The morning sun had just begun to break over the horizon on Bugara Island, but Enel and Marco were already clashing. Having gained a slight advantage, Enel was not about to pass up the opportunity to face the World's Strongest Man directly.
Call him arrogant or overconfident, but the path to true strength is paved with such challenges. Only by constantly fighting the strong can one become stronger.
Doflamingo understood Enel's ambition. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and it had to be seized.
"Let's see just how big the gap is between me and the World's Strongest," Enel sneered. The three Enels in the sky shot toward Whitebeard, who stood at the bow of the Moby Dick.
Whitebeard remained unhurried, calmly watching the attack approach. Marco, standing beside him, wanted to intervene; he was eager to reclaim the honor he had just lost.
However, Whitebeard gave him a look, and Marco understood, reining in his impatience.
Just as the three Enels were about to strike, Whitebeard finally, leisurely, made his move. He clenched his left hand into a fist and punched the air. In an instant, the space before him shattered like a mirror.
"Quake."
An immense power erupted from the seemingly ordinary old man. The force of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit traveled through the fractured space, slamming into the charging Enels.
Poof! Poof!
Two of the Enels burst like soap bubbles, unable to withstand the force, much like shadow clones.
The real Enel, taking the brunt of the attack, felt the full, terrifying power. He didn't dare to be careless. He instantly changed his attack, crossing his Haki-coated arms in front of his body to block the shockwave.
On Bugara Island, Doflamingo watched with envy as Whitebeard shattered space with a punch. He mused to himself that Whitebeard's Devil Fruit must have Awakened; otherwise, there was no way he could attack from such a distance.
As expected of the strongest Paramecia-type fruit, the Tremor-Tremor Fruit was brutally powerful.
After a moment of reflection, Doflamingo refocused on the fight.
Enel was knocked back several dozen meters by Whitebeard's single, long-range blow, but he felt no shame. For the World's Strongest Man to have this kind of power was only natural.
"As expected of Whitebeard," Enel said, steadying himself. He looked at the unfazed old man with a hint of admiration.
"Gurararara! You got anything else, brat?" Whitebeard asked, holding Murakumogiri in his right hand, his left still clenched into a fist. A faint smile played on his lips.
"Of course!"
Without another word, Enel unleashed his strongest technique. This was a rare opportunity, and he had to make the most of it. He needed to see the true gap between himself and the top of the world.
"Cloud Stream War God!"
With Enel's roar, the sky, which had just begun to brighten, was instantly shrouded in a thick layer of clouds. The rising sun was completely obscured, vanishing into the sea of clouds and plunging the world into a dim twilight.
Whitebeard and his crew looked up, waiting to see what Enel would do next.
"Thunderous Downpour!"
Hidden within the dark, swirling clouds, Enel unleashed a torrent of rain and lightning upon his opponent.
Whitebeard met the attack without ceremony. He crouched slightly, put his weight into his right arm, and swung Murakumogiri. The blade, imbued with the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit, cut through the air, meeting Enel's attack head-on.
The difference in their power was immediately apparent. Whitebeard shattered Enel's attack with a single, overwhelming blow.
Enel's flashy moves were effective against weaker opponents or those on his level, but against someone like Whitebeard, they were simply foolish.
"Are you trying to tickle me, brat?" Whitebeard asked with a laugh, straightening up.
"Bastard," Enel cursed under his breath. He felt looked down upon, and his face flushed with anger.
He stopped hiding and burst through the clouds, flying directly at Whitebeard. A massive, Haki-coated fist aimed straight for the Moby Dick. If it landed, the ship would be destroyed.
But would Whitebeard allow that?
Whitebeard's attacks were simple and unadorned, but each one was devastatingly powerful, carrying a terrifying force. A single careless mistake would be disastrous.
Seeing Enel's direct approach, Whitebeard grew a little more serious, gathering even more power in his hands.
As the members of the Whitebeard Pirates watched, Murakumogiri and Enel's giant fist clashed in mid-air. Ripples spread through space, and the weaker pirates on deck were thrown off balance by the shockwave, collapsing to the floor.
Marco watched Enel with a grave expression. From his years of experience by Whitebeard's side, he could tell that Enel's strength was on par with his own. But if it came down to a fight to the death, he was confident he would win. The Phoenix fruit was just that ridiculously powerful.
Everyone was captivated by the fight. It had been a long time since they had seen their father unleash his power like this. Perhaps some on the seas had forgotten the might of Whitebeard. The Whitebeard Pirates were not a crew to be trifled with by any random stray.
In the crowd, Marshall D. Teach watched the confident and overwhelmingly powerful Whitebeard with admiration. But the ambition hidden in his eyes grew even stronger. Having witnessed the pinnacle of power, he, Blackbeard, was no longer content to be a humble son. To be his own king, his own master... wasn't that a more appealing prospect? Why be someone else's son?
Doflamingo was also carefully observing the fight. Though Enel was currently holding his own, his stamina was lacking. His defeat was only a matter of time.
Doflamingo shifted his attention from the fight and began to study the members of the Whitebeard crew.
There were only two people on that ship who interested him. One was Whitebeard himself: a man of action, overwhelmingly powerful, yet with no grand ambitions beyond having a home and a family. The other was Blackbeard: ruthless, ambitious, and willing to cast aside all bonds to achieve his goals.
Both were major players on the world stage, but Blackbeard was still in his dormant phase. Doflamingo had no intention of interfering with his plans. Even if he told Whitebeard about Blackbeard's ambition, he would just be seen as a manipulative schemer.
Besides, Doflamingo wanted Blackbeard to stir up trouble. He had no intention of missing the Summit War. It was going to be a spectacular show.
Aboard the Moby Dick, Blackbeard seemed to sense something. He turned his head and his eyes met Doflamingo's. He then grinned, a harmless, innocent smile.
If Doflamingo didn't know what a monster Blackbeard truly was, he might have been fooled by that pure expression. To be able to survive on Whitebeard's ship for so long, his acting skills were truly top-notch.
Doflamingo returned a mysterious smile of his own. Blackbeard paid it no mind and turned his attention back to the fight.
Whitebeard and Enel had exchanged dozens of blows. But as the time limit on Enel's transformation approached, his strength began to wane. Whitebeard, on the other hand, looked as vigorous as ever, seemingly having expended no energy at all.
After toying with Enel for a while, Whitebeard grew bored. The brat's strength was commendable, on par with his own sons, but that was it. The initial thrill of the fight had faded. He decided to end it with one heavy blow.
"Quake."
A web of cracks spread through the space around them. This time, the force was even greater. Enel was powerless. Even if he blocked it, he would be severely injured.
Enel was not one of Whitebeard's sons. Though the old man admired his courage, an enemy was an enemy, and he would not pass up an opportunity to eliminate him.
Seeing that Whitebeard was about to deliver a killing blow, Doflamingo was not about to stand by and watch.
"Divine Judgment!"