Well, well—this is like having a road to heaven and refusing to take it, only to force your way through the gates of hell instead!
Already simmering with pent-up fury, Doflamingo lit up with a smile as radiant as a blooming flower when Law suddenly appeared before him.
Without hesitation, he flicked out a black thread that deflected Law's attack in an instant.
"Fuffuffuffuffu…"
"I have to admit, your ideas are bold."
Doflamingo smiled amiably at Law, but his gaze swept over his dismembered family members, his expression sinking.
"That fruit… rather than waste it on you, it would be better to let it reappear in this world."
Without giving Law any time to react, he appeared at his flank with a "whoosh," fingers splaying as five transparent threads lashed out.
The taut threads sliced through the air, arriving in an instant.
Law's pupils narrowed slightly. He lifted his arm and, with a twitch of his fingers, instantly switched places with a member of the Donquixote Family.
Slash!
"Urgh—Boss!"
Already maimed, the unfortunate family member stared in shock at the one who had just cut him apart—Doflamingo himself.
Doflamingo ignored his comrade's gaze and turned to the edge of the "slaughterhouse" where Law now stood, his face dark.
"So this is your ability?"
"It's quite a good one… but on you, it's wasted."
As he spoke, a glint flashed in his eyes. His fingers twitched, and several nearly invisible threads shot forth.
Sensing danger, Law tried to evade, but just as he switched places with another Donquixote officer, Doflamingo was suddenly in front of him, seizing his shoulder in one swift motion.
Boom!
With an explosive crash, a high-ranking Donquixote officer was slammed into the cracked ground.
Law escaped again, appearing behind Doflamingo, his drawn blade swinging toward the man's head without hesitation.
Catching sight of the blade in his peripheral vision, Doflamingo was momentarily surprised, but then instantly spread his threads to block—
Slash!
Yet another unfortunate subordinate was cut cleanly in two.
Inside the special space, no blood sprayed, but the pain was all too real.
As the screams rang out, the hair on Law's body stood on end. A suffocating sense of danger engulfed him, and without thinking, he tried to move—only for something faster to act first.
Just as he attempted another position swap, a massive force slammed into his abdomen.
The overwhelming impact twisted his face in pain.
Run. I have to run!
The thought flashed in his mind, but it was already too late.
Still airborne, his body took another crushing blow—one that kicked him straight out of the sky and drove him into the ground.
With a thunderous crash, he smashed into the earth, the violent impact rattling his insides. He coughed up a mouthful of blood, and his ROOM space collapsed instantly.
"What's wrong?"
"Is that all you've got?"
"To put it bluntly, you're just a little pawn I'm toying with."
Doflamingo didn't press the attack. Instead, he walked toward Law slowly, raising a finger at him.
Shu, shu-shu…
As his words fell, bullet-like transparent threads shot out.
Clang, clang, clang…
Badly injured, Law didn't dare hesitate. He snatched up his sword from the ground, batted the threads aside, then held it ready in an attack stance.
"Killing you has been my life's will. If I can't even do that, what right do I have to speak of dreams?"
"Willpower, huh?"
"Your so-called resolve is laughable."
Doflamingo sneered in reply.
"Bastard—I came here to settle the score for what happened thirteen years ago!"
Seeing that face twisted with mocking scorn, Law couldn't help but recall the events of thirteen years past. Rage surged up in him like a flood.
His feet moved, his blade slashing once more.
As Law lunged, Doflamingo showed not a hint of tension—only a feral grin.
"Fuffuffuffuffu… I told you, you're nothing but a toy in my hands!"
Clang!
He blocked Law's strike again, his fingers spreading as a slash of five-colored threads shot out.
Slash!
The rainbow threads carved open Law's coat and gouged five deep, bone-revealing wounds into his torso. The sheer force hurled him a great distance.
"Impossible!"
Law, sprawled on the ground, raised his head with difficulty, staring at Doflamingo in disbelief.
This power… it didn't match the intelligence reports at all.
Compared to what the files claimed, Doflamingo was far stronger—their strengths weren't even in the same league.
Realizing the hopelessness of the situation, Law used his fruit's power to suppress his injuries, rolled to his feet, and cried, "ROOM!"
The transparent field reappeared, enveloping them both once more.
He accelerated toward Doflamingo and swung his blade—but the clumsy attack was easily read. In an instant, Doflamingo's five-colored threads cut the Law before him into pieces.
At the last possible moment, the sliced "Law" turned into a small stone.
Sensing something amiss, Doflamingo turned—only to hear Law's voice behind him.
"Surgical Blade!"
Slash!
The sound of steel piercing flesh rang out, and Law's lips curled into a faint smile.
But before he could act further, Doflamingo slowly turned, his Haki-coated left hand gripping the blade.
"Brat, I told you—you're just a plaything in my grasp."
As he spoke, the five-colored threads bloomed from his other hand, lashing toward Law without hesitation.
Clang! Skreeee…
Law blocked with his other arm, Haki wrapping it as he gritted his teeth. He knew now that killing Doflamingo was impossible—and worse, he might die here himself.
Recalling certain rumors, he decided to gamble one more time.
"Doflamingo… what do you think of Straw Hat Luffy?"
"And how much do you know about the Will of D?"
"Fuffuffuffuffu… what are you trying to say?"
Unlike his original self, this Doflamingo smiled darkly—because he too now bore the initial of the D, and his knowledge of it went far beyond mere legend.
"Do you think that little tidbit will make me spare you?"
"Too bad for you—I know more about the Will of D than you ever will."
His attack surged with greater power, exceeding what Law could withstand. In a few more breaths, the threads would cut him down.
"At least I share in the Will of D—not just Straw Hat. I'm a member of the D clan as well."
At that critical moment, Law finally revealed the secret he had kept hidden in his heart.
"What?"
The revelation caught Doflamingo off guard. He halted his attack, stared at the battered Law—and then burst into laughter.
"Fuffuffuffuffu… this is getting more and more interesting!"
With that, he abandoned the fight entirely, turning and walking back toward the King's Plateau. His interest in Law was gone.
"Corazon… sensei… am I really incapable of doing it?"
Having escaped with his life, Law didn't give chase. He knew doing so would be nothing but self-humiliation.
He never imagined that the thing to save him in the end would be the surname he had always hidden.
Watching Doflamingo's back as he left, he didn't foolishly declare, "I'll kill you someday"—because he understood such words were the mark of the weak.
And he realized… killing Doflamingo might be a goal forever out of reach.
If he couldn't kill him, then what was he even chasing?
In that moment, Law's fighting spirit crumbled, and his purpose in life seemed to vanish.
"Eh… Torao?"
"Have you seen Doflamingo?"
Just then, a familiar voice rang out beside him…
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