A few days later, early in the morning.
The sea near Punk Hazard was shrouded in a hazy mist. The sun had only just risen. A huge warship eased into the harbor, where Enel sat on the railing, yawning out of boredom.
As the ship moored he called out in a lazy voice, "Yo, Uncle. Big Brother Carlo."
With a spark of excitement, he leapt straight down onto the dock.
Sakazuki grunted in response.
Carlo smiled warmly, his eyes narrowing as he nodded and sighed. "You've grown too fast. Haven't seen you for a few years, and you're already nearly as tall as Admiral Sakazuki."
Enel laughed at that.
Just then, Rosinante's voice echoed from the docked warship. "Admiral Sakazuki. Rear Admiral Carlo."
Sakazuki turned to him. "How's your injury?"
Rosinante answered at once, "Completely healed. It's fine now."
With that, he waved his hand. A line of marines marched down, dragging several pirates with them. Bound in seastone chains, the captives were drained of strength and looked utterly helpless.
Sakazuki scanned the captured members of the Donquixote Family. "Not bad. You got them all, didn't you?"
Enel replied, "Yeah. All the Devil Fruit users are here. The ones without powers were executed."
The admiral stepped forward. He reached out and gripped the largest of them, Pica, by the throat.
Crack.
He smashed the vertebrae at the neck with a strike of Armament Haki, severing his nerves.
The pirate's body collapsed, unconscious.
Four soldiers lifted him into a chamber filled with green nutrient fluid and carried him toward the research facility.
Then Sakazuki moved on to the next one.
"Pica! Damn it! You—!"
Crack.
Crack.
Crack.
Boom!
Suddenly, a violent wave of Conqueror's Haki erupted from the warship, brimming with murderous rage.
Doflamingo's frenzied voice roared, "Stop this! Stop, I say!"
Though the seastone shackles robbed him of strength, his face twisted like a demon as he glared at Sakazuki. Watching his family fall one by one pushed him to the edge of madness.
He tried to rush down, but the escorting soldiers forced him back with all their might.
Sakazuki, still gripping Gladius by the neck, turned his eyes toward the figure on the ship.
Crack.
He flung the pirate toward the waiting nutrient chamber.
Frowning, he looked at Doflamingo. "Such nonsense. How can you recklessly release Conqueror's Haki in a place like this?"
Boom!
Enel's Conqueror's Haki erupted at the same time, colliding with Doflamingo's to cancel it out.
Sakazuki glanced at him, intrigued to see that he had awakened this power. "When did you awaken it?"
Enel narrowed his eyes at Doflamingo and said, "When I went to rescue Rosinante. That guy almost killed him… If I had been a few seconds late… he would have… luckily, I made it in time."
Sakazuki chuckled softly. "Very good."
He turned to the soldiers on the warship. "Bring him down here."
They dragged Doflamingo forward. His face remained twisted, his eyes burning as he stared at Sakazuki with hate.
The admiral smiled. "A mere pirate prisoner, yet so arrogant. What gives you that confidence?"
Crack! Crack!
Both of Doflamingo's legs bent forward at a right angle from the knees in an instant.
Rip!
The sound of bone tearing through flesh filled the air. White bone burst from the skin, shredding muscle as it tore free. Before he could even react, a large gloved hand seized his throat. His voice was cut off as the grip tightened, choking him.
Sakazuki leaned down slightly, his eyes fixed on the man in his grasp. Doflamingo's face flushed crimson, veins bulging violently on his temples as he struggled for air.
"Hm? Care to tell me?"
Everything happened in a flash. On the warship, Rosinante had no time to react before he saw the brutal scene unfold. Law, standing beside him, froze in fear, his eyes wide as he stared at Sakazuki.
Rosinante snapped out of it and pulled the boy behind him, shouting with urgency, "Admiral Sakazuki! Wait! You can't kill him!"
Even as he spoke, his own chest tightened. Apart from his closest allies and the hawkish faction within the Marines, everyone understood the admiral's reputation. Sakazuki's cruelty was unmatched. Pirates feared him, but even within the Marines many trembled at the sight of him.
For someone like Rosinante, who was gentle by nature, it had taken years of knowing Sakazuki to bury that fear deep inside. But seeing this up close, the old dread came rushing back.
Sakazuki cast him a glance, and Rosinante's body went stiff.
The admiral shook his head and let out a snort. "Relax. I don't plan to kill him. There are people above who want him alive. But…"
He let go and the limp body dropped heavily to the ground. The pirate clenched his teeth, refusing to utter a sound.
Sakazuki planted his boot on the exposed bone of Doflamingo's shattered knee and ground it down slowly. The man's face contorted, veins pulsing along his forehead, but still he stayed silent.
A faint smile touched Sakazuki's lips. "I prefer bones that don't break easily."
Then his black leather shoe began to shift. Bit by bit, he moved from limb to limb, pressing down. Aside from Carlo and Enel, who were already used to such sights, the people around felt their stomachs churn and their knees weaken.
One after another, the cracks rang out.
Crunch. Crack. Snap.
The sound of bones shattering filled the harbor, relentless and unending. Everyone held their breath.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the admiral ground his heel down onto Doflamingo's shoulder.
Crunch.
He crushed the last unbroken bone.
The pirate's eyes rolled back. He seemed emptied of thought but he still gritted his teeth and didn't cry out.
The admiral gave a slight nod. "Good."
He raised his hand, signaling for the next group of soldiers carrying the nutrient pod.
He beckoned a few times, but the men froze, their bodies paralyzed by fear. When they finally tried to move, their legs buckled, and they collapsed onto the ground.
Sakazuki frowned and kicked Doflamingo toward the pod. The impact brought the pirate just a flicker of consciousness. The soldiers scrambled to their feet, fumbling clumsily as they stuffed him into the liquid-filled chamber.
Slammed inside, the pirate's body convulsed, instinctively choking as the nutrient solution filled his lungs. But he soon realized it didn't hinder his breathing. The liquid flowed into him, repairing his shredded muscles and bones at a rapid pace.
Sakazuki walked over and watched as the man sunk into the glowing green bath. He spoke calmly, "Don't worry. This is nutrient fluid. It repairs the body. Later, I'll have them put you in the highest-grade chamber."
He crouched slightly and looked down. "This damage will heal in a day. You'll only lose 'a little' lifespan. Tomorrow we will continue. I want to see how hard your bones really are. In the days ahead you will learn what real... hell is."
**
**
**
Thank you for reading! If you'd like access to extra chapters and want to support my work, you can visit my P@treon:
P@treon/SilverShark769
Vote with Power Stones for Bonus Chapters!
Your support means a lot, thank you!