Chapter 35: Enel Receives a Taste of Society's Cruel Reality (Two-in-One Chapter)

There wasn't much to prepare. Doflamingo, exuding the aura of a seasoned master, stood perfectly still, awaiting Enel's attack. To ensure Enel exerted his full effort, Doflamingo even placed both hands behind his back, striking a pose that screamed, "I'm invincible; do your worst."

This attitude infuriated Enel. Seriously?! We're practically the same age, and you're acting all high and mighty? Young men, after all, have the hot-bloodedness and impulsiveness of youth. They especially can't stand it when someone acts arrogant in front of them. I'm allowed to be arrogant, but you aren't.

"Looking down on others comes at a price, you arrogant bastard," Enel huffed, fuming.

"You? You're still a long way off!" Doflamingo remained utterly unfazed, maintaining his superior air.

Before Enel could even blink, he gathered all his strength into a single fist and charged towards Doflamingo's face. Enel swore to punish this guy, who was even more of a show-off than he was.

"Eat dirt, you bastard!"

However, things didn't go as Enel had envisioned. He couldn't even detect a flicker of fear on Doflamingo's face. The powerful fist hurtled towards Doflamingo's face, but alas! A miss is as good as a mile, and Enel's punch fell just short. At the last possible moment, Doflamingo swiftly stepped back, dodging Enel's powerful blow.

"Damn it, take another one!"

This only further enraged Enel. He refused to believe it. Even though Doflamingo had effortlessly dealt with those four bird-brains in front of him, Enel believed he was no slouch himself. He could have taken down those four weaklings in seconds. Just because he hadn't resisted in the past didn't mean he lacked the strength to do so. Therefore, he didn't believe Doflamingo's strength was that much greater than his own. After all, all those years of training and taking beatings hadn't been for nothing.

Left hook, right hook, whip kick, groin kick – a relentless barrage of attacks rained down on Doflamingo. Yet, Doflamingo remained completely unperturbed, not only unscathed but also looking utterly relaxed.

Enel realized something was wrong. No matter what he did, his attacks never connected. He gave up his offensive, stepping back a few paces. He took a deep breath, exhaled, and tried to calm his impulsive anger.

"Is that… Mantra?!" Enel voiced the question that had formed in his mind.

"Mantra? Oh, you mean Observation Haki?" Doflamingo replied.

"Observation Haki?" Enel's confusion deepened.

"Observation Haki is what we call it. It's the same as your Mantra. Both allow you to predict your opponent's next move and position," Doflamingo explained.

"Yahahahaha! Is that so? As I thought, you are strong! But this is where it ends. The victor will undoubtedly be me, Enel!" Enel's gloomy mood lifted, his composure restored, and he laughed arrogantly at Doflamingo.

"Oh, really? Then come on! I'll stand right here. Let's see if you're anything like you used to be." Doflamingo remained unconcerned. In his eyes, Enel, without mastery of Mantra, was nothing but trash, a mere mad dog barking at the moon, an ignorant fool. Showing Enel the gap in their power would make it easier to subdue him. Doflamingo didn't want another arrogant "god" like the last one. After all, Doflamingo wanted subordinates, not a self-proclaimed deity.

"Arrogance has a price. Don't think you're invincible just because you've mastered Mantra," Enel said confidently, rushing towards Doflamingo again.

"Just you?"

Doflamingo remained disdainful, not moving an inch. He stood there, awaiting Enel's next attack.

"That's right, just me!"

There was no point in arguing further. Neither could convince the other with words, so they would have to let their fists do the talking.

Enel's renewed attack lacked the previous blind fury. His restored calm made him significantly more formidable, his attacks now methodical and composed.

