Chapter 83

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... before I meet Vice Admiral Tsuru, I don't want her to die."

Having said that, he slung Baby-5 onto his back and secured her with a rope. Given the dangers of the battlefield, he didn't trust anyone else with her.

Then, he unsheathed his short sword and motioned for the two men to lead the way.

"Doflamingo, I'm bringing you a gift. Are you ready?"

Thud, thud, thud.

Near the battleship, two figures were intensely attacking each other. Their colossal battle attracted the attention of countless individuals.

The fight between Doflamingo and Tsuru was gradually reaching a fever pitch!

Even though Tsuru's devil fruit was more of an auxiliary type, she was quite skilled. With high-level Observation Haki and Armament Haki combined with her proficient physical techniques, she often gave Doflamingo a hard time.

However, Doflamingo wasn't an easy opponent either. His mastery of the String-String Fruit had reached an alarming level, so he wasn't afraid of her.

In truth, what Doflamingo really feared was Tsuru's Wash-Wash Fruit abilities. He would rather suffer some losses than get "washed".

Tsuru could wash anything, including people and weapons. Anything or anyone washed would lose their original form, becoming like freshly laundered clothes. Any living being that got cleaned this way would lose their strength and be rendered immobile.

There were rumors that anyone cleaned and dried by this ability would have their minds slightly cleansed, and even evil hearts would become somewhat pure.

Doflamingo had no desire to be "whitewashed", nor did he fancy being scrubbed like dirty laundry.

"Tsuru, it seems like the Navy you brought to the island are in big trouble. Aren't you going to check on them?"

While manipulating various strings to attack Tsuru, Doflamingo didn't forget to taunt her verbally, trying to distract her.

Unfortunately, he was dealing with Tsuru, who possessed both intelligence and strength. She didn't fall for his tactics, firmly believing that Hina wouldn't let her down. Even if something did go wrong, she was confident they could set things right.

Or perhaps she didn't have time to think like that. After all, she couldn't just let Doflamingo destroy the battleships.

"You're too arrogant, Doflamingo. Let me cleanse your wicked heart!"

"If you think you can, then go ahead and try!"

The two locked horns again, their fight escalating.

Overheat Whip!

Doflamingo sprayed dozens of nearly transparent, slender strings from his palm, twisting them into a thick column resembling a strand of hair. He then lashed it toward Tsuru's position.

The attack was powerful enough to slice a skyscraper in half instantly, covering a wide range. The only downside was its lack of flexibility; it wasn't easy to control once launched.

But Tsuru seemed extraordinarily calm, quietly waiting for the Overheat Whip to arrive.

And just when the attack was about to hit, Tsuru finally moved!

She gently raised her right hand and smoothly passed it in front of her. The whip made of strings was flattened and held in her hand, as if freshly cleaned and devoid of any aggression.

"This move is called 'Washing Away the Worldly Dust.' Just now, I washed away all the 'force' you imbued in these strings."

"And without the force you applied, the strings are merely ordinary strings, incapable of hurting anyone."

As Tsuru opened her hand, countless soft strings slipped through her fingers, fluttering down to the ground.

Doflamingo's face instantly turned incredibly dark.

As Abel made his way across most of the battlefield, finally reaching the vicinity of the port, his gaze was immediately drawn to the two individuals locked in combat.

There didn't seem to be any changes in Tsuru's appearance. However, a careful observer would notice the Justice Cloak draped behind her and traces of cuts on her sleeves.

Her expression was so calm that it was hard to gauge the depth of her situation.

In contrast, Doflamingo appeared much more ragged. His right cheek was somewhat swollen, and there were traces of blood near the corner of his mouth, as if he'd been brutally beaten.

Most importantly, Doflamingo's face was marked with impatience and frustration. Simply put, he was growing desperate!

The reason lay in a recent communication from Trebol, who reported that the location where the Flamingo, their family's ship, was hidden had been discovered by the navy. It was now engaged in combat with two navy vessels.

Only one-third of their assets had been transferred, leaving them in a difficult position, forcing Trebol to call Doflamingo for instructions.

Though Doflamingo felt a pang in his heart, he had to make the right decision. He ordered Trebol to abandon the remaining assets, fight back, and try to rendezvous with the rest of the family from another location.

The peripheral pirates could be discarded, but every family member was a talent handpicked by him and naturally needed to be taken along.

After such an incident, how could Doflamingo not be furious? If looks could kill, Tsuru would likely have been riddled with wounds by now.

Unfortunately for him, the Devil Fruit he'd eaten had nothing to do with his eyes. In fact, he was being held here by Tsuru.

