Chapter 83: Doflamingo in trouble

All the Donquixote Family cadres froze in place, motionless.

The pirates who saw this scene from the street were awestruck.

The contrast between the Donquixote Family's reaction now and their earlier brutality was striking.

This was the power of Marco's reputation. Just standing there without saying a word was enough to paralyze the once-fierce and violent cadres of the Donquixote Family.

Earlier, the Donquixote Family had been arrogant and domineering. They mercilessly slaughtered anyone who dared to mention Marco's name, spreading terror throughout the entire town until no one dared utter a single word.

Even pirates with bounties exceeding 100 million were slaughtered without effort by the family's top cadres, leaving them no chance to escape.

Their reign of terror had driven the townspeople into panic, filling them with dread at the mere mention of the Donquixote Family.

But now…

The moment Marco arrived, everything changed.

The entire Donquixote Family fell silent, not daring to make a move.

This sudden and drastic shift stunned the pirates in town, leaving them in awe of Marco's fearsome reputation.

"I never thought the Donquixote Family, who always acted with impunity, would meet their match today," many pirates whispered to themselves in amazement.

At this moment, they finally understood just how overwhelming Marco's prestige truly was.

…

As Marco approached slowly, the corners of Doflamingo's mouth twitched with suppressed rage.

Damn it, Marco, of all times… you show up now?

"I underestimated the women on Happy Street. I never thought they'd be the ones to sell us out," Doflamingo sneered.

He glared at Marco, his narrowed eyes hidden beneath his signature sunglasses. A flicker of murderous intent burned within him.

He desperately wanted to kill Marco—the most dangerous threat standing in his way. But reason kept him in check.

After all, he was well aware of Marco's overwhelming strength.

And deep down, Doflamingo knew… He had kicked a steel wall this time.

Marco gave a faint smile and shook his head. "You're wrong. Stussy and the others didn't tell me where to find you. It was a female fan—her name is Morolo."

He explained, almost casually, that he had initially planned to head to Dressrosa. However, along the way, he encountered an enthusiastic fan who insisted on getting his autograph. During their conversation, she inadvertently mentioned Doflamingo's location.

"Another woman…"

The corners of Doflamingo's mouth twitched in frustration, a reaction becoming all too frequent lately, leaving him agitated.

If Marco could find him once, there was no doubt he could find him again.

Escaping was pointless. He knew he would be hunted down. There was no choice but to stand his ground.

For the first time, the normally arrogant Heavenly Yaksha found himself in an awkward position. He knew the enemy's strength was overwhelming, yet he had no choice but to confront it head-on.

Doflamingo's usual smugness faded, replaced by a cautious wariness alien to him.

"Your way with women is... impressive."

"Don't push it," Marco warned, cutting the conversation short. His gaze swept over the Donquixote Family's gathered forces, calm yet radiating boundless killing intent.

"Now… let's settle things between us," Marco declared.

His words, though delivered lightly, sent chills through the Donquixote cadres. Instinctively, they moved closer to Doflamingo, realizing the battle ahead would be unlike any they had fought before.

A tough, uphill fight lay ahead—one they knew they had no hope of winning.

"How do you want to settle it?"

Doflamingo took a step forward, shielding his subordinates without a second thought.

This seemingly unconscious act touched the hearts of his cadres. Doflamingo's charisma made them loyal to him, willing to follow him no matter the danger.

"I killed a Vice Admiral from the Navy's local branch on Happy Street," Marco stated calmly, as if recounting a trivial event.

The mention of this incident sent waves of rage across the faces of the Donquixote cadres.

The Vice Admiral Marco referred to was none other than their top executive—Ghost Bamboo Vergo.

"Young Master… I'll deal with him!"

A sharp voice echoed.

Surprisingly, it came from a massive man clad in samurai armor, with a cross-shaped helmet obscuring his face.

It was Pica, the most temperamental member of the Donquixote Family and commander of the Spade Army. A user of the Stone-Stone Fruit, Pica's anger flared at Marco's provocation.

But before Pica could make another move—

A blue flame-covered fist shot forward like lightning, aiming straight for his head!

Whoosh!

A barrier of white threads shot out from behind Pica, each strand shimmering with Armament Haki, forming a wall to intercept the flaming fist.

Doflamingo's expression changed instantly as the fiery attack shattered the barrier in an instant, ripping through the defense like it was nothing.

The fist, engulfed in blue flames, slammed into Pica's cross-shaped helmet.

Even though Pica reacted quickly, coating his shield with Haki, it was futile.

Boom!

The helmet shattered, and the blazing fist drove into Pica's face. His petrified skin and Haki-enhanced defense crumpled under the force. Blood and shattered teeth sprayed from his mouth as his massive body was blasted backward.

Bang!

Pica's body crashed through several storefronts, sending debris flying, before smashing through a tall building in the distance.

A thick cloud of smoke and dust billowed into the air.

"Shhh!"

The pirates watching the scene sucked in their breath in disbelief.

They had all witnessed Pica's strength firsthand—how he effortlessly annihilated 430 ruthless pirates, each with bounties over 200 million.

But now…

Pica had been taken down in an instant.

No matter how much he defended himself, it was useless.

Even with Doflamingo's intervention, the outcome remained unchanged.

Pica's face had been grotesquely deformed, blood spraying wildly as his massive frame was sent flying.

"The difference in strength… is too vast!"

Everyone was shaken to their core, realizing this kind of overwhelming dominance only occurred when the difference in strength between two sides was vast.

It wasn't just the distant pirates who were stunned—every single cadre of the Donquixote Family was equally astounded.

But if anyone was the most shocked, it was Doflamingo himself.

On the surface, what had just transpired might seem simple, but in reality, it was anything but.

Doflamingo had foreseen Marco's attack with his acute mastery of Observation Haki.

In that brief moment, utilizing the full power of his awakened String-String Fruit, he summoned a wave of countless fine threads. Reinforced with top-tier Armament Haki, the wave of threads was crafted to intercept and neutralize Marco's punch, providing Pica with a vital shield.

Yet the outcome was...

Doflamingo's heart raced uncontrollably.

The defensive wave he had meticulously woven—a barrier he considered nearly unbreakable—was torn apart like tissue paper by Marco's seemingly effortless punch.

The muscles in Doflamingo's face twitched involuntarily as the reality hit him.

He now understood one undeniable fact:

This time…

He had run into big trouble…!!