One Piece: The Arm of Fate

"Shano…"

Doflamingo's cold sweat kept pouring, his voice dry. "You… you're actually alive?"

How could this be?!

The news of this guy's death was publicly confirmed by the World Government. How could he survive an attack by a Navy Admiral and Kaido of the Four Emperors?!

"Yeah, I got lucky."

Shano nodded.

Amidst the raging waves, he used some unknown means to float above the surface and walked toward them.

With each step, black and red lightning exploded beneath his feet. The pressure of his Haki spread outward, causing the whole island to tremble.

Doflamingo stood frozen in place, too afraid to move.

He watched Shano approach, looking down at him with calm indifference, as if looking at an insect.

"You're… Doflamingo, one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea?"

"This should be our first meeting, so why do you look like you're afraid of me? Were you hoping I was dead?"

Shano looked around and noticed the shattered ground, and Kuina holding her sword with signs of a recent fight.

He raised an eyebrow and seemed to understand.

"So that's it. You attacked my crew…"

The sweat on Doflamingo's face flowed faster.

He swallowed hard and forced a laugh. "Hehehe… it's a misunderstanding, Shano. I didn't know who they were. If I had known—how could I—"

"Liar!"

Nami's angry voice rang out. "Brother, don't believe this guy. He recognized us right away and tried to recruit us all as his subordinates! But he's not that strong—Sister Kuina stopped him!"

"Oh?"

Shano looked at Kuina, a hint of surprise on his face, and then smiled gently.

"You were able to go toe-to-toe with one of the Seven Warlords? You've gotten much stronger."

Back when she faced Akainu, Kuina was only at the level of a regular Vice Admiral.

It seems that during the month he was at the bottom of the sea, she'd fully mastered the Wind Sword Style.

"…"

Kuina blushed slightly from the praise but quickly regained composure and looked seriously at Doflamingo.

"Sir, give me a bit more time and I can defeat him."

"Didn't you enjoy the fight?"

"Yeah." Kuina nodded, sighing lightly. "You came out too early."

"I couldn't help it. I just finished my training and happened to bump into you."

Shano shrugged. Noticing the disappointment in her eyes, he glanced at Doflamingo and casually said:

"You. Go fight her again. Don't hold back. Fight until one of you wins."

That tone—undeniable, like giving an order to a subordinate.

How long had it been since Doflamingo was spoken to like this? His eyes darkened as he narrowed them.

"What if I don't want to?"

Shano answered with a single word:

"Die."

Veins bulged on Doflamingo's forehead.

Even if you're strong enough that I don't want to provoke you… how can a Celestial Dragon be humiliated like this?!

"Fufufufu… fine, if you want to see it that badly, I'll play with your Vice Captain a little longer."

He managed to suppress his anger and smiled coldly. "But after this match, we'll be even, right?"

"As long as you don't pull any tricks and do your job as a training partner, I'll let you leave."

Shano said calmly, "Of course, if you die at Kuina's hands, that's on you."

"Don't worry, that won't happen."

Doflamingo grinned, his eyes cold.

"Fufufu… then let's not waste time."

He returned to the battlefield. As Kuina took her stance, he suddenly flashed and appeared above her, launching a sharp kick laced with threads.

"Foot Shaving Thread!"

Clang!

Kuina was prepared and blocked it with her Wado Ichimonji, knocking him away. But something didn't feel right.

Why did he suddenly choose to get in close when he'd clearly been avoiding it before?

The answer came instantly.

Doflamingo had used the force of the parry to launch himself skyward!

"Fufufu! Thanks for the assist, little girl!"

He laughed wildly. Silk threads shot from his fingertips, anchoring to clouds, and he blasted toward the horizon like a cannonball.

Simultaneously, the other hand spun slightly—countless threads spewed forth and formed a massive dome, rapidly descending over the entire island.

Birdcage!

"That bastard!"

Kuina's expression changed. She realized this guy had never intended to fight fair—he was buying time to trap them and escape!

High above.

Doflamingo poured all his strength into flight. Faster. Faster!

He looked back from time to time, the arrogant smile on his lips betraying the sweat streaming down his brow.

Shano's alive.

Not just alive—stronger than the rumors!

That Haki alone made him feel like he was facing some ancient monster.

Staying here meant death!

That crap about letting him go to make Kuina happy—who'd believe that?!

Shano had another title after all—"Warlord Slayer."

Crocodile was asking for it, but Hanafuda? He was slaughtered for simply standing in the way.

And what about me?

I tried to recruit his crew right in front of him…

Of course he wants me dead!

"Stop!"

Kuina's shout rang out from behind.

She slashed repeatedly at the birdcage edge—it trembled but held firm.

"Fufufu…"

Doflamingo had expected this.

The birdcage was one of his strongest abilities. Once it was formed, it couldn't be broken so easily!

Even that monster Shano—

No…

If he had more time, the birdcage in Shadow Rider String Puppet mode could've trapped even an Admiral for a while!

"Fufufu… just rot in there slowly!"

He climbed higher, soaring past dying trees, finally leaving the island behind.

But—

"Trying to run?"

A calm voice echoed from the sky.

Shano had somehow appeared atop the birdcage.

His raised hand was already swirling with black and red energy, rapidly compressing into a disc.

This time, the edge was wrapped in even more violent black and red lightning. Before he even released it, the oppressive aura darkened the sky. Thunder rolled in the clouds.

God Split!

Whoosh—!

He flicked his wrist. The disc tore through the air at unimaginable speed, slicing the birdcage clean in half and continuing toward Doflamingo.

"Huh?"

