Chapter 135: Regrouping
The voice of the Den Den Mushi interrupted the intense atmosphere.
"Ricarudo, are you in danger on your end?"
After transforming into his burly lion-man form, Ricarudo's upper clothing had been torn apart, his pants and shoes shattered in the fierce battle.
He now had only a tattered "shorts" around his waist, preserving his last shred of privacy and allowing him to carry some important items, such as the Den Den Mushi.
Facing the voice coming from the Den Den Mushi, the Silver-Eyed Lion King, who had a massive hole in his chest, nodded.
"I've taken some injuries,"
...Actually, had he taken just a "few" injuries?
On the other end of the Den Den Mushi, Dofu was left speechless. He had called now because he knew his subordinates were in dire straits.
Life Cards...
A special type of paper created by inserting fingernails into it, impervious to water and fire.
It represented the owner's vitality and was typically torn apart and given to loved ones or friends when they were about to part ways, with the torn pieces still connected to the owner.
Furthermore, the Life Card also indicated the owner's current life state: if injured, it would wither, contract, or even burn to ashes.
From the Carnival Island, Gaimon had noticed that the Life Card of the "Dark Cook" Kayu suddenly self-ignited, almost leading to his death, clearly indicating he had sustained a fatal injury.
Shortly after that, even Ricarudo's Life Card began to contract, suddenly withering, which alarmed Gaimon, prompting him to make the call.
"Master Gaimon, please wait a moment."
Ricarudo, who had a large hole in his chest, held the Den Den Mushi in one hand and glanced at Rosinante. As long as she made any movements like the previous 'swordsmanship,' he would immediately maneuver to evade.
"I can finish off the Donquixote Family members right now..."
"No!"
"Sending you alone was my mistake."
Wearing a green mask, the Den Den Mushi elongated its tongue to mimic the voice of the person on the other end perfectly.
"Come back immediately, Ricarudo!"
"You're my 'right hand,' and I can't afford to lose you."
Since the Donquixote Family was formidable enough to heavily wound Ricarudo, Gaimon naturally couldn't allow his strongest subordinate to be lost in vain.
When Ricarudo returns and teams up with Gaimon, they will be invincible!
"Heheh,"
"Don't worry; I have the ability to heal you."
...
"Okay,"
Since the boss on the other end of the Den Den Mushi had spoken, Ricarudo put away the Den Den Mushi after agreeing.
Then, he cast one last deep glance at Rosinante, and with a swift movement, the Silver-Eyed Lion King appeared on the outskirts of the battlefield, lifting the half-dead "Dark Cook" Kayu from the ground. He then rapidly left the battlefield without hesitation.
What?
"Did we..."
"Win like this?"
A few seconds later, Toribor was the first to break the silence.
Rosinante, who had closed her eyes, released her Observation Haki and carefully sensed the situation. After confirming that "Ricarudo" had boarded a merchant ship and was moving toward the open sea, she opened her eyes and nodded.
"I guess so,"
Huff~
Diavolo, Toribor, and the others who had been holding on collapsed to the ground amid the ruins.
Today's battle could be said to be the biggest crisis that the Donquixote Family had faced since its establishment, even surpassing their encounter with Monkey D. Luffy!
After all, in the battle against Monkey D. Luffy, the Vinsmoke family and the Flower Country's Straw Hat Pirates Wind Smoker had protected them, and they had been persuaded by Rosinante's eloquence to turn their enemy into an ally in no time.
But facing this Ricarudo, if it weren't for Rosinante suddenly using the 'Astonishing Sword,' they would have had no choice but to dig into the ground or jump into the sea to save their lives.
"Rosinante,"
Seeing that their opponent had already left, Dofu pushed up his sunglasses and turned excitedly to his brother.
"Earlier, this move..."
"This move is based on my 'Electro' technique. I can't believe you used it so quickly."
Doflamingo hadn't expected that, after learning the Electro technique from the Mink Tribe, he would be able to use the String-String Fruit to this extent.
Devil Fruits were indeed the shortcut to becoming stronger.
"Wait a moment, and I'll explain the principles and tricks to you. You'll be able to create this 'Super Electromagnetic Sword' by yourself."
"Hehehe, wouldn't that make Doflamingo's strength skyrocket?"
Toribor, who was standing beside them, clapped his hands in joy, earning him a disdainful eye-roll from Rosinante.
"It's not that simple."
"If I hadn't used my 'Silent Ability' to block the enemy's Observation Haki, this direct attack, no matter how powerful, would have a hard time hitting a true expert."
Nevertheless, no matter how you looked at it, Doflamingo would have an additional powerful attack method in the future!
The Super Electromagnetic Sword was far more potent than simple strings.
"Now, let's treat the injuries first."
---
On Whole Cake Island,
The battle that had been like a natural disaster had ended, reducing the "Governor's Mansion" in the center of the city to ruins.
The island's wealthy merchants, middle-level managers, and renowned chefs were all gathered in a relatively intact and magnificent building next to the ruins, nervously facing their new "rulers."
"Fufufu,"
"I've said my piece. Does anyone have any objections?"
After turning three individuals who attempted to assassinate and five who tried to poison people into "human sashimi" hung at the entrance, everyone else nodded like crazy in response to Doflamingo's words.
Too terrifying...
Not only had they seen Lord Kayu and those monstrous captains get killed (they didn't know that even the organization's second-in-command had been here), but they had also openly prepared to take this island for themselves...
Those loyal to Gaimon or those who wanted to make a name for themselves were already "swinging on the swing" at the entrance.
These "ordinary people" of theirs only hoped to survive.
"Go ahead and do your jobs!"
