Chapter 186: Persuading Pica

High in the air, as he watched all his puppet strings restored, Doflamingo's bloodlust only grew stronger.

"The Dressrosa I built is being destroyed," he muttered. "If I can't have it, then I'll destroy it completely."

His eyes darkened, gleaming with a wild, menacing glint. Powerful waves of his String-String Fruit abilities surged into the shrinking Birdcage, tightening it further and further. His lips curled into a sinister grin as he murmured, "Let them all perish."

The cage continued to contract, and Doflamingo could already picture the chaos—every living being shredded into pieces.

Meanwhile, in the royal palace gardens near the massive cistern, Helmeppo delivered a crushing blow to Torrebol, driving his fist through the man's chest. Mucus oozed out, clinging to Helmeppo's fist as blood dribbled from the corner of Torrebol's mouth. Even his Logia-like abilities couldn't fully mitigate the damage; this attack had punctured his liver and severely burned his lungs. Torrebol knew there was no way out now.

Torrebol glanced up at the sky, watching the ever-shrinking Birdcage with a satisfied smile. "Young Master is brilliant," he muttered weakly. "He'll bury all these filthy pests here. He's the king of the sea. One day, he'll rule the world."

"Shut up, you slimy old man!" Helmeppo roared, pushing his Magma-Magma Fruit abilities to their limit. Streams of molten lava surged from his right arm, engulfing Torrebol in searing flames. The intense heat charred everything it touched, burning the slime Torrebol created to ash.

Despite the agony, Torrebol continued to resist. Using the last of his Sticky-Sticky Fruit powers, he turned the ground into slime, attempting to ensnare Helmeppo. But Helmeppo's magma overwhelmed the attack, reducing the sticky terrain to scorched nothingness.

"You're finished," Helmeppo sneered. "If you surrender your abilities now, you might still live. Chiba-sama would be interested in studying your Devil Fruit powers. Bringing you back alive would be a great accomplishment—no, a major one."

Helmeppo could already imagine the praise he'd receive. Torrebol, with his awakened powers capable of transforming the earth into slime, was a formidable foe. Delivering him to Chiba-sama would be much more rewarding than presenting a corpse.

But Torrebol only chuckled grimly. "If you think I'll let you take me back as a trophy, you're a fool."

With the last of his strength, Torrebol lunged forward, dragging Helmeppo into the cistern. Both plunged into the water. Torrebol knew that Devil Fruit users couldn't swim, but he also knew Helmeppo likely had a way to survive. Still, this was his only option—perhaps Helmeppo's escape method could only be used once.

Underwater, Helmeppo quickly restrained his magma powers to avoid killing Torrebol outright. He allowed himself to be dragged into the depths but had a plan in mind. Activating his True Black Water Technique, Helmeppo formed a massive, writhing black water dragon that coiled around Torrebol's body. With this technique, he could circulate energy even while submerged, maintaining his strength.

The water dragon secured Torrebol, but as Helmeppo glanced toward the harbor, his eyes narrowed. The seabed was lined with countless white threads. The Birdcage had reached the water.

Helmeppo tried to cut through the threads with his blade, but they were impossibly strong, resistant even to his magma-enhanced techniques. Frustrated, he swam back to the surface, dragging Torrebol's unconscious body with him.

Standing onshore, Helmeppo glared at the sky. The Birdcage was still tightening, and a sense of urgency filled him. "What the hell is this?" he muttered.

Elsewhere, Pica, the colossal stone giant, floated in midair. His immense body, merged with stone, hovered like an island in the sky, impervious to the contracting Birdcage. Rebecca stood atop Pica's massive form, surveying the chaos below with a calm expression.

She called out, her voice ringing with confidence. "Hey, big guy. Why not join us? Following Doflamingo isn't worth it. You've seen the truth—he's finished. Join us and serve Chiba-sama instead. You've heard of his strength, haven't you? Under his guidance, your power would grow beyond imagination. You could even reach the level of the Four Emperors."

Rebecca's words were enticing. "Think about it. The Four Emperors are the strongest beings on this sea—legends who stand above all others. Don't you want to reach that pinnacle? Doflamingo can't offer you that. His time is over. Dressrosa's secrets are exposed, and soon, he'll be defeated. There's no future with him."

Pica's deep, high-pitched voice boomed across the battlefield. "Young Master Doflamingo will never lose! You fools will all die under his Birdcage!"

Rebecca smirked, unfazed. "Take a good look below you. That cage won't spare anyone, not even you."

[•———•——•———•]

𝙥𝗮𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙤𝙣(.)𝙘𝙤𝙢/𝙂𝙤𝙙𝙊𝙛𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙧

✨ • 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝙂𝙚𝙩 9𝟬+ 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚.