"Sixteen Assassin's Bullets: God Execution!!!"
Sixteen torrents of white threads crackling with black and red lightning surged from behind the War Titan, shooting straight toward the remains of Barrett's stone colossus.
At the same time, the War Titan's massive fist was gathering power. The swirling black and red energy showcased the advanced application of Conqueror's Haki before it came crashing down.
"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"
Explosions erupted as smoke and debris filled the air, obscuring the War Titan's movements. It was as if a thousand tunnel-boring machines had activated simultaneously on Raijin Island. The battlefield's sandy shores sank further under the relentless bombardment.
...
On the Numancia Flamingo, Judge, fresh from surgery, stared in shock.
What terrifying, overwhelming power.
BOSS... He's at least ten times stronger than when he first put me in my place.
With a thunderous crash, the island's tremors subsided.
The threads of the Birdcage began retracting bit by bit.
Within the lingering dust, the String War Titan dissipated, its form unraveling into countless threads. The once-threaded ground and steel slowly reverted to their original state.
Vergo guided the Numancia Flamingo closer to shore.
Footsteps echoed against the hushed battlefield.
Doflamingo emerged, striding forward at a leisurely pace, dragging the bloodied and unconscious Barrett behind him.
"BOSS! / Doffy!"
Judge and the others immediately straightened up, their respect intensifying upon seeing Doflamingo completely unharmed.
With a glance at their expressions and a quick scan with Observation Haki, Doflamingo confirmed that the three of them were no longer in mortal danger.
Still, he asked, "What about Diamante and the others?"
"They're out of immediate danger," Judge replied respectfully.
Doflamingo turned to Vergo, who had stepped closer, his dragon-headed staff glinting in the light.
"What should we do with him?" Vergo asked, motioning toward Barrett.
"A man of such value... After causing me so much trouble, he won't be dying so easily."
Having vented his rage, Doflamingo was now composed.
A pirate with emperor-level potential, an incredibly rare level talent... How many of those exist in this world?
No, Barrett wouldn't be let off so lightly.
Douglas Barrett was a pure, battle-obsessed madman. Raised as a mercenary, he was a tool without personal ambitions or independent thought. After experiencing betrayal, he had no choice but to follow his instincts and seek battlefields.
It was only after meeting Roger that he found an anchor.
Right now, he was in a state of mental disarray, having lost his previous purpose.
Doflamingo thrived on manipulating people trapped in their own psychological prisons.
Exploiting such weakness was a special skill of his.
And he was exceptionally good at it.
Besides, Barrett wasn't someone who refused to serve under others—so long as the one above him was stronger.
Roger had subjugated Barrett by defeating him multiple times.
So why couldn't he do the same?
Barrett was worth the effort.
And if Barrett refused to submit, his superior genes and Devil Fruit abilities were still highly valuable research subjects.
Keeping such a threat nearby would also serve as motivation for Enel, Vergo, and the others, ensuring they never grew complacent in their pursuit of strength.
Once the research was done, they could always drop him from the top of the Red Line and turn it into a Celestial Dragon survival game.
Annoying the Five Elders was always a delightful pastime.
"Judge, take him."
"Understood!"
Judge gestured to the cloned soldiers behind him. They stepped forward, carrying chains made of Seastone, which they wrapped tightly around Barrett's limbs before hauling him onto the deck.
Only then did Judge begin treating his injuries.
Such efficiency.
Doflamingo nodded in satisfaction, watching the seamless execution of orders.
Leaping onto the Numancia Flamingo's bow, he addressed Vergo, "Head to Raijin island to recover. After that, go to the open sea and inform Trebol."
"Understood, Doffy."
The Black Dragon took off toward the island's interior.
...
"Wait for us! Lord Thunder God's boss! We need to get back to work!"
With the battle settled, Jenomi and his two companions emerged at just the right moment.
Doflamingo smirked playfully. He had almost forgotten about these three opportunistic bastards.
"Work? Weren't you planning to pledge allegiance to your new boss?" he asked, amusement lacing his voice.
How did he know?!
Jenomi and his companions stiffened, sweat pouring down their faces as their hearts pounded.
Jenomi scrambled for an excuse. "We... We were just providing support for Thunder God-sama!"
Abba and Shige quickly nodded. "Yeah, yeah! Support for Thunder God-sama!"
Doflamingo's grin widened.
"Enel's seriously injured right now. You three must be very close to him to be this concerned... I should think of a way to reward you."
A reward?
Their faces lit up.
Doflamingo stroked his chin in mock contemplation before suddenly feigning realization.
"Then why don't you join him? I'm sure he'd be thrilled."
Jenomi and his friends immediately lost control of their expressions, their faces contorting with terror as snot and tears streamed down their cheeks. With a loud thud, they dropped to their knees.
"No, please!!! Sir, we'll get back to work! We're incredibly efficient—we work ten times harder than anyone else!"
They couldn't survive an attack like that. They'd die!
"As prisoners, do you remember the punishment for unauthorized leave?"
Stammering, the three replied, "W-We have to work from 3 AM to midnight... every day for the next month."
"Let's change that. From 1 AM to midnight."
Their faces turned to stone in despair.
Satisfied with his little game, Doflamingo finally allowed himself a comfortable smile.
"Vergo, take Moria's underlings with you as well."
...
On Angel Island, inside the conference hall—
"Tap, squelch! Tap, squelch!"
A slime-covered figure paced back and forth, dragging his cloak behind him.
Nearby, Nurse Jora gently placed a pair of artistically crafted ear protectors on Zoffy's head before glaring at Trebol.
"Trebol, keep it down! You'll wake up Zoffy!"
Trebol's anxiety was getting the best of him.
"Douglas Barrett is a monster capable of wiping out entire nations! He was a member of the Pirate King's crew! How can you expect me to stay calm?!"
His PTSD was kicking in hard.
"Calm down, Trebol," came the weary voice of Tesoro. "The BOSS is just as powerful as Barrett."
Tesoro had realized something was off the moment he spotted Vergo at Sabaody. Since then, he had gone nearly two days and nights without sleep.
"But—"
"Bzzt! Bzzt!"
The transponder snail rang, cutting through the tension.
"Vergo! What's the situation?"
"Doffy has taken care of everything."
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+220 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg