Kyle didn't wander far from the scene. He simply found a clean, large stone and sat down, pulling a newspaper from his pocket. He began to read leisurely, as if the destructive battle he had just finished was nothing more than a bit of light exercise after dinner. He left the center of the island to the five men he had thoroughly defeated.
On the deserted island, the atmosphere was deathly silent. Doflamingo wiped a smear of blood from the corner of his mouth and climbed to his feet. He adjusted his broken sunglasses, trying to hide the wild fury burning in his eyes.
"Fufufufu... I was... underestimated," he laughed hoarsely, his voice filled with indignation.
"Hmph, isn't that because you were the first one to be taken out, you idiot?" Crocodile mocked coldly. He jumped down from a pit in the mountain wall and brushed the dust off his coat.
"What did you say, Sand Crocodile?" Doflamingo's face darkened instantly. "If I hadn't drawn Lord Kyle's attention at the start, all of you would have lost even faster!"
"Kishishishi! What's all the fuss about? We're all in the same boat now!" Moriah added as he staggered to his feet. He clutched his bleeding nose and said in a muffled voice, "The boss is right. We're just a disorganized mess."
Tesoro held his throbbing abdomen and took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm. He looked at the silent Mihawk and asked in a deep voice, "Mihawk, what do you think?"
Everyone turned their gaze toward the World's Greatest Swordsman. Among the five of them, Mihawk was undoubtedly the strongest in terms of individual power. He slowly opened his eyes, but he didn't look at the others. Instead, he stared in the direction Kyle had gone. Even though that figure looked defenseless while reading the paper, he felt even more dangerous than he had during the fight.
"He was right about everything," Mihawk said. His voice was calm but carried a weight of absolute certainty. "My eyes were only on him, so I lost. Your eyes were only on yourselves, so you lost too."
His words plunged the other four into a heavy silence. They were all Warlords who were used to acting alone. When had any of them ever considered the concept of "comrades"? Doflamingo's "family" was built on profit and control. Crocodile's Baroque Works was just a tool for his ambition. Tesoro's Golden City was a fortress to protect his wealth. They had never truly trusted anyone, and they certainly never thought of fighting alongside others.
"So what?" Crocodile snorted, breaking the silence. "Do you want us to hold hands and chant slogans like a bunch of naive brats?"
"Fufufufu, the mere thought of that makes me sick," Doflamingo echoed.
"But we have no choice," Tesoro said, his eyes sharpening. "Do you want to be treated as useless trash by Lord Kyle for the rest of your lives? Do you want to live in his shadow forever?"
The question stung their pride. They could accept following a strong leader, but they would never accept being a useless burden.
"I don't want to!" Moriah roared. "I, Gekko Moriah, am a man destined to rule the New World again! How can I give up here?"
"Hmph, easy to say," Crocodile muttered. Though his words were dismissive, the flame in his eyes had returned.
"So, what should we do?" Doflamingo asked, looking at the group. "You've seen Lord Kyle's strength. He's on a different level. Even if we team up, do we really have a chance?"
"Opportunities are created," Crocodile replied. A calculating gleam flickered in his eyes. As an expert in schemes, he had already moved past the defeat to think like a strategist. "The five of us each have strengths and weaknesses. Doffy, your strings are flexible. Use them to control the battlefield, restrict the boss's movement, and set traps. Moriah, your shadow ability is best for sneak attacks. Use your shadow exchange to swap our positions and disrupt his rhythm. Tesoro, your gold provides the best defense and control. Use it to create armor and weapons for us, and change the terrain to our advantage."
Finally, he looked at Mihawk. His tone became very solemn. "And you, Mihawk... you are our only and sharpest 'spear.' We need to create one opening for you. Just one opportunity to deliver your strongest slash to Kyle!"
Crocodile's analysis made everyone's eyes light up. For the first time, they began to seriously consider the abilities of their temporary teammates.
"Fufufufu, interesting. I weave the stage, and you perform?" Doflamingo laughed. He loved the idea of controlling the flow of a fight.
"Kishishishi! Moving through shadows is what I do best!" Moriah added excitedly.
"Paving the way for the World's Greatest Swordsman with my gold? That sounds like a plan," Tesoro nodded.
Mihawk remained silent, but his grip on his Black Blade, Yoru, tightened. He understood what Crocodile was saying. He was no longer just a lone challenger. He was a weapon that needed the cooperation of his companions to reach its full potential.
"Then it's settled," Crocodile concluded. "I'll handle the tactics and commands. Any objections?"
