"W-What is that?!"
The Corrida Colosseum shook violently as commentator Gatz's cracking voice rang out.
Even the Colosseum's renowned announcer was clearly terrified and confused. His commentary booth was on the verge of collapsing, yet Doflamingo's power still held him suspended in midair, leaving him no way to escape.
Despite everything, his professionalism kept him at his post.
"What a devastating attack! It came from three intruders who weren't among the competitors… wait! Those are..."
His voice suddenly shot up several octaves, and he nearly dropped the microphone.
"It's the Plague and the Drought! Two of the Beasts Pirates' All-Stars! They..."
The broadcast showed exactly what had left him speechless.
Two of the white bone spears had struck Queen and Jack, whose enormous bodies were the first to emerge from the settling dust.
Queen's bloated body had been nailed to the ground. Even his modified cyborg frame and its terrifying vitality had been completely torn apart by the attack. His head and one arm had been ripped away, leaving a massive hole punched straight through his torso.
Beside him, Jack's mammoth form had suffered the same fate, his enormous body split clean in two.
Even with the powerful physique of a Fish-Man and an Ancient Zoan Devil Fruit, such injuries were unquestionably fatal.
Two of the Beasts Pirates' three All-Stars had been killed instantly, without putting up a shred of resistance.
They were undeniably powerful. Under normal circumstances, even an Emperor-level opponent shouldn't have been able to kill them in a single blow.
But this was clearly no normal situation.
Outside the Colosseum, Marco abruptly stood up from where he had been treating injured civilians. Frowning, he stared at the three figures displayed on the broadcast, and at the emblems they wore.
"That mark... Pops once told us about the people who used to attack Roger and his crew." A grave look settled into his eyes. "If I remember correctly, they were called... the God's Knights?"
Just as Marco said, three figures stood in the sky.
On the left was a man in black armor, surrounded by a bloody mist, Thatcher M. Saint Pierre.
On the right was a man in white armor, holding a trident and resembling a qilin, Rimoshifer Saint Killingham.
Standing between these two old acquaintances of Roy's was a middle-aged man wearing the armor of the God's Knights and a bubble helmet.
A faint light shone from his hand. He casually flicked his fingers through it, causing countless images to flash within. At the same time, every Camera Den Den Mushi in the arena turned in response to his movements.
"Hey, Pierre. What do you think you're doing?"
His voice was identical to the one that had performed the countdown earlier.
"I know you're upset because you lost to that Marine insect before, but that wasn't my fault." He looked regretfully at the corpses of Queen and Jack. "I told you, didn't I? Collecting the precious corpses of actors is my hobby. There was no need for you to interfere, my partner - Killingham could have handled them."
"I can overlook the Fish-Man's corpse. I already have several excellent Fish-Man actors in my collection. But a cyborg actor is extremely rare! Now that you've ruined his body, he's completely worthless as a collectible. How are you going to compensate me?"
Saint Pierre's expression darkened, especially at the mention of Roy.
"Fabian, don't mention that man in front of me. Besides, I see no value in collecting the corpses of insects."
"What?" The man named Saint Fabian became even more displeased. "Are you questioning me? Are you questioning the taste of the Jaygarcia family's finest master of theatre?"
"...That wasn't what I meant."
"Hmph."
Only after Saint Pierre backed down did Saint Fabian snort in satisfaction.
"Killingham, my partner, this newcomer Pierre really is unreliable. I'll leave the last one to you. Be careful when you deal with him, he's extremely valuable."
Saint Fabian looked down.
Above the clouds of dust and the corpses of the two fallen All-Stars stood one final figure.
King.
His helmet had shattered, revealing the Lunarian tribe's distinctive white hair, brown skin, and the tattoo around his left eye. The flame behind his head had reignited.
The razor-sharp white bone spear had stopped directly over his heart, unable to pierce his body.
"So the Lunarian tribe truly hasn't gone extinct..." Saint Fabian stared at the flame behind King's head with open fascination. "This is my first time seeing one. How beautiful."
He admired King's body as though it were a priceless work of art.
"Once that filthy, insect-like soul of yours has been erased, your corpse will become the finest piece in my collection, the lead actor my stage has always needed."
King ignored his words and stared intently at the unique emblems worn by the three men. It was a symbol preserved in the legends of the Lunarian tribe, one that revealed their identities beyond any doubt.
"The God's Knights!"
As Kaido's trusted right-hand man and one of the last survivors of a race nearly exterminated by the World Government, the man known by the codename King, whose true name was Alber, naturally knew of the God's Knights.
