Bugara Island, once whole, was now a wreck, ravaged by the battle between Doflamingo and Whitebeard. The island's lush vegetation had been stripped bare, and countless animals lay dead or wounded.
The two had been fighting for a day and a night. Both had taken minor losses earlier, so in this third round, they were far more cautious, their focus absolute.
The members of the Whitebeard Pirates who were watching had grown somewhat numb. They had never imagined that Doflamingo could fight their father to such a standstill. The last person to do that had been Roger, hadn't it?
Though they were shocked, they wouldn't dare miss such a spectacular battle, hoping to learn something from it.
Enel stood on a patch of scorched earth, his eyes shining as he watched the clash, comparing their power to his own.
BOOM!
Whitebeard and Doflamingo collided once again. As always, the exchange ended with Doflamingo being pushed back. He wasn't a fool; he knew he was outmatched in raw strength, and he had no intention of dying needlessly.
Not enough... not enough... I'm still missing something.
As he retreated, Doflamingo's expression was grim, his mind racing with frustration. He felt he was on the verge of a breakthrough, but something was still lacking.
"Brat, you dare to lose focus?"
The moment the words fell, Doflamingo saw Whitebeard's ghostly figure appear before him, Murakumogiri swinging down in a vicious arc aimed at his chest.
Not good! Doflamingo's scalp tingled. He cursed his own foolishness. To be distracted at such a critical moment... he had been too eager to break through his limits, and it had given Whitebeard an opening.
BOOM!
Whitebeard's blow sent Doflamingo flying, crashing into the ground and kicking up a massive cloud of dust.
Whitebeard swung his blade, using his Observation Haki to track Doflamingo within the dust cloud, and sent several more slashes into it.
WHOOSH! Doflamingo burst from the dust and shot into the air. Blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, his golden hair was a mess, and the pink feathered coat on his back was in tatters. The only thing that remained pristine was the pair of sunglasses on his face.
RIP.
He tore the tattered coat from his shoulders and let it fall through the air.
"Super Railgun!"
Doflamingo took a deep breath, gathering a brilliant light between his hands and aiming it at Whitebeard on the ground below.
Whitebeard remained unruffled. He had always met attacks with pure, unadorned force.
"Break!"
He swung Murakumogiri to meet the railgun. He had never seen an attack like this before; it was far more difficult to block than Doflamingo's simple lightning.
Under the force of the blast, Whitebeard, who had never retreated, was forced to take a step and a half back.
"I am Whitebeard! Break for me!"
He felt the shift and was not pleased. He poured more strength into his arms and successfully deflected the attack.
Doflamingo was not surprised. He knew this was far from the extent of Whitebeard's power.
Hovering in the air, he contemplated his next move. From their long exchange, he had identified many of his own shortcomings. At his current level, he was not strong enough to defeat Whitebeard. First, his Haki was not refined enough. Second, his physical strength was lacking. And third, his Devil Fruit development was still inferior to Whitebeard's.
The only reason he had been able to fight to a standstill for so long was twofold. First, he was ruthless to himself, using cunning tactics to gain an advantage, which had only worked because Whitebeard had initially underestimated him. And second, he played a game of attrition, using his absolute speed to create distance whenever things looked bad.
Doflamingo knew his own abilities, and so did Whitebeard. That was why the old man was always looking for an opportunity to pin him down. But Doflamingo, having learned his lesson, was not about to be so reckless again.
VWOOM.
An invisible force, as if equipped with a tracking device, shot through the air toward him, interrupting his thoughts.
He calmly blocked the attack and made a decision. He would burn his bridges. No victory without destruction.
"Divine Punishment!"
He unleashed another wave of lightning, trying to buy himself a moment.
"Thundering brat, what, are you out of tricks?"
Seeing Doflamingo's futile gesture, Whitebeard was puzzled, wondering what he was planning.
"200 Million Volt Thunder God!"
