Donquixote, the surname of the Heavenly Celestial Dragon!
Sage isn't strong enough yet, but he's still a newcomer. Once he grows, he'll be a force that stirs the sea.
His intuition isn't wrong; this kind of guy gives him the same vibe as Kaido!
With his inclusion, it'll be easier to pull down that group of people...!
"Then let's change the proposal..."
Sage wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth with his thumb and grinned at Doflamingo: "You should join my Pirates; I'll treat you as a High-Ranking Officer. In the future, share wealth and glory with me, and rule the world!"
Upon hearing this, Doflamingo's face sank, but after thinking it over, he laughed: "Fufufufu, you're an ambitious guy, indeed lacking fear of heaven. I like cooperating with ambitious people, but do you qualify for that?"
It's not without precedent; the one who snatched his fruit, Tesoro, is now collaborating.
As long as there are benefits, nothing is impossible to let go of.
Enemies?
There are no enemies among Pirates!
But what can Sage offer him?
Strength?
Not enough.
Territory?
None.
Wealth?
Doflamingo isn't short on money; for a Pirate of his level, it's no longer about money.
This made Sage's eyes flicker.
Right!
This guy seems to have quite a few business channels.
In the Underworld, he's considered a leading sheep.
Though Crocodile is gone, replacing him with Doflamingo doesn't seem bad.
He has a place to invest his money!
"Originally, I wanted to kill you directly..."
Sage thought for a moment and said, "In the spirit of possible cooperation, I'll spare you. However, I need to test your 'qualifications'."
If I encounter someone like Crocodile who just gives up, the cooperation would be in vain.
Though he doesn't think Doflamingo has lost his will, it's best to test for surprises...
Sage grinned ferociously: "Just withstand my attack, and that'll be enough!"
Veins throbbed on Doflamingo's temples, but he laughed angrily: "As expected of a Pirate, always dreaming!"
Sage shook his head. The black flame-like Haki aura suddenly disappeared, revealing his physical body. Those coiled bird cage lines embedded in the aura cut his body with fine wounds.
"Fufufufu, giving up after you said all that?" Doflamingo sneered.
Sage extended a finger towards him: "You know, Haki varies in strength based on different amounts and coverage. Total coiling and focused coiling are fundamentally different."
His whole body began to emit a white vapor, and under this vapor, the grooves of flesh carved out of his chest and back were slowly returning to their original state.
This scene shocked Doflamingo's eyes under his sunglasses.
He could see that the hole punctured through the chest was growing new flesh inside, gradually intertwining to restore and cover it with skin, returning it to its former state.
"Ability User?!" Doflamingo exclaimed.
"No...just pure Life Return."
Sage bared his teeth, the grin on his face growing wider: "You have the qualifications to witness my full power..."
He paused, suddenly looking up and shouting: "Lily!!"
In the Tropical Grand Hotel, Lily, standing on one of the buildings watching the battle, jumped directly down, saying to Gin and Pearl: "Let's go."
"Is it to support Captain Sage?" Gin asked.
They had been drinking at a tavern outside when they sensed the sound of battle and came rushing over.
"No..."
Lily shook her head, saying: "Take the unconscious away, we're heading back to the ship. Sage is serious, and this town will disappear."
It's not that they couldn't support, but Lily knew it wasn't necessary yet.
Because...he had just used Haki.
Feeling Lily taking action, Sage took a deep breath, his chest heaving, and his white hair seemed to be swept up by a stream of air, rising and floating.
Sizzle!
A white mist like an arrow shot from his nose, spreading across the ground in a wave.
"Dragon Transformation Breathing Technique!"
Rumbling...
The wooden floor vibrated, and the air seemed to quiver with each breath.
The black and red-tipped fur cloak fell off Sage's back and dropped to the ground.
In the moonlight, his shadow suddenly enlarged, stretching forward and enveloping Doflamingo.
The cold sweat that had just disappeared from his forehead returned, more than before. As his head instinctively lifted, he stared in shock at the person before him, constantly expanding.
"Hehehe..."
The continuously expanding figure let out a low laugh: "I don't like using this form; it's not aesthetically pleasing. It also stretches my wearables, which are rare collectibles."
Bang!
The precious jewels and gold adornments on his fingers, wrists, and neck burst during the expansion, breaking into pieces and falling to the ground.
Simultaneously, the bird cage lines embedded in his skin popped out like springs, unable to stay embedded anymore.
His body, its muscles bulging madly, continued to expand, intertwining and coagulating over his form. Initially lean shoulders quickly grew, twisting and merging, becoming like cords of steel connected from his left to right nape, with two shoulder armors of different sizes forming beyond.