One Piece: The Strongest Creature

"Such Haki..."

At the heights of Dressrosa, Doflamingo reclined on a sun lounger, watching the beauties swim in the pool. Despite the serene scene, he could sense an ominous presence. He activated his Observation Haki, and immediately, a cold sweat broke out on his forehead. Masking his unease with an unsettling grin, he murmured to himself, "Chachacha... Looks like a terrifying guest has arrived."

Without hesitation, he reached for the Den Den Mushi beside him, dialling a number to report his discovery. Then, with a sinister gleam in his eye, he lifted himself into the sky, ready to greet his 'honoured guest.'

---

"Boss, that Heavenly Yaksha is here."

The powerful aura Doflamingo emitted didn't go unnoticed by the Red Hair Pirates, who were making their way through Dressrosa's capital. Yasopp, the crew's expert sniper and a master of Observation Haki, quickly sensed his approach. Turning to Shanks, he confirmed Doflamingo's presence.

Before Shanks could respond, Benn Beckman, the Pirates' intelligence strategist, exhaled a thin line of smoke and observed, "It seems this Shichibukai wants to prevent us from moving further in—he doesn't want to lose the upper hand in negotiations."

Shanks nodded and replied calmly, "In that case, let's wait for him here. Our goal isn't him; to reach the true powers in this world, we'll need his cooperation."

---

"Hey, hey, hey… Welcome to Dressrosa, the island of intermediaries, Red-Haired Shanks!"

Doflamingo's voice reached them before he did as he descended from the sky, his pink feathered coat fluttering. Landing before the formidable Red Hair Pirates, he scanned the powerful crew, each member exuding a strength that outclassed many. Some among them were even mightier than he was, and Doflamingo felt a heavy weight settle over him.

Yet he hid his anxiety beneath a wicked grin, as was his custom.

If it weren't for his backers, he wouldn't have felt just tense—he'd have been outright fearful. Though Doflamingo possessed the rare potential of a Conqueror, he had compromised his talents over years of bargaining and alliances with the world's elite. Against the top officers of the Big Mom and Beasts Pirates, he might hold his own against one or two, but faced with an Emperor's second-in-command, he'd be outmatched.

Among the Red Hair Pirates, more than one or two individuals could easily defeat him. Standing here in front of these giants, whose combined strength seemed unassailable, required nerves of steel.

After all, even the likes of Green Bull in Wano had retreated upon sensing Shanks' Haki alone.

---

Doflamingo's talent for concealing his emotions behind a mask of sinister composure was already impressive. Even in the presence of the Red-Haired Shanks, he maintained his signature, chilling grin.

"Sorry to intrude on your business," Shanks said, his tone polite despite his earlier show of force. He cut to the chase, "Heavenly Yaksha, I need a favour. Could you call Cross Kahn? I have something urgent to discuss with him."

"Xixixixi... Such Haki—truly the most resolute man on the seas," Doflamingo replied, his evil smile growing. "But there's no need. I've already reported the situation here ahead of time."

At this, several of the Red Hair Pirates' expressions shifted sharply. Those with advanced Observation Haki sensed something unusual, eyes turning upward to the darkening clouds overhead.

"What... is that coming down?!" one of them exclaimed, feeling the sheer weight of an impending threat.

**BOOM!**

In a tremendous crash, the dark clouds seemed to split apart, shattered by the massive silhouette of an island plummeting from the sky.

---

As the Red Hair Pirates braced themselves, the eerie sound of a door creaking open reached their ears. Confusion flickered on Shanks and Benn Beckman's faces. A door opening? On a coast surrounded only by rocky cliffs and sky?

Realizing the strangeness of the situation, Shanks and Beckman simultaneously activated Future Sight, their visions leaping ahead to glimpse the events unfolding in the next few seconds. But even with this power, they were a fraction too late.

"ROOM—Transfer!"

A delicate, jade-white hand emerged from an unseen door in midair, casting a translucent sphere that expanded in the blink of an eye, enveloping Dressrosa and the descending island in the sky. In an instant, Shanks, Benn Beckman, and the entire Red Hair Pirates vanished from the coast, reappearing on the ground of the falling island above.

The one responsible—a woman named Monet, possessing the powers of the Op-Op Fruit—stood calmly, her hand extended as the enormous sphere completed its task. Her mastery of her Devil Fruit had grown to the point of covering islands, a scale vast enough to envelop half of Wano.

"Kuina, I'll leave the next part to you," Monet said without turning, her voice cool.

"Consider it done, Sister Monet." Kuina, clad in a white Wano-style kimono, her hair bound tightly, gave a determined nod. She shot upward into the sky, moving in a direction opposite to Wano, guiding the floating island along with her as it moved to face its adversaries.

---

Turning to Doflamingo, Monet issued a quick instruction, "Joker, I'll need your help with the client's condition."

"Hey hey hey... a simple task," he replied with a devilish grin, adopting an almost deferential tone.

Doflamingo's demeanour reflected his respect for Monet, the third pillar of the Cross Family, following only behind the infamous "Devil's Child" and the "Pirate Empress." Though other family members, like the fearsome Boa Sandersonia, had joined earlier, Monet's standing was unique—not only did she wield the coveted Op-Op Fruit, but she was also central to the family's rise to power.

"ROOM—Transfer!"

Monet nodded, casting her ability once more. She and her entourage disappeared, reappearing on the distant island high above the seas of Dressrosa and Wano. 

The final preparations were complete. The stage was set.

After years of rivalries and tenuous alliances, the war among the Emperors of the Sea was about to erupt.

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