"Birdcage!"
BOOM!
Doflamingo thrust out his right hand, and countless strings shot rapidly into the sky.
The next moment, they spread outward high above the kingdom like an enormous web.
They transformed into a giant birdcage, enclosing the entirety of Dressrosa.
Everyone’s expression changed drastically.
As they looked toward the sky beyond the harbor, they saw the enormous cage suddenly appear over the entire kingdom, hanging upside down like a colossal dome.
Only a handful of people truly understood how terrifying this technique was.
Lucas was somewhat surprised. He pulled out his sake gourd and took a sip to calm himself before saying,
"Doffy, are you still planning to force the others to make a move?"
"Forcing the others to make a move?"
Doflamingo laughed viciously.
"That’s right. As expected of a Marine Admiral. So, yes, I really am planning to force all of you to make a move."
"But first, let me explain the rules of this game."
"The thing surrounding Dressrosa behind me is called the Birdcage."
"Everyone inside it is a caged bird whose life is in my hands."
"You have half an hour to choose."
"Either kneel here and apologize to me, or defeat me and stop the Birdcage from closing."
"Oh, and I almost forgot to mention something. Within half an hour, the Birdcage will contract and slice everyone inside to death."
"At that point, you, the Marine Admiral, will become the culprit responsible for their deaths."
Doflamingo’s grin became even more sinister.
"I, Donquixote Doflamingo, may be arrogant, but I know my own limits."
"Facing you alone doesn’t give me much chance of winning."
"So this time, I’ve prepared a grand welcome for you."
"I hope you’ll be satisfied."
"Marine Admiral, run! Doflamingo has brought someone here to deal with you!"
A sudden shout rang out.
Rebecca rushed out from her hiding place.
Kyros’s expression immediately changed when he saw this. He wanted to stop her, but it was already too late.
The moment her voice faded—
Fireworks shot into the sky from the harbor and exploded.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Countless golden particles blossomed in the air and drifted downward.
Gold foil and golden powder scattered across the sky on the sea breeze.
A golden tide rapidly spread across the harbor, forming an extravagant golden avenue that stretched all the way to a point several dozen meters in front of Doflamingo.
A man with golden hair, an arrogant expression, purple sunglasses, and a pink suit slowly walked out from the observation tower at the harbor.
Golden rings adorned all ten fingers.
A massive gold chain hung around his neck, accompanied by golden earrings.
His appearance practically screamed nouveau riche.
But when the people present recognized him, the expressions of many changed drastically.
"That’s the Golden Emperor, Gild Tesoro! Why is he here?"
Doll was the first to lose her composure.
As a Marine Vice Admiral, she knew very well that the man standing before them was said to control twenty percent of the world’s Berries.
He was also the user of the Goru Goru no Mi, a Paramecia-type Devil Fruit.
He was known as the man who ruled the world’s casinos.
He was even reputed to possess strength comparable to that of a Marine Admiral.
And now Doflamingo had suddenly invited him here.
Was he planning to join forces with Tesoro and put pressure on the Marine Admiral?
"Hahaha! New Marine Admiral, Lucas, the Glutton. It’s a pleasure to meet you."
"I’ve heard you’re extremely fond of money. Looks like we have a common hobby."
The Golden Emperor, Tesoro, laughed heartily.
"Normally, I really shouldn’t have come to an occasion like this."
"But when it comes to someone who shares my interests and is like-minded, I certainly wanted to meet him."
"Besides, I owe Doffy a favor, so I had no choice but to come."
"Of course, if Admiral Glutton doesn’t make a move, I won’t make a move either."
"But half an hour will pass very quickly..."
Tesoro smiled meaningfully.
Doflamingo immediately picked up where he left off.
"If you can’t deal with me within half an hour, the Birdcage will slaughter everyone in this kingdom."
"You’ll become a criminal in the process."
"I believe Marine Headquarters prides itself on being an organization of justice."
"When the lives of all these citizens are at stake, surely you won’t simply stand by and do nothing."
"So, I bet you don’t have the guts to make a move!"
The members of the Donquixote Family gathered at the harbor watched the scene unfold.
The frustration they had felt earlier finally began to dissipate, replaced by a sense of triumph.
Their Young Master had indeed been put in an embarrassing position by that first punch.
But with such a seemingly foolproof situation, surely even a Marine Admiral would be completely cornered.
One of the strongest members of the Seven Warlords of the Sea.
One of the world’s most famous Golden Emperors.
With the two of them working together, they simply couldn’t believe that a Marine Admiral could resolve everything within half an hour.
Doll and the others also wore grim expressions.
They had never expected Doflamingo to prepare such a contingency simply to get his revenge.
Anyone else facing such a situation would probably have found it extremely difficult to deal with.
However, when they imagined Doflamingo realizing that he had just stirred up a hornet’s nest, they couldn’t help wondering what his expression would look like.
"Doffy, this isn’t the time for pointless chatter."
"Remember, if he doesn’t make a move, I won’t help you."
Tesoro gave an awkward laugh.
Hearing this, a vicious smile flashed deep within Doflamingo’s eyes.
The next moment, he shot toward Lucas again.
"Kid, I really want you to hit me right now!"
"But I still bet you don’t dare!"
"Overheat!"
Doflamingo once again appeared directly in front of Lucas.
He intended to rise again exactly where he had fallen.
Lucas had caught him completely off guard with that first punch.
Now Doflamingo wanted to vent that humiliation by defeating Lucas in the exact same manner before everyone’s eyes.
He was betting that Lucas absolutely wouldn’t dare disregard the lives of everyone in Dressrosa.
He was betting that Lucas wouldn’t dare force the Golden Emperor, Tesoro, to join the fight against him.
However, the instant this thought emerged in Doflamingo’s mind, a familiar and overwhelming wave of Conqueror’s Haki erupted from Lucas without the slightest hesitation.
"You really do have a peculiar hobby of forcing people to hit you."
"It’s not a bad one, actually."
"But I hope that body of yours is a little tougher!"
BOOM!
A tangible shockwave of Conqueror’s Haki exploded outward.
Under the horrified gazes of everyone present, the overwhelming force erupted from Lucas and crashed down upon Doflamingo like a tidal wave.
The Donquixote Family members who had been eagerly waiting for their Young Master to reclaim some dignity and restore their pride nearly bulged their eyes out of their sockets.
They stared at the Conqueror’s Haki erupting from Lucas’s body and crashing toward their Young Master.
This was completely beyond anything they had anticipated.
Was he seriously disregarding the entire kingdom’s hostages—and even the assistance of the Golden Emperor, Tesoro?
The scene before them was practically a silent slap in the face, landing heavily on every member of the Donquixote Family.
The smile on Doflamingo’s face instantly froze.
Remembering the bold declaration he had just made, he watched the Conqueror’s Haki rapidly enlarge within his pupils.
Had he really been a little too reckless with this bet?
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