Bugara Island had finally come alive.
The simultaneous arrival and attack of Kaido and Big Mom had inadvertently provided aid to the fallen Doflamingo.
"Hmph!"
Whitebeard saw the attacks from his two old rivals and let out a disdainful snort. Without missing a beat, he punched the air, blocking both Kaido's and Big Mom's attacks completely.
A massive, awe-inspiring dragon coiled in the sky above the Whitebeard Pirates. Big Mom, for her part, rode her thundercloud, Zeus, with the great sword Napoleon in her hand and Prometheus hovering at the ready by her side. Below them, Whitebeard stood calmly, bare-fisted, yet his presence was no less intimidating than the two emperors in the sky.
This was the confidence that came from true power.
"Mamamamama! Whitebeard, it's been a long time!"
Big Mom was the first to speak, greeting him from above.
"Linlin, Kaido, what do you want?" Whitebeard's voice was calm, but no one could miss the anger simmering beneath the surface.
"Worororo! Whitebeard, it's been a while, hasn't it? Linlin and I came to see if you were dead yet," Kaido said with a laugh, ignoring the threat in Whitebeard's tone as he circled overhead. "We never thought you'd sink so low as to fight a rookie."
"Kaido, are you itching for a beating?" Whitebeard's face turned cold, his eyes fixed on the dragon.
"Go ahead and kill me. I can't wait," Kaido replied nonchalantly.
Whitebeard's jaw tightened in frustration. If he could kill Kaido, he wouldn't be wasting his time talking. But he knew the man was like a stubborn leech; once he latched on, he was impossible to shake off.
"Mamamamama! Whitebeard, where's the little brat you were fighting?" Big Mom asked, trying to mediate.
"Yeah! Where is that brat? I'm quite curious myself," Kaido added.
They had both seen the wound on Whitebeard's chest. They knew it was no easy feat to injure him, and their interest in Doflamingo now far surpassed their interest in Whitebeard.
"Gurararara! Since when are you two so kind-hearted, caring about the fate of a rookie?" Whitebeard sneered.
The moment his words fell, the atmosphere between the three emperors grew heavy. The members of the Whitebeard and Big Mom crews, as well as Enel, all tensed.
Enel wanted to check on Doflamingo, but Whitebeard was standing not far from him, his aura locking him in place. He couldn't get to Doflamingo to help.
Though Whitebeard was facing Kaido and Big Mom, he hadn't relaxed his guard on Enel for a second. The brat's earlier words had crossed a line. He wasn't about to let him go and save Doflamingo.
If Doflamingo lived, he would be a troublesome opponent. In Whitebeard's opinion, it was better if he were dead.
Doffy, are you really... Enel's gaze returned to Doflamingo's motionless form, his heart filled with grief.
Marco and the other Whitebeard commanders watched the standoff with bated breath. They, too, were curious if Doflamingo was truly dead. Though he was no match for their father, he had been a respectable opponent. They had to acknowledge his strength.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
The sound of a beating drum echoed across the island, a stark contrast to the solemn atmosphere.
Everyone turned toward the source of the sound, their eyes wide with curiosity.
Of all the people there, Enel was the most excited. The moment he heard the rhythmic beat, he knew Doflamingo wasn't dead.
"Yahahahaha! Doffy, I knew you wouldn't disappoint me!" he shouted with joy.
Hearing Enel's cheer and the strange sound coming from Doflamingo's body, Whitebeard realized something was wrong. He decided to stop wasting time with his old rivals and raised his hand, preparing to finish the troublesome Doflamingo for good.
Even if it meant tarnishing his reputation, Whitebeard didn't care. A pirate is a pirate; one should use any means necessary to achieve victory.
Seeing his move, Kaido and Big Mom exchanged a look, a silent understanding passing between them.
"Boro Breath!"
"Emperor Sword: Blade of Ruin!"
Whitebeard's expression changed. He turned and met their attacks with the one he had prepared for Doflamingo.
"Kaido, Linlin, are you really looking for trouble?" he growled, his anger palpable.
"Whitebeard, I want to see for myself what kind of man could injure you. It wouldn't be right to let you just dispose of him," Kaido said, his massive dragon head looking down on the old man.
"Mamamamama," Big Mom just laughed, but her meaning was clear.
"Gurararara! Fine, all of you. But I am Whitebeard," he said with a laugh, his expression returning to one of calm indifference. "Come on! Let's see if you've gotten any stronger over the years."
Kaido and Big Mom readied themselves, prepared to strike at any moment.
During the standoff, Doflamingo's self-administered electrotherapy had finished, successfully pulling him back from the brink of death.
The rhythmic beating of his heart suddenly stopped. The three emperors didn't move, and the small fry didn't dare to interfere.
"Is he alive, that brat?" Kaido asked, looking with interest at Doflamingo, who still lay on the ground with his eyes closed.
Big Mom was equally intrigued, though no one knew what she was planning.
In the end, the brat managed to survive, Whitebeard thought with a hint of regret. But even so, he accepted it. As he himself had said, he was Whitebeard. No one in the world could truly defeat him, not even Roger or Shiki. He was, without a doubt, number one.
Just as everyone thought Doflamingo was about to open his eyes and greet the beautiful world once more, the sound of a beating drum started up again.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
"What's going on? Why isn't Doffy waking up? Are his injuries too severe?" Enel's excitement was replaced by a deep worry, his brow furrowed.
"Hm? This brat..." Kaido watched, a little bored, wondering what game he was playing.
Whitebeard and Big Mom also turned their gazes back to Doflamingo, wondering if his injuries were truly too grave for him to wake up.
"Marco, what's happening to Doflamingo?" Vista asked, coming to his side.
"I don't know for sure," Marco said with a frown. "It looks like he's trying to heal himself, but it doesn't seem to be working."
"Is that even possible? After taking such a heavy blow from Pops... and he's not a doctor. How could he possibly survive?" Jozu asked, scratching his head.
Marco shot Jozu a look but said nothing. The sea was full of strange and wondrous things. In the future, a certain Monkey D. Luffy would recover from near-death just by taking a nap, and Kin'emon would survive with a sliver of health. Doflamingo's self-resurrection wasn't that far-fetched.
Thump-thump. Thump-thump.
The drumming sound continued, sometimes fast, sometimes slow. A fierce wind began to blow, and the sky grew dark.
With the rhythmic change in Doflamingo's heartbeat, the change in the world around them grew more pronounced.
"What... what's happening?"
Seeing the change in the sky, someone finally broke the silence, their voice trembling.
"Is a storm coming?"
The pirates who were watching swallowed nervously, a sense of dread creeping into their hearts.
At the same time, Whitebeard, Kaido, and Big Mom looked up at the sky, a sense of gravity falling over them.