Hearing the death declaration from the man who stood like a demon god beneath the heavens, the hearts of the Red Hair Pirates tightened. Each one braced themselves, preparing to receive the "grand gift" Doflamingo had prepared for them.
"Donquixote Doflamingo, you dare!" Red Hair roared, rushing rapidly towards Doflamingo, trying to stop his actions.
Unfortunately, it was too late. All preparations had been made. Under everyone's gaze, Doflamingo extended his right hand, palm facing skyward, a faint smirk playing on his lips as he watched the desperately approaching Red Hair, as if in mockery.
"Ten Thousand Thunders: Thunder Dragon Annihilation Funeral!"
Doflamingo's cold voice reached everyone's ears, causing their hairs to stand on end, their bodies tensing as they watched the commotion in the sky. From within the countless thunderclouds, massive dragon heads rapidly emerged. The thunder dragons, as if alive, stared intently at the Red Hair Pirates below. The pirates, in turn, sucked in a cold breath, looking at this scene with utter horror.
"This… how is this possible?!"
"We'll fight them to the end!"
The members of the Red Hair Pirates prepared to burn their bridges and fight to the death.
ROAR~
Countless thunder dragons roared, like true dragons, bellowing at each other.
"So… so terrifying!" Baby 5, seeing such lifelike thunder dragons, involuntarily collapsed onto the deck of the Ark Maxim, muttering subconsciously.
"If the Young Master attacked us like this… we'd die, wouldn't we!" Buffalo also said, trembling.
"We'd die, oh yes! And the kind where your bones are ground to dust and ashes scattered," Robin said to Buffalo with a sly, dark humor, directly scaring both him and Baby 5 into sitting flat on the deck.
Seeing this, Robin covered her mouth and chuckled, thoroughly amused. It lightened the originally tense atmosphere by a few degrees.
"This is a true powerhouse, like a god!" Law murmured to himself, his eyes fixed on Doflamingo in the sky.
Diamante and Crocus, who had still been entangled in their fight, also turned their heads to look, both somewhat aghast at the sight. Unlike Crocus, who was worried about the Red Hair Pirates, Diamante felt mostly pride. Even the sword in his hand seemed to move faster, as he unleashed his skills upon Crocus with abandon. Crocus, distracted by his worry for Red Hair, was quickly put at a disadvantage by Diamante, teetering on the brink of danger. One wrong move, and he would meet his end.
The dragon heads were already exposed to everyone's sight, and their bodies, hidden within the thunderclouds, were rapidly emerging. These divine dragons, formed of lightning, even had clearly visible scales that glinted with electric light, looking extremely dangerous.
"Descend!" Doflamingo uttered a soft command, his raised right hand swiftly dropping. Ten thousand dragons surged forth, their bodies swaying, charging towards the Red Hair Pirates below with irresistible momentum.
"We can't block this! Quick, jump into the sea! It's the only way to have a sliver of a chance to survive!" Yasopp, his expression grave as he watched the thunder dragons approach them, quickly issued the order.
Under the gaze of ten thousand dragons, the members of the Red Hair Pirates rapidly headed for the sea, jumping overboard one after another like dumplings, the sound of splashes incessant. Yasopp also carried Lucky Roux and jumped into the sea together, heading for the deep waters.
"Naive! You think you can escape like this?" Enel, as a spectator, was very satisfied with this grand performance created by his collaboration with Doflamingo. Seeing the Red Hair Pirates comically fleeing into the deep sea, he sneered. However, there was no other choice; staying on the ship meant certain death. Jumping into the sea, allowing the ocean to act as a buffer, could mitigate some of the force and secure a slim chance of survival.
Countless thunder dragons plunged into the embrace of the Red Force and the sea, ardently responding to their all-encompassing doom. Boom! Boom! Boom!
The Red Force, under the watch of Red Hair and Benn Beckman, was blown to smithereens. Debris scattered across the sea surface, from which large amounts of mist rose – seawater vaporized by the high temperature of the lightning. The members of the Red Hair Pirates, swimming desperately towards the depths, were no match for the speed of lightning. Even though much of its power had been neutralized by the seawater, each thunder dragon carried the highest voltage, an astonishing amount of electricity. The seawater, acting as a conductor, quickly caught up with them, electrocuting them until their scalps tingled.
