Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The near-overwhelming waves of silk crashed down one after another, battering Beckman's slender frame like a lone boat in a storm.
"Hah! Doflamingo, aren't you famous for controlling people with your strings? Why not use your signature move?"
Beckman slammed his Armament Haki-wrapped rifle into the ground.
BOOM!
A massive shockwave erupted from the rifle, scattering vast swathes of white threads and sending Doflamingo's body drifting backward.
"Hmph! The Red Hair Pirates' intelligence network is quite impressive."
Doflamingo sneered.
His Parasite String could indeed manipulate others—he had once used it during the Seven Warlords of the Sea meeting at Marineford.
The king of Dressrosa had also been his puppet for many years ago.
But against Beckman, whose strength was at least equal if not superior to him, using that technique would not only be ineffective—it might even backfire.
The moment Doflamingo drifted away, Beckman slashed through countless threads with his sword, kicked his sniper rifle into the air with his right foot, and caught the two-meter-long weapon in one hand.
Swoosh!
Beckman flicked his sword, piercing the air with a shrill whistle as it shot toward Doflamingo's face.
At the same time, his left hand flashed to his waist, drawing a bullet and loading it into the chamber.
Click.
The instant Beckman aimed the rifle with both hands, Doflamingo's mind jolted violently.
Every hair on his body stood on end as an inexplicable chill gripped him.
Danger!
Without hesitation, he raised both hands.
The churning white threads before him surged upward like a curtain, forming massive shields in front of him.
Moreover, he coated the shields with thick layers of Armament Haki, boosting their defense to astonishing levels.
Yet in the next moment—
Beckman's aura erupted like the calm before a storm!
The golden bullet inside the pitch-black rifle was infused with Armament and Conqueror's Haki in perfect balance—a technique executed with flawless precision.
Click!
The trigger pulled, the hammer struck, and the terrifying recoil sent Beckman sliding backward over ten meters in a straight line.
BOOM!
A thunderous explosion rocked the Birdcage, forcing the watching pirates to cover their ears in discomfort.
"Haki-Infused Bullet! Meteor!"
Beckman's roar echoed belatedly—just as, on the other side, Doflamingo couldn't even see the bullet's trajectory—only the dozens of shields erected before him shattering like paper in an instant.
A mass of energy crackling with pitch-black lightning carved a wide trench through the ground, charging straight toward him!
The New World was the domain of Haki!
And among the top-tier fighters, the terrifying destructive power of Conqueror's Haki Coating stood as the pinnacle of combat techniques!
At this moment, Doflamingo finally understood the gap between himself and the true elites.
"I won't fall this easily!"
With a furious roar, Doflamingo unleashed the full might of his Armament Haki from both hands, saturating the space before him until the air grew thick and viscous.
Yet in the next moment—
The energy mass, distorting the very air, tore through Doflamingo's Haki defenses like they were nothing, piercing straight through his chest in a flash!
"Doffy!"
Outside the battlefield, the officers of the Donquixote Pirates turn paled in horror, unable to hold back their cries.
The pirates around them stared in disbelief, their eyes trembling with fear as they turned toward Beckman.
"What kind of power is that?! How can a single bullet carry such terrifying force?!"
Firearms and cannons still held some semblance of threat in the four blues of East, West, South, and North.
But in the Grand Line, guns were little more than tools to intimidate civilians.
Most hardened pirates barely flinched at them—anyone worth their salt could tank a few cannonballs and walk away.
And in the New World, where the strongest gathered, artillery and firearms were practically decorations—useful only in naval battles to sink enemy ships.
In battles between true powerhouses, clashes were settled with blades, Devil Fruit abilities, or Haki.
The pirates present had roamed the New World for years, witnessing countless grand spectacles.
But never before had they seen a single shot as devastating as Beckman's.
"Borororo! That Beckman's really something! Even you can't match his fine control over Conqueror's Haki, Shanks!"
Caesar grinned wildly, gulping down liquor in excitement.
Shanks chuckled warmly, his expression proud.
"Beckman's mastery over balancing Conqueror's and Armament Haki has reached perfection. To this day, he's the only man on the seas who can fire a bullet infused with Haki."
"Did… Dofflamingo just die?!"
A pirate gasped in shock.
"Ben Beckman—isn't he famous for his tactics?! Why is he this monstrous?! He just one-shot Doflamingo!"
Listening to the pirates' clamor, Gin crossed his arms and sneered.
"Idiots. Open your damn eyes—that's a puppet!"
The pirates froze, momentarily ignoring Gin's mocking tone as they strained their eyes toward the motionless Doflamingo.
There, kneeling on the ground with a gaping hole in his chest, Doflamingo stood frozen—like a statue.
A closer look revealed no flesh or blood within the wound—only a tangled mass of threads.
"Black Knight!"
The earth beside Beckman suddenly split open as a figure shot out like lightning, aiming a kick straight at his head—
It was Doflamingo!
He appeared completely unharmed, his right hand raised high, Haki swirling around it, tearing through the air with a sharp, cloth-rending shriek.
Beckman remained utterly calm, not a hint of panic in his movements.
The black rifle in his hand spun in a full circle, blocking Doflamingo's attack.
Armament Haki surged violently around Beckman's body like a massive hand, pushing Doflamingo back.
Then, he prepared to raise his sniper rifle once more!
Doflamingo gritted his teeth, realizing just how troublesome Beckman was.
In long-range combat, Beckman's firearms were terrifyingly powerful, and his own techniques could hardly injure him—Doflamingo was thoroughly countered by Beckman.
That was why he had hidden himself nearby, intending to engage Beckman in close combat.
But Beckman repelled him with his Armament Haki armor!
For the first time, Doflamingo felt his many shortcomings.
Whether it was Armament Haki or Conqueror's Haki, in terms of level, quantity, and mastery, he was a whole tier below Beckman.
'Damn it, if only I could use Haki Infusion Attacks…'
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