A fist flew towards him. Doflamingo tilted his head, effortlessly dodging. Enel knew Doflamingo wouldn't be hit so easily. He seized the opportunity to close the distance quickly, his fist transforming into a claw, aiming to grab Doflamingo's shoulder. Would Doflamingo be caught so easily? Impossible! Doflamingo's Observation Haki had already predicted Enel's attack. There was no way he'd fall for such a simple trick. With a slight shift of his body, he dodged Enel's claw. However, Enel was prepared. It was as if he knew Doflamingo's movements. A powerful knee thrust shot towards Doflamingo's abdomen. After all, Doflamingo, in his attempt to show off, had his hands behind his back, leaving his midsection wide open. Taking advantage of Doflamingo's sideways lean, Enel aimed to catch him off guard. Doflamingo, seeing this, knew that he couldn't dodge with just a twist of his body. He could only forcefully push off with his legs, retreating abruptly in an awkward posture, attempting to create distance between himself and Enel.

But Enel wouldn't let Doflamingo escape so easily. As if he had foreseen it, he pushed off his back leg with explosive force, closing the gap, determined not to let Doflamingo dodge cleanly.

There was no escape. Doflamingo, having just regained his balance, lashed out with his right leg like a whip, meeting Enel's knee thrust head-on. Their powerful forces collided in mid-air. Unfortunately for Enel, despite using the momentum of his attack to counter Doflamingo, who had just regained his footing, the difference in their strength was still too great. Doflamingo's powerful whip kick sent Enel flying back.

"How is this possible? Your strength is… monstrous!" Enel, sent flying, looked as if he had seen a ghost. He had held the advantage, yet he was the one sent flying by a single blow. This was even harder for Enel to accept than Doflamingo's earlier evasions.

In Enel's view, dodging attacks and toying with an opponent didn't truly signify anything. Only the disparity in strength, in his opinion, was the decisive factor.

"Fuffuffuffu, I didn't expect this! You're so young, yet you've already grasped Observation Haki, and a strong one at that," Doflamingo said with a laugh, not answering Enel's question.

Doflamingo wasn't surprised that Enel knew Mantra, or at least, he wouldn't have been surprised by the other Enel. What he hadn't expected was that this Enel, at such a young age, had already learned Observation Haki. Enel's talent for Observation Haki was truly exceptional, to have reached such proficiency at such a young age. Doflamingo hadn't noticed it when Enel was consumed by rage earlier, but now it was undeniable.

"Yahahahaha, what are you talking about? 'So young'? Are you mocking me?" Enel, his doubts dispelled, first laughed heartily and then felt insulted, charging towards Doflamingo once more.

"Die, you bastard!"

Doflamingo hadn't expected his words "so young" to break Enel's composure so quickly. After all, Doflamingo himself wasn't much older than Enel. Saying that to Enel was like praising him from the perspective of an elder, which was bound to infuriate him. Doflamingo understood now, but he no longer held back. Enel clearly needed a good beating.

"Enel, you really haven't experienced the harsh realities of society. Whether you're a dragon or a tiger, you'll have to grovel before me." Doflamingo advanced instead of retreating, meeting Enel with even greater force.

The two collided again, neither saying a word. Everything would be settled with their fists.

Doflamingo, who had initially planned to teach Enel a lesson from his superior position, decided to go all out. No more pretending. He was a master, and crushing a small fry like Enel would be a piece of cake.

The two, who had just separated after a quick clash, met again. However, Doflamingo was much faster this time. He threw a punch at Enel's face. Enel, seeing this, cried out inwardly. Although he had predicted this move with his Mantra, Doflamingo's attack was swift and brutal, completely sealing off any escape route. Mantra was useless. He could only bring his hands together to block Doflamingo's fist.

"Agh!"

Enel cried out in pain. Although he had blocked Doflamingo's punch, the force behind it was immense. Enel's arms were already red and swollen. All those years of training, and he couldn't even withstand a single punch. Enel's heart was filled with disbelief.

Ignoring Enel's pained cry, Doflamingo's other fist followed, striking Enel's abdomen. Enel was simply too slow. Although he could predict the attack with Mantra, prediction was useless if his speed wasn't sufficient to dodge.

The powerful punch landed squarely on Enel's stomach. Enel felt like he was about to cough up his guts. He clutched his abdomen, collapsing to the ground, gasping for breath.

"Boring, so boring! You're too weak! So weak that I didn't even use a third of my strength, and you're already down. Come on, keep dancing! You can't possibly be this weak!" Doflamingo, seemingly oblivious to Enel's miserable state, continued to taunt him.