The executives fared slightly better; after all, each one could be considered strong and had Armament Haki for protection. They suffered some, but were mostly just paralyzed by the electricity, unable to move. However, the greatest threat to them now wasn't the lightning, but the pressure of the deep sea and the reality of being unable to breathe in the ocean. If nothing unexpected happened, only death awaited them.
Red Hair and Benn Beckman strained their eyes, searching the sea surface for any movement, praying that their comrades were not seriously harmed. The thunder finally ended. The azure surface of the sea was finally stained with blood, dyeing it crimson. Red Hair stared blankly at the scene. What he had feared most had finally happened. He had originally thought everyone had escaped the calamity, but now it seemed they were more likely dead than alive. Although the loss of the Red Force pained him greatly, losing his comrades was even more unbearable. After all, a ship could be rebuilt, but if people were gone, they were truly gone.
Tears welled up in Red Hair's eyes, and the three scars on his left eye looked even more ferocious. A torrent of rage consumed him, making him lose his composure. He lifted his head and stared at Doflamingo, high above, his eyes icy, his killing intent immense.
"Donquixote Doflamingo," Red Hair spat out Doflamingo's name through gritted teeth.
"Captain, don't be impulsive! Right now, we are no match for them. I believe Yasopp and the others wouldn't die so easily! If they are dead, we must stay alive to avenge them!" Benn Beckman, however, remained very calm, quickly outlining the best course of action for Red Hair.
"If I don't avenge Yasopp and the others now, I won't be able to forgive myself! Even if we retreat, I must first make Doflamingo pay some interest!" Red Hair paid no heed to Benn Beckman's counsel; right now, he only wanted revenge.
"Who asked you to be my captain? Then I have no choice but to go with you and avenge Yasopp and the others," Benn Beckman said with a sigh. He was an absolutely calm person, but who asked him to have a captain like Red Hair? He could only accompany Red Hair in this reckless passion for once. However, this feeling, in his opinion, wasn't bad either.
"Sorry, Beckman. Don't blame me for being selfish," Red Hair forced a smile and said to Benn Beckman.
"At this point, what's the use of saying such things? This is my own choice. I've never once regretted boarding your ship," Benn Beckman said seriously.
"Then let's show Donquixote Doflamingo what we're made of!" Red Hair finished speaking and quickly charged towards Doflamingo. Benn Beckman, not to be outdone, also headed towards him.
Doflamingo, seeing the two coming at him, wasted no words, quickly unleashing a lightning strike at them, intending to shoot them down. Red Hair and Benn Beckman casually repelled Doflamingo's attack and rapidly closed in on him, preparing to cut him down from the sky. However, Doflamingo was no fool. He wouldn't just stupidly wait for Red Hair and the others to attack him. Since he had the advantages of timing, terrain, and popular support (his own crew), he would naturally wear them down slowly. Besides, the series of maneuvers just now had consumed a considerable amount of Doflamingo's energy. He would stall for a bit first. In any case, he was in an invincible position. When Red Hair and the others tired, Doflamingo could then attack with his full strength.
The enemy advances, we retreat; the enemy retreats, we pursue; the enemy camps, we harass; the enemy tires, we attack. Doflamingo planned to wear Red Hair and his companion down to death, just like toying with ants. Who asked them to be unable to catch Doflamingo, and Doflamingo's attack range was super large too! He would annoy them to death! Mm! Very despicable, but I like it. Doflamingo smiled sinisterly, paying no mind to Red Hair and Beckman's attacks towards him.
Red Hair and Benn Beckman, filled with a will to kill, lunged at empty air, constantly being led around and toyed with by Doflamingo. When they tried to go after Doflamingo's companions, Doflamingo would appear by their side, not giving them the chance. Moreover, Enel was also nearby, waiting for an opportunity.
On the vast ocean, only the Donquixote Pirates' Ark remained. Everyone on board watched the battle in the sky with rapt attention, finding it rather interesting.
