Kapitel 94: Donquixote Family!
At that moment, the Thunder God Ship was navigating the vast ocean. Despite being 1,000 kilometers away, the advanced speed of the ship ensured their arrival within a day.
The Next Morning
The sun was shining brightly, and the sea breeze was gentle.
The Thunder God finally arrived at its destination: Dressrosa.
Before the ship even reached the coast, Sanders' Observation Haki had already "seen" the massive group gathered at the shore.
Standing at the forefront was Donquixote Doflamingo, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Behind him were most of the Donquixote Family's officers and an army of subordinates, including numerous toy soldiers.
It was clear that Doflamingo had mobilized every available resource for this confrontation.
"Tch, looks like he already knew we were coming." Sanders raised an eyebrow, a hint of surprise in his voice.
"But what's puzzling is this—Doflamingo didn't choose to flee."
Standing on the deck of the ship, Sanders observed the scene with his crew behind him. Shirahoshi, along with the two princes of Fish-Man Island, remained in the cabin to prevent their presence from being exposed.
"How did Doflamingo know we were coming to Dressrosa?" Nami asked, puzzled.
The Thunder God hadn't made any stops at islands along the way and had sailed directly toward Dressrosa. Even with Doflamingo's reputation as one of the underground world's top brokers, it seemed impossible for him to acquire such precise intelligence.
And judging by the readiness of the Donquixote Family, it was evident they'd been preparing for a while.
"Doflamingo has a subordinate with the Glare-Glare Fruit, a Devil Fruit ability that extends their vision to a radius of 4,000 kilometers," Sanders replied with a smile.
"4,000 kilometers?!"
"You've got to be kidding! That kind of ability exists?" Nami exclaimed, her face full of shock.
The others shared her astonishment.
Though this power might not offer much combat utility, its usefulness for reconnaissance and intelligence gathering was unparalleled.
With this ability, what information couldn't they obtain? Who would ever imagine being spied on from 4,000 kilometers away?
"Not only that," Sanders added, his tone playful. "The ability can also see through objects."
Sanders shot Nami a mischievous grin, and she immediately went pale, feeling as though she was being watched while completely exposed.
"That's disgusting! Captain, you have to kill that person immediately!" Nami shouted, her expression filled with revulsion.
Robin's face mirrored her disgust, and the two women were visibly unsettled.
"Alright, alright, I'm joking. That ability user is a woman," Sanders said quickly, seeing the murderous glances from the two.
"A woman? Oh, that's not so bad then." Nami and Robin both let out a sigh of relief.
Being seen by a woman wasn't the same as being seen by a man.
"Still, it's odd," Robin said, her brow furrowed as she gazed at the Donquixote Family gathered on the shore.
"Knowing that we, the Thunder God Pirates, are here, why isn't Doflamingo afraid? Isn't this reckless?"
Their arrival was prompted by the conflict between Law and Doflamingo, and the latter must have been aware of that.
There was no possibility of sitting down for a peaceful discussion—the moment they met, a fight was inevitable.
Given the reputation and strength the Thunder God Pirates had demonstrated recently, Doflamingo should have realized he stood no chance.
So why was he standing there, seemingly ready for battle?
Robin wasn't the only one puzzled. Sanders himself was also uncertain.
Doflamingo wasn't the type to fight to the death for the sake of pride. If he knew they were coming, his logical response would have been to cut his losses and flee.
Or did he believe his reputation as a pirate with a bounty of 2.8 billion berries was enough to intimidate them?
Unless...
Sanders's eyes glinted with realization.
The only reason Doflamingo hadn't fled must be because he had found a powerful backer.
There were few forces in the world that Doflamingo could rely on.
It couldn't be the Marines or the World Government—they had suffered at the hands of the Thunder God Pirates and were likely scheming to pit them against the pirates of the New World.
That left pirates.
Among pirates, who could Doflamingo consider a worthy ally capable of challenging Sanders? Likely only the Four Emperors.
And among the Emperors, Doflamingo's strongest connections were with Kaido of the Beasts. Their collaboration in the underground trade of SMILE fruits was well-known.
"Nami," Sanders called out, his tone calm yet commanding, "move the Thunder God further offshore later."
Nami looked puzzled but nodded, trusting her captain's judgment.
"A showdown with one of the New World's big names, right from the start. This will be interesting," Sanders said, glancing at Issho.
Issho, ever composed, responded with a small smile but said nothing.
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As the Thunder God approached the coastline, it came within clear view of Doflamingo and his gathered forces.
Standing at the forefront, Doflamingo let out his signature laugh.
"Fufufufu! A truly big shot has arrived... Thunder God Sanders!"
From the deck, Sanders leaned lazily on the ship's railing, a carefree smile on his face.
"Doflamingo, I'm honestly surprised you didn't run," Sanders said, his tone dripping with mockery.
Doflamingo's smile faltered for a split second. Behind him, the members of the Donquixote Family glared at Sanders, their eyes like daggers.
No matter what, Doflamingo's subordinates were fiercely loyal to their leader.