The thought of the severe blow his hard-accumulated wealth and influence would take made his attacks begin to grow chaotic.

However, a twist of fate often comes unexpectedly.

"Vice Admiral Tsuru, I believe it's time to conclude the navy's operation. Otherwise, I'm afraid Officer Hina might not be able to hold on any longer."

This unexpected voice caused both combatants to pause their actions, quickly creating distance between them.

Tsuru glanced over, her eyes narrowing without any hint of emotion on her face, even as she caught sight of Hina's dying figure.

"Abel? Why are you alone without Corazon?"

Doflamingo did notice Baby-5 on Abel's back, but considering the pressing situation, her condition seemed less significant.

"Captain Doflamingo, Corazon and I decided to separate. He's currently in a safe location with Law and Buffalo. Meanwhile, Baby-5 and I unexpectedly caught a big fish on the battlefield."

"Hmm? Big fish? You mean this woman?"

"Considering she was able to take Vice Admiral Tsuru's place and command this many navy officers, she must hold some value. Oh, and along the way, I learned from these two 'good Samaritans' that she's actually a disciple of Admiral Zephyr, specifically transferred from the Navy Headquarters for training."

Abel didn't need to elaborate further, trusting that Doflamingo understood his intent.

Indeed, the very next second, Doflamingo burst into wild laughter.

"Hahahaha! So that's it, Abel! You've truly brought me a great gift!"

In that moment, Doflamingo's regard and trust for Abel surged dramatically, evaporating any residual grievances, even those concerning their past meals.

It seems that even if Abel were to increase his appetite tenfold in the future, Doflamingo wouldn't bat an eye, instead cheerfully urging the kitchen to serve dishes faster.

"Tsuru! It seems this time, it's finally my turn to win!"

Tsuru paid him no heed, instead turning her gaze to Abel, the variable in this equation.

"How did Hina lose?"

"She was caught off guard. I managed to land a lucky hit."

Abel didn't provide a detailed explanation, merely offering a vague response.

Despite her suspicions, Tsuru's eyes held a mix of admiration and regret upon hearing Abel's answer.

How long had it been since their last encounter?

Hina had been defeated by this young man. Though it was due to a sneak attack, it still required strength to land a successful blow.

A youth with such talent straying onto the wrong path, becoming an accomplice to evil, and even falling ill with a mysterious disease, was indeed a cause for regret.

However, such circumstances only amplified the importance of not letting the tiger return to the mountain!

Tsuru's gaze turned sharp, and her aura began to rise incrementally.

"Hey, hey, are you really indifferent to this woman's life?"

"On the day we pledged to become marines, we were already prepared for sacrifice. If you think you can intimidate me with such a tactic, then you're greatly underestimating the 'justice' I uphold!" Tsuru's tone was resolute; she had weathered many storms over the years.

Doflamingo couldn't help but applaud, his voice laced with derision and mockery. "That's just like you, Tsuru! But I'm curious, would you really be willing to kill?"

As he finished his sentence, the parasitic string in Doflamingo's hand had already manipulated a semi-conscious Hina to her feet. However, upon seeing the fatal wound on Hina's body, he frowned, "Though she's just a toy, it's no good if she's too broken. After all, she shouldn't die at the hands of a villain like me, right, Tsuru?"

Strands of fine threads ran across Hina's body, stitching up the lethal wound Abel had left, preserving her final breath.

"Go ahead, let's see if you can steel yourself to personally execute this woman."

Under Doflamingo's control, a seemingly puppet-like Hina, eyes shut, picked up a sword from the ground and swung it at Tsuru, her entire body exposed with no intention of defense.

With Tsuru's abilities, she could probably kill Hina with one move. But, she would then bear the stigma of killing a comrade.

However, Tsuru didn't seem to care.

"I'm sorry, but this is all I can do."

With her left hand, imbued with Armament Haki, she easily blocked Hina's sword strike.

Following that, Tsuru activated the Wash-Wash Fruit's power, transforming Hina into a piece of 'clothing'.

Under such conditions, Hina naturally broke free from Doflamingo's control. But it also caused the recently stitched wound to reopen.

Observing this, Doflamingo simply withdrew all his strings. "A truly terrifying old hag, if you hadn't done this, she might have had a chance to live."

"You're the one who killed her."

Tsuru didn't utter another word, merely taking measured steps towards Doflamingo.

If Garp or Sengoku were here, they'd definitely keep their distance. Tsuru, with such an expression, was truly terrifying!

