, and suddenly realized:

"So that's how it is, you attacked my crew..."

Doflamingo's cold sweat started flowing even faster.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and he forced a smile: "Fufufu... It's a misunderstanding, purely a misunderstanding, Xia Nuo. I didn't know their identities, otherwise how could I..."

"lie!"

From below came Nami's angry voice: "Brother, don't listen to this guy's nonsense. He recognized us the moment he saw us and even wanted to recruit us all as his subordinates! But he's not very strong; he was stopped by Kuina!"

"Oh?"

Xia Nuo looked at Kuina with a slight surprise, then smiled gently, "You fought to a draw with the Seven Warlords of the Sea? Your strength has improved a lot."

Back when she faced Akainu, Kuina was only at the level of an ordinary Vice Admiral.

It seems that during the month she was submerged in the sea, she has completely mastered the Wind-Riding Sword Technique.

"..."

Kuina blushed slightly at being praised in front of outsiders, but quickly regained her composure, turning to look at Doflamingo with a fierce fighting spirit in her eyes:
"My lord, please give me a little more time. I can beat him."

"Didn't you get enough fun?"

"Hmm." Guina nodded and sighed softly, "You came out a bit too early."

"There's nothing I can do about it. I just happened to run into this situation after my seclusion ended."

Shano shrugged, noticing the disappointment in Kuina's eyes, then glanced at Doflamingo and casually said:
"You, go and continue fighting with her. Don't hold back. Fight until a winner is decided."

This tone, which brooks no refusal, is as if one were issuing an order to one's subordinates.

How long has it been since he'd been ordered around like this? Doflamingo's gaze turned cold, and he narrowed his eyes, saying, "What if I disagree?"

Shano's answer was concise and to the point:
"die."

Doflamingo's forehead veins bulged out.

Even if you are indeed very strong, so strong that I dare not provoke you easily, how can you, a descendant of the Celestial Dragons, be humiliated like this...

"Fufufufu... Alright, since you want to see it so much, I'll play with your first mate a little longer."

He suppressed his anger and said with a smile, "But after this fight, shouldn't all the grudges and misunderstandings between us be wiped clean?"

"As long as you don't play any tricks and obediently fulfill your duties as a sparring partner, it's not unreasonable to let you off the hook."

Xia Nuo calmly replied, "Of course, if you die by Kuina's sword, then don't blame me."

"There's no need to worry about things that won't happen."

Doflamingo's lips curled into a sinister smile:

"Fufufufu... Let's not waste any more time and get started!"

With a swift movement, he returned to the previous battlefield. Once Kuina was in position, he suddenly flashed above the young swordswoman, and eight sharp threads burst forth from his toes, kicking straight down towards her shoulder!
"Foot shave line!"

clang!
Kuina was prepared and blocked the attack with Wado Ichimonji, sending Doflamingo flying. However, she was filled with confusion.

Although it was the first time the two had faced off.

But she had already sensed that this guy clearly didn't like being pressed close by the swordsman and had been trying to keep his distance. So why was he taking the initiative to get closer this time?
The answer was revealed instantly.

The next instant, Doflamingo's figure was sent flying backward by the force of the recoil generated by the sword!

"Fufufufu! Thank you for your cooperation, little girl!"

He laughed wildly, his fingertips already flicking out silk threads that caught the distant clouds, and he shot towards the horizon like a cannonball!

At the same time, the other hand, which had been preparing for a long time, flipped slightly, and countless threads shot out wildly, falling in all directions and instantly weaving into a giant net that covered the sky and the sun, enveloping the entire island!
birdcage!

"What a bastard!"

Guina's expression changed, and she suddenly looked up.

She then realized that this guy never intended to fight her seriously; instead, he wanted to distract everyone, seize the opportunity to block the battlefield, and create a chance to escape!
What a despicable person!

high altitude.

Doflamingo unleashed his Devil Fruit power at full force, pushing his speed to its limit!
hurry up!

Faster!

He roared inwardly, glancing back at the ground every now and then. Although the arrogant smile still lingered on his lips, his forehead was covered in beads of sweat from tension.

Xia Nuo is not dead!

That monster not only didn't die, it was even stronger than rumored!

Just that Conqueror's Haki from just now made him tremble all over, as if he was facing not a boy, but an ancient ferocious beast that crawled out of the abyss!

If I stay here any longer, I'll be the one who dies!
Whatever can please his first mate, he'll be let off the hook... Only a fool would believe such nonsense!

That guy... has another title, "Seven Warlords of the Sea Killer"!

Crocodile was asking for it, but Hanafuda, who hadn't even provoked the other party, was dealt with as easily as killing a chick just because he happened to be blocking the way.

And what about yourself?

Not only did they willingly seek their own demise, but they also did something considered a major taboo: recruiting subordinates from the enemy captain right in front of him...

It would be a miracle if this madman didn't have the intention to kill himself!
"stop!"

A furious shout came from behind, as Kuina unleashed her forward slash, catching up with lightning speed!