Thousands of meters away, Doflamingo's Observation Haki screamed with alarm.

He turned—and his pupils shrank into pinpoints.

The disc was right in front of him.

"No—no—!!!"

He tried to dodge, but it was too fast.

It cut straight across his waist.

Swish!

Blood burst into the air.

Doflamingo froze. He slowly looked down at his lower half, which was now completely detached.

"How… how is this possible…"

Boom!

His lower body crashed into the castle square's fountain, dyeing the water red.

In the sky.

His vision blurred, but sheer survival instinct kept him going.

Still flying, he frantically tried to use his threads to stitch the wound closed.

But—

The disc had left behind overbearing black-red energy that clung to the wound. It repelled the threads completely, blood still pouring out uncontrollably.

—

On the ground.

Everyone looked at the remains and then at the fading half-body in the sky.

"Is that guy… dead?" Nami asked. "He's still alive?"

The sight gave her goosebumps.

"Getting cut in half and still flying—he's like a worm you slice for fish bait…"

"He'll die. Don't worry."

Shano floated back down. "With my Conqueror's Haki embedded in the wound, even the world's best doctor couldn't save him."

Nami sighed in relief.

"If brother says so, then it's true."

"That attack just now was insane. It even changed the sky."

She looked up at the lingering black-red streak.

"How strong have you gotten since training, anyway? You even one-shotted a Warlord…"

But she thought back—against Crocodile, if Shano had gone all-out, the fight would've ended quickly too.

So maybe this wasn't new after all?

She started to say something but swallowed it.

"There are different levels among the Warlords."

Robin smiled knowingly.

"That Flamingo was one of the longest-serving Warlords. He's powerful, skilled in all three Haki types, and feared even in the New World."

"But he still couldn't take a single move from our captain."

"Ohh~"

Nami didn't fully get it but still clapped.

"So that means my brother's even stronger now, right?"

"I guess."

Shano grinned. "You've all gotten stronger too. I can't fall behind as captain, right?"

"Awesome!"

Nami threw her arms around him. "Now we can finally leave this dump and go to the New World!"

She was so done with the gray island and noisy monkeys.

Shano just ruffled her hair.

But in his eyes, a deep glint flashed.

After his retreat—

The Blood Furnace Method was fully perfected. He'd mastered Conqueror's Entanglement. Using the historical text at the ocean's bottom, he underwent hellish self-training, enhancing his body beyond expectation.

His strength had even exceeded his own projections.

Looking back…

Akainu nearly destroyed him in 30 minutes. Kizaru pierced his heart in one blow. Kaido casually brushed off his best attacks in human form.

Those days… would never return.

"Oh, right—sorry, Kuina."

Shano turned to his Vice Captain. "Dover was your opponent. I shouldn't have interfered, but…"

"It's not your fault, sir," Kuina shook her head. "He chickened out and broke his word. I just couldn't break the birdcage in time."

She sheathed her sword and glanced regretfully at the half-body in the fountain.

"Don't worry."

Shano patted her shoulder. "We're heading into the New World. There'll be no shortage of opponents at that level. You'll get your chance again."

"Right."

Kuina nodded. The mention of the "New World" lit a spark of excitement in her eyes.

"Hey, over here!" a voice shouted urgently. "Is there a doctor? Help! Mr. Bear's dying!"

"Oh no!"

Nami slapped her head. "I totally forgot! Come on, brother!"

She grabbed Shano's arm and dragged him to the castle gate.

"Bear?"

Shano finally noticed the small figure of the Tontatta Princess. His eyes swept over her, then locked onto the injured Bear lying nearby.

"What happened?" he asked, frowning.

—

Far away.

Doflamingo's mind faded. The blood loss blurred his vision, but he kept flying with his threads.

After who knows how long… finally, a ship appeared ahead.

A navy flag!

"Save… me…"

With his last strength, Doflamingo hurled himself onto the deck.

Bang!

His upper body slammed into the bow.

"Who's there?!"

Navy soldiers gathered.

Veterans recognized him immediately, and their faces changed.

"Seven Warlords of the Sea—Doflamingo?!"

"What the hell happened to him?!"

"Never mind! Call the medics!"

In the chaos, a middle-aged man in a brown hat and smoking a cigar pushed through.

He stared at the broken body in disbelief.

"Tenyasha… what happened to you?"

"…You…" Doflamingo weakly opened his eyes. "Kaji…"

"Yeah, it's me."

Vice Admiral Chatun squinted. He'd met this bastard many times at Warlord meetings.

He'd always hated him—this was the guy who once used threads to force naval officers to kill each other out of boredom during a summit.

But this—this was beyond pitiful.

In the first half of the Grand Line, who could do this to him?

"Can he be saved?"

Chatun asked the old medic nearby.

"No…" the medic shook his head. "Too much blood lost. His organs and intestines are gone… he's barely holding on."

"…What a pity."

Chatun frowned, exhaling smoke. "Looks like we just lost another ally. Any last words?"

Doflamingo heard this.

He didn't need a doctor to tell him—he knew.

He was really dying.

Not like when he was tied to a cross… this time, it was for real.

Suddenly, hatred surged in his heart. He spat a mouthful of blood at Chatun.

Chatun's face darkened but said nothing, nor did he wipe it off.

"You Navy guys… can't get a single piece of intel right…"

Even with a bloodless face, Doflamingo still forced a mocking laugh:

"Shano… that Shano's not dead, not dead at all… You Navy bastards are doomed now… hehehe…"

As he laughed, his pupils dilated.

His body went limp on the stretcher.

He was gone.