Chapter 508 - 348

Chapter 349: The Mad Roar from the King's Plateau!King's Plateau, the palace rooftop terrace.Donquixote Doflamingo stood right at the edge of the railing.His iconic pink feather coat was casually thrown over the throne behind him.His muscular upper body was covered in various scars, the freshest ones left from his life-or-death battle with Law were now scabbed over but still looked ferocious.The rain began to fall.Large raindrops pelted the stone slabs of the terrace and his bare skin, icy and biting.But he felt nothing at all. He just spread his arms, tilted his head back, and closed his eyes, as if enjoying the baptism of this downpour.Below, Dressrosa was burning before his eyes.On the eastern district streets, the battle between the citizens and the remnants of the family had reached a fever pitch.At the western district harbor, pirates were fleeing in a frenzy.From the direction of the Colosseum, four powerful auras were locked in a standoff.That was King, Katakuri, and those two monster crewmates of the Straw Hats.Even from this distance, he could feel the air warping from the clash of those four auras.Further away, on the eastern sea.Black-purple and crimson-gold energies coiled and tore at each other like two battling dragons, each collision blasting kilometer-wide vacuum craters in the sea.That was Kaido and Straw Hat's battlefield, a clash between two monsters who had surpassed the level of 'Emperor'.Doflamingo watched it all."Fufufufufu...!!!"His laughter echoed through the storm, mingling with the thunder, like the roar of a mad god."Do you see it?! Do you see it?!!"Doflamingo suddenly turned, roaring at the empty terrace as if it were filled with countless spectators."This is fate! This is the world! The strong devour the weak! Madness! Chaos!!""Everyone is struggling! Everyone is fighting! Everyone... is a fucking lunatic!!"He grabbed his own hair and yanked it back violently, the veins on his neck bulging like earthworms."You all think I'm going to run... every single one of you thinks that Donquixote Doflamingo is a coward who only hides behind schemes and scampers away with his tail between his legs once he fails!!!"His voice was ragged from excessive screaming, tinged with blood."What a joke?!!"Doflamingo released his grip, staggering forward two steps, rainwater flowing down his chiseled muscles."I am..."He lifted his head, rain hitting his face, but his eyes were terrifyingly bright."A Celestial Dragon!!!"He roared those last three words.The sound was mixed with extreme pride, and a deeper, bone-deep hatred."I am one of those born to stand at the apex of this world!! The descendant of the twenty royal families who founded the World Government eight hundred years ago!! The destined ruler of all lowly commoners... a descendant of the gods!!!"He smashed his fist against the railing.Boom!!!The stone railing shattered, fragments flying everywhere."Those fools living in Mary Geoise... those 'fellow brethren' who drove me out of the Holy Land, let my mother die sick in the slums, forced me and Rosinante to scavenge like stray dogs in the garbage...""What right do they have?!""What right do they have to be born as gods?! What right do they have to enjoy the wealth and power offered by the entire world, drinking fine wine in Pangaea Castle, playing with slaves, yet feel that even looking at us would tarnish their noble eyes?!"Doflamingo's fist clenched, nails digging into his palm, blood seeping from between his fingers, instantly diluted by the rain."My father... Donquixote Homing... that naive fool."For the first time, his voice carried a complex, almost painful emotion."He thought that by renouncing the status of a Celestial Dragon, he could live like an ordinary person... He thought 'equality' and 'goodwill' could earn the world's acceptance... And the result?""I clawed my way back from the deepest hell."He spread his arms, rain washing over every scar on his body."I founded the Donquixote Family, became a Shichibukai, controlled Dressrosa, traded with Kaido... I did all this, not to be some 'Heavenly Yaksha', nor to rule a tiny kingdom.""I want to pull the Celestial Dragons down from their divine pedestal."He spoke word by word, each syllable like a poisoned nail."I want them to taste... the feeling of falling from the clouds, struggling in the mud, being trampled by those they once regarded as ants.""I want the world to know that the so-called 'gods' are nothing but monsters clad in resplendent garments, filthier than maggots at their core!!!"His voice rose higher and higher, until at the end, it became a hysterical shriek, mingled with the storm and thunder, like a proclamation of the apocalypse."But now... I've lost.""Lost to Straw Hat, lost to Law, lost to these worthless lowlifes... Fufufufufu..."He laughed, the sound filled with self-mockery and a kind of liberating madness."So what?""Even if I've lost, even if I'm going to die—"Doflamingo suddenly threw his head back, opened his mouth, and let out an inhuman roar!Accompanying this roar, a black-red Conqueror's Haki erupted from his body like a volcanic explosion!Black-red lightning radiated from Doflamingo, shattering the stone slabs of the palace rooftop terrace into dust under its lash.The wave of Conqueror's Haki, like a tangible tsunami, swept towards the entire Dressrosa... Colosseum Ruins."This is..."King abruptly looked up, his pupils behind the black mask violently constricting."Doflamingo's Conqueror's Haki?! No... not right! This quality... this insane malice...""He's gone mad..."Katakuri gritted his teeth, his trident Mogura thudding heavily on the ground."He's trying to drag the entire island into hell..."The wado ichimonji that Zoro was leaning on let out a mournful hum, the blade trembling."This malice... it's disgusting..."And below the King's Plateau, the charging citizens suffered a devastating blow."Ughhhhhhh---!!!"The dozens of people at the front immediately rolled their eyes, foamed at the mouth, and fell unconscious.A massive bowl-shaped giant web, large enough to cover the entire Dressrosa, had already formed.The gaps between the threads were shrinking at a visible rate, from tens of kilometers initially, rapidly