A brilliant light erupted from Doflamingo's body. Lightning coiled around him, and his form swelled, not with bulk, but with condensed power. He had successfully transformed into the Thunder God. This was a new, revised version. Though not as tall and imposing as the old one, its power was more focused, its speed was greater, and it radiated a far more dangerous aura.
Whitebeard cut through the lightning with a few slashes and saw Doflamingo's transformation. He realized his opponent was preparing to risk it all.
"Come on!" Whitebeard challenged the figure in the sky.
"As you wish."
The moment the words were spoken, Doflamingo was in front of him. A single punch landed on Whitebeard's face, sending him flying. Murakumogiri slipped from his grasp and embedded itself in the ground nearby.
"How is that possible? Pops was knocked back by a direct hit for the first time!"
"Is that transformation really so powerful?"
The members of the Whitebeard Pirates stared in shock.
"As expected of Doffy," Enel praised.
Back on the battlefield, after knocking Whitebeard back, Doflamingo pressed his advantage, closing in for another attack.
"Good boy. You've got some stuff," Whitebeard said with a hint of admiration as he righted himself in mid-air. "But are you underestimating me?"
With that, he came to a sudden halt and caught Doflamingo's attacking hands. At the same time, his leg shot out like a blade, kicking at Doflamingo's chest.
Not good, Doflamingo thought, blocking with his own leg. He couldn't believe that even with his enhanced speed, Whitebeard could still catch him.
Seeing that this wasn't enough to make Doflamingo suffer, Whitebeard twisted his hands, intending to break his opponent's arms. At the same time, the force of his tremors began to eat away at Doflamingo's body.
Though one of his arms was already a fake, Doflamingo had no desire to experience that pain again. He poured all his strength into his hands, resisting Whitebeard's power.
BOOM!
His plan thwarted, Whitebeard changed tactics. He swung Doflamingo around by his arms, lifted him into the air, and slammed him into the ground like a ragdoll, again and again, kicking up massive clouds of dust.
"Damn it!"
Doflamingo spat a mouthful of blood at Whitebeard, who calmly dodged it.
"Aaargh!"
Even with his incredible tolerance for pain, Doflamingo couldn't help but cry out. The Thunder God form consumed a massive amount of stamina. He had hoped to gain an advantage, but he had never expected this outcome.
"Doffy!" Enel cried out, seeing his state.
"Cloud Dragon!"
Seeing the sneak attack, Whitebeard didn't panic. He simply threw the half-conscious Doflamingo into the path of Enel's attack.
Doflamingo, still conscious, quickly coated his body in Armament Haki to protect himself.
Seeing that Doflamingo had blocked his attack and was now free, Enel breathed a sigh of relief.
But it was all part of Whitebeard's plan. In his Future Sight, Doflamingo saw the old man closing in. In his current state, he couldn't possibly block a full-powered punch.
There was no time to teleport. He had no choice but to take the hit.
THUD.
In mid-air, Whitebeard's fist made intimate contact with Doflamingo's body.
The heavy blow, even with his Haki defense, made Doflamingo cough up a large amount of blood. He fell limply from the sky, crashing to the ground and lying motionless.
"Doffy!"
Enel's face was a mask of horror, a flicker of panic in his eyes.
"Zehahaha! As expected, Pops is the strongest!" Blackbeard's laughter broke the stunned silence.
Hearing his laugh, the others began to cheer.
Whitebeard landed on the ground and looked at the fallen Doflamingo, a flicker of doubt in his mind. He prepared to strike again, just to make sure he was really dead.
Seeing his intention, Enel roared, "Whitebeard, stop! Don't you want your sons back?"
At his threat, Whitebeard paused, his doubt momentarily forgotten. He glared at Enel, preparing to teach him a lesson.
But before he could act, he had to deal with the enthusiastic greetings of some old acquaintances.
"Boro Breath!"
"Elbaf Spear: Nation!"
In an instant, the sky changed color. The other two great pirates of the New World had finally arrived.