Chapter 17: I Won't Leave Until I Awaken Armament Haki!

While Barrels and Doflamingo were locked in fierce combat, Marshal Kong at Marine Headquarters also received the news that the Navy had encountered Doflamingo.

In the Marshal's office, Kong sat in his high seat.

"Get me Commodore Barrels on the Den Den Mushi. This is a golden opportunity. I want him to go all out to capture Doflamingo. Don't let him escape!" Kong's voice brooked no argument.

The Marine who received the order immediately sprang into action. Beside him, Admiral Sengoku, who always assisted Kong in handling affairs, spoke up. "Big Brother Kong, Commodore Barrels' strength is well-known. He's also a top graduate from the elite training camp. There's no need to worry. Doflamingo definitely won't escape this time."

Kong nodded, looking at the Marine intelligence officer who was making the connection.

"Brrrr, brrrr, brrrr... Is this Commodore Barrels? This is the Marine Headquarters Marshal's Office. Please report the latest situation."

On the Grand Line, at the site of the fierce battle between the Navy and the pirates.

The communications officer of Commodore Barrels' fleet suddenly received the call. He stopped paying attention to the intense battle and quickly answered the Den Den Mushi.

"Reporting to Marshal Kong, Commodore Barrels is currently engaged in intense combat with the pirate Doflamingo. Currently, Doflamingo is at a disadvantage. It is estimated that the battle will end soon, and the pirate Doflamingo will be successfully apprehended."

Receiving this detailed report, Kong and Sengoku instantly felt a sense of relief. This was undoubtedly the best news they'd heard in a long time. Doflamingo's capture was imminent, and the pressure from the Celestial Dragons would soon disappear. Once they handed Doflamingo over to the government, let them deal with the mess. The Navy would no longer have to worry about it. Besides this, the most troublesome issue remained the Roger Pirates. Roger was searching everywhere for the final red Poneglyph. He was close to succeeding, needing only the last Road Poneglyph. This made the Navy extremely anxious, and they were doing everything in their power to stop him.

Meanwhile, the Roger Pirates, the source of the Navy's headache, were heading towards the last Poneglyph, taking the final step towards their throne.

The battle between Doflamingo and Commodore Barrels continued. Barrels' attacks grew increasingly fierce, and Doflamingo, who had initially been on equal footing, was now barely managing to parry. Anyone could see Doflamingo's weakened state.

This is just a Commodore? You've got to be kidding me! He's easily upper-tier Vice Admiral level! Why weren't the Marine officers this strong when they were fighting Luffy? Was the Navy this powerful twenty years ago? Doflamingo thought to himself, somewhat frustrated.

Actually, Doflamingo's frustration wasn't entirely misplaced. Barrels was someone who could fight on par with "Black Arm" Zephyr. It wasn't an exaggeration; there weren't many who could go toe-to-toe with Zephyr, even in a simple training session within the Navy. It showed that Barrels had some serious skills. Zephyr, a master specializing in physical combat, had instilled in Barrels a deep focus on honing his physique. Lacking other means of attack, Barrels had dedicated all his efforts to mastering Rokushiki.

It wasn't necessarily that Barrels was too strong. Ultimately, Doflamingo was held back by his youth. At his age, it was still time to build a solid foundation. Putting aside the intricacies of advanced techniques, his physical strength simply wasn't sufficient yet.

Although Doflamingo was constantly on the back foot, he remained tenacious. He only used his Observation Haki to dodge attacks that posed a significant threat, mostly engaging in a direct exchange of blows with Barrels, each punch landing with brutal force. Of course, for Barrels, Doflamingo's attack power was somewhat lacking. Possessing both Haki types, he didn't care about such minor injuries. Close-quarters combat, with fists colliding, was precisely what these hot-blooded men craved.

Thud! Another clash of fists, the impact creating a sonic boom.

Doflamingo knew this was his chance. If he were facing someone like Vice Admiral Tsuru or those other monsters, he'd have run away long ago without a second thought, cherishing his life above all else. But this was different. Although Barrels' strength exceeded his expectations, it was also an opportunity. First, there was Luffy, taught by Katakuri and unable to leave until he awakened future sight. Then there was Luffy again, captured and unable to leave Udon prison until he mastered advanced Armament Haki, Ryuo. My case, Doflamingo refusing to leave without awakening Armanent Haki after being beaten up by a Marine is nothing special. Only by grasping this opportunity could he achieve a more seamless transformation. Otherwise, it would take far too long to wait passively for awakening. Only in the midst of life-and-death struggles could hope emerge.

Every battle was a gamble with death. If you didn't have the resolve to risk everything, you shouldn't have set sail, and you shouldn't dream of becoming King. Life and death were up to fate. Those who feared would lose. The weak would only run, while the strong would rise to the challenge.

Such a stubborn kid. He gets back up quickly every time he's knocked down, and he still looks full of energy. Is this brat an indestructible cockroach? Barrels thought, somewhat annoyed.

Knocked back once again, Doflamingo taunted Barrels. "Hey, Navy! Is this all you've got? You know Armament Haki, right? Why aren't you using it? Do you think I'm not worthy? Who are you looking down on?"

Despite their prolonged clash, Doflamingo still hadn't found that feeling. When he sparred with Trebol and the others, although they knew Armament Haki, they wouldn't dare to truly attack him with it. So, he was always missing that final push. Fighting a strong Marine like this was the perfect opportunity.

"Brat, you've certainly caught my attention. Since you're so eager to go to prison, I'll grant your wish. Remember this, brat, I'm someone who can go even with 'Black Arm' Zephyr!"

"Armament: Hardening!" Barrels' hands were enveloped in a black sheen, and his massive fists flew towards Doflamingo.

Doflamingo didn't dodge. Instead, he met the attack head-on, taking the full force of the blow to his chest, using his body to memorize the impact of Armament Haki.

"Yes, yes, yes! That's the feeling! The pain! It's excruciating! A pain that goes deep into the bone. This powerful destructive force… it makes my blood boil!"

Doflamingo, having taken the punch head-on, was sent flying, blood spurting from his mouth mid-air.

Diamante, still entangled with the Marines, saw Doflamingo being sent flying and instantly erupted in fury. "You dare hurt Doffy?! I won't let you get away with this! Half-Moon Glaive!"

A powerful wave of sword energy, like cutting through tofu, effortlessly sliced the Marines in front of him in two and continued towards Barrels.

Barrels raised his leg and unleashed a Rankyaku, easily deflecting Diamante's sword attack. Just as Diamante was about to launch another attack, he heard Doflamingo's rebuke.

"Fuffuffuffu! This is my fight! Don't interfere, Diamante! Do you think I'm so weak in your eyes? I haven't fallen yet!" Doflamingo, having been knocked away, climbed back to his feet. Although he looked battered, his aura was even more terrifying, his voice filled with unwavering determination and resentment towards his subordinate's meddling.

The fact that his all-out punch hadn't finished Doflamingo off stung Barrels' pride, especially after his earlier boast. He activated Soru and charged towards Doflamingo, launching a relentless assault.

The battle had only just begun