The guy in front of me is quite strong. Even with a strike using all my Haki, I doubt I could inflict severe damage in one punch, let alone when I'm in a full-body Coiling, with Haki evenly distributed.
It's essential to recognize he isn't stagnant. Previously, he used Haki to coil the walls of the Treasure Vault, and later, to protect the cabin behind the Poneglyph, using his flesh every time to hammer against the hard Poneglyph.
He will always grow somewhat.
The punch just now was too sudden. This guy blocked it with his body, both in terms of the ability's effect and the physical body itself, which isn't bad.
But it's only just not bad.
With this kind of bodily quality, as long as he approaches my flesh, each strike can inflict massive damage; this is the effect of the North Star Divine Fist.
"Then, let's have a second match."
Sage moved his body slightly, baring a mouthful of cold teeth: "How many punches can you endure from me?"
"Fufufufu..."
Doflamingo stared at Sage for a while, covering his face as his body shook with laughter, "You've really pissed me off, being underestimated by a rookie, and you think opening my Bird Cage line makes you so proud?"
He extended his forefinger, pointing at Sage, chuckling darkly:
"I consumed the String-String Fruit as a 'String Person,' capable of generating countless strings - sharp, resilient, controllable, and shielded - I can do it all, and the strongest among them is my Bird Cage line."
"So far, it's only been a bind. Now, let me show you... Bird Cage·Bouncing Line!"
Bang!
Like a gunshot, a subtle line was exposed from his finger, shining silver under the moonlight, shooting into the fiery aura.
Sage was slightly stunned, glancing at the tiny line embedded within the fiery aura. Compared to the Bird Cage line, which embedded halfway into the Haki aura during his high-speed movements earlier, this line embedded two-thirds into his Haki.
Very tough...
"Fufufufu, isn't it breaking through a bit more!"
Doflamingo licked his lips, fingers moving rhythmically, emitting gunshot sounds, and under the moonlight, several silver threads burst forth, now tainted black...
Haki!
Sage's pupils contracted, his feet stamped on the ground, transforming into a shadow and moving away from his original position.
"It's useless, you're carrying my line, I can see your movements!"
Doflamingo laughed aloud, his five fingers spread open, flinging outward, "Bird Cage·Over the Whip!"
Within his palm, a whip composed of lines thinner yet more flexible than the previous 'Super Strike Whip,' surged towards the black fire mass, exposing the location of the Bird Cage binding lines.
The lines carried impact, quickly embedding into the Haki aura, just a thread's distance from Sage's body... then break open!
The line itself is also coiled with Haki!
Tsss!
Just a slight touch, and Sage's chest bore a dent as if torn by something, revealing flesh and blood.
Broken through!
Sage squinted his eyes, his steps bouncing backward, just preparing to retreat as he saw Doflamingo smirk menacingly, his arm moving abruptly.
The whip in his hand, like a serpent, coils backward upon contact, with the Haki-overlaid Over the Whip breaking the rest of the Haki aura, encircling Sage, scraping off a layer of skin and flesh from chest to back, the freshly shed blood staining the Haki coiled whip.
"Fufufufu, this Haki thing..."
Doflamingo shouted fiercely, "It's not just you who can use it! Bird Cage·Descent of the Rascal Line!"
His other hand lifted swiftly and swung down with force.
In the sky, several objects akin to Black Spears appeared, like black thunder, rapidly descending from above, breaking into Sage's Haki, piercing through from his back.
Tsss!
Several lines resembling Black Spears, coiled with Haki, ran through Sage's back, piercing through his chest and directly embedding into the unique wooden floor of Demon Valley Town.
Drip.
Blood flowed from his chest along the line, condensing into droplets, falling to the ground.
"Heheh, fufufufu, hahaha! This is the difference between you and me, rookie!" Doflamingo laughed wildly.
Haki is power, is attacking force, is defense.
But ultimately, it has a limit. Surpassing this limit, it can be broken.
Doflamingo's level of Haki isn't low, and combined with his ability, he can break through such Haki.
Open his Bird Cage binding line?
But those are just Bird Cage binding lines.
The other techniques are more potent than the binding lines; as long as he doesn't release the entire Bird Cage, these crafted strings possess unbreakable hardness. When coiled with Haki, they become even stronger.
Just now, after breaking through the Haki, that's all there is to it.
"I return those words back to you..."
Suddenly, Sage's voice echoed, causing Doflamingo to freeze.
Only to see Sage, confined by lines with his chest pierced, slowly extend a hand to grip the spear-like lines through his chest, pulling them out bit by bit, while his other hand grasped the whip tied to his chest and released it, tossing it to the ground.
"Just pierced my body, did that make you so proud?" Sage stood upright, disregarding the blood gushing from his chest, coldly staring down Doflamingo.
"Still able to move..."
Doflamingo smirked, "But how long can you keep moving? Failure is just a matter of time. But it doesn't matter, as I have great expectations for you. Do you want to join my family? In that case, you'll be my family, my... Heavenly Celestial Dragon family!"