There was no time to mourn his two fallen comrades. An unprecedented sense of danger filled his heart. As a Lunarian, he knew exactly what awaited him if these people captured him alive.
But...
'I can ignite my flame, yet I still can't move?!'
That was what troubled him most.
Even with his formidable physique and abilities, all he could do was use the Lunarians' natural gift to ignite the flame behind his head and block the enemy's attack. The rest of his body was completely immobilized. He couldn't even attempt to fight back.
"You want to resist? Very well. Since you're such a precious Lunarian specimen, I'll give you a 'chance' to fight back."
Saint Fabian seemed to notice King's struggle, his teeth bared in a malicious grin.
The next moment...
"What?!"
King was stunned to discover that he could move again.
"You bastard... You only got the better of us with a sneak attack!"
Humiliated rage surged through him. Just what did this despicable man think he was?
The flame behind King's head blazed even more fiercely.
"Imperial Flaming Wings!"
With a low roar, he drew the long katana at his waist without hesitation. Flames engulfed the blade as he swung, unleashing a gigantic fire dragon, not at the three God's Knights, but at the Camera Den Den Mushi surrounding the arena!
"Oh?" Saint Fabian raised an eyebrow. "You figured out so quickly that you should target the source of my power. Sharp instincts."
He grinned, the malice in his expression undiminished.
A deafening explosion followed as King's fire dragon swept through the arena, incinerating every Camera Den Den Mushi in an instant.
As the strongest of the three All-Stars, King's reactions were naturally swift. He didn't know exactly how Saint Fabian's ability worked, but he had already formed a rough theory: the man's power appeared to operate through the Camera Den Den Mushi.
No, the earlier countdown had been his doing, too.
'Is it an ability similar to Big Mom's Soul Pocus?'
King held his sword extended as he analyzed the situation. Whatever the man's power was, destroying those Den Den Mushi had clearly been the right move. As long as he wasn't trapped in that helpless, immobilized state again, King was confident that his strength would allow him to fight anyone.
"Ah, sorry."
Before King could finish his analysis, Saint Rimoshifer Killingham's voice sounded right beside his ear.
"Sorry."
King instinctively spun around and saw Killingham step through a shimmering, rainbow-colored barrier, emerging directly behind him.
"Nightmare Cavern: Dream Passage."
"You...!"
King immediately tightened his grip on his sword.
But in the next instant, he realized he couldn't move again.
"What...?"
His eyes widened in disbelief. The Camera Den Den Mushi he had just destroyed, some of them completely vaporized, were reassembling themselves piece by piece. Every one of them continued staring directly at him.
Within the flickering light in Saint Fabian's hand, the image of King standing motionless had been frozen in place.
"Fifth Shot: Freeze Frame."
"Your deduction was correct, Lunarian," Killingham said as he slowly approached and reached out toward him. "Fabian's ability requires 'eyes' to observe the stage. That is indeed its limitation."
"But Fabian and I are partners. As long as I'm here, his ability has no weakness. Against anyone who has stepped onto our 'stage,' our combination is unbeatable. Your defeat was already decided the moment you entered this arena."
"Nightmare Cavern: Mixed Martial Arts, Dream Camera Den Den Mushi."
"Flame Guard!"
Without hesitation, King pushed the flame behind his head to its limit.
Fwoosh!
Scorching fire completely engulfed his body. This was the Lunarian tribe's strongest defensive technique. By consuming his stamina and intensifying his flames to their limit, King could make his body virtually indestructible. Anyone who tried to touch him in this state would be burned by the flames.
"Lunarians... One of the few races in this world that can resist being 'bound.' What a troublesome ability," Killingham muttered. "Fabian, your turn."
Even as he spoke, he kept reaching toward King.
"Of course."
Saint Fabian smiled and moved his fingers through the light in his hand once more. Scene after scene flashed within it until he found the image he wanted, the moment from the beginning of the battle when King had willingly extinguished his flame to fly toward Caesar at top speed.
"Found it."
Saint Fabian pinched his fingers together, pulling that scene out of the light. Then he pointed it at King.
"Third Shot: Cut."
Fwoosh!
To King's horror, the flames surrounding him began to die out against his will.
"No..."
He didn't even have time to react before Saint Rimoshifer Killingham pressed a hand against his head.
An overwhelming drowsiness swept through King's body. It felt as though his very soul were being dragged into sleep.
