The Hunter and the Prey

Rankyaku!

The azure vacuum slash cut through branches and leaves straight for Do flamingo's head.

Doflamingo spread the fingers of his left hand, reaching forward.

"Spider's Web!"

In front of him, a large net made of white threads materialised, blocking the vacuum slash like a spider web trapping its prey. The Rankyaku's energy quickly dissipated against the web, turning into sparkling light that scattered in the air.

At the same time, Hailan vanished from Doflamingo's sight.

"How cunning!" Doflamingo became alert, immediately turning and kicking out.

"Foot String!"

Eight nearly invisible thin strings extended from Do flamingo's toes. With the String-String Fruit's enhancement, this move was like an upgraded version of Rankyaku, possessing immense destructive power.

Hailan initially considered using "Tekkai" to block Doflamingo's attack. However, his instincts warned him that doing so would only result in injury.

Palm Geppo!

To Doflamingo's surprise, Hailan's palm produced a cloud of compressed air, propelling him downward just in time to avoid the "Foot String" by a hair's breadth.

Boom!

Hailan slapped out another air cloud, causing his spinning body to rotate like a top.

Leg Shigan!

Using the momentum of his spin, Hailan's Tekkai-enhanced right leg kicked out with the speed of a Shigan, like a steel whip.

Thud!

Doflamingo raised his arm to block Hailan's kick aimed at his face. The impact of flesh against flesh produced a dull thud, and even the always-smiling Doflamingo felt a twinge of pain.

"The sky is my domain. Your body... it's already lost its balance, hasn't it?" Doflamingo felt victorious, raising his finger toward Hailan.

Using the String-String Fruit, Doflamingo could anchor threads to the forest's trees, the city's buildings, and even the clouds in the sky. This invisible web was called "Sky Path." Using the "Sky Path," Doflamingo could traverse the sky as if walking on solid ground.

"Bullet..."

"Flying Shigan!"

Doflamingo wasn't the only one capable of long-range attacks. Mastering the Six Powers, Hailan had developed his own "Palm Geppo" and "Leg Shigan." The "Flying Shigan" developed by Cipher Pol was no secret; Hailan had also mastered it.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Under Hailan's technique, the normally intangible air turned into a series of lethal bullets aimed at Doflamingo's forehead, waist, and chest. Doflamingo's "Bullet String" emphasised raw destructive power, comparable to a Gatling gun, while Hailan's "Flying Shigan" was akin to silent sniper rounds.

Forced into a defensive position, Doflamingo dodged Hailan's attacks while retreating. Though his overall strength surpassed Hailan's, his overconfidence and desire to toy with his prey had turned him into the prey himself.

Meanwhile, realising their leader had begun fighting, Pica and Trebol also initiated their attacks on the Marines in the jungle.

Pica, with the Stone-Stone Fruit, could manipulate rocks, cause earthquakes, and even encase himself in stone, transforming into a "Stone Giant."

Trebol, with the Sticky-Sticky Fruit, could secrete a highly adhesive substance from his body. This substance was also highly flammable and explosive, making it both a weapon and a weakness.

"W-What is that sound? Ahh... Is it an earthquake?"

"What's this sticky stuff? It's disgusting!"

Caught off guard by the sudden ambush, the Marine women struggled to stand as Pica's manipulation of the ground threw them off balance. Trebol's sticky ability quickly subdued many of them.

Despite the chaos, Vice Admiral Tsuru, disguised as a regular soldier, remained composed and unaffected by Pica's powers.

"So it really was a trap?" Tsuru sighed. "I underestimated the strange abilities of the Donquixote family."

Boom! Boom!

Giant trees fell one after another as a colossal stone giant, as tall as a five-story building, trampled through the forest. Some of the more timid dwarves of the Tontatta tribe fainted at the sight of the massive creature.

Tsuru glanced at Pica standing on the giant's shoulder and sighed. "Seems I have no choice but to take action."

Soru!

Elsewhere, Doflamingo had lost his playful demeanour. Playing with prey was fun as a hunter, but being the prey was not.

"Overheat!"

In mid-air, Doflamingo raised his right arm above his head, generating five invisible strings from his fingers. With a downward slash, the strings thickened and hardened, descending like five spears toward Hailan.

Doflamingo's overall strength surpassed Hailan's, but lacking systematic training, his speed lagged behind Hailan's mastery of "Soru." The strings pierced the ground, leaving five glaring holes, but Hailan was nowhere to be seen.

"Damn it."

Just as Doflamingo was about to pursue Hailan, he noticed the commotion caused by Pica and Trebol had ceased.

"Finally noticed?"

Hailan stepped out from behind a large tree. "The hunter catches the prey not because the hunter is stronger, but because the hunter is smarter."

"So, you're a Marine after all." Doflamingo's face darkened. "You're more capable than I expected for someone so young. Hailan, right? I'll remember you."