The second round of the battle between Whitebeard and Doflamingo had officially begun.
"200 Million Volt Thunder Dragon!"
Doflamingo struck first. Possessing the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, he was not about to neglect his greatest advantage, especially against a powerhouse like Whitebeard. He had to bring his absolute best.
A lifelike dragon of pure lightning materialized before him, crackling with the maximum voltage Doflamingo could currently muster.
"Go!"
With a wave of Doflamingo's hand, the thunder dragon shot toward Whitebeard with blinding speed.
Seeing the attack, a serious expression flashed across Whitebeard's face. He raised Murakumogiri and swung it at the crackling dragon, intending to dissipate it into the ether. The blade was coated in the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit. From Whitebeard's perspective, the only way to counter Doflamingo's lightning was with an equal or greater force, or with a special resistance, like that of the Nika fruit.
While Whitebeard was occupied with the dragon, Doflamingo teleported to his side, aiming a powerful kick at his head.
Whitebeard's Observation Haki was at its peak; he didn't miss Doflamingo's movement for an instant. He raised his left arm, blocking the Thunder Kick.
Having his attack blocked, Doflamingo immediately retreated to prepare his next move. Whitebeard could do nothing to stop him. His speed was far inferior to Doflamingo's; chasing him would only create more openings for his opponent to exploit.
Whitebeard ignored the retreating Doflamingo and examined the mark his kick had left on his arm.
"A burning, numbing sensation... so this is the power of lightning?"
Feeling the slight paralysis and heat in his left arm, Whitebeard's expression grew grim. He was now wary of this thundering brat. His phantom-like speed, combined with the properties of his fruit, was not something an ordinary person could handle. It was no wonder he had been able to escape from two Marine Admirals.
Now, he had made an enemy of Doflamingo. Once he was gone, his sons would be no match for him. As a pirate, Whitebeard knew this all too well. He also knew that once he was dead, his old enemies would not spare Marco and the others. The threat Doflamingo posed was greater than any other. The thought of eliminating him here and now began to form in Whitebeard's mind.
Doflamingo, having failed to land a clean hit, did not press the attack. He was looking for an opening, but Whitebeard was too experienced. He saw right through Doflamingo's intentions and refused to fall for any tricks.
Doflamingo, his eyes fixed on Whitebeard, noticed the subtle shift in his expression and understood that the old man now wanted him dead.
Of course, for Doflamingo, this was the best possible outcome. How could he tap into his potential, how could he become stronger, without facing a true life-or-death crisis? Great danger brings great opportunity. Doflamingo understood this principle and felt no fear.
"Finally getting serious?"
Doflamingo's voice reached Whitebeard's ears, and the old man let out a hearty laugh.
"Thundering brat, I have to say, you're pretty damn good," Whitebeard said with a smile.
"I'm honored. Praise from the World's Strongest Man. Then allow me to properly return the favor!"
The moment the words left his lips, Doflamingo's figure instantly appeared before Whitebeard, his lightning-wreathed fist, glowing with a dangerous light, less than half a meter from his face.
"Gurararara! Thundering brat, you're still a long way off!"
Whitebeard's hand shot out like a claw, catching Doflamingo's charging fist.
Doflamingo's expression changed. Not good. In all his calculations, he had never expected to be caught. He had been confident that with his speed and Future Sight, he was untouchable. He had never expected this setback.
Seeing the constipated look on Doflamingo's face, Whitebeard remained impassive. He released his grip on Murakumogiri, preparing to give Doflamingo the full course.
Though his face was grim, Doflamingo did not panic. He immediately launched a counterattack, kicking viciously at Whitebeard's head.
Whitebeard calmly dodged the kick. His other fist, imbued with the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit and coated in Armament Haki, slammed into Doflamingo's abdomen.
"Alright! As expected of Pops!"
"Pops is the strongest!"
Seeing Doflamingo take a hit, the crew of the Moby Dick erupted in cheers, overjoyed to see their father's might.
"Doffy!"
Seeing him cough up blood, Enel cried out in alarm.
Doflamingo, though he had taken a heavy blow, had managed to cover his abdomen with Armament Haki at the last second, mitigating some of the damage. Otherwise, the injury would have been far worse.
"Damn it!" he cursed inwardly.
Whitebeard pressed his advantage, preparing to strike again. He held Doflamingo's fist in a vice-like grip, preventing his escape. He knew that if Doflamingo got away, catching him again would not be so easy. He had managed to seize this opportunity only because of Doflamingo's arrogance.
