Pica was blasted away by Marco's punch, his face flattened, leaving his life and death uncertain.
This made Doflamingo completely abandon any thought of negotiation.
Initially, he had considered discussing terms, but Marco's demeanor gave him no such impression.
Since there was no escape and no chance for negotiation, the only option left was to fight.
"You all stand down."
Doflamingo stepped forward decisively.
"Doffy (Young Master)!"
Many of the Donquixote Family officials looked at Doflamingo at the front, yet not one of them chose to retreat.
"Since none of you plan on backing down, let's do this together."
Marco gazed calmly at the Donquixote Family, his expression unwavering.
"You really haven't changed at all!"
Doflamingo raised his hands, and suddenly, the ground beneath him transformed into countless razor-thin threads. From it rose sixteen massive white waves, each made of tens of thousands of threads.
These sixteen waves surged with overwhelming force, the sharp tips gleaming as though they could pierce anything.
In unison, they all targeted Marco.
Vwoom!
In an instant, Doflamingo infused the sixteen massive waves with high-density Armament Haki, coating them with an immense power that made them appear even more terrifying.
This was Doflamingo's strongest awakened ability from the String-String Fruit.
Sixteen Holy Bullets: God Thread!
Though long in description, it happened in the blink of an eye.
As Doflamingo's voice fell, the sixteen enormous waves, sharp like monstrous pythons, surged towards Marco with lightning speed, aiming to tear him apart.
The air split with a sharp, piercing shriek.
Despite the deadly attack, Marco remained composed. Blue flames burst from his body in an instant, like a brilliant flare.
Then, as if it all happened too fast and too soon—
BOOM!
All sixteen waves struck Marco simultaneously, hitting him squarely without exception.
The ground trembled violently from the impact. Earth and stone exploded outward as smoke billowed high into the sky.
Crack!
The ground beneath the impact site fractured, with countless cracks snaking outward into the distance, revealing the sheer destructive force of Doflamingo's attack.
In the midst of the rising smoke, Marco stood at the epicenter.
"No way! Marco didn't defend at all?!"
The distant pirates, who knew nothing of the truth, widened their eyes in disbelief. They stared at the rising smoke in astonishment, their expressions filled with confusion.
They had witnessed the sixteen deadly waves penetrate Marco's body and then smash into the earth, shattering the ground and stirring up a storm of dust.
Could it be... Marco didn't even have time to retaliate?
Even the Donquixote Family officials stared wide-eyed, their faces filled with disbelief and confusion.
"Did... Did the Young Master just take down Marco in one blow?!"
Lao G blinked rapidly, rubbing his eyes, questioning if his vision had failed him.
"Marco... dead?"
Trebol, leaning on his cane, stared in disbelief. After all, the opponent was Marco, the Immortal Phoenix!
But they had all clearly seen Marco, engulfed in blue flames, pierced by the sixteen deadly waves.
"Phew..."
Diamante, sword in hand, let out a long breath, relieved. No matter how unbelievable it seemed, as long as Marco was dealt with, it was a victory.
The Donquixote Family officers exhaled in unison, tension leaving their bodies.
However, one among them didn't relax.
Doflamingo.
A cold chill ran down his spine beneath his reddish-pink feathered coat, and goosebumps prickled his skin.
A breeze stirred the smoke, slowly clearing the battlefield.
When the dust settled, a massive crater lay where Marco had stood. From it radiated countless cracks, like veins spreading across the earth.
Pirates in the distance gawked at the gaping pit.
"Huh?!"
The Donquixote Family officers were stunned. They stared at the pit, bewildered.
In that vast crater, aside from the rubble and cracks, there was nothing. No trace of Marco's body.
Where was Marco's corpse?!
Doflamingo, feeling his scalp tingle with dread, slowly raised his hands. "I've lost..."
"This... What?!"
The Donquixote Family officers looked at Doflamingo in disbelief, confused by his strange behavior.
"Huh?!"
Then—
Several of the top officers sensed something amiss.
Trebol and the others lifted their heads instinctively.
And in that moment—
Their eyes filled with terror.
Trebol's lips quivered, his voice trembling as he forced out a few words in disbelief.
"Marco...!"
They saw it.
Without a sound, Marco—his wings ablaze with blue flames—had reappeared.
And he was hovering directly above Doflamingo's head!
In Marco's hand, aimed directly at Doflamingo's head, was a throbbing sphere of blue flames. The ball of fire pulsed with an overwhelming aura of destruction, radiating a power that sent shivers down the spines of all who witnessed it.
Everyone felt a sudden chill run down their backs as the terrifying flame sphere in Marco's hand surged downward toward Doflamingo's head—ready to crush it.
BOOM!
In an instant, Doflamingo's body was blasted violently into the ground, creating a massive impact within the battlefield.
The Fleeting Time Boat—a name as fleeting as the moment itself—was carried on the force of the explosion.
The sky was filled with dust, debris scattering outward like shrapnel from the epicenter of a blast.
The sheer destruction was horrifying, shaking the very foundations of the battlefield.
In that second, all the pirates—whether from the Donquixote Family or other crews—stood frozen, paralyzed by disbelief and fear.
Not a word escaped their mouths, their minds struggling to comprehend the scene unfolding before them. Even the hardened members of the Donquixote Family were left utterly stunned.