She was incredibly fast, reaching the edge of the birdcage in the blink of an eye. She unleashed several slashes, causing the birdcage to tremble violently, but she failed to sever it.

“Fufufufu…”

Doflamingo had anticipated this and let out a hearty laugh.

The birdcage is one of his strongest techniques. Now that he has successfully released it, how could it be so easily broken!

Let alone this female swordsman whose strength is about the same as his, even that monster Xia Nuo...

Do not!
If he were given more time to prepare, the ultimate birdcage activated in the Shadow Rider String Puppet mode would trap even a Marine Admiral inside for a short period of time, leaving him helpless!

"Fufufufu...you can keep struggling in there!"

Doflamingo's figure soared higher and higher, skimming over countless withered trees, and it looked as if he was about to completely leave the skies above the island.

however--

"Want to run?"

A soft voice echoed in the air.

At the top of the birdcage, Shano appeared without anyone noticing.

His right hand was already raised, and between his palms, a domineering black and red aura gathered wildly, rotating and compressing at high speed, quickly forming a disc about half a meter in diameter.

It's different from before.

This time, thick black and red lightning crackled around the edge of the disc. Before it was even released, the terrifying pressure had already darkened the entire sky, with dark clouds gathering and thunder rumbling!
Kanzaki!

call out--!
With a flick of his wrist, Shano sent the disc flying, tearing through the sky at a speed imperceptible to the naked eye. In an instant, it sliced ​​through the birdcage and continued its journey toward Doflamingo without slowing down!

"Ok?"

Doflamingo was thousands of meters away, yet his Observation Haki suddenly began to flash with alarming warnings. He instinctively turned around, his pupils shrinking to the size of pinpoints—

The black and red disc, exuding an aura of destruction, was already within reach.

“No, no—!!!”

He tried his best to dodge, but the disc was too fast, and almost instantly it sliced ​​across his waist!

laugh!
Blood splatters!

Doflamingo's body suddenly froze. He slowly lowered his head, looking at his gradually dislocated lower body, his eyes filled with disbelief.

"How...how could this be..."

boom!
The body, from the waist down, fell from a great height and crashed heavily into the fountain in the castle square, staining the entire fountain red with blood.

And high in the sky.

Doflamingo's vision blurred, and he nearly lost consciousness, but his strong survival instinct allowed him to endure the excruciating pain.

While continuing his frantic escape, he frantically activated the String-String Fruit's power, attempting to forcibly stitch up the wound with a large number of threads to barely stop the massive bleeding. But...

Although the strange disc had disappeared, it still retained extremely domineering black and red energy, covering the entire cross-section.

He was powerless to remove it; he could only watch helplessly as the threads were repelled, and large amounts of blood continued to drip from the wound…

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

ground.

The crowd looked at the mangled body on the ground, then at the half-figure that was about to disappear from sight at the end of the sky.

"Is that guy... dead or alive?"

Nami couldn't help but ask, "Did he survive?"

As she spoke, she subconsciously scratched her arm. The bizarre scene gave her goosebumps.

She had only ever seen earthworms cut in half and still able to move when she was a child, when she used them to bait fishing spots.

"He's definitely going to die, so we can ignore him."

Xia Nuo's figure floated down from the sky, "With the remnants of my Conqueror's Haki, the wounds cannot be sealed. Even if the world's best doctor comes, they will be helpless."

Nami was finally relieved.

If that's what you said, then it must be true.

"That attack just now was so exaggerated, it even changed the celestial phenomena."

She looked up at the remaining black and red trail in the sky and couldn't help but gasp, "Huh, it's still there! I say, brother, just how much stronger have you become since you came out of seclusion? Even the Seventh...

She originally wanted to say that he could even defeat a Shichibukai in an instant, but thinking about it carefully, when they encountered that Shichibukai who was playing in the sand, if her brother had gone all out from the beginning, he could have taken him down in no time.

So...it seems like there's no difference?
So the words were on the tip of his tongue, but he swallowed them back down.

There are also differences between the Seven Warlords of the Sea.

Robin saw through her thoughts and smiled, saying:
"That flamingo was a Shichibukai many years ago. He has been active in the New World for a long time and is proficient in all three types of Haki. Even among the great pirates in the New World, he is one of the strongest. But he couldn't even withstand a single move from the captain, which speaks volumes."

"Oh~"

Nami didn't quite understand, but she still pretended to suddenly realize something, opening her left hand and punching her palm:
"So, the fact that you were able to do this means you've become much stronger, right?"

"That's it."

Xia Nuo grinned. "After all, you've all become so much stronger. As the captain, how can I fall behind?"

"Great!"

Nami hugged his chest tightly, cheering with joy, "Now we can finally leave this island and head straight for the New World!"

The island was gray and there was nothing there except for noisy monkeys; she was already tired of it!

Xia Nuo didn't say anything more, but just affectionately ruffled her sister's short orange hair.

But deep within his eyes, a faint, mysterious light flickered.

After this period of seclusion...