Meanwhile, deep beneath the sea, Yasopp and the others, who had already despaired, thinking death was certain, were unexpectedly saved by Laboon, who appeared once more. It snatched several executives from the jaws of death, leaving them feeling as if they had survived a great calamity. However, their condition was not good now, and they could only rest in Laboon's stomach. Moreover, with strong enemies surrounding them outside, if they went out rashly, they wouldn't be able to escape. Not only would they be unable to help Red Hair and the others leave, but they would also become a burden. Therefore, Yasopp quickly made a decision: they had to leave first. And so, Yasopp communicated with Laboon for a while, hoping it could take them away. Laboon was very intelligent and understood Yasopp's words. It swam rapidly through the deep sea, arriving at the nearest island. After dropping Yasopp and the others off, it went back. Yasopp had actually wanted to persuade Laboon to stay, but Laboon was also worried about Crocus, so it didn't heed Yasopp's advice.
By the time Laboon returned to the Twin Capes, Red Hair and Benn Beckman were already somewhat exhausted from being toyed with by Doflamingo. Doflamingo was like a buzzing fly around their ears; they could do nothing about him.
"Damn it!" Red Hair had now regained his composure. He also saw through Doflamingo's intentions. Doflamingo was betting that they wouldn't leave. To avenge his crew, Red Hair indeed had no intention of leaving; he was determined to fight Doflamingo to the death. However, Red Hair hadn't expected Doflamingo to be so troublesome, not fighting with the same valor as before, but constantly wearing him down, trying to exhaust him to death. It had to be said, Doflamingo had indeed come up with a good plan!
However, sometimes, accidents always happen. The Den Den Mushi in Benn Beckman's pocket began to ring.
Purupurupuru…
A call at such a time was not a good sign, especially with Doflamingo watching them like a hawk nearby! And this was their private line; ordinary people didn't have it! The intelligent Benn Beckman immediately understood. He frowned, glanced at Red Hair, and Red Hair instantly understood Benn Beckman's meaning.
Doflamingo also heard the ringing. He too sensed trouble. Taking advantage of the moment the two exchanged glances, he quickly appeared behind Benn Beckman, lightning coalescing in his hand into a Thunder Blade, and slashed at Beckman.
"Watch out, Beckman!" Red Hair shouted a warning.
Benn Beckman, exhausted from the prolonged exertion, was somewhat slow to react. To hit Doflamingo, he had used up most of his Haki. He could only raise his right arm to block Doflamingo, hoping to mitigate the attack. Unfortunately, this time, Doflamingo wasn't attacking him with a fist. With a sickening "squelch," the Thunder Blade swiftly severed Benn Beckman's arm. Beckman cried out in pain. Although his arm was severed, no blood flowed out, because the high temperature accompanying the Thunder Blade had smoothly cauterized the wound. Truly killing two birds with one stone.
"Beckman, you go first!" Red Hair quickly moved to Benn Beckman's side, immediately blocking Doflamingo's next attack.
Benn Beckman didn't hesitate, diving straight into the seawater. As long as they entered the ocean, Devil Fruit users definitely couldn't do anything to them. Their thinking was correct, but Doflamingo wouldn't let them enter the ocean. Enel had been waiting nearby for a long time. Seeing Benn Beckman preparing to escape into the water, he also launched an attack.
"Cloud Arrows!" Enel fired several cloud arrows, aiming for Benn Beckman's vital points. Benn Beckman couldn't dodge in time and was hit by all of them. With a splash, he fell into the seawater, kicking up a huge spray. Enel quickly came over to retrieve the body. After waiting for a long time and seeing no sign of Benn Beckman, he didn't know if he was dead or alive.
"Beckman!" Red Hair, seeing Benn Beckman hit by arrows and falling into the sea, cried out in anguish. Caught off guard for a moment, he was stabbed in the abdomen by Doflamingo's blade.
Argh!
Red Hair quickly swept his sword horizontally, repelling Doflamingo. Doflamingo, having landed a hit, quickly retreated, hovering in mid-air, looking at Red Hair's wretched state with a smirk.
"Red Hair, stop struggling! Go and join your comrades!"
"Damn it!" Red Hair knew that it would definitely not be easy for him to leave now, and Doflamingo wouldn't let him go either. Since it had come to this, it was a fight to the death.
"Beckman, wait for me!" Red Hair said with a bleak smile, then charged towards Doflamingo again.
A cornered beast still fights! Just a final struggle!
"Red Hair, your road ends here!"