“Fufufu.”
On the ground, Doflamingo noticed Hermes’s condition. Not to boast, but within the range of his Conqueror’s Haki, few could hold out for long.
Even if some could, Hermes clearly wasn’t one of them.
This was Do Flamingo’s confidence. He was born to be a king and destined to become the Pirate King.
“Bullet String.”
Spreading his hands, ten threads extended from his fingers, covered in Haki and glinting sharply, whipping towards Hermes from front and back.
The threads cut through the air with a fierce sound, slicing through obstacles like tofu, demonstrating their terrifying cutting power.
Doflamingo was undeniably a genius. He had developed the String-String Fruit, akin to a sewing machine, to a top-tier level. Had it not been for a bit of bad luck at the end, his achievements could have been unimaginable.
“Mini Ten-Meter Crescent.”
Hermes’s expression grew serious as he kicked out twice, launching two ten-meter crescent-shaped slashes covered in Haki, meeting Do flamingo’s attack head-on.
Crackling sparks flew.
Threads and Rankyaku attacks clashed, creating a whirlwind around them.
Doflamingo was genuinely surprised. Hermes’s version of the Navy’s Six Powers seemed different from what he had seen. For instance, Paper Art had an indescribable, eerie quality.
And now, his Rankyaku was similarly unusual.
Each strike reached ten meters, its sheer impact alone was intimidating. It possessed not only immense sharpness but also considerable power.
Both locked eyes, and in the next moment, they appeared mid-air, a fist and a Finger Pistol colliding. Hermes gritted his teeth, unable to withstand the force, and was sent flying.
Doflamingo only staggered slightly before surging forward with a kick, five threads aiming to slice Hermes in half.
“Iron Body: Indestructible Form.”
Hermes didn’t use his Mini Fruit but chose to tank the hit with Iron Body, covering it with Haki for safety. His goal wasn’t to defeat Doflamingo but to train himself.
Aside from determining his potential for Conqueror’s Haki, mastering Life Return after fully integrating the Six Powers was one of his main objectives.
Sparks flew, and blood splattered on Hermes, making him groan.
Damn it.
He was too hasty.
Looking at the wounds on his body, the flesh torn back to the bone, Hermes gritted his teeth against the pain, nearly screaming out.
“Iron Body can’t defend against my attacks.”
Doflamingo appeared above Hermes, a mocking smile on his face, before stomping down. To him, Hermes’s arrogance was simply youthful folly.
A harsh grunt echoed.
Hermes crossed his arms in front of him, taking the hit that sent him crashing into the ground. The earth shattered around him, creating a ten-meter crater.
Doflamingo kicked out, five threads slicing through the air, dispersing the dust and revealing the central scene.
Huh?
There was no sign of Hermes in the crater.
In a sudden blur, Hermes appeared and launched a Finger Pistol at Do flamingo’s neck. But Do flamingo’s Observation Haki kicked in, making him duck and counter with a kick.
Hermes met the kick with a knee strike, and they were forced apart.
Spitting blood to the side, Hermes took a deep breath and beckoned Doflamingo with a hand gesture, making Doflamingo’s forehead veins bulge in anger.
Conqueror’s Haki filled the air as Doflamingo’s killing intent grew.
“Warm-up is over. Let’s see how long you can last.”
With that, Doflamingo disappeared, and Hermes followed suit.
The two clashed, weaving through streets and alleys, causing explosions and collapsing buildings in their wake.
Blood sprayed from Hermes’s mouth as he was sent flying through a street, crashing into the rubble. Before he could catch his breath, Doflamingo appeared, stomping down.
Rolling away, Hermes used his hands to spring up with a kick.
Doflamingo blocked casually, launching himself skyward. Hermes followed, appearing in front of him with a sweeping kick, enhanced by a massive Rankyaku.
This one was thirty meters long.
Doflamingo’s expression turned serious. He spread his hands, creating a shield of colored threads to block the attack.
Against the thirty-meter Rankyaku, Doflamingo seemed as small as an ant, pushed back by the force.
“Gatling.”
Hermes pursued, making hand gestures like pistols, firing off numerous Finger Pistols with piercing solid power.
Boom, boom, boom!!!
“Spider Web.”
“Haki.”
Veins bulged on Doflamingo’s face as he deflected the massive Rankyaku. He formed a dense web of threads with Haki, blocking Hermes’s barrage of Finger Pistols.
“Hell’s Crescent.”
Hermes gathered his strength, repeatedly kicking out Rankyaku attacks, all enhanced to ten meters by his Mini Fruit, one after another crashing towards Doflamingo.
The ground shook.
Doflamingo’s defense visibly cracked.
But he remained calm and stomped the ground. In an instant, the surroundings transformed, the ground and rubble turning into threads.
Within moments, a hundred-meter radius became a world of strings.
Hovering with Moonwalk, Hermes’s expression was more serious than ever. Was this the awakened power of a Devil Fruit?
“Fufufu, Hermes Yamongard, I’ll remember you!”
“But this is the end.”
Doflamingo felt unprecedented power. In this world of strings, he was the absolute ruler.
Threads rose from the ground, covered in Haki, targeting Hermes with lethal intent.
“Ever White.”
A torrent of threads surged.
Hermes shrank to five millimeters, minimizing the impact of the wide-area attack, using Observation Haki and Paper Art to dodge.
Doflamingo’s face stiffened, his frown deepening.
With Observation Haki, he could sense Hermes, but his small size made him hard to hit. A tiny gap was enough for Hermes to slip through.
Even at his reduced size, Hermes could still use the Six Powers and Haki. His attacks, speed, and defense were unchanged.
This was a significant advantage.
Realizing Doflamingo was serious, Hermes stopped holding back, using all his abilities. Otherwise, he might actually lose.
More importantly, he was reaching his limit.
Conqueror’s Haki was constantly affecting him, draining his stamina. He was no longer in a condition to continue fighting.
Five minutes later.
Hermes was pale and panting, while Doflamingo maintained his relentless assault, showing no signs of tiring.
Suddenly.
Several strong presences approached from all directions, making Hermes’s expression change again.
Undoubtedly, these were other members of the Donquixote Family.
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