"Nightmare Cavern: Eternal Slumber."
As Killingham spoke, King's consciousness sank into darkness.
"Kaido... Big Brother..."
His body fell from the sky, crashing heavily into the smoke below.
With that, the entire Colosseum fell silent.
It had happened far too quickly. Even with a surprise attack, only a few moments had passed. Yet all three All-Stars, the mighty commanders of the Beasts Pirates, had been defeated with terrifying ease.
"Look at those bubbles over their heads... Are they Celestial Dragons?"
"They're with the World Government?"
"Did they come to arrest Doflamingo?"
The spectators began whispering among themselves. As citizens of a World Government–affiliated nation, they had no love for Celestial Dragons, but the appearance of powerful government representatives still gave them a glimmer of hope. Had the government learned about Doflamingo's crimes and sent these men to arrest him?
But just as their hopes began to rise, Saint Fabian spoke to Doflamingo over the broadcast.
"Hey, you from the Donquixote family. Your name is Doflamingo, correct? You've made quite a contribution this time. Not only did you secure a Lunarian specimen for me, but you also helped us eliminate one of the Twelve Zodiac. Orders have already come down from above; you're permitted to return to the Holy Land!"
"Fuffuffuffuffuffu..."
Doflamingo wore his usual arrogant grin. "I see. That's excellent news."
The civilians below stared in confusion. A great contribution? Returning to the Holy Land? What did any of that mean? Since they didn't know Doflamingo's true identity, they naturally couldn't make sense of it.
But Saint Fabian's next words were clear enough.
"However... since you'll soon be leaving the Lower Realm, the people of this country no longer mean anything to you, do they?" He looked down at Doflamingo. "I rather enjoyed the 'play' you arranged. Let it continue."
His gaze swept across the terrified civilians inside and outside the arena.
"Bring your Birdcage in. The screams and desperate struggles of insects falling into despair... Now that is a performance I never tire of watching."
The hearts of the people who still held hope in the World Government sank.
"Wait... What does he mean?"
"Is that man insane?!"
"He's working with Doflamingo?!"
"He plans to kill us all?!"
The arena erupted into chaos once again.
"Fuffuffuffuffuffu..." Doflamingo continued laughing. "Of course. I would've done that even without your request."
As if responding to his words, the Birdcage closing in around the island suddenly accelerated, drawing cries of panic from the people below.
Saint Fabian frowned, looking displeased.
"Your request? I should remind you, Saint Doflamingo, I am a God's Knight. Even if you return to the Holy Land, you will still be nothing more than an ordinary Celestial Dragon. So address me with proper respect."
His voice dripped with arrogance.
"And my collectible just fell down there. Go retrieve him for me, and bring the member of the Twelve Zodiac as well. I'll be taking both of them back to the Holy Land. If you perform well, I may suggest to the Five Elders that you be allowed to become one of my retainers."
Doflamingo's grin stretched even wider.
"Fuffuffuffuffuffu... Naturally, that won't be a problem, Saint Fabian. But allow me to remind *you* of one thing."
He placed deliberate emphasis on the word.
"The battle... isn't over yet."
"Hm?"
Saint Fabian froze.
The next instant...
Zzt!
A dark-gold iron club shot out of the smoke below with a thunderous boom!
Black-and-red lightning crackled around it, the unmistakable power of Conqueror's Haki. The sheer force carried by the weapon seemed to distort the surrounding space.
The club swept through the air and smashed Saint Fabian's head to pieces.
A moment later...
Buzz!
The power of the Deep Sea Covenant activated, and Saint Fabian's head regenerated in an instant.
"Aaargh!"
Only then did he clutch his head and cry out in pain. The Conqueror's Haki infused into the attack hadn't been enough to nullify the Deep Sea Covenant, but it had certainly hurt like hell.
Gritting his teeth, Saint Fabian looked down alongside his two companions.
Buzz!
The dark-gold iron club came flying back.
Clang!
A hand caught it firmly.
From within the smoke, a figure slowly floated into the air.
"Haa..."
He exhaled casually.
Boom!
That single breath blew away the thick clouds of smoke surrounding him.
"So, just like that Flamingo said... there are only three of you?"
He rested the dark-gold iron club diagonally across his shoulder, picked at his ear, then casually blew on his finger.
His golden eyes swept over the three God's Knights with blatant disappointment.
"What a shame. There still aren't enough of you."
"Not nearly enough for me to enjoy a proper fight."
(End of Chapter)
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