Chapter 87: Third Time’s the Charm
However, the intensity of the assault was unsustainable. Soon, the suppressive fire began to wane, and the attackers' formation thinned.
As Doflamingo surveyed the carnage, he noted that over half of the Underworld bosses in attendance had been killed or maimed, their hatred for him now palpable. A flicker of ruthlessness flashed across his face.
"Fuffuffuffu... I had intended to do business with you all…" Doflamingo's voice was low and chilling. "But since things have come to this, any reconciliation is impossible. Why not make the act real?"
He raised his hand and commanded, "Donquixote Family, kill them all! And wipe out these short-sighted intruders while you're at it!"
"As you command, Young Master!"
The Donquixote Family officers responded with bloodthirsty grins. While newcomers like Monet and Sugar stayed protected at the rear under Trebol's watch, the others, including the petite yet fierce Baby 5, prepared for battle.
"Transform—Gatling Gun!"
Gladius grabbed a massive Gatling gun transformed from Baby 5 and unleashed a counteroffensive. As the invaders' suppressive fire faded, he pulled the trigger and created a web of bullets that swept through both the intruders and the terrified "guests."
The staccato of gunfire resounded through the auction hall.
"Fuffuffuffu! Truly delightful! You fools dared to oppose me?"
The "guests," who moments ago had clung to a fleeting sense of relief, now realized the Donquixote Family's fangs were bared toward them. Their desperation drove them to fight back—escape was no longer an option.
"Hmph… how grotesque," Doflamingo sneered. "Half of these so-called elites are North Blue's most infamous underworld figures. What a laughable display."
Meanwhile, Tesoro slipped into the auction hall, blending seamlessly with his armed thugs. Outside, his men had already overwhelmed Diamante, exploiting their superior numbers and firepower. Even Diamante, a seasoned veteran of the Donquixote Family, had been grievously injured.
In the Four Blues, where Haki was still a legend, even the strongest regions like the North Blue remained vulnerable to the terror of advanced weaponry.
Tesoro himself was no martial arts expert, but he had something more valuable—money.
Ironically, much of the heavy weaponry his men wielded had been purchased from none other than Doflamingo, the North Blue's preeminent arms dealer.
"Witness the power of wealth!" Tesoro grinned maniacally, hoisting a rocket launcher onto his shoulder and firing at the advancing Donquixote officers.
"Damn it!"
The officers moved to dodge, but before the rocket could strike, Doflamingo's cold, precise voice rang out.
"Bullet Strings!"
The rocket exploded mid-air, forcing Tesoro to retreat.
"Fuffuffuffu... Quite the audacious little pest, aren't you?" Doflamingo growled, veins bulging on his forehead. "Who sent you? Do you have a grudge against my family? You sure picked a splendid time to make your move!"
With a flick of his fingers, Doflamingo's Five Color Strings pinned an approaching thug to the ground. His maniacal laughter echoed once more.
"Fuffuffuffu… Because of you, I've had to eliminate all my esteemed guests. Their territories should compensate for my losses."
Tesoro, aware that directly confronting Doflamingo and his officers—nearly all Devil Fruit users and some even Haki users—was suicidal, chose to maintain his anonymity. He concealed his identity and lunged forward like a common thug, armed only with a dagger.
"Ah, a death-seeker," Doflamingo mused as Tesoro approached. "Well-trained, but far too weak."
With a casual kick, Doflamingo sent Tesoro flying. Blood surged into Tesoro's mouth, staining his mask as he crashed to the ground. But he had planned his fall, landing near the auction's display platform. His eyes locked on a golden treasure chest housing the shining Gold-Gold Fruit.
"It's so close... but not yet," Tesoro thought, awaiting his men's signal.
Minutes later, as Tesoro's forces began to take heavy casualties, the long-awaited signal arrived.
"Boom!"
The auction hall's roof was blown apart by a massive explosion—not Gladius, as he would never risk such destruction to the auction house. Flames surged, consuming the hall as thick smoke billowed skyward.
"Damn it! It's a large incendiary bomb! Are they insane?!" Gladius bellowed, recognizing the attackers' tactics.
"Young Master, we must retreat! The growing fire and smoke will become unmanageable!"
"Tch!"
Reluctantly, Doflamingo released the throat of a subdued thug, who fell lifelessly to the ground.
"Good thing the guests have been dealt with… but who are these people? Not one of them has spilled their leader's identity."
"Fuffuffuffu… impressive, training such dedicated pawns."
As the fire intensified, Doflamingo sidestepped incoming bullets and barked, "Trebol, secure the auction items—"
"B-Boss! It's gone!"
Trebol's panicked voice rang out, and Doflamingo whipped around to see Trebol clutching the empty chest where the Gold-Gold Fruit had been.
Through the roaring flames, even behind his signature sunglasses, Doflamingo could clearly see—
The Gold-Gold Fruit had vanished.
"Bastard!"
Doflamingo's fury erupted in a wave of black and red Conqueror's Haki, incapacitating numerous thugs attempting to retreat.
He roared, "Find them! Find that scum and tear them apart!"
This was the third time in his life that someone had stolen a Devil Fruit from him.
The first two were under different circumstances—one by his traitorous younger brother, and another by that monstrous Marine Rear Admiral.
But today, under his nose, and with his top officer Trebol guarding it, the fruit had been stolen right out of his trap—without a single worthy adversary showing themselves.
"Again and again and again! Does Donquixote Doflamingo have no dignity?!"
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