Chapter 256: Chapter 259 : Kurozumi Tama!!
At the same time... unknown waters!
Doflamingo finds himself in his own territory. As he beheld the scene unfolding in the sky, his once gloomy countenance lit up with a smile—a smile eerily reminiscent of Kaido's own grin.
Laden with layers of meaning and schadenfreude, it mirrored the triumph and anticipation of the infamous Kaido, King of the Beasts.
Ever since his defeat at the hands of Luffy in a peak battle video, Doflamingo had been reeling from the shock. To fall to a mere fledgling pirate was a crushing blow, a profound humiliation he struggled to accept. It gnawed at him, a gnawing shame that refused to dissipate.
Thus, in subsequent clashes, Doflamingo secretly hoped that Luffy would encounter a foe of true ruthlessness, one who would vanquish him utterly.
He longed for Luffy to taste the bitterness of defeat as acutely as he himself had once tasted it. Perhaps even to meet his end at the hands of such a foe, erasing the stain of humiliation that clung to him.
So when Luffy crossed paths with Big Mom, Kaido, and others, and even took part in the Summit War... that was a battle beyond even his wildest imagination! Doflamingo found himself gripped by an exhilarating fervor.
However, what he never foresaw was the Straw Hat boy's ability to overcome Katakuri, and elude Big Mom's relentless pursuit with such audacity!
He's been hailed as the fifth Emperor of the Sea!
Even amidst the chaos of the Summit War, with all Marines deployed and pirates seemingly facing certain death, Shanks' appearance breathed new life into the situation!
Instead of erasing his shame, these consecutive setbacks seemed to amplify Luffy's renown.
Doflamingo couldn't help but feel a deep sense of powerlessness and anger.
Could it be that Luffy truly possesses such extraordinary luck?
Will his humiliation endure indefinitely?
Until, finally, the arrival of the second peak battle... brought a glimmer of hope to Doflamingo.
No one understands Kaido better than him.
After all, he established an underground business in Dressrosa.
And Kaido stands as the primary buyer in these transactions!
He's one of the most fearsome entities among the Four Emperors!
The strongest creature on land, sea, and sky is not to be trifled with!
"Straw Hat, your end is nigh this time…"
Deep within the shadows of his chamber,
Doflamingo masked his face with one hand, his grin stretching from ear to ear.
His sinister laughter reverberated through the darkness…
...
Water 7!
"Once again, our opponent is a Yonko!"
"Aye!"
As Luffy beheld the second peak battle,
When he realized his opponent was none other than Kaido, he displayed not a shred of fear or concern.
Instead, he leaped with excitement!
He danced.
It was as though he couldn't wait to engage with Kaido in combat.
This left all the Straw Hat Pirates on the sidelines utterly speechless.
Including Zoro and Robin.
Though they were well aware of their captain's penchant for recklessness and his unconventional outlook on matters, they hadn't expected this level of deviation.
"Who is Kaido?"
"Everyone in the entire sea knows!"
"He's one of the Yonko!"
"Known as the strongest creature in sea, land, and air!"
"Ordinary folks hearing they're up against Kaido would run for their lives!"
"But Luffy's as excited as ever!"
"The Navy's have to send at least two Admirals to take him on…"
"Luffy, are you out of your mind? That's a Yonko!"
"God, facing the Four Emperors again? What's going on!"
"Tough enemy ahead. Another fierce battle's on the horizon!"
"I can't predict this one. Win or lose, who knows…"
The Straw Hat Pirates chimed in, each with their own expressions.
Some fearful, some solemn, some even resigned.
But Luffy's grin never wavered, eyes fixed on the horizon.
It's like the live broadcast's gonna show the showdown any minute now...
Amidst the anticipation of countless viewers, the Navy, the Revolutionary Army, the Four Emperors, Luffy, and his crew—
The golden glow of the live broadcast screen intensified, finally kicking off the official broadcast!
[The broadcast scene showed Luffy and the Straw Hats sailing on the sea.]
[Their destination this time? Wano Country!]
[And why Wano? It's got everything to do with Kaido.]
[To be the Pirate King, you gotta take down the Four Emperors, the toughest foes on the sea!]
[And it's also for to the Red Poneglyph]
[Plus, everyone's itching to explore Wano.]
[Zoro's already there, paving the way.]
[Whatever the reason, Wano's where they gotta be.]
[But the journey to Wano Country is fraught with danger.]
[After enduring numerous hardships, the Straw Hat crew finally arrived at Wano Country.]
[However, they were unexpectedly separated due to an accident!]
[Luffy, in particular, was cast into the sea, his fate unknown.]
[Eventually, he washed ashore on a deserted island.]
[Separated from Luffy and the rest of the crew, each member scrambled to find any sign of Luffy.]
[Meanwhile, they also sought information on Kaido and Orochi, thus necessitating a disguise.]
[Disguised, they ventured into Wano Country.]
[The Straw Hat Pirates' exploits have already earned them bounties exceeding 100 million, garnering considerable notoriety!]
[Simply strolling in would surely alert the attention of Wano Country's inhabitants!]
[Drawing Kaido's gaze...]
[Meanwhile, in another place, Luffy encountered an extraordinary individual.]
[Kurozumi Tama, a young girl with ties to Ace!]
[As they conversed, Kurozumi Tama recounted her encounters with Ace, much to Luffy's surprise.]
[Kurozumi Tama, curious, asked if Luffy knew Ace.]
[Luffy nodded solemnly in acknowledgment.]
[Kurozumi Tama erupted with excitement!]
[Her greatest aspiration is to become a ninja and join Ace's crew!]
[To embark on adventures on the seas with him!]
[Had she not been so young when Ace first visited Wano Country, she would've eagerly followed him to sea!]
[Luffy fell silent, processing Kurozumi Tama's revelation.]
[After a long pause, he uttered,]
["Ace is no longer with us..."]]
[When Kurozumi Tamae heard this, she felt as if lightning had struck her, freezing her whole body in place for a moment!]
[The overwhelming despair nearly caused her to lose consciousness. Upon regaining awareness, she continuously patted Luffy.]
[It was as though Luffy was deceiving her, and she refused to believe it, no matter what!]
["You must be lying, you must be lying! You don't understand what a kind person Brother Ace is!"]
[Kurozumi Tama's fists kept striking Luffy's back. Though the force was not strong, it still caused Luffy to tremble.]
[However, Luffy remained silent in the face of Kurozumi Tama's actions.]
[He didn't utter a word, simply enduring everything silently…]
**********
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