-Broadcast-
The sisters Elsa and Anna represented merely a brief interlude in Luffy's determined march toward his objective. Even if they had fallen to their knees and begged him to spare their father, the Straw Hat captain would still pursue Doflamingo with unwavering resolve. The former Shichibukai's crimes demanded justice.
When violence could provide a direct solution, Luffy invariably chose that path. The team pressed forward relentlessly until they finally reached the base of the royal palace—the absolute pinnacle of the King's Plateau. From this commanding height, one could survey all the subjects living under royal authority.
"Leo, do you have anything that belonged to Princess Mansherry? Any personal item will suffice."
The dwarf captain reached into his pocket with reverent care, retrieving a single golden strand he'd treasured throughout years of captivity. "Will hair work?" The precious keepsake had been one of his few sources of comfort during the darkest periods of suffering.
"Perfect." Usopp pinched the delicate hair between two fingers, channeling his Observation Haki into the organic material. After detecting Princess Mansherry's unique pheromone signature, he closed his eyes and extended his enhanced senses through the palace's labyrinthine structure.
His 5-years training on the Boin Archipelago had fundamentally changed Usopp's perceptual abilities. Living among carnivorous plants and insects had awakened a specialized form of Observation Haki that allowed him to visualize pheromone trails like luminous threads drifting through the air. These chemical signatures appeared as tangled rope fibers requiring careful separation to isolate specific scents.
As anticipated, traces of Princess Mansherry's presence permeated the palace complex. Following the gossamer-thin red trail visible only to his enhanced perception, Usopp's consciousness penetrated layer after layer of stone and mortar.
"Found her," he announced with satisfaction. "Princess Mansherry is hidden incredibly deep within the structure."
His reconnaissance continued, gathering additional tactical intelligence. "There's a clown-faced swordsman standing guard outside her chamber—probably one of Doflamingo's senior officers. Several dozen regular soldiers and miscellaneous thugs patrol the surrounding corridors."
Leo's excitement exploded at this confirmation, the tiny warrior leaping onto Usopp's face to rub his cheek against the sniper's distinctive nose. "Usoland, you're amazing! We've finally located the princess! There's hope for the Tontatta people after all!"
Everyone shared the dwarf's jubilation, though Zoro quickly identified their opposition. The clown swordsman was undoubtedly Diamante—the same officer who had defeated Trafalgar Law during their initial infiltration attempt.
Luffy raised his primary concern. "Have you detected any traces of Law? Rescuing him is our main objective here. He might still be alive."
"Give me a moment to search." Unlike Princess Mansherry, who was deliberately concealed as Doflamingo's trump card, Trafalgar Law would likely be kept close to the Shichibukai himself. Defeated prisoners often became sources of information or leverage.
For thoroughness, Usopp began by scanning the palace dungeon levels. His enhanced perception accidentally detected familiar presences—Rob Lucci and Kaku were imprisoned somewhere below, though Law wasn't among the captives on that floor.
Expanding his search upward through the palace hierarchy, Usopp finally located Law in the main throne room. The surgeon lay crumpled on polished marble, blood streaming from multiple wounds as Doflamingo's Ito Ito no Mi (String-String Fruit) powers inflicted systematic torture. But another figure in that chamber sent ice through the sniper's veins.
"Luffy, I have good news and bad news. Which do you want first?"
"Just tell us everything!" came the tri-vocal demand from his impatient companions. Time was running short for rescue operations.
"Good news: Trafalgar Law is with Doflamingo in the palace's main hall. Bad news: Eren Yeager is standing right beside Doflamingo. If we engage them, our past friendship will be tested to its limits."
Luffy rarely experienced the pain of confronting former allies. After a moment of contemplative silence, his expression hardened with resolve. "Eren chose the wrong path by allying with Doflamingo. As his friend, I have to correct his course and guide him back to justice."
Battle fervor ignited within the Straw Hat captain. He drew back both arms, compressing tremendous volumes of air within his enlarged fists before coating them in jet-black Armament Haki.
"Gomu Gomu no Gigant Pistol!"
The palace's brick and mortar walls crumbled like tissue paper before his colossal strike. Rather than navigating complex corridors, the most efficient approach was boring straight through the entire structure. Luffy charged ahead, demolishing obstacles with reckless abandon while Usopp provided navigational guidance. Their initial destination: Princess Mansherry's hidden prison.
"What kind of monster is this? He's demolishing everything!"
"Someone get the senior officers! We need backup!"
Luffy functioned like a human excavation machine, hammering through walls and floors to create direct passages. Palace soldiers didn't dare approach these terrifying invaders, fearing they'd suffer the same fate as the architecture around them.
Within minutes, Luffy's destructive pathway brought them to the secret chamber containing the dwarf princess. However, a swordsman blocked their approach to the secured door.
"I didn't expect Law's allies to arrive so quickly. How impressive." The clown-faced warrior drew his famous blade, prepared to engage these intruding enemies personally.
"You bastard! After what you did to Lami!" Luffy surged forward, intent on personally avenging the silver-haired girl's suffering. But Zoro's firm hand on his shoulder brought him up short.
"Leave him to me, Captain. Swordsmen should face swordsmen."
After 5 years of intensive training on Kuraigana Island under Dracule Mihawk's tutelage, Zoro hadn't encountered a worthy blade-wielding opponent. The fodder on Fish-Man Island had barely qualified as warm-up exercises. This Diamante character might finally provide adequate challenge.
"You handle the rest. I'll deal with him and rescue Princess Mansherry." The one-eyed swordsman drew his weapons, his previously restrained killing intent erupting like a tsunami. The temperature throughout the entire space dropped several degrees as his aura manifested.
Suddenly, the floor beneath their feet began undulating like ocean waves while surrounding walls pressed inward with crushing force. Another Donquixote family executive had joined the battle.
A massive stone face emerged from solid masonry, clearly intending to prevent Luffy's departure. The entire palace seemed to come alive, generating torrents of animated stone that swept up even palace soldiers in their destructive wake.
Unfortunately for this opponent, flight capability rendered such tactics useless. With his sandals adjusting local physics, Luffy simply took to the air. His arms expanded to gigantic proportions as he punched through the ceiling above.
"Leave this to us, Luffy!" Usopp shouted over the chaos. "Go find Doflamingo!"
The Straw Hat captain fought his way upward level by level, blasting through floor after floor until he finally burst into the main throne room. At that crucial moment, Trafalgar Law was barely conscious, about to receive a potentially fatal kick from Doflamingo's descending foot.
Time seemed to slow as Luffy intercepted the attack, his own leg meeting the Shichibukai's in mid-air. Both combatants erupted with Conqueror's Haki, their royal wills clashing in spectacular displays of dark lightning. For several heartbeats, neither warrior gained advantage over the other.
"Straw Hat Luffy..." Doflamingo's voice carried equal parts surprise and anticipation.
The king versus king showdown was finally beginning, broadcast across the Sky Screen for the entire world to witness.
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