This time, no one argued. After seeing Kyle's overwhelming power, they knew fighting alone was a dead end. To earn even a shred of respect, they had to swallow their pride and unite.
"Very good," Crocodile said with a satisfied nod. "Now, the first step..." He lowered his voice and began to explain the details of the plan.
In the distance, Kyle turned a page of his newspaper. A slight smirk played on his lips. "Oh? Have they finally figured it out?" He could hear their whispering, but he didn't stop them. This was exactly what he wanted. A group of unruly lions was always better than a flock of sheep. He didn't want tools; he wanted companions who could stand by his side.
One hour later, the group was ready. Tesoro stood at the front. The ground beneath him had turned completely to gold, and a thick layer of golden armor covered his body. Crocodile and Moriah stood behind him on the left and right. One was surrounded by swirling sand, the other by spreading shadows. Doflamingo stood at the very back with his hands spread wide, invisible strings connecting everyone to the environment. Mihawk stood in the center, protected by the others, with his eyes closed as he gathered his strength.
It was a perfect combat formation. Tesoro was the shield, Mihawk was the spear, and the others provided support.
"Oh?" Kyle raised an eyebrow, standing up. "It looks like you've come up with something. Well then, come on. Let me see this 'teamwork' of yours."
"Let's go!" Crocodile roared.
The battle began again!
"Birdcage!" Doflamingo struck first. Countless sharp threads fell from the sky, forming a giant dome that covered several kilometers. He wasn't attacking Kyle directly; he was locking them all inside a private stage.
"Golden Wave!" Tesoro shouted, slamming his hands onto the ground. A golden ocean surged up, forming waves dozens of meters high. They crashed toward Kyle from every direction, leaving him no room to dodge.
Kyle looked at the gold, his expression still calm. "Still the same old tricks. It's useless..." He prepared to shatter the gold with sound waves, just like before, but something changed.
"Shadow's Asgard!" Moriah's shadow erupted from beneath Kyle's feet. it turned into a dark twin of Kyle and grabbed his legs tightly. A chilling power surged out, and for a split second, Kyle felt his movements slow down. In that tiny window of time, the golden waves crashed down on him.
The golden ocean slammed shut, completely burying Kyle.
"It worked?!" Moriah yelled in surprise.
"Don't get careless!" Crocodile shouted.
A second later, a massive sound echoed from inside the golden sphere. Cracks spread across the gold, and Kyle burst out. He was completely unharmed, with only a bit of gold dust on his clothes.
"Good teamwork," Kyle said, patting his shoulder. "But these little tricks won't trap me."
"It's not over yet!" Crocodile's voice rang out. "Desert Sunflower!"
As Kyle landed, the ground turned to sand. A giant quicksand trap began to pull him under.
"Too naive," Kyle said. He stomped his foot, sending out a shockwave that dispersed the sand. He prepared to jump into the air, but two figures appeared on his sides like ghosts. It was Crocodile and Moriah!
"Shadow Box!" "Erosion Cycle!"
Moriah's shadow turned into a black box around Kyle. At the same time, Crocodile's hand turned into a giant sand blade. It carried the power to dry out anything it touched as it slashed toward Kyle's waist. The two of them were being moved by Doflamingo's strings and Moriah's shadow exchange, allowing them to launch a perfect surprise attack.
A hint of surprise finally showed on Kyle's face. This level of coordination was much better than he expected. He grabbed the shadow box with one hand and crushed it with raw strength. He used his other hand to punch Crocodile's sand blade.
The punch, coated in Armament Haki, hit the sand blade hard. Crocodile grunted and flew backward, but he was smiling. They had achieved their goal. They had distracted Kyle for just two seconds.
In that moment, a golden bridge rose from under Mihawk's feet. Tesoro used it to launch Mihawk toward Kyle at incredible speed. Mihawk opened his eyes. His sword, Yoru, was now crackling with the Conqueror's Haki that only the greatest kings possess.
"Now!" the four of them shouted in their hearts. They had used everything they had to create this one opening for their ace.
Mihawk did not miss. He put all his strength, will, and pride into a single strike. "God Avoidance!"
This wasn't just a simple slash. It was a master-level use of the Conqueror's Haki coating that Kyle had taught him. Black and red lightning danced on the blade. The pressure from the sword was so intense that the air itself seemed to groan before the blade even landed.
Facing this ultimate, close-range strike, Kyle finally stopped smiling playfully. He grinned with excitement, his golden eyes glowing with battle intent.
"Now this is more like it!" He didn't try to dodge. Instead, he raised his fist to meet the blade head-on.
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