"Bastard, there's a limit to how much you can look down on someone!"

Enel growled, struggling to get back on his feet.

"No matter what, I won't be defeated so easily."

"Fuffuffuffu, good! Then keep going, keep dancing! Entertain me more! Show me your spirit, Enel!" Doflamingo, now resembling a demonic god, his arrogance and dominance on full display, stood before Enel with his arms outstretched, laughing wildly.

"Aaaah!"

Enel roared, gathering all his remaining strength and charging at Doflamingo. Doflamingo remained completely calm, delivering a powerful kick that sent Enel flying once more. Enel, unable to withstand the blow, coughed up blood as he crashed heavily to the ground.

"The weak should know their place, Enel. You are weak. Do you want to go back to how things were before? To cower in the shadows, letting others beat and mock you? Or will you become stronger, be reborn, and live like a true human being? After all, the weak have no dignity." Doflamingo slowly walked towards Enel, who was still conscious, his voice dripping with persuasive intent.

"Weak…?"

"The weak have no dignity…?"

"Live like a true human being…"

Enel lay on the ground, muttering to himself.

Seeing this, Doflamingo continued his manipulative spiel.

"Come, Enel, join my family. Become my family member. I can make you stronger, help you live like a true human being."

"Dignity is something only the strong deserve. Do you want to possess dignity?"

"Do you really want to continue being this cowardly? This world is far more exciting than you can imagine. Birka is nothing but a small speck. The people of the sky islands are just a bunch of frogs at the bottom of a well. Let me show you what the world of the strong is truly like!"

After saying these words, Doflamingo extended his hand towards Enel, awaiting his response.

Enel remained lying on the ground, his eyes unfocused, seemingly still pondering Doflamingo's words.

"Become stronger… stronger…"

Seeing that Enel wasn't completely swayed yet, Doflamingo continued.

"Come, join my family. Become my family member. Family doesn't lie to family. Even if you want to go to the Fairy Vearth, I will help you achieve your dream. Let us support each other, become each other's strength. Let us make our mark on this world, make the entire world tremble before us."

"What do you say? Do you dare to challenge this world with me?"

Doflamingo kept his hand extended, not retracting it, confident that Enel would be moved. After all, Enel was too weak right now. He had no power to take revenge, no power to pursue his dream. He was nothing but a pitiful, insignificant frog at the bottom of a well, living under the shadow of the sky islanders. Now, Doflamingo was offering Enel an olive branch, pointing him in the right direction, giving him the power to take revenge. Any normal person would accept, just like a drowning man grasping for the only piece of driftwood to survive.

Doflamingo firmly believed this. He wouldn't misjudge someone. He himself had crawled out of hell. Give someone in darkness a ray of light, and they would go mad for it. Now, he was the hope for those in darkness. Of course, not everyone was worthy of receiving Doflamingo's hope, but Enel was.

Doflamingo's barrage of motivational speeches seemed to have worked. Enel's gaze gradually regained focus. He looked at Doflamingo's outstretched hand, his eyes hardening with determination.

"Yahahahaha, family, huh? That doesn't sound like a bad idea."

Enel suddenly laughed, then raised his swollen arm. A pale hand clasped Doflamingo's hand in a firm grip, refusing to let go.

"I will become stronger, stronger… stronger than a monster! I will live like a true human being. No one will ever trample on my dignity again, absolutely never! I will make Birka tremble before me! I will make this world tremble before me!"

Enel looked at Doflamingo, his eyes filled with excitement and unwavering resolve, as if declaring his oath. These words were spoken to Doflamingo, but also to himself. Enel's will to become stronger was unshakable.

"Hearing Enel's vow, Doflamingo nodded, acknowledging his will. He said dominantly, "That's right. We will become stronger. A small place like Birka is nothing. This world is our target!"

The two looked at each other, a silent understanding passing between them. Then, they both burst into laughter.

"Fuffuffuffu!"

"Yahahahaha!"

This world would surely become even more spectacular.

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