Chapter 47

Future chapters (15+) at patreon.com/FFAddict.

Additionally, I have many new works readers may be interested in. Go look, if you wish! 

Chapter 47: The Battle Of The Strong Is The Battle Of Haki!

Yamato was entwined in massive silk threads that enveloped her body like a cocoon, emphasizing its curves. The three cadres of Trebol mistakenly thought their young master had secured the victory, but from within, Yamato's voice emerged. "Although cool, that's just the way it is," she said with a soft sigh of disappointment.

Beneath the insect cocoon, the clear outline of a mace swung against the stretched silk thread, slicing a half-circle from back to front and striking the cocoon. The threads exploded, shattering into pieces floating in the air. A human-sized hole appeared in the cocoon, revealing the white clothes and red long skirt underneath. Yamato stepped out, unharmed, and declared with a stern face, "If that's all you have, then let me quickly end this fight."

Doflamingo, with twitching fingers, retorted, "Don't underestimate people, little devil." He manipulated numerous silk threads at his feet, creating a tidal wave of white layers mingling together. This wave, growing with countless waves within it, towered over ten meters high, as if a real sea surged towards Yamato.

"You weren't even born when I was traversing the seas in desperation!" Doflamingo exclaimed. Announcing his attack, "White Line," he sent the relentless white waves crashing towards Yamato. He released a burst of thin lightning from his body and aimed a cyclone at her. His plan was to use Conqueror's Haki to stun Yamato, allowing the massive wave to push her back. He hoped the onslaught of waves would leave her only able to defend herself until she revealed a flaw or exhausted her strength.

"I have the makings of a king!" he declared, questioning what Yamato knew of his sacrifices for Donquixote. "If you want to, then exchange your power! Cluck!" Bathed in Conqueror's Haki, with white waves surrounding him, Doflamingo stretched his arms to the sky in triumph, embracing it like an actor at the end of a performance. However, the cadres nearby couldn't help but glance at Kaido, questioning the young master's apparent overconfidence when Kaido was still present. They looked at Doflamingo as though he were a clown.

"The king's qualifications?" Kaido observed Doflamingo with a dismissive glance. "Is that what you think you have?"

Yamato brushed aside a huge wave with her hammer, her body crackling with lightning. Her powerful Conqueror's Haki clashed with Doflamingo's in the air, causing the airflow to lash out violently. Doflamingo's Haki faltered, disrupting his breathing and shaking his confidence. His pride in his Awakening and Conqueror's Haki had been crushed by Yamato, embarrassing him for the first time in decades. He caught Kaido's calm gaze and wondered to himself if Yamato, inheriting the Conqueror's Haki, was even stronger than him.

Yamato, growing tired of the one-sided battle and feeling uncomfortable bullying the weaker opponent, gripped her mace with serious intent. Her figure surged forward at an incredible speed, tearing through the white waves and shattering the silken threads in the sky. Maneuvering towards Doflamingo, she launched her attack: "God's Foot White Snake Drive."

Seeing that his silk threads were as brittle as glass against his opponent, mixed feelings arose in his heart. He knew even an Admiral would struggle to break his threads so easily. Yet here they were, snapping without much effort. His body, much weaker than his silk, couldn't regenerate as quickly, and he feared he would be more than just slightly injured if struck by a blow. He had to admit, her strength surpassed all her peers; she could probably overpower an Admiral with ease. Kaido's words hadn't been a lie – such strength at her age was extraordinary.

Losing to her wasn't easy to accept; losing to his own daughter was even more humiliating. But Doflamingo couldn't help but laugh with a sense of relief, "Cluck~ Then you have to let me finish my performance, right?"

In his rules, giving up without a single scar was disgraceful for the Donquixote family. He moved his finger, and two segments of thread rapidly extended from either side of Yamato, trying to form a cross-shaped shield to block her. Yamato, however, easily shattered it, sending silk threads flying. His "White line" was no defense at all.

Then, a barrage of thick, hard-headed wire whips ascended, each reinforced with his Armament Haki, designed to penetrate and shred targets. "A Thousand Arrows Pierce the Heart" he announced, setting an offensive and defensive stance to push Yamato back. But she ceased acting and covered herself with Armament Haki, not even bothering to swing her mace. As the wire whips, strong enough to penetrate an island, lunged at her, they failed to make her flinch.

With unstoppable force, Yamato advanced against Doflamingo, closing the distance within moments. At that point, Doflamingo had nothing more to say. The disparity in their Haki was like comparing an infant to an adult. He could only watch as the mace swung toward his head. Doflamingo went flying, his sunglasses, a constant accessory, shattered, and blood poured from his nose. He slid a great distance across the ground interlaced with white threads.

Yamato did not give chase, and Doflamingo had no desire to rise again. Both understood that she had pulled the punch. Perhaps for Kaido's sake, sparing the face of one he might wish to recruit. Bloodied but indifferent, Doflamingo sprawled on the ground, his gaze heavy as he stared skyward, feeling the awakening within him fade away.

Kaido watched JOKER surrender and quipped, "JOKER, CAN YOU SEE THE GAP?"

"I see," groaned Doflamingo through his pain, stripped of his sunglasses and looking remarkably ordinary. "It's Haki. She only used Haki, and none of my tricks had any effect on her."

"You understand then. The battle among the strong is a duel of Haki! Devil Fruits, special physiques – they're just extras," Kaido said, gazing into the now unshielded eyes so many had wished to see. Observing his daughter Yamato's bored expression, he shared another tidbit. "I can tell you another secret," he said matter-of-factly, as Doflamingo looked on curiously. "This is a trick known only to the top fighters. Conqueror's can also be used for binding."