He had mastered the "Flesh and Blood Furnace Technique," completely controlled the Conqueror's Haki binding technique, and had undergone a long period of hellish self-torture training at a depth of 10,000 meters in the ocean, aided by the Poneglyphs, raising his physical strength to a level far beyond what he had ever achieved before...

His growth rate even exceeded the original expectations.

Looking back.

All the things I experienced before going into seclusion...

Akainu beat him into half a skeleton and cornered him within half an hour. If he hadn't used Senzu Beans, he would have died long ago.
With a single, all-out attack, Kizaru pierced his heart.

Kaido didn't even need to use his Devil Fruit powers; in his human form, he easily dealt with all of Kaido's attacks.

These things, these kinds of things...

There won't be any more of that in the future!
"Oh, right, I'm sorry, Kuina."

Shano then looked at his first mate, "Dover was originally your adversary, and you should have been the one to deal with him, but I..."

“It’s not your fault, sir.” Kuina shook her head. “That guy was cowardly and chose to break his promise. Unfortunately, I couldn’t break his birdcage in a short time, so you had no choice but to take action.”

That being said.

As she sheathed her sword, her gaze towards the half-body in the fountain still held a hint of regret and loss.

"rest assured."

Xia Nuo patted her on the shoulder, "We're about to leave Paradise. In the New World, there's no shortage of opponents of this strength. I estimate it won't be long before you have another chance to show off your swordsmanship."

"Yes."

Kuina nodded, and when she mentioned the place called "New World," a glimmer of anticipation appeared in her eyes.

"Hey, look here! Look here!" A frantic voice suddenly came from afar. "Do you have a ship's doctor? Please help, save Mr. Xiong!"

"I almost forgot about that."

Nami slapped her forehead and quickly grabbed Shano's arm, pulling him towards the castle gate. "Quick, come this way with me, brother!"

"Bear?"

Xia Nuo then noticed the little princess of the Dongtata tribe at the door. His gaze swept past the small figure and landed on the bear on the ground.

"What's going on?" he asked, frowning.

…………

The sea area is unknown, perhaps many kilometers away.

High in the sky, Doflamingo's consciousness began to blur. Excessive blood loss made his vision go black, but he still gritted his teeth and persevered, barely managing to fly in the air by relying on the threads.

He didn't know exactly how much time had passed or how far he had flown, but finally the outline of a ship appeared in his field of vision.

That's... the navy flag!

"help me……"

Doflamingo used his last bit of strength to manipulate the threads and fling himself toward the deck of the warship.

boom!
His upper body slammed heavily onto the bow of the ship, the loud noise echoing throughout the deck.

"who?!"

The naval soldiers rushed over at the sound, including some senior veterans whose expressions changed drastically when they recognized Doflamingo.

"The Seven Warlords of the Sea... Doflamingo?!"

"What happened? How did he end up like this!"

"Never mind that, quick! Call the medics and nurses over here!"

in chaos.

A middle-aged man wearing a brown hat and smoking a cigar pushed through the crowd and strode over. He was stunned when he saw the pitiful state of the ground.

"Isn't this the Heavenly Demon? How did it get into this state?"

"It's you..." Dover looked up with difficulty and recognized the person. "Jiaji..."

"Ah, it's me."

Chaton narrowed his eyes. As a veteran vice admiral of the headquarters, he had dealt with the other party several times at the Shichibukai meetings.

This complete bastard was arrogant and domineering even in Marineford. He even manipulated naval officers to kill each other with threads just to pass the time while waiting for a meeting.

He'd been annoyed with him for a long time, but now he looked so pathetic.
The opponent is, after all, a Shichibukai who can hold his own in the New World.

In the first half of this Grand Line, who can do anything to this guy?

"Can they be saved?"

He asked the old military doctor who was squatting next to him, performing emergency treatment.

“I can’t do it…” The old military doctor shook his head. “I’ve lost too much blood. Some of the vital organs and tissues in my abdomen, and even my intestines, are gone… This is just a temporary respite before death.”

"Is that so... What a pity."

Chaton frowned, exhaling a smoke ring. "It seems our Marine Headquarters is about to lose another ally. Any last words?"

Doflamingo also heard what the old medic said.

But even without the other person saying it, he knew perfectly well that his physical condition had reached a dead end...

I'm going to die.

Unlike the time I was tied to the cross, this time, I'm really going to die...

He suddenly felt a strange hatred for the navy, and spat out a mouthful of saliva onto Chaton's face.

Cha-tun's face immediately darkened, but he still didn't say anything or wipe the drool off his face.

"Your Navy Headquarters is a bunch of incompetent fools; you can get any intelligence wrong..."

Despite his face being completely drained of color, Doflamingo forced a smile and laughed mockingly.

"Xia...no...that Xia Nuo, he's not dead, he's not dead at all! From now on, your Navy will be facing endless trouble, fufufufu..."

As he laughed, his pupils suddenly dilated, and his body slumped limply onto the stretcher, completely losing its vitality.

(End of this chapter)