With Doflamingo's command, a large number of ships scattered toward the open sea from the island's waters. People equipped with diving gear jumped into the sea one after another, creating a "sea harvest."
They were searching for the Three-Generations Blade that Rosinante had used as "ammunition."
---
At the same time, a large number of food ingredients were delivered to the magnificent building.
"Bernisalna, check the alcohol."
"Yes!"
"Guradius, send these dishes over."
"Okay!"
In the kitchen located behind the building, Jora manifested the "Banquet Table" and continuously placed raw ingredients on the table, transforming them into delicious food. At the same time, she removed any potential toxins from the ingredients.
The few individuals who had been caught trying to deliver tainted food had already been "swinging on the swing" at the entrance, and nobody else would be so foolish as to choose a dead end.
The little furry members of the Mink Tribe, under Guradius's command, brought plate after plate of food into the adjacent hall.
In this hall, Rosinante, with four huge sutured wounds on his chest, Vierge with his right arm hanging in front of him after being treated, a nearly eviscerated Pica...
As well as the bull-headed warrior, the Horse Mink girl Luffy, all continuously stuffed their mouths with food.
Eating meat in big bites, drinking large bottles of alcohol!
The powerful individuals in this world all had some level of "high-speed digestion" talent.
Digested food not only restored their stamina and Haki but also promoted the healing of their injuries. This was essentially a passive "talent" of the strong in this world.
"Muahahaha, I've finally come back to life!"
After downing a bottle of rum, the bull-headed man, Rody, patted his stomach.
This battle, whether against the Donquixote Family or the two Mink Tribe members, could be described as a life-and-death struggle. Although it was dangerous, the increase in strength was evident.
"Next time, even without a full moon,"
"With Doflamingo providing the lightning, I will definitely make that lion look good!"
In contrast to the disgruntled bull-headed warrior, beside him, two stacks of empty plates had already piled up. However, the still-not-full Horse Mink girl reached out her hand calmly towards Rosinante.
Swish~
Facing the now empty plates in a matter of seconds, Rosinante rubbed his temples and looked up at Gladarius, who was responsible for transporting the food.
"Little Wu, get me another... no, make it twenty servings of meat."
"Sure thing, Rosinante!"
Initially, Gladarius was very dissatisfied that he couldn't participate in the final battle. However, upon seeing the injuries sustained by his big brothers, he realized that, with his current strength, he would have been killed instantly.
He needed to work harder to improve his abilities!
"Rosinante, if the second-in-command of the other side is so powerful, isn't this 'Seven Warlords' Gaimon..."
Torrebol, who had the lightest injuries, slowly sipped his drink and expressed his concerns to Rosinante.
"No, I think you're misunderstanding something."
Setting down her plate of food, Mareo, the Mink girl, spoke up.
"In the 'Thousand Faces Pirates,' Captain 'Thousand Faces' Gaimon and 'Silver-Eyed Lion King' Ricarudo are actually quite evenly matched in a certain sense."
"What?"
"'Silver-Eyed Lion King' Ricarudo's strength is something you've all witnessed."
Unlike the straightforward Minotaur warrior Rody, Mareo had been quietly gathering information about Gaimon, so she knew a lot about the inside story.
"His Animal-type Lion Lion Devil Fruit, combined with his powerful dual-color Haki and his cool-headedness, makes him a well-known figure even in the New World."
"And 'Thousand Faces' Gaimon, who claims to have a thousand faces and countless Devil Fruit abilities... but when it comes to facing strong opponents, Devil Fruit abilities..."
She finished her sentence and turned to nod at Rosinante and the others.
"I'm not looking down on all of you and your abilities."
"It's just that, no matter how many Devil Fruit abilities someone has, they may not necessarily have an advantage against Haki wielders."
"I see,"
Rosinante nodded.
Not all pirate crews had their captain as the sole standout figure. For example, during their time in the North Blue, they had encountered the 'White Dragon Pirates.' Captain Balf Tanyi of the White Dragon Pirates relied on his Devil Fruit abilities to be invulnerable, while his First Mate Arnold was a master of dual-color Haki.
If they were to fight without resorting to air-breathing, breath attacks, Balf Tanyi would not be a match for Arnold!
"However, Gaimon is very likely to be extremely strong since he became one of the 'Seven Warlords.'"
"Plus, with a multitude of Devil Fruit abilities, I'm not confident in holding out against him for long."
While Haki could defend against various Devil Fruit abilities, it had its limitations and consumed stamina. Even someone as skilled as Mareo, who was a warrior of the Mink Tribe, couldn't maintain full-body Armament Haki indefinitely.
If the opponent had a "one-shot kill" type of Devil Fruit ability, such as the "Pet Pet Fruit" that Breed had used on a previous island, even a Haki master could be taken down.
"Hehehe, that's not all."
Through the door leading to the main hall, Doflamingo, who had finished handling island affairs, walked in with his hands in his pockets. His injuries weren't too severe, but he also needed to replenish a large amount of food.
He picked up a bottle of red wine and gulped it down, then sat directly across from Rosinante.
"The 'Seven Warlords' are not ordinary pirates,"
"The other side is recognized by the World Government as 'legitimate pirates.' If it were me, I'd immediately turn those who dare to challenge me into wanted criminals through the Marines and then use the Marines' power to take them down."
"Well,"
Facing Doflamingo's analysis, Rosinante nodded.
"Indeed, it's very likely that Gaimon would do that. But we can also use the power of the Marines!"
Others might not be aware, but Rosinante was well aware of the personalities of the higher-ups in the Marines. Whether it was Kizaru, Fujitora, or Koby, none of them would tolerate a faction that produced "drugs" to exist.
And on this "Whole Cake Island," there were hidden poppy cultivation fields in abundance!
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(End of this chapter)