"I was wrong, we were all wrong," Doflamingo said, leaning on the ice and breathing a sigh of relief. "I didn't expect... she's actually me. Aokiji, kill her!"
"Fufufu..." Doflamingo's laughter was quickly covered by the sound of shattering ice. Dove, now freed, hardened her resolve.
"Talking too much is not pleasant," she said, her right hand tensing. "Whoosh!" The Five Color Strings shot straight down.
"She's decisive," Aokiji remarked, pulling his hands back. A barbed, dark blue ice spear formed from thin air, and he threw it. If she insisted on killing Doflamingo, she would have to face his attack.
Just then, a figure in a burgundy cloak swung her katana, creating a sharp white flash that sliced the spear in half. "Did you forget there was another person?" Mihoko asked.
"So fast, did you get slower?" Aokiji's hand slightly shook before he condensed another ice spear to block Mihoko's next attack.
Meanwhile, Dove's strings successfully plunged into Doflamingo's chest, drawing blood.
"Hold on, it'll be over soon," she said, her fingers counting lightly. Doflamingo, drenched in sweat, gripped the ground. He was fighting a losing battle; the threads were stronger than steel and tearing at his heart. He resisted, hoping Aokiji would save him, but he knew the female version of himself was superior in terms of "string" power.
Dove smiled, a small dimple forming on her cheek. She was confident. With Doflamingo gone, her master Rodin could summon a new, powerful ally. The situation would be reversed.
"Bye now!" she whispered, a fierce glint in her eyes.
"Where's your promise, Bartholomew Kuma?!" Doflamingo screamed his last words before falling unconscious.
"Whoosh…"
A breeze swept past, and a huge, round figure appeared. Kuma slapped Doflamingo's cheek, causing the strings to shatter. Doflamingo vanished, sent flying into the distant sky.
"He was just pretending to be dying?" Dove's eyes flashed with anger as she grabbed at empty air. "Asshole!" She swung her left hand, turning the ice to thread. A giant snake of thread lunged at Kuma.
"Pressure Cannon!" Kuma yelled, bending his body and firing a barrage of shockwaves.
"Boom!!!"
An earthquake erupted. Dover vaulted over Kuma, but he too disappeared, leaving nothing behind but an empty space.
In the background, Blueno's bar was a smoking ruin, with hot magma flowing over the charred walls. "They're really in the way," Akainu muttered, leaping out. He had given the civilians time to hide, but anyone who lingered was their own fault.
Rodin, hovering a hundred meters above, realized the gravity of the situation. He could only turn the tide by killing a Warlord and summoning a new ally. But to leave here was to leave his crew vulnerable to Akainu. It was a one-for-one trade, with no guarantee of success.
Just as he was about to make a move, a golden light grazed his forehead.
"Whoosh!"
A shipyard exploded in a flash of light, instantly buried in rubble.
"Brother, have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?" a mocking voice said. A figure made of light particles condensed in the air above Rodin, its foot glowing. A cross-shaped light shot out. Rodin tried to elementalize, but a powerful aura locked him in place. It was too late.
"Thunder Shield!" In a panic, Rodin encased himself in a blue sphere of electricity. The golden light struck, slamming him and his shield into the bricks below.
"Leave this to me, Sakazuki!" Kizaru yelled, looking at Akainu. "The rest of Rodin's crew is for you."
"Did you take care of Kaido?" Akainu asked, a smirk on his face. He was glad to have the "troublesome person" dealing with the "troublesome guy."
In the pit, Kizaru found nothing but scorched earth.
"Brother, have you tried a Thunder Speed Kick?" Rodin's voice came from behind Kizaru, followed by a thunderous kick.
"My, what a scary little brother." Kizaru's laser sword resisted the attack.
"Whoosh!"
Golden light and thunder light covered the area. Rodin flew away, temporarily disabling his silence shield. He was curious how Kizaru had found him. "How did you know I was there?" he asked.
"Yo, is it intuition?" Kizaru replied. "Brother, is this your first time in a fight? Your strength is really surprising."
Rodin's mind raced. With three Admirals assembled, his odds of winning were nonexistent. Kizaru's speed was a major problem. He had to be focused. In his Heart Network, he saw Akainu fighting Dove, and Jinbe and Momonaga fighting Baki. He noticed that the two Warlords, Jinbe and Doflamingo, had been removed from the battle by Kuma. It was as if they were deliberately preventing him from killing anyone.
"Brother, if you want to leave, I'll follow you," Kizaru said, leaning in.
"Boom!" Another explosion of light and thunder.
At Dock No. 1, the area was a dust-filled ruin. The Ark, hidden by Tashigi's transparent ability, was still. Tashigi watched the chaos in horror.
"How... how did this happen?" she wondered.
Four Vice Admirals and the Pirate Empress, Hancock, were unleashing a vicious assault on Crocodile. It was a five-on-one fight, and Crocodile was on the defensive. Hancock, believing Rodin's crew would not survive, was fighting without restraint. The current Marine force could kill a weaker Emperor.
"Double Swordsmanship!"
"Iron Head Attack!"
"Life Return!"
The Vice Admirals unleashed their full power, driving Crocodile back, panting, with a hand on the ground. She was severely injured.
"Seastone!" shouted the injured Doberman.
Crocodile, momentarily distracted by a thrown sand blade, saw the "seastone" was just a katana. Her eyes widened. The three other Vice Admirals blocked her escape.
"Clang!"
Onigumo, using his "Life Return" technique, fastened a pair of seastone cuffs on Crocodile's wrists. She felt her strength drain, and she collapsed.
The remaining Marines relaxed. "It's over," Onigumo said, his face grim. "He's Rodin's earliest crewmate. Kill her immediately!"