Chapter 179: Mihawk Defects from the Seven Warlords!
Without a doubt,
Doflamingo was a scheming and ruthless ambitionist.
He had seized Dressrosa through vile and underhanded means, enslaved its citizens, trafficked drugs and humans, and committed every crime imaginable.
Yet none of this could obscure his greatest strength:
his ruthlessness toward enemies, his cunning in pursuit of his goals, his disregard for conventional morality, and above all—his willingness to stake everything once he'd made a decision.
Just like now—
Doflamingo had emptied out the wealth of Dressrosa, placing his entire bet on the Reincarnation Game.
Even Fang Yi couldn't help but admire his nerve.
Truly, as the Donquixote Family executives had once said, Doflamingo had the makings of a king. Not just because of his Conqueror's Haki, but because of the force of will befitting a tyrant.
"Apologies, Lord Doflamingo."
A tall figure—an East Blue branch Marine Rear Admiral—stood firmly, blocking Doflamingo's path to the Lord-tier monster, the Soul Reaper.
This was a direct order from Marine Headquarters.
Crack!
His answer came in the form of a thick string whip.
The whip slashed across the Rear Admiral's body, splitting flesh, spilling blood, and cutting muscle and bone like they were paper. His torso was cleanly severed.
"Doflamingo!"
Sengoku's voice growled low with fury.
Killing a Marine officer in public was an irreversible declaration of war against the Navy.
"Chaton, team up with Tsuru and Burning Mountain! Surround Dressrosa with Marine HQ forces!"
"And notify the World Government: strip Donquixote Doflamingo of his Seven Warlords title!"
Normally, revoking a Warlord title required a formal petition to the World Government and their deliberation.
But Sengoku had said "notify," not "petition."
That was how furious he was.
No one in the command room objected.
—
At this point,
having completed his cash conversion, Doflamingo had fully unlocked his real-world powers.
In the Reincarnation Game, the power of a Devil Fruit varied widely.
Some, like Logias and Mythical Zoans, were rated as purple-grade.
Doflamingo's String-String Fruit—like the Jacket Jacket Fruit and Chopper's Human-Human Fruit—was only blue-grade.
Now, with some players wielding purple-grade skills, Doflamingo no longer held a tier advantage.
But—
His String-String Fruit had reached awakening, effectively Level 19 in game terms.
Even if the base grade was lower, its mastery was enough to overwhelm most players.
Not to mention—he had both Armament and Conqueror's Haki.
"Run! He's a monster!"
The Marines panicked as their bodies suddenly stopped responding. Like puppets, they raised their weapons against their own allies.
In seconds, the joint force of several branch units was shredded like grass.
"Cease this madness!"
Bogard, Garp's adjutant, drew his sword. A Haki-infused slash severed the threads manipulating the Marines.
His face was grim.
It wasn't just Doflamingo slaughtering Marines—the other branches trying to stop nobles and pirates were also being pushed back hard.
He had rushed across multiple battlefields and still couldn't turn the tide.
"Bogard? You think you can stop me?"
Doflamingo sneered. He clawed the air with one hand, razor-sharp threads shooting forward.
They pierced straight through Bogard's chest.
The flicker of hope the branch Marines had just felt was instantly swallowed by despair again.
"Marine? Pirate?"
"Right now, I'm the most powerful being on this island!"
Doflamingo let out a twisted laugh. He raised a hand to the sky. Countless threads shot upward, forming a curtain of white that fell like a birdcage over the ghost town.
The ground split with a deep rumble.
The cage began to shrink.
"So arrogant. You think you can take on everyone?"
Bogard, just revived, leapt off a slanted courtyard wall and slashed down with his sword.
Crack!
Another whip tore through him, sending him back into revival mode.
"How is this possible?!"
"Bogard is Vice Admiral Garp's right hand! Even in HQ, he's considered a top-tier swordsman!"
Marines cried out in despair.
Boom.
A wave of overwhelming pressure radiated from Doflamingo, knocking out everyone around him.
"Conqueror's Haki… so you've fully unlocked your powers."
Mihawk narrowed his eyes at the birdcage and the unconscious Marines.
"At your level, you're not qualified to speak to me, Mihawk!"
The Five-Color Strings lashed out.
Clang!
Mihawk caught them with his black blade held in both hands.
The sheer force pushed him back, his boots carving deep grooves in the ground.
"I'm not interested in playing with you. The winner of this Lord-tier fight… will be me!"
His Azure-Scaled Eagle puppet flapped its wings, catching him mid-leap as they soared toward the bound Soul Reaper.
"Like hell I'm letting you take it!"
The rewards for killing a Lord-tier monster were drawn from the player's fate-aligned wishes—guided by fate runes.
In other words,
if Mihawk dealt the killing blow, he was likely to receive a swordsmanship-related reward.
A chance to ascend to higher realms of swordsmanship—there was no way he'd let Doflamingo steal that.
Slash!
A green flame-infused sword aura ripped through the air, forming a demonic skull that howled toward the puppet.
Through rigorous training with his Emerald Fang Sword Art, Mihawk's sword seed had evolved into a new attribute:
Netherflame.
A pure killer move born from sword aura.
Ghostflame Emerald Blaze.
In the sword-dominant world it originated from, it summoned spectral fire to scorch both body and soul.
A slash with elemental properties—far beyond anything seen in the pirate world.
"You too, Mihawk? Do you also dream of the Soul Reaper's first kill?"
Doflamingo's expression turned serious. He could feel the terrifying energy radiating from the attack.
Whips flew out.
The emerald flames incinerated them into ash.
"A strong attack, no doubt. But the level's too low."
More whips followed—he wasn't trying to block it, just burn it out.
And it worked. Just before it struck the puppet, the sword aura dissipated.
"Too slow."
As Doflamingo soared out of range, Mihawk's sharp gaze finally shifted.
He had to admit, Doflamingo was right.
Even though the Emerald Blaze was purple-grade and could cut through Doflamingo's threads, he had poured Dressrosa's entire wealth into unlocking his full real-world power.
Stats, skill levels—all higher.
Victory didn't just depend on skill quality. It was also about level, attributes, energy.
"My energy reserves… I can't fire another Netherflame slash."
Mihawk frowned, bitter that the game avatar limited his full power.
But—
He didn't have stockpiles of wealth. He didn't have Doflamingo's empire backing him with assets.
Boom.
Doflamingo and his Azure-Scaled Eagle were intercepted by Garp and Dragon.
"Looks like there's still time."
Mihawk suddenly turned and sprinted toward the edge of the Island of Death.
He activated a movement-boosting Fate Item he'd purchased in the Game Room:
Wind Step Talisman.
In minutes,
he left the island, boarded a coffin boat lit with ghostly green fire, and exited the Trial Tower's boundary.
Freed from its restrictions,
he felt power rush back into his body.
He turned toward the Navy ships and pirate crews still observing from the perimeter, those who hadn't acquired Contract Fruits.
BOOM!
Two sword auras of blazing emerald fire slashed down, slicing the masts of two Marine warships—blocking their escape.
"Mihawk, what are you doing?!"
First Doflamingo, now Mihawk.
Sengoku's breathing grew erratic with fury.
Ignoring the voice of the Fleet Admiral crackling from the Den Den Mushi, Mihawk swung his black blade again, sending all nearby Marines flying into the sea.
"Redeem: Marine Warship."
Standing on the deck, a Game Menu appeared before him.
[You have acquired ownership of: Marine Warship (Advanced). Redeemable for 3,000 reward points.]
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