Chapter 582: Kizaru Who Takes Advantage of the Situation
Even now, standing at the scene, Kizaru still thinks the same way, he just wants to fish.
Before, even if he wanted to fish when he came to a place like this, he wouldn't have been in the mood for it.
But the past and present are different now.
After obtaining the Mythical Beast Fruit, his strength, and more importantly, his ability to protect his own life, has greatly increased.
There's no longer any danger to him.
So he can finally relax.
At this moment, Kizaru stood casually atop a giant magic lantern flower, gazing lazily at the two opposing sides in the distance.
He had no intention of acting right now.
His presence was almost ornamental, beautiful and untouchable, and he would only make a move if unexpected factors appeared.
For example: if the Demon King suddenly appeared to support, if pirates went on a rampage, or if an illegal guild made trouble.
Until something like that happened, he was perfectly content to just watch.
"By the way, the flowers here are really big," Kizaru said, squinting through the light.
"The glow is so bright… I didn't expect the demons here to cultivate these magic lantern flowers so well."
Standing on the petal, he looked at the two groups communicating tensely before battle, then turned his attention down to the flower beneath his feet, curiosity flickering across his face.
These magic lantern flowers were very common in the magic mines of Holy Court Island.
They served as one of the main sources of light in the dark tunnels.
Their glow wasn't from actual light, but from condensed magical power, the visible manifestation of it.
In theory, the flower could be used to brew potions that restore magic power.
However, the effect was weak and short-lived: once picked, the gathered magic energy would dissipate almost instantly.
Because of that, the flower was considered tasteless, impractical, and was never cultivated widely by any major power.
But for wandering monsters, it was very useful.
Whenever they consumed too much magical energy, they could just swallow a whole flower to quickly recover.
Now, the field was filled with these glowing flowers, as bright as daylight.
When the battle began, the monsters and beasts would devour them for strength.
That alone gave the local side a huge advantage.
"I wonder how far those magic pattern users can go?" Kizaru murmured, "It'd be embarrassing if we were the ones beaten back."
With his hands in his pockets, Kizaru looked teasingly at the two forces about to clash in the distance.
---
On the other side, the demon army and the Demon Pattern Guild's team began to move.
Even before the fighting started, the air was thick with hostility, their "friendly exchanges" before battle were little more than colorful insults.
From the demons' perspective, the human demon envoys were invaders.
From the humans' perspective, demons weren't even people.
So, there was nothing to discuss, just fight.
The demon race already had a terrible reputation, and there were so many benefits to be gained here.
Pure demons, monsters, and magical beasts, all were valuable resources.
It would almost be a waste to treat them as equals.
Not everyone felt this way, of course, but the majority did, and that was enough to set the tone for war.
The battlefield was a storm of roaring monsters, earth-shaking impacts, and wild bursts of power from both sides.
The entire scene was a breathtaking, terrifying spectacle.
In the middle of it all, Doflamingo walked with arrogant, measured steps, the corners of his mouth curling upward in amusement.
He thrived in this kind of pandemonium.
---
Suddenly.
ROAR!!
A massive, earth-rattling bellow echoed through the air, sending visible ripples across the sky.
Behind Doflamingo, a gigantic purple beast appeared.
Because of his overconfidence and powerful aura, he had drawn the attention of one of the area's top predators, the Sundora Great Lizard, a high-level demon beast.
It was once the supreme overlord of the desert, and the only creature of its rank in this entire region.
That made it an extremely valuable target.
Many carnivorous monsters could evolve into monstrous beasts by devouring enough prey.
After evolving, their bodies gained the power to digest even magic ore, allowing them to grow rapidly.
But that evolution came with a price, a loss of self.
Most went mad or lost their personalities entirely.
This particular Sundora lizard, however, had taken a different path.
It once occupied a cluster of magic plants that enhanced magical power, and through long observation, it began to grasp the laws of mutation among magical beasts.
Later, it even gained the friendship of a pure demon, who rewarded it with a rare Holy Light Potion, a potion typically used by magic pattern users, but surprisingly effective for monsters as well.
Through a mix of intelligence, luck, and external aid, the Sundora Lizard, now named Erdo, completed its transformation.
It became the leader of the underground army of magical beasts.
And now, it was ready to prove itself.
---
Crack! Crack!
Doflamingo didn't take Erdo seriously at first.
An A-class monster like that wasn't enough to threaten him, after all.
But when Erdo lunged forward and bit down, Doflamingo suddenly felt something was wrong.
The air around him turned thick and heavy, almost solid, as if space itself was liquefying and hardening.
Even worse, his own body was being dragged downward, shrinking toward Erdo's gaping jaws.
Spatial ability? Air compression? Shrinkage? Devouring?
A dozen possibilities flashed through his mind in an instant.
But this wasn't the time to analyze.
The proud leader of the Demon Alliance couldn't possibly die like this.
If he was killed so easily, people would laugh themselves sick.
"Destroy… Five Color Strings (Goshikito, Penta-Chromatic String) !"
Powerful magic burst from his body, shaking the invisible prison that held him.
Five crimson strings lashed outward violently.
Erdo, sensing its prey was resisting, snapped its gaze upward, its massive pupils contracting.
BOOM!
The attack collided with something unseen.
It was like Doflamingo had slammed headfirst into an invisible wall.
The blast sent both him and his glowing strings flying backward.
He tumbled several times through the air before regaining balance, anchoring himself midair with thin threads that shot out from his feet and latched onto the black stone ceiling above.
Looking down at the enormous purple creature below, he smirked.
"I almost capsized in the gutter… hehehehehe!"
"Looks like we can't underestimate anyone with unknown powers!"
He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, laughing, though the veins bulging on his forehead betrayed his irritation.
Getting embarrassed like that while showing off? Definitely not a good feeling.
"Then let me reward you, little pet."
With a lazy flick, Doflamingo floated upward, drawn by invisible strings to the black stone ceiling.
He flipped upside down, feet touching the ceiling, and in that moment, everything around him began to change.
Thin white lines spread rapidly from his feet, followed by a wave of red light.
The black stone surface began to transform, all the non-magical ore dissolved, scattering glittering particles like rain.
"Feel it! This is the power of awakening! The power of destruction!"
Countless red threads twisted and coiled together, forming a towering, 20-meter-tall knight-like figure surrounded by floating magic ore dust.
In its hand, it held a crimson spear that pulsed with a dreadful light.
From above, the spear pointed straight at Erdo.
"Die!!"
"Red Riding: Shadow Killing Gun!"
With that cry, the red spear plunged down from the heavens like a divine weapon, aiming to obliterate the mighty lizard below.
(End of this chapter)
(End of this chapter)