Simply reporting on the performance

By 12 p.m. on the second day, in less than 23 hours, there were more than 1700 first orders. The last hour probably won't increase much, so let's roughly count it as 1800.

After all, Tsuru and her marines were here to annihilate the Donquixote family, not to take a leisurely trip or play the role of 'wealth-bringers' from fairy tales. Naturally, they wouldn't carry any valuable items of worth. Compared to those who put all their assets on pirate ships or always wanted to carry their belongings with them, Abel seemed to prefer backstabbing.

"Tsk, a wasted trip!" Abel unsheathed his short sword, ready to vent his frustration about not having any loot.

Asura Aurora Slash!

With no one to interfere, Abel fully charged his attack and swung down at the warship in front of him. The flying slash, over ten meters long, first cleaved the deck before plunging undeterred into the military supplies storeroom, filled with various weapons and ammunition, and most importantly, cannon shells!

A loud boom resonated!

The entire warship was blown apart from the center, flames and billowing black smoke shrouding the remaining wreckage before it slowly sank into the sea.

"Wuhu, lovely fireworks! Although a bit choking," Abel admired his handiwork, not holding back his commentary, his gaze swiftly turning towards the remaining two warships.

Although that previous strike had once again depleted the stamina he had just managed to recover, remember, he still had three magic cards that he had made in advance!

In his hand now, there were two "Magic Card: Asura Aurora Slash" and one "Magic Card: Clothes Burst"!

Moreover, both of these "Magic Card: Asura Aurora Slash" were at their maximum power, fully charged!

Most importantly, using these didn't hurt him at all.

All it took was a commonplace playing card and the physical and mental strength to perform a skill once, and it was made.

The only limit was the quantity.

However, as his skill level increased, so would the number of magic cards he could make.

Abel felt that the upcoming battle probably had nothing to do with him, so he took out the two "Magic Card: Asura Aurora Slash" cards, ready to use them.

After all, Doflamingo and the rest of the family executives were no pushovers. Even if the sky were to fall, there would be someone else to shoulder it, so there was no need for him to step up.

Moreover, he had already made quite a name for himself.

He should leave some opportunities for others to make contributions.

Buzz. Buzz.

As Abel threw out the two magic cards, they activated in an instant.

Two aerial slashes, almost identical to the previous ones, accurately targeted the remaining two warships and cut directly into their military supply storage rooms. The spot-on targeting was a testament to Abel's earlier trip not being in vain.

BOOM! BOOM!

Now, all the ships were neatly sinking into the arms of their mother, the sea. Destroying three warships in a single operation would surely make the North Sea branch of the navy sore for a long time.

As for why Tsuru didn't come on a navy headquarters warship, primarily, no one expected Doflamingo to be such a nuisance, causing the famous Vice Admiral Tsuru to fail repeatedly in capturing him.

Hence, they hadn't made this preparation initially.

The moment the explosions resounded, they almost immediately attracted the attention of the two individuals embroiled in combat within the 'Birdcage.'

However, upon witnessing the exploding warships, the duo's reactions were starkly different!

Despite being suppressed by Tsuru since the beginning of the fight, Doflamingo was now laughing uproariously, "Fuffuffuffu! Tsuru, you still can't catch me this time!"

Tsuru inwardly sighed but maintained a stoic expression, only accelerating her attack pace.

With a thump!

Doflamingo couldn't keep up with Tsuru's speed and was directly punched in the chest. Although he had used his Armament Haki for defense, his proficiency was far from matching his opponent.

Doflamingo could only feel a sweetness in his throat, and as he was sent flying back, he spat out a mouthful of fresh blood, even hearing his own ribs breaking.

After crashing harshly onto the ground and feeling the intense pain in his chest, Doflamingo looked very disheveled.

He gritted his teeth, sending his strings deep into his body, forcibly repositioning his broken ribs, and using the strings to shuttle back and forth, securing them tightly.

Even the most skilled doctors would applaud him for this sight, hailing him as brilliant!

Doflamingo caressed the part of his chest that had previously caved in but had now recovered. Although the pain had not diminished at all, he could stand up and continue fighting.

In terms of willpower, he believed he wouldn't lose to anyone!

"Repositioning your broken bones with strings and temporarily binding them together? That's indeed an unorthodox idea. But under such conditions, how much of your true power can you unleash?"

When Tsuru saw that Doflamingo could actually stand up and that the previously caved-in part of his chest had recovered, she only had to recall Doflamingo's actions after landing and his devil fruit powers to easily infer how he managed to do it.

This terrifying insight, coupled with a woman's unique intuition, also served as the 'merits' that helped Tsuru reach where she was today.