contracting to just over ten kilometers, and still continuing.Any object attempting to pass through the web was instantly cut into neat, smooth-edged pieces upon contact."That... what is that..."A young warrior murmured, his voice trembling with fear."Fufufufufu... everyone!!!"That voice was mixed with mad laughter and a kind of liberating excitement."Welcome to... my 'birdcage'!!!""Here, there are no deserters, no bystanders, no winners or losers!!""There is only—"Doflamingo paused for a second, then, with all his might, roared out the final sentence:"Everyone, die together!!!!!!"The moment the words fell.The contraction speed of the birdcage suddenly increased tenfold... Dressrosa,The top floor of a certain abandoned building.Hawk's breathing was heavy and ragged, each inhalation aggravating the wound on his left shoulder.The shell of the den den mushi was embossed with the World Government emblem, its eyes glowing with a steady red light, indicating an encrypted communication link with Holy Land Mary Geoise.Hawk took a deep breath, forcing his voice to regain its usual calm and authority."...In summary, Straw Hat Luffy has been confirmed to possess combat strength rivaling 'Beast' Kaido.""The degree of his Devil Fruit awakening is unknown, but based on battlefield energy readings, preliminary assessment suggests deep awakening of the 'nika' form. Threat level recommended for immediate escalation!"He reported word by word, though each syllable pulled at his wound, his voice betrayed no tremor.This was the professional discipline of the CP0Supreme Commander.Even on the brink of death, intelligence must be transmitted with utmost precision.On the other end of the den den mushi, Holy Land Mary Geoise, the Chamber of Authority.The Five Elders sat around the ancient round table, their faces so dark they could drip water."The awakening speed of 'nika'..."The bald elder holding a sword slowly spoke, his fingers unconsciously stroking the hilt of Shodai Kitetsu,"Exceeds all predictive models! From the Marineford War to now, less than three months! This growth curve can no longer be explained by 'talent'!""It's fate!"The tall, golden-haired elder said coldly,"Joy Boy's will is propelling him. We must strangle that will before it fully awakens.""But what about Kaido?"The long-bearded elder frowned, his staff lightly tapping the floor,"If Straw Hat Luffy dies, Kaido's influence will expand to threaten even the remnants of Red Hairand Whitebeard, perhaps even...""Enough!"The elder wearing a map hat interrupted him, a cold arc curling at the corner of his mouth,"Hawk, listen to my order—"His words weren't finished.The communication suddenly cut off.Hawk froze.As the CP0 Supreme Commander, his communication equipment was the pinnacle of World Government technology, theoretically capable of penetrating any harsh environment, even maintaining stable contact in the Calm Belt.Hawk suddenly looked up out the window.Then, he saw it.In the sky, that giant web woven from countless white threads was slowly contracting."birdcage..."Hawk gritted his teeth, his face beneath the mask contorted with anger,"Doflamingo... you dare interfere with the World Government's highest-level communications?! Do you know what this is—"His roar abruptly ceased.Because he suddenly realized—Doflamingo knew!Of course that madman knew.He was once a Celestial Dragon. He understood the workings of the World Government better than anyone, knew the communication protocols of CP0.And he still did it.This meant... he had no intention of leaving alive.This thought flashed through Hawk's mind, sending a chill up his spine.Hawk struggled to stand, staggering to the window.He tried to redial, but all his communication devices were unresponsive.The threads of the birdcage not only cut matter but also formed an 'Information Barrier' covering the entire island.Dressrosa, at this moment, had become an isolated death trap, slowly shrinking.Hawk's face became extremely grim.As the CP0 Supreme Commander, he had the authority to 'eliminate' any target threatening the World Government's security in emergency situations.But Doflamingo was an exception.That man, even though stripped of his Celestial Dragon status, in the eyes of the Five Elders, his 'bloodline' was still more 'valuable' than the lives of most CP0 members.Hawk did not have the authority, nor the courage, to kill Doflamingo without explicit orders.Even if the man is now committing the crime of 'massacring hundreds of thousands on the entire island', a crime against humanity."Damn it..."Hawk punched the wall, causing it to crack, fragments falling,"Damn Celestial Dragon privilege... damn bloodline..."But then—Another special den den mushi in his pocket suddenly vibrated.It was pure white, with a pure gold relief of the World Government emblem on its shell.Hawk quickly connected it.The den den mushi's eyes projected a holographic image.The image was distorted due to interference, the figures of the Five Elders blurred, but the voice came through encrypted audio directly into Hawk's ear:"Hawk, orders change."That voice was icy, authoritative, devoid of emotion."The situation in Dressrosa has exceeded controllable limits!!"Hawk's pupils violently contracted."At any cost, assist Kaido in defeating Straw Hat Luffy.""If necessary—"The voice in the projection paused for a second, then spat out two cold words:"Sacrifice."Hawk's body stiffened.Sacrifice.For this word to come from the Five Elders themselves meant they had escalated Straw Hat Luffy's threat level to "willing to trade the life of a CP0 Supreme Commander for his death."To eliminate "nika", the World Government was willing to pay any price."...Understood."Hawk was silent for three seconds before slowly replying!The image disappeared.Hawk slowly stood up and walked to the window.He looked eastward toward the sea.There, black-purple and crimson-gold energy currents clashed like two battling dragons, each collision causing the entire Dressrosa to tremble."Straw Hat Luffy..."Hawk murmured to himself, his eyes beneath the golden mask turning cold and resolute, like poisoned daggers,"For the 'correct order' of this world, to erase the variable 'nika' that should not exist—""You must die."