In One Piece, I Am the Ultimate Doflamingo

"Stop getting involved! This isn't something we can interfere with. Bone, we'll all die!"

Clutching Bone's arm, Lina pleaded with desperation in her voice.

The rebels who had recently stirred up trouble had just been hanged in the execution square.

They were just doctors—what power did they have to resist?

"Lina, Lami won't live past seven!!!"

Bone's once-gentle face twisted under the dim flicker of the lamp, the white spots on his skin making his features appear even more distorted.

"If things keep getting worse in this country, if all medical resources are cut off, Lami might not even make it to five! She hasn't even had the chance to see the world properly!"

"Then at least… wait for Rosinante to return. That way, we can entrust Law and Lami to him."

"Rosinante won't be coming back. I already told him—if he stays here any longer, he'll die too. He's still young; he shouldn't die in a place as hopeless as this."

"..."

Upstairs, Law cautiously returned to his room. Looking at his little sister, Lami, he didn't know what to feel.

...

At the borders of Flevance.

Rosinante silently maneuvered past the guards dressed in white hazmat suits and gas masks.

The moment he stepped into the country, he saw the strange expressions on people's faces.

He could feel it—the eerie, suffocating atmosphere.

It was like the calm before a complete collapse.

"How is it that speaking out about the problem has only pushed this country further down the path of destruction?"

Rosinante couldn't understand it.

Or perhaps… some problems were never meant to be solved by those who created them.

...

Inside the Holy Chamber of Upper Yard.

"What is the true essence of Armament Haki, Observation Haki, and Conqueror's Haki?"

One hand swirled with a purple radiance, while the other crackled with black-red lightning.

Doflamingo activated his Observation Haki, carefully sensing the distinctions between the three types.

Armament Haki—a versatile force that could be trained and honed. It strengthened defense and offense, nullified and removed negative effects imposed by others, and even served as a source of energy.

"Armament Haki can be seen as the ultimate external refinement of the body—an elite form of energy, though not one that grants immortality."

Conqueror's Haki—the manifestation of one's spirit, an embodiment of dominance. It couldn't be trained but grew stronger alongside one's presence and willpower.

Mental growth was far less tangible than physical growth.

It could shake the minds of others and amplify attacks.

"It's like the 'spiritual pressure' and 'killing intent' described in cultivation stories. Both can enhance attacks and create an indiscriminate mental assault. In a way, isn't this similar to a killing intent shockwave?"

Observation Haki—it allowed one to sense attacks, predict movements, gauge the strength of living beings, perceive emotions and thoughts, and even detect objects beyond one's line of sight. At advanced levels, it could foresee the future.

Some exceptionally gifted individuals could even read minds, manipulate thoughts, or hear the voices of all things.

"This feels a lot like a cultivator's divine sense… Have I been practicing Haki like a spiritual art all along?"

Doflamingo smirked slightly at the thought.

He then turned his focus to testing his newly mastered Conqueror's Haki.

Using Conqueror's Haki for defense wasn't practical, but Armament Haki had four applications: hardening, flow, internal destruction, and emission.

If Conqueror's Haki followed similar principles, then it too should have multiple applications.

Or perhaps… from the moment Conqueror's Haki awakened, it already had the power of external projection.

Black-red lightning crackled in his hands, an oppressive aura radiating throughout the chamber.

Outside, the temple guards felt as if a beast was breathing down their necks, waves of danger crashing over them.

"Lord Doflamingo…!"

"Stay calm. He'll be fine. Just focus on your duties."

If an outsider were to step into the room, all they would see was a concentrated mass of black-red lightning, obscuring Doflamingo's actual form.

A single thread extended outward, attempting to channel the lightning.

A moment later—boom! The thread exploded into dust.

"I underestimated Conqueror's Haki's destructive nature. Unlike Armament Haki, it doesn't simply reinforce an object's hardness."

Unfazed, Doflamingo had already anticipated this outcome.

With a thought, he extended his toughest bone threads.

He reinforced them with Armament Haki, raising their durability even further.

Then, he coated them in Conqueror's Haki once more.

This time, the bone threads successfully bore the overwhelming power.

"Now… let's try 'flow.'"

Under Doflamingo's control, the black-red lightning began to condense, forming a dark purple radiance.

It flowed along the threads like rippling water.

"And now—internal destruction."

He continued experimenting, yet no matter how much he pushed, the dark purple light refused to take the next step.

But Doflamingo had one defining trait—if something wasn't working, he wouldn't dwell on it.

He submerged himself in the White Sea's cloud bath.

Instantly, a weightless sensation spread through every inch of his body.

Thin, dense restraint bands wrapped around his muscles as his body automatically engaged in monotonous yet efficient training.

Meanwhile, his mind turned to the grander state of the world.

"The old generation doesn't have many openings. That means I need to consider the new era."

"Mihawk is only interested in swordsmen. No way to lure him in—pass."

"Jinbe peaked too late, but his older brother might be worth considering."

"Hancock's strength is hard to gauge, but winning her over would be simple enough. Worth a shot."

"Crocodile's stubborn brain has refused every recruitment attempt. Maybe I can use information about Pluton's blueprints to bait him in and eliminate him."

"Edward Weevil is mentally stunted, but the fact that he cut off Zephyr's arm and chased down Whitebeard's sixteen division commanders proves he's not to be underestimated. Mommy's boy—perfect weak point."

Once an idea took root, Doflamingo wasted no time.

With a flick of his fingers, his threads pulled a Den Den Mushi toward him.

Just as he picked it up—

BEEP BEEP! A warning sound blared.

The screen displayed Diamante's panicked face.

"Doffy!!! Douglas Bullet, the Demon Heir, has attacked Raijin Island! I just barely escaped its electromagnetic field!"

"Enel and Moria are fighting him right now!"

Doflamingo's brow twitched in irritation.

That lunatic again? Hadn't he just left the war-torn nation?

"I got it. Stay put and keep the Den Den Mushi connected."

Click.

He immediately dialed another number.

"Doffy, aren't you coming to Tesoro's concert?" Trebol's carefree voice came through.

"You guys enjoy yourselves. Tell our casinos to keep an eye out for an old hag named Miss Bakkin—she'll have an idiot with a sword by her side."

"Got it, Doffy! I'll send word right away."

"Good. Coordinate with Diamante for the details. Vergo."

"I'm here, Doffy."

"Prepare to set sail for Raijin Island. Fresh prey has arrived."

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+220 chapters on p@treon/tambeerg