One Piece: Heaven-Defying Talent

"Little b*****d with the cockscomb head." Joz was seething with anger as he charged toward Bartolomeo.

Bartolomeo quickly blurted, "Uncle Joz, I swear I didn't mean to say you were r***d by Cavendish! And it wasn't even me who stabbed you with a sword—it was Cavendish! You should be after Cavendish!"

Cavendish, overhearing the outburst, froze, glancing at the tip of his sword, where traces of blood still clung. The corner of his mouth twitched, realizing the unfortunate scene he'd caused with Joz.

Suddenly, Cavendish sensed a murderous aura looming nearby. Turning, he saw Joz striding purposefully toward both him and Bartolomeo.

"Uncle Joz, I didn't mean it!" Cavendish stammered, scrambling to get away.

"You coward! Leaving me to deal with him alone?" Bartolomeo shouted after him, trying to flee but unable to keep up with Cavendish's speed. Within seconds, he fell behind.

A loud crash sounded as Joz shattered Bartolomeo's barrier and seized him, pummeling him mercilessly. Bartolomeo's face twisted in agony under the relentless blows.

From a safe distance, Cavendish glanced back, cold sweat dripping down his back. Joz's fists were terrifyingly powerful—he'd even shattered Bartolomeo's Barrier-Barrier Fruit defenses with brute force alone.

Meanwhile, as Joz continued to teach Bartolomeo a lesson, Rebecca encountered a new adversary.

Standing in her path was a man with a red hat and a large yellow beard—Mahabas, a Paramecia user with the power to crush.

Seeing Rebecca approach, Mahabas charged toward her but was effortlessly evaded. With a swift kick, Rebecca sent him flying; he was no match for her skill.

Rebecca pressed forward but abruptly halted as a thick mist enveloped the road ahead. Wherever the mist touched, bystanders transformed into bizarre works of art.

Startled by the strange phenomenon, Rebecca paused, immediately on guard. At that moment, Koby appeared beside her, delivering a series of ten powerful punches that shattered the mist, dispersing it with a gust of wind and revealing an old woman lurking within.

"Rebecca, leave this one to me. You keep moving forward," Koby said, his eyes fixed on the old woman.

"Alright, but be careful—her ability is unusual," Rebecca warned, continuing her advance.

The old woman, Jora, was the wielder of the Art-Art Fruit, which allowed her to transform anything she touched into her own vision of "art."

"Leaving already? Not so fast!" Jora sneered, attempting to trap Rebecca. However, Koby's speed and strength were far beyond her expectations.

Drawing his sword, Koby unleashed a burst of sword energy that sliced through the mist and struck Jora directly, leaving a severe wound. Screaming, Jora fled, and Koby sheathed his sword, following Rebecca to clear her path.

Koby's mission was clear—to eliminate obstacles for Rebecca. Only Rebecca had the potential to defeat Doflamingo, and securing that victory meant Chiba's fruits would command an astronomical price.

Finally, Rebecca encountered Diamante, a top-ranking swordsman and one of the elite officers of the Donquixote Family. Codenamed "Spade," he was in charge of Doflamingo's combat forces and wielded the power of the Flag-Flag Fruit.

Draped in a red cloak and with a famed blade at his side, Diamante watched Rebecca with a wary expression. "I never expected the little girl from back then to become this strong," he remarked, fear flickering in his eyes.

Rebecca's gaze was steely, filled with unspoken hatred. It was Diamante who had killed her mother, and today, she intended to exact her revenge.

"Koby, let me handle this one," Rebecca said, stepping forward.

"No, Rebecca. Let me take care of him," Koby urged.

Rebecca shook her head, her voice brimming with fury. "Diamante, you murdered my mother. Today, I'll take your blood and your life as payment."

With that, Rebecca advanced, her entire body igniting with a fierce, fiery aura.

Diamante, holding his sword, stared her down. "Little girl, I let you go last time. But today, there'll be no mercy. This will be the end for you."

He lunged toward her, blade flashing. Over the years, he had honed his strength through countless elixirs and training, reaching near-Admiral levels. Confident in his skill and experience, Diamante was certain he could at least hold his own against Rebecca—and perhaps even kill her with a well-timed strike.

Diamante's sword moved with deadly precision, but Rebecca dodged with ease. His blade twisted mid-air, redirecting itself to strike her from behind. Rebecca sidestepped the attack and closed the distance, delivering a punch aimed directly at Diamante's head.

Startled, Diamante quickly activated his Flag-Flag Fruit powers, transforming his cloak into a steel shield—the Bullfighting Cape. Though seemingly light and flimsy, it possessed immense defensive power and had saved him countless times.

He trusted his Bullfighting Cape to endure any strike. Confident, he prepared to counterattack.

But Rebecca's right fist now blazed with an intense flame, a radiant energy forming into the shape of a fiery crow.

"Fire Fist Golden Crow!" she shouted, unleashing the blazing attack. The fiery golden crow slammed into Diamante's Bullfighting Cape with overwhelming force.

[•———•——•———•]

𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

✨ • 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝙂𝙚𝙩 𝟲𝟬+ 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.