“Fufufu.”
“Arrogance requires strength.”
In an instant, Doflamingo appeared above Hermes, his hands in his pockets, right leg covered in Haki. His expression was casual and dismissive, clearly underestimating Hermes.
Hermes remained calm. He raised his right hand, also covered in Haki, in front of him, showing no intention of dodging. It was a minor test.
Whoosh!!!
A tremendous force struck. Hermes’s face changed slightly. His arm, despite his best efforts, was forced into his face, and he was sent flying through the building below, crashing heavily into the ground amidst a cloud of dust and rubble.
When the dust settled, Hermes was crouched in a crater, looking up at Doflamingo, who stood on an invisible thread in the moonlit sky.
Shaking off the numbness in his right hand, Hermes smiled.
Pressure.
He could feel the pressure.
His blood was boiling.
“No wonder you’re one of the most charismatic villains!”
Hermes pushed his hair back, and with a burst of speed, he vanished, reappearing right in front of Doflamingo, delivering a close-range kick.
An eye for an eye.
Both men exuded defiance from their very cores.
“Fufufu.”
Doflamingo was now genuinely interested in Hermes. As Hermes had done, he simply raised his right hand, meeting the kick head-on.
“Your strength is still lacking.”
Leaving this comment, Doflamingo was sent flying but managed to steady himself by performing several backflips, landing on another thread.
Hermes frowned.
He had come off worse in this initial exchange.
And Doflamingo’s nonchalance only deepened his frustration. The guy was a master at keeping his cool.
Simultaneously, both vanished again, reappearing mid-air, their knees clashing, both covered in intense Haki.
At 1.75 meters, Hermes faced off against Doflamingo’s towering 3.05-meter frame, creating a striking visual contrast.
Boom!!!
Doflamingo’s eyes glinted behind his sunglasses. A surge of overwhelming willpower, like a breached dam, rushed towards Hermes.
Crack, crack, crack!
Hermes was pushed back, his hair whipping in the wind. A look of fear and slight desperation flashed in his eyes.
In the dark night, black and red lightning crackled, creating an apocalyptic scene.
Conqueror’s Haki.
The mark of the strongest, born leaders.
With an invincible spirit, and dominating presence.
“It’s the Young Master.”
“What’s going on? Isn’t he supposed to be controlling King Riku?”
“Who is he fighting?”
Elsewhere in the royal city, Trebol and others were dealing with resistors. The sudden change made them glance over frequently.
“Finish off these guys quickly.”
“What are you worried about? With the Young Master’s power, who can stand against him in the sea?”
“Fufufu, Doflamingo is destined to become the Pirate King!”
The Donquixote Family had an unwavering trust in Doflamingo, believing he would one day become the Pirate King.
Back at the fight.
Hermes, shaken by the close-range Conqueror’s Haki, showed a momentary opening. Doflamingo grinned wickedly, raising his right hand, five sharp threads gleaming.
“Five Color String.”
The deadly threads slashed towards Hermes’s neck, threatening to decapitate him. Each thread could easily slice through rock, sharp as any blade.
Death loomed.
In a flash, Hermes shrank to five millimeters, narrowly slipping through the threads. Fighting off the dizziness, he returned to standard size and launched a Finger Pistol.
“Deadly Finger Pistol.”
His maneuver startled Doflamingo. Instinctively, Doflamingo blocked with his arm covered in Haki, feeling a sting and seeing sparks. Before he could react, Hermes landed a kick.
Boom!!!
Doflamingo disappeared in the resulting explosion of debris.
Despite his caution, Doflamingo had been hit.
In the air, Hermes moonwalked, focusing intensely, though his head felt heavy as if from a severe flu. The oppressive will in the air added to his discomfort.
Damn it.
Conqueror’s Haki was overpowered. It suppressed the opponent’s strength, an omnipresent pressure, a severe mental and physical strain.
But surrender? Fear? Hermes scoffed at the idea.
He’d seen too much cold-heartedness and human cruelty. His heart was already colder than a butcher’s knife.
Moreover, he was here to hone himself.
Doflamingo was playing right into his hands.
He would use this fight to test for Conqueror’s Haki, just as he had awakened Armament and Observation Haki in battle.
Perhaps, Doflamingo was his fated benefactor.
Despite the discomfort, this would strengthen his will.
“Fufufu.”
“Overheat.”
Suddenly, a whip of threads, covered in Haki, shot out from the dust towards Hermes. With Observation Haki, Hermes quickly sidestepped the attack.
The attack didn’t stop, following Hermes’s movements. He used Shave to dodge, the thread whip slicing through buildings effortlessly.
“Fufufu.”
“Nice speed with the Navy’s Six Powers.”
“But if this is all you’ve got, it’s disappointing.”
Doflamingo strutted out of the dust, looking up at Hermes. Apart from the Six Powers, the ability to shrink and grow was a minor inconvenience.
And his Conqueror’s Haki had minimal effect. He had underestimated Hermes.
Without waiting for Hermes to reply, Doflamingo disappeared again.
In an instant, Hermes’s pupils shrank, his hair standing on end.
“Thread Sabre.”
Doflamingo’s foot, covered in sharp threads, kicked toward Hermes, fast enough to alarm him. Even with Observation Haki, he barely reacted.
“Paper Art: Autonomous Ultra Instinct.”
Hermes’s mind disconnected from his body, entering a void state. His body instinctively moved, narrowly dodging Do Flamingo’s kick with an elegant backbend.
Seeing Hermes dodge, Doflamingo frowned, his right hand transforming into a beastly claw, covered in threads, slashing down.
At the last moment, Hermes sidestepped again.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!!!
Doflamingo’s frustration grew with each missed attack. Hermes continued to evade, each move perfectly timed, creating an eerie impression.
Continuous attacks filled the air.
Finally, Hermes could no longer sustain the Ultra Instinct state, retreating, drenched in sweat, panting heavily.
Cold sweat dripped from his forehead.
The constant pressure of Conqueror’s Haki was draining. He had to admit he wasn’t yet a match for Doflamingo.
Though he had cards left to play, so did Doflamingo…
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