In the end, Aeridar allowed Bartolomeo to leave. Despite the fan's passion, his actual strength was still far from the level required for this clash.
Remaining on the battlefield, facing off against Aeridar and Doflamingo, were only seven: Sabo, Haunger, Bara, Thomanson, Eden, and the two Mink Kings, Duke Inuarashi and Master Nekomamushi.
If Bara stayed to challenge the strong, then Eden and Thomanson were driven by a hunger for fame and a sliver of desperate luck. It was common knowledge that Aeridar loathed slavers; ten years ago, while still a rookie, he had single-handedly annihilated the notorious "Crimson Man-Eating Flower" organization.
That incident had sent shockwaves through the Underworld. The Marines, the World Government, Germa 66, and various other powers had investigated it. The Underworld had even placed a bounty on the perpetrator reaching hundreds of millions of Berries. When it was discovered Aeridar was responsible, some factions sought revenge, but his growth was too explosive. Soon, he was too powerful to touch. They could only continue stacking "Underworld Bounties" on his head.
To date, the dark bounty on Aeridar had reached a staggering 5 billion Berries. Eden knew that at least half of that total had been contributed by various slave-hunting syndicates. This was why Eden and Thomanson wanted Aeridar's head, not just for the mountain of gold, but for the immortal legend of slaying the "Golden Ring."
"Doffy, are you sure you're not going to chase after Straw Hat?" Aeridar glanced at Doflamingo beside him.
"Are you sure you want to handle them alone?" Doflamingo raised an eyebrow, scanning the group below from his high vantage point. "These guys are all major headaches."
There was the Revolutionary Army's Number Two, Chief of Staff Sabo.
The legendary master of the estoc, a man from the era of Roger and Garp, "Flash Blade" Gergiel Haunger.
The strongest warrior of the Kingdom of Hills, Moreria, the Dwarf Bara.
An A-list Underworld assassin, "Eight-Armed Assassin" Zexil Thomanson.
The most infamous slave leader in the Underworld, "Demon Hair" Eden.
And finally, the Kings of Day and Night from the Mokomo Dukedom on Zou.
Even Doflamingo felt a flicker of caution facing such a lineup.
"Who do you think I am?" Aeridar's gaze was indifferent as he looked down at the crowd. "A bunch of losers, one old man who couldn't keep up with the tide of the era, and two pieces of third-rate trash."
"Fuffuffuffuffu! Your arrogance is reaching new heights. No wonder you can stand toe-to-toe with monsters like Big Mom and Kaido!" Doflamingo cackled, his sunglasses reflecting a predatory light. "Then I'll leave them to you. Fuffuffuffuffu~"
With a wild laugh, Doflamingo rocketed into the sky, his mocking cackle lingering in the air.
"How arrogant!"
"What did you say?! Who are you calling third-rate trash!"
"You've got a big mouth, bastard!"
The group below glared at Aeridar, their eyes burning with killing intent.
"Enough talk. Come at me." Aeridar's spirit flared. He swung his right arm wide, pointing at the dried-up pool in the Corrida Colosseum where the Fighting Fish Boss was still flopping. "This battle is to the death. The winner takes all, and that Logia-type Flame-Flame Fruit is the bonus prize!"
Aeridar flicked his finger. The air rippled slightly as an almost invisible air bullet whistled out.
THWIP—!
The high-pressure projectile pierced right through the head of the Fighting Fish. Blood and brains splattered across the concrete. Aeridar then dove down, grabbing the twitching carcass of the giant fish. With a burst of strength, he hurled the massive creature into the sky.
Immediately, he slammed his palm against the ground, activating the powers of the Float-Float Fruit!
RUMBLE!
The earth convulsed. Massive chunks of the Colosseum's stone floor tore away from the foundation and rose into the air. Like metal to a magnet, the stones swirled around the airborne fish, encasing it. Within seconds, a stone sphere dozens of meters wide hung suspended in the sky.
Float: Artificial Celestial Body!
Seeing this display, the opponents exchanged looks. They spoke in unison: "Fine! To the death! Winner takes all!"
The words had barely left their lips when Haunger moved. Despite his age, he charged like a man in his prime.
"Die! Ultimate Flash!!!"
Haunger roared, thrusting his estoc. The blade moved so fast it seemed to bypass the air itself. In three blurs of silver, it was at Aeridar's throat.
For a split second, Aeridar felt a sword aura so sharp it felt as if nothing in the world could resist its pierce. "Fine swordsmanship!" he muttered.
Reacting instantly, Aeridar clenched his fist. Armament Haki turned his skin a metallic obsidian. He threw a punch so fast it triggered a sonic boom.
"Iron Fist!!!"
CLANG—!
The crowd saw a blur as the needle-thin tip of the sword struck the black iron fist. The sound was like two steel girders colliding. The impact sent a shockwave rippling through the air, distorting the very space around them.
BOOM!
A split second later, a gale-force wind swept outward. The sky and earth seemed to lose their color, turning to a monochromatic gray as arcs of red and black lightning, the heralds of Conqueror's Haki, danced wildly through the air. The ground beneath them disintegrated, splitting into jagged ravines.
"A clash of Conquerors!!!"
"Are you kidding me? Are they both monsters?!"
"That old man still has this kind of power?!"
Sabo and the others watched in absolute horror.
"You think you're Kaido? Get lost!" Aeridar roared. His muscles swelled, and a terrifying, primal strength exploded from his arm, forcibly blowing Haunger back.
CRASH!
Haunger felt an unstoppable force travel through his blade. His feet left the ground as he was sent tumbling backward, smashing through a high-rise ruin dozens of meters away and disappearing into a cloud of debris.
Hiss—
Seeing Haunger knocked back in a single exchange, the others felt their skin crawl.
"All together! No one can take him one-on-one!" Inuarashi barked, unsheathing his sword and leading the charge.
Snapped out of their shock, Sabo and the others gritted their teeth. With a roar of desperation, they lunged forward as one.
"Heh... hehehe..." Aeridar let out a low, predatory chuckle, his eyes full of contempt for the incoming swarm.
"Life Return: Universal Law!"
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