That's right. It was Doflamingo's own arrogance that had led to this. He believed his Observation Haki and speed were unbeatable, but he hadn't counted on Whitebeard's Haki being even stronger. It was this miscalculation that had allowed Whitebeard to catch him.
Whitebeard's left hand was an immovable anchor. No matter how much Doflamingo struggled, he could not break free. His right fist, crackling with a thunderous power, prepared to deliver a devastating blow.
Doflamingo was not one to sit and wait for death. Seeing that his right hand was trapped, he knew he had to act. As Whitebeard's fist came at him again, he made his move. His entire body began to glow, turning him into a small, radiant sun.
"200 Million Volt Discharge!"
"Good boy," Whitebeard praised, but his attack did not slow.
"You think you can kill me? Impossible! Thunderous Blow!" Doflamingo roared, his eyes filled with a fierce unwillingness to lose.
Their fists collided less than a meter apart. The resulting explosion of power sent a shockwave through both of them, leaving neither unscathed.
Though Whitebeard was also hurt, he did not release his grip, even as Doflamingo's lightning coursed through his arm.
Doflamingo was strong, but compared to Whitebeard, who had been at the top for decades, he was still lacking. He was outmatched in Conqueror's, Armament, and Observation Haki. As for Devil Fruit abilities, aside from his phantom-like speed, the destructive power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit was in a league of its own. Doflamingo truly had no advantage.
If he had been more cautious, he could have used his speed to remain untouchable. But that was not what he wanted. To do so would be to become like Kizaru. Doflamingo's ambitions were far greater. He wanted to be the strongest, and he would face any setback to achieve that goal.
"Thunder Sun!"
Seeing that Whitebeard still wouldn't let go, Doflamingo got serious. His body glowed with an intense light, lightning crackling violently around him as the temperature of his skin began to skyrocket. If Whitebeard didn't release him, his hand would be severely burned.
Whitebeard's eyes narrowed. He saw Doflamingo's move and felt the intense heat on his palm. He knew what he was planning. The best course of action was to interrupt him; otherwise, even with Haki, his hand would be cooked.
Without a hint of panic, Whitebeard reached out with his other hand, also coated in Haki, intending to grab Doflamingo.
But Doflamingo was not a fool. He wouldn't make the same mistake twice. He relented, ceasing his attack to dodge Whitebeard's grab.
Damn you, Whitebeard. You're a stubborn old goat.
Seeing that even this hadn't forced Whitebeard to let go, Doflamingo felt a surge of frustration.
An idea sparked in his mind. There was only one way out of this. It was said that only those who are ruthless to themselves can truly reach the pinnacle of success.
Without a moment's hesitation, he decided to do it.
But he wasn't about to let Whitebeard off so easily.
He dropped all his defenses and charged straight into Whitebeard's chest. To an outsider, it might have looked like an embrace.
Whitebeard didn't know what he was planning, but he knew he couldn't let him get close. Though he was still at his peak, the old injuries in his body were beginning to act up. A direct hit from Doflamingo's lightning would not be pleasant.
He secretly tightened his grip, trying to make Doflamingo flinch from the pain and break off his attack.
But Doflamingo didn't even blink. He ignored the excruciating pain in his arm and charged forward.
This was a tactic to injure the enemy by a thousand, at the cost of eight hundred to himself.
"Ruthless! Absolutely ruthless!"
Whitebeard couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration. But he wasn't about to let Doflamingo get close. He used his leg as a blade, imbuing it with the power of the Tremor-Tremor Fruit and kicking at Doflamingo's face.
"Thunder Thrust!"
Doflamingo decisively blocked with his free fist.
Seeing that he had stopped his advance, Whitebeard let out a small sigh of relief. Unlike Doflamingo, he had a whole family to look after. It was best to avoid injury if possible.
Doflamingo saw the flicker of relief in Whitebeard's eyes and knew his chance had come. The reckless charge had been a feint, a way to create an opening.
RIP!
Blood splattered. With a savage twist, Doflamingo tore his own arm off, flinging the blood into Whitebeard's face.
At the same time, his free left hand shot forward, moving faster than ever.
"Lightning Cutter!"
His lightning-wreathed hand pierced through Whitebeard's chest. The two of them stood frozen in that position.
For a moment, it was impossible to tell who had won.