175. Shattered

Kachak

Atlas furrowed his brow a bit, looked down at the barely alive Doflamingo on the ground, and then took the receiver of the Den Den Mushi.

"Hello~ it's yours truly."

"Atlas, where are you at the moment?"

Sengoku's resonant voice echoed through the Den Den Mushi.

"Huh? So it's Admiral Sengoku. I'm currently at the G-5 base in the New World!"

Atlas stated casually, feigning confusion.

"Quit the fibs! Smoker has already briefed me on your situation. Do you grasp the potential harm the Marines could face if trouble brews in the New World!?"

"Ah, it's not that dire, is it? I've got something quite crucial on my plate at the moment."

Atlas couldn't help but feel fortunate that he had moved the microphone away from his ears in time; otherwise, the booming waves of Sengoku's voice would have been a nuisance.

"Currently, you're on Minion Island in North Blue, correct?"

His tone mellowed, and Sengoku regained his previous composure. This was due to the absence of any significant events at the G-5 base during Atlas's departure. Otherwise, he wouldn't have allowed Atlas to leave without proper authorization so effortlessly.

"How did you find out...?"

Now it was Atlas's turn to be a bit taken aback. The world is vast, so how did Sengoku manage to figure out his whereabouts so swiftly?

"Hmph~ Don't concern yourself with it," Sengoku replied mysteriously.

"Additionally, thanks for rescuing Rosinante this time."

It's quite straightforward, really. Just calculate the distance from Sabaody Archipelago to North Blue, which nearly aligns with the time Atlas departed. Additionally, Vice Admiral Tsuru, who happens to be close to Minion Island, reported the developments to Sengoku. If you combine the intelligence of the two Marines, you can make a reasonable guess about Atlas's objective.

Even though he was unsure of how Atlas had information about the events in North Blue, he felt fortunate. Sengoku had already suspected that Rosinante aimed to acquire the Op-Op Fruit, but he wasn't entirely certain. The only person capable of prompting Atlas to covertly head to North Blue against military orders was Rosinante, who was indeed present in North Blue.

"It's fine; Rosinante is a friend of mine as well."

"Alright, I still have some matters to attend to here. If you wish to express your gratitude, we can discuss it later."

Upon finishing his words, Atlas was about to end the call. Despite Doflamingo's fate being sealed at his feet, he harbored concerns that circumstances might shift later on.

"Hey! Hold on! This guy Doflamingo used to be a Celestial Dragon. If you off him, the World Government will not be pleased with you!!"

As if realizing the significance of the moment, Sengoku promptly intervened, putting a halt to Atlas's actions.

"Ah, Celestial Dragons? That's really troublesome..."

Atlas concealed his displeasure. Initially, he had planned to feign ignorance about Doflamingo's identity and carry out the execution directly. Even if the Five Elders were in the know, they would likely only reprimand him.

"Fufufufu... The Marines are just lackeys of the fools up in Mariejois. They aren't worthy to carry out my execution!"

Doflamingo, barely clinging to life, appeared to have overheard the conversation between Sengoku and Atlas. His weakened face displayed a smug smile once more.

"Hey~ You're way too cocky, Doffy kid!!!"

Atlas nonchalantly spat on Doflamingo's face and then shifted the soles of his feet, which had been covering Doflamingo's neck, to the joints of his arms.

Stamp!!

Click!!

Doflamingo's previously scorched arm suddenly contorted at an unusual angle.

"Mmm!!"

Doflamingo let out a low groan, and cold sweat formed on his forehead, yet he refrained from screaming in pain.

"Fufufufu! Even facing someone like you..."

Atlas pondered for a moment, then applied pressure with his feet once more, shattering Doflamingo's forearm into pieces!

"Aah!"

This agonizing pain pierced deep into the bone marrow, and even Doflamingo, who boasted of enduring the most excruciating experiences, couldn't help but let out a scream.

"I get it, I get it. I'll spare his life. As for the rest... Haha!"

"I can't promise that..."

Atlas burst into inexplicable laughter directed at Sengoku on the other end of the phone. Unable to end Doflamingo's life, mutilating his limbs seemed an acceptable alternative. Considering the mending abilities of the String-String Fruit, Atlas crushed Doflamingo's arm directly with a trust!

"No issue, everything except his life is at your disposal."

Sengoku also realized that, given Atlas's nature, it was unrealistic to expect Doflamingo to escape unscathed from his grasp.

Kachak.

After ending the call, Atlas turned to gaze at the fallen members of the Donquixote Family, and a slight grin formed at the corners of his mouth.

Boom!!

Several bursts of flames erupted, and apart from Doflamingo, all the other unconscious members of the Donquixote Family officials were incinerated to death!

"Hakuryu!!"

Witnessing this sight, Doflamingo's eyes were on the verge of popping out, filled with a consuming hatred, as if he wanted to devour the flesh and blood of the Marine before him. In this moment, his thirst for power surpassed any previous levels. The allure of authority would always linger like a tantalizing aroma if it didn't stand at the pinnacle of strength!

Regrettably, he grasped it a tad too late...

Boom!

The flames engulfed, obliterating all the limbs!

Suddenly, Atlas opened his hand, and the debris shattered in the battle began to dance, swirling around Doflamingo.

Chibaku Tensei (Planetary Devastation)

Responding to the invisible command like ministers following the king's orders, countless rocks and soil blocks surged to adhere to Doflamingo's remains. Soon, they molded into a spherical and dense structure, with only his head exposed in the air.

"There's no alternative. I don't have anything like Seastone with me, so this is just a temporary solution."

Atlas effortlessly suspended Doflamingo in mid-air, then lifted his legs and approached Rosinante.

...

Naval Headquarters, Marineford.

Sengoku, having just hung up the phone, couldn't help but release a long breath. Luckily, he had anticipated Atlas's actions in time. If Atlas had proceeded as he intended, although there wouldn't be any immediate severe consequences, it would undoubtedly dash any hopes of advancing to the position of Admiral in the future.

However, what perplexes Sengoku a bit is that Doflamingo, being an original Celestial Dragon, is unaware of the World Government's involvement. When he learned that Atlas intended to pursue Doflamingo, Sengoku expressly commanded not to take his life, or else there would be consequences. As for why Doflamingo hadn't been apprehended and imprisoned for the past six months, that remained a puzzle.

No matter how profound the sin, it becomes incredibly fragile in the face of absolute strength...

Sengoku turned around, glancing at the words 'Reigning Justice' hanging high on the wall, shook his head, and sighed.

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