Thud!
With a heavy, dull thump, Vergo collapsed to the ground.
Despite his overwhelming defense, even he couldn't hold out against the combined assault from Might Duy and the others, paired with Chiyo's relentless puppet barrage and poison attacks. Bit by bit, they wore him down—until he was finally beaten unconscious.
Even then, he hadn't stopped breathing completely. The fact that he still clung to life was a testament to his terrifying physical resilience.
But no one spared time to confirm whether he was dead or not. At that moment, A and the others had all lifted their heads, staring up at the sky.
Countless threads blanketed the air above them, like a woven dome covering the entire town of Minion. It was as if a massive birdcage had descended, trapping every soul within its confines.
"What… what is this?" A muttered in disbelief, mouth agape. Then he suddenly remembered—
"Wait a second… it's been over twenty minutes. The Lord God said the Donquixote Pirates would arrive on this island. Could this be their doing? This is… insane!"
Not just A—even Chiyo was visibly shaken by this overwhelming show of force.
Is this… power beyond that of a Kage?
At that very moment, Might Duy—who had unleashed his might through the Eight Gates—collapsed, his body finally succumbing to the intense backlash.
The recoil was harsh and immediate, throwing him into a deep coma.
Sensing something was wrong, Chiyo swiftly withdrew her puppets.
"Let's go! We need to catch up to the targets and get out of this town—fast!"
"Got it!"
A nodded and was about to move out, but when he noticed the unconscious Duy lying on the ground, he hesitated for a moment.
Then, unexpectedly, the young Killer Bee grabbed Duy by the arms and began dragging him while running.
"Big bro~ Come on! We can't fall behind~"
"Heh…"
A let out a wry chuckle, stepped forward, and picked up Duy himself, slinging him over his shoulder as he took off. A glint of admiration flashed in his eyes.
A genin from Leaf? Once you recover, we're going to see which one of us is stronger.
---
After the group departed, a shadow emerged from the ground.
Black Zetsu coldly observed Vergo's fallen form.
If it weren't for this guy… I'd have already extracted the target and left this island.
Still… his body could prove useful…
---
As Chiyo and the others made their way out, they quickly experienced just how terrifying the "Birdcage" really was.
Beyond simply trapping them, parasitic threads would occasionally rain down from the sky, piercing into the bodies of nearby pirates.
Within seconds, those pirates, faces twisted in fear, were manipulated like puppets—forced to turn their blades on their comrades.
This display left Chiyo—herself a master puppeteer—shaken to the core.
If it comes to an actual battle, couldn't the enemy just take control of my puppets? What kind of fight is that supposed to be?
When A attempted to cut the threads, he discovered that they were far tougher than steel and far sharper than any conventional weapon. Like ultra-thin blades, they could slice hair, sever flesh, and shear iron as if it were butter.
If the entire Birdcage is made of threads like these…
This was going to be a serious problem.
Perhaps they could use ninjutsu to pass through the barrier. But the issue was: the people they were supposed to protect couldn't use ninjutsu.
That meant they'd have to physically break the threads to escape with the two key individuals.
Through the underground?
No. If people can just dig their way out, the Birdcage wouldn't be effective at all.
Carrying these worries with them, the group made their way to where Corazon and Law were hiding.
There they found a man in a black feathered coat, his face painted like a clown, eyes filled with despair as he stared up at the cage of threads overhead.
"With this ability of Doflamingo's… there's absolutely no escape…"
"Don't lose hope, Mr. Corazon. We'll get you and Law out of here," Chiyo said firmly, reassuring them. She then quickly led them toward the edge of the Birdcage.
Chiyo had treated both Corazon and Law's injuries earlier, earning some of their trust.
She also borrowed Corazon's Calm-Calm Fruit ability to mute everyone's sounds—just in case they were being watched.
Soon, they reached the edge of the cage.
"A!" Chiyo called out.
A stepped up to the barrier. Covering his hands in lightning chakra, he grabbed two of the threads and yanked down hard.
Shhk!
Blood exploded outward.
The threads didn't move in the slightest—but they did pierce straight through his Lightning Style Armor and sliced deep into his fingers, cutting down to the bone.
"Damn it!"
A pulled back quickly, but both of his hands were already a bloody mess.
These seemingly delicate white threads had such extreme durability and lethality?
Chiyo's face darkened. Controlling her red and white puppets, she formed a spinning four-bladed chakra scythe and slashed it at the threads.
Clang!
Sparks flew as the sound of metal clashing rang out—but the threads didn't budge.
Just this one ability from Doflamingo… had completely stumped the entire Reincarnator squad.
—
Suddenly, a loud whooshing sound echoed from above.
Chiyo and the others looked up to see a massive, round man flying above the Birdcage, spinning his arms and legs like propellers. A small girl sat on his back.
Upon spotting Corazon and Law below, the pair quickly pulled out a Transponder Snail.
"That's Buffalo and Baby 5. They're contacting Doflamingo!" Corazon's pupils shrank. He recognized them instantly.
A moment later, as if making a decision, he turned to Chiyo with a heavy look.
"Miss Chiyo, if there's a way to escape, don't worry about me—just take Law. He's small enough to slip through the gaps in the Birdcage threads!"
"Mr. Corazon!"
Law immediately understood what he meant and looked up, eyes wide with disbelief.
But all he saw… was a ridiculous smile.
Corazon squinted with a grin and ruffled Law's hat.
"Law, go with them. Get off Minion Island and seek refuge with the Navy. Don't worry about me."
"Doflamingo and I are brothers. Even if he's furious, at worst, he'll cut ties with me. He won't kill me. Just get somewhere safe and wait for me…"
Corazon's years of deceiving Doflamingo made his act painfully convincing. Law, reassured, nodded with all his might.
Watching the exchange, Chiyo and A were deeply moved.
But reality was cruel. The enemy was simply too powerful—overwhelmingly so.
They were already exhausted from their earlier battle. Even in their prime, it was unlikely they could fight off such enemies.
So, they made a choice—to leave one target behind, and do whatever it took to save the other.
Even if it meant forfeiting all their rewards.
As long as they weren't erased by the Lord God, survival was enough.
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Remove the parentheses btw