"Fufufufu! Sanders, I see you've brought Law on board. Are you planning to have him perform the Perennial Youth Surgery for you?" Doflamingo said, his tone laced with malice as he glanced at Trafalgar Law, attempting to sow discord.
Everyone knew that performing the Perennial Youth Surgery would cost the surgeon their life.
"Absolutely," Sanders replied with a smirk, clearly playing along. "Law has already agreed to make me immortal. Are you jealous?"
Sanders's words were deliberately provocative, and Law stood silently beside him, showing no reaction.
Doflamingo's eyes twitched. He glanced at Law, hoping to see some sign of dissent, but Law's expression remained cold and indifferent, as though tacitly agreeing with Sanders's claim.
This stung Doflamingo deeply.
Why would Law willingly help Sanders but refuse to help him?
He had known Law for years, and yet, Law had never shown this level of loyalty. Meanwhile, Law had only been with Sanders for a few months!
Doflamingo's anger surged, but he forced himself to maintain his composure in front of his subordinates.
Still, he vowed silently: once Kaido arrived, he would launch a full-scale attack on the Thunder God Pirates. If he couldn't have the Perennial Youth Surgery, then he would ensure no one else could, either.
"Law, do you even realize that performing the Perennial Youth Surgery will cost you your life?" Doflamingo pressed, still clinging to his strategy of manipulation.
Law saw through Doflamingo's ploy and decided to play along with Sanders's game.
With a calm yet cutting tone, Law replied, "Of course, I know."
"I'm more than willing to sacrifice my life for Captain Sanders!"
"And let me make this clear—if the captain doesn't want immortality, I'd rather perform the surgery on a stray dog than on you!"
Law's words were sharp, equating Doflamingo to something less than a stray dog.
Doflamingo's face darkened, his fury barely contained. Law's open disdain burned like a slap to his pride.
But even in his growing anger, Doflamingo couldn't act just yet. He needed to buy time until Kaido arrived.
Little did he know, Sanders had already anticipated everything.
Doflamingo's forehead veins bulged in anger.
"Law! You ungrateful brat! Don't forget who took you in back then!"
Trebol, the mucus-covered executive, couldn't stand to see Law insulting his young master and immediately jumped in.
"Your life was saved by Young Master! Don't act like you owe us nothing!"
However, Law simply cast a cold glance at Trebol and replied indifferently,
"My life wasn't saved by you."
His tone was resolute, rejecting any notion of gratitude toward the Donquixote Family. In his heart, the only person who had truly saved him was that warm, gentle man with the perpetual smile—Corazon.
Doflamingo's gaze turned to Sanders as he spoke with a probing tone,
"Sanders, are you really planning to go to war with the Donquixote Family?"
Sanders shrugged nonchalantly, his face full of disdain.
"Go to war? You think you're even worth it?!"
Doflamingo's smile froze, but he quickly burst into laughter.
"Fuffuffuffu! So you've seen through it?"
"Of course." Sanders replied casually, "You've been stalling for time from the very beginning, haven't you?"
This statement struck a nerve with Doflamingo, but he didn't deny it. Instead, he chuckled maliciously.
"Fuffuffuffu! Since you've figured it out, do you know who I'm waiting for?"
Sanders leaned lazily against the ship's railing, his tone calm and indifferent.
"Who else but the one who makes you tremble in fear, the one who turns you into a stray dog—Kaido of the Beasts?"
"You knew?"
Doflamingo froze for a moment, feeling an intense sense of frustration as if his every move was under Sanders' control. No matter what he did, he seemed to always be at a disadvantage.
And hearing Sanders describe him as cowering in fear before Kaido, like a stray dog, stung even more—because it was true. He was terrified of Kaido.
"Fuffuffuffu!"
"Sanders, should I call you arrogant or ignorant?"
"You know it's Kaido, one of the Four Emperors, yet you remain so calm."
"I have to admit, that's impressive!"
"Do you really think that just because some people are calling you the 'Fifth Emperor,' you're already on par with the Four Emperors?!"
"You've never been to the New World. You don't understand the power of those four monsters!"
Doflamingo's laughter was filled with ridicule.
The rumors about Sanders defeating Admiral Aokiji had originally left Doflamingo skeptical. But when he learned the Thunder God Pirates were heading to Dressrosa, he used all his resources to gather information about Sanders.
The battle with Aokiji became his primary focus of investigation. And what he discovered left him doubting.
Sanders and Aokiji had only fought for a few hours.
"That's ridiculous," Doflamingo thought.
Top-tier fighters take days, if not longer, to determine a winner.
Even in a serious fight, no matter how talented Sanders might be, it was impossible for him to overwhelm an admiral in just a few hours.
Even Edward Newgate, the world's strongest man, couldn't achieve such a feat.
Thus, Doflamingo speculated that Aokiji hadn't fought seriously.
That battle wasn't a true fight; it was more like a sparring match.
Sanders was undoubtedly strong, but the idea of him standing on equal footing with an admiral or an Emperor? Doflamingo believed he still had a ways to go.
As for Aokiji's so-called defeat, Doflamingo suspected it was a deliberate move—a way for Aokiji to placate Fleet Admiral Sengoku and the World Government.
