Dressrosa — Underground Trade Port.
Under the encroaching threat of the Birdcage, a tide of humanity surged into the underground, desperate for any path to survival.
Gladiators from the Corrida Colosseum, combatants from the tournament, humans newly reverted from their toy forms, Mink warriors, and the terrified civilians of Dressrosa... it was a sea of people. The Donquixote Family and the Chris Pirates fought to hold the line, slaughtering those in their way, but they were like a crumbling dam facing a flood, the gaps were too many to plug.
Ships docked at the pier were swarmed and seized by the mob. The black-market brokers who had come to trade found themselves caught in a disaster they never bargained for.
Though Doflamingo had personally sunk several vessels while pursuing the Straw Hat Pirates, a handful of ships managed to break past the port's perimeter and reach the open waters of Dressrosa.
Furthermore, perhaps moved by a debt of gratitude to Usopp for their salvation, many fugitives turned their blades against Dimitri and Doflamingo. Even those on the verge of escaping the port turned their ships back, throwing themselves into the path of the Warlord to buy time for the Straw Hat crew, only to be mercilessly annihilated by Doflamingo's strings.
On the docks, some who had already secured a vessel even abandoned their escape. In a suicidal display of loyalty, they leaped back onto land to obstruct Dimitri's path, a chaotic fervor that even Cavendish, who was standing guard nearby, could barely contain.
As for the Tontatta Tribe, having lived in Dressrosa for centuries, they watched the overwhelming might of Doflamingo and the Chris Pirates and made a solemn, collective decision: the entire tribe would flee. They knew that if they stayed, the future of the Tontatta held only two possibilities—slavery or extinction.
…
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
At the pier, a one-legged gladiator swung a massive greatsword, locked in a fierce exchange with Diamante. Blades collided with the screech of grinding metal, sending sparks dancing into the humid air.
The sheer power of their clash sent shockwaves rippling outward, stirring the air into a howling gale that swept across the docks.
"Diamante! I will have justice for Scarlett!"
Kyros, the legendary hero of the Dressrosa Colosseum, roared as he swung his blade with reckless abandon. With a staggering record of 3,000 undefeated matches and his secret identity as the husband of Princess Scarlett and the father of Rebecca, the "Enraged Thunder Soldier" poured a decade of suppressed fury into his swordsmanship. Despite his missing leg, his balance was uncanny, his strength and technique so refined they forced a Top Executive of the Donquixote Family to retreat step after step.
"Kyros! You madman! You're insane!" Diamante snarled, his face twisted in panic as he struggled to parry the onslaught.
This was a duel between two eras: the hero of King Riku's Colosseum versus the "Hero" of Doflamingo's age. The debt of a lost kingdom, the loss of his leg, the years spent as a toy, and, most unforgivably, the murder of his wife, Scarlett, right before his eyes... today, all four grudges exploded at once.
The docks became a wasteland. Wind surged and sword intent carved deep, crisscrossing gashes into the stone floor. Using the powers of the Ripple-Ripple Fruit, Diamante turned the very ground beneath them into fluttering sheets of cloth, making it nearly impossible to stand.
But Diamante had underestimated the man. Kyros was a warrior Doflamingo himself had chosen to scheme against rather than face in a fair fight.
Kyros stumbled as the ground rippled, but he didn't fall. Planting his left hand on the ground, he used his one leg to launch himself forward like a cannonball.
"Trueno Bastardo!!!"
Mid-air, Kyros let out a guttural roar. Gripping his greatsword with both hands, he brought it down in a thunderous vertical cleave. The blade tore through the atmosphere with a piercing whistle.
"Not good!" Diamante's eyes widened. He had been preparing a counter-slash, but Kyros's reaction was too fast. He had no choice but to throw his cape forward.
"Corrida Coat!!!"
The red fabric, originally light as silk due to his powers, instantly reverted to its natural state: solid, heavy steel.
CLANG—!
The impact was deafening. A ring of force exploded outward.
Kyros's sword held too much momentum. The steel cape held for less than two seconds before it shattered into fragments. The blade continued its descent, biting deep into Diamante's body.
A spray of blood painted the air as Diamante's left arm was severed at the shoulder, sent spinning into the sky alongside shards of his metal coat. The follow-through carved a long, jagged wound across his chest.
"AAAAAAGH!"
Diamante let out a blood-curdling scream as he was sent reeling back. Kyros landed heavily, gasping for breath, but he didn't stop. He raised his sword again, determined to end the man once and for all.
"Die! Diamante!"
Pop~
The air rippled almost imperceptibly. A silhouette appeared behind Kyros like a ghost. A leg, hard as a steel whip, swung with a howling gust of wind and slammed into Kyros's waist.
THUMP—!
It was a dull, heavy sound. Kyros had no time to react. The agony in his side was instantaneous as his body was folded into a 'U' shape, and he was sent hurtling sideways like a black blur.
RUMBLE—!
Kyros flew over a hundred meters, smashing through the ruins of a half-collapsed lighthouse before skidding across the docks. He plowed through dozens of stacked crates and carved a half-meter-deep trench into the stone before finally coming to a halt.
"How pathetic, Diamante. This is a disgrace."
The figure looked up, his gaze cold as he surveyed the one-armed executive.
"A-Aeridar-sama..." Diamante's face twitched. He clutched his stump, his fear of the man before him momentarily outweighing the throbbing pain in his shoulder.
Aeridar had arrived, the dust of his previous battle barely settled on his coat. He glanced at the severed arm on the ground, then reached into his vest and tossed a glass vial filled with a pale green, sap-like liquid to Diamante.
"Pick up your arm. This reagent will temporarily reattach it. Once this is over, come to me for proper treatment."
Aeridar turned his gaze toward the ruins where Kyros lay. "And tell your people to clear the area. If they get caught in the crossfire from here on out, it's not my problem."