After all, Sanders had brutally killed a Celestial Dragon prior to that incident.
And as for defeating the legendary pirate Shiki, the Golden Lion?
Doflamingo didn't think much of it. In his eyes, Shiki was a crippled relic of the past, his power having waned significantly after decades of hiding.
When Doflamingo learned that Kaido himself would be coming to Dressrosa, his anxiety turned into a twisted sense of relief.
This was his trump card.
If Sanders truly believed his rumored strength was enough to contend with the New World's true monsters, he was about to face a harsh reality.
Doflamingo no longer felt any fear toward Sanders.
In fact, he almost couldn't wait to see Sanders struggle in the face of a Yonko.
Watching Doflamingo's smug demeanor, Sanders felt slightly baffled.
"Is this guy always this bold?"
Did Doflamingo really think that just because Kaido was on his side, Sanders couldn't kill him?
"Looks like I'm not lacking when compared to these New World veterans," Sanders muttered, clicking his tongue as he sighed.
Even someone like Doflamingo—who would break out in a cold sweat and pale at the mere mention of Kaido—had the audacity to act arrogant in front of him once he had a powerful backer.
If it were someone like Crocodile, Sanders could understand. After all, Crocodile always carried himself with an air of "I don't care about anyone."
But this was Doflamingo, a man known for his fear when facing Kaido.
Just as Doflamingo was about to say something more, Sanders vanished from where he stood.
The smile on Doflamingo's face froze, and before he could react, Sanders appeared right in front of him.
"Doflamingo, do you seriously think that with Kaido backing you, I can't kill you?" Sanders asked calmly.
His tone was mild, but the underlying murderous intent was unmistakable.
Doflamingo's face changed as he instinctively tried to retreat, but an intense cold burst forth from Sanders, freezing the ground beneath him.
Looking down, Doflamingo saw his feet encased in ice, immobilizing him.
When he looked back up, Sanders' feet were coming straight at him. Doflamingo could even make out the pattern on the soles of his shoes.
Boom!
Before anyone could react, Doflamingo was sent flying with a devastating kick.
"Master Doffy!"
"Doffy!"
The members of the Donquixote Family shouted in alarm, their faces pale with shock.
"Half-Moon Burial!"
Diamante was the first to recover, unleashing a massive wave of sword energy that tore through the ground like a raging tsunami.
Sanders, however, casually swung his Haki-clad fist, effortlessly deflecting the powerful attack. The redirected energy smashed into a group of Doflamingo's subordinates, sending them flying.
Boom!
"Ahhh!"
Several unfortunate henchmen were blasted away, their fates unknown.
Without missing a beat, Sanders reappeared before Diamante. Grabbing his head with one hand, Sanders slammed it into the ground with brutal force.
The impact created a massive crater webbed with cracks. Diamante lay sprawled in the pit, his head bleeding profusely, teeth scattered across the ground, and eyes rolling back in his head.
"Diamante!"
The other executives shouted in shock.
"Everyone, attack together!"
All the remaining Donquixote Family officers charged toward Sanders.
"Will the captain be okay?" asked a crew member nervously from the deck of the Raijin(Thunder God Ship).
After all, the Donquixote Family executives were no ordinary foes. As officers under a Warlord of the Sea, they had carved out a name for themselves even in the harsh New World.
Nami, however, waved her hand dismissively, unconcerned.
"It's nothing. To Sanders, these guys are small fry," she said nonchalantly.
Having witnessed Sanders fight the likes of the Golden Lion Shiki and a Marine Admiral, Nami was well aware of his strength.
"This fight isn't even a warm-up for him. It's not like the battlefield has been torn apart or anything."
All the Donquixote Family executives launched their techniques to deal with Sanders.
Sanders dodged effortlessly, moving gracefully amidst the storm of bullets, sword slashes, and various other attacks.
In what seemed like a casual stroll, he evaded everything and delivered a kick to each of them.
In just a few breaths, all the executives were sent flying by Sanders.
Watching the defeated Donquixote Family executives sprawled around, Sanders stroked his chin thoughtfully.
"These guys have some pretty good Devil Fruits," he muttered. "Looks like the Thunder God Pirates are going to have quite the haul this time."
As for the lesser minions, they raised their guns to shoot Sanders, only to be knocked unconscious by his Conqueror's Haki.
In the Distance
Doflamingo climbed to his feet in a disheveled state, only to see that all his subordinates had been defeated.
Sanders' earlier kick had only sent Doflamingo flying—it didn't actually cause him much harm.
"You bastard!" Doflamingo growled, his expression dark as he glared at Sanders.
Though he believed Sanders was no match for Kaido and had anticipated that Sanders would be strong, he hadn't expected him to be this overwhelmingly powerful.
He and his subordinates had been thoroughly trounced without putting up any resistance.
And that mysterious ability to freeze his feet—what was that?
Doflamingo's intelligence network was formidable, but even he couldn't have known about Sanders' multi-fruit abilities, which were known to only a handful of Marines.
"Doflamingo," Sanders said as he hovered mid-air, looking down at him, "I'm genuinely curious—if you're so afraid of Kaido, why aren't you afraid of me?"
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T/N:
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