Chapter 73: Victory Ultimately Belongs to Donquixote

North Blue. A fierce battle raged, unseen by any witnesses save for Doflamingo, observing from afar.

"Get back in there, you damn cowards!" Dor roared, enraged as he saw his men hesitating, shrinking back in fear.

"No... don't make us! They're not human! How can they be this strong?!" "They're monsters!" "We can't possibly beat them!"

Pessimism spread rapidly through the ranks, further fueling Enel and the others' unstoppable momentum.

"Bastards! Facing a powerful enemy, yet you spread despair and undermine our morale?! Die!" Dor utterly despised these cowards; in his eyes, they were even more hateful than the Donquixote Family members themselves.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Several gunshots rang out. The men responsible for shaking the army's resolve were executed on the spot.

"Let this be a lesson! Anyone who retreats, anyone who dares undermine our morale, will be killed!" Dor radiated killing intent, glaring fiercely at his remaining forces.

Shocked by Dor's ruthlessness, the men realized their only path to survival was to defeat the Donquixote Family.

"Kill them! Slaughter the Donquixote Family!" "They're nothing to be afraid of!" "There are so many of us! Let's attack together!"

The mafia members shouted encouragement to one another, gripping their swords and knives as they charged towards Enel and his comrades once more.

"Now that's more like it! I have no interest in killing cowards!" Enel grinned savagely, reveling in the slaughter.

Wielding both Armament and Observation Haki, Enel was like a god of war among these novices. No one could withstand a single punch. Some tried to take cheap shots from behind, hoping to catch him off guard, but Enel's Observation Haki saw through every attempt.

Doflamingo watched this unfold from his distant vantage point. He hadn't expected Enel to anticipate such underhanded tactics amidst the chaos of battle. Doflamingo marveled at Enel's innate talent for Observation Haki; perhaps, in time, Enel could even awaken the ability to foresee the future. Doflamingo held high hopes for Enel – the stronger his Family members became, the happier Doflamingo was, and the greater their use to him would be.

On other parts of the battlefield, Diamante's swordsmanship was a whirlwind of deadly grace. Sword energy lashed out wildly, each swing claiming the lives of multiple enemies. Diamante had become a reaping machine, relentlessly harvesting souls. The attack power of a true Swordmaster was truly remarkable. If only Diamante could reach the level of Great Swordmaster, that would be even better! Unfortunately, Doflamingo knew nothing of swordsmanship and couldn't offer Diamante guidance. Besides, Diamante was still extremely far from reaching the realm of Great Swordmaster. Rather than pinning hopes on that distant possibility, it would be more practical to find him a powerful Devil Fruit to boost his strength.

Trebol was his usual self, using his Sticky-Sticky Fruit with grotesque mastery. Or perhaps it wasn't mastery so much as his disgusting abilities simply overwhelmed the enemy, leaving them utterly repulsed. It had to be said, this fruit was incredibly effective against women; even Vice Admiral Tsuru found it repulsive, let alone ordinary people.

Pica advanced steadily, an unstoppable force. As the most physically imposing member of the Donquixote Family, his size and immense strength were significant advantages. Although his lack of Observation Haki meant he took quite a few hits from sneak attacks, the addition of Armament Haki had drastically increased his durability and overall power compared to before.

Ibes, however, showed significant improvement. Having gained experience in killing, she no longer hesitated. Her attacks were far more ruthless than before, driven by the stark reality that this was kill or be killed. She consistently aimed for her enemies' vital points. The others were too engrossed in their own fights to spare any attention for her; interfering in another's battle wasn't their way. Once you become a pirate, you must accept the possibility of death! Your fate is in your own hands; don't foolishly rely on others for salvation. Gritting her teeth, Ibes struggled under the assault of seven or eight opponents simultaneously, clearly strained.

Most other Donquixote Family members were similarly engaged, each fighting off three to five enemies. The disparity in numbers was vast. Doflamingo intentionally held back, adhering to his principle of survival of the fittest. Only by enduring such trials, like panning for gold in turbulent waves, could truly capable subordinates be forged. Doflamingo had no use for weaklings.

The battle reached a tense stalemate. Enel, Pica, Trebol, and Diamante were bearing the brunt of the fighting, while the others were barely holding on, struggling just to survive.

"Yahahahaha! Is this it? Can't you send someone competent?" Enel roared, growing ever more frenzied as he cut down foe after foe, directly taunting Dor.

"Bastard! All of you, focus on him! Take him down!" Dor, incensed by Enel's arrogance and feeling utterly humiliated, screamed the order.

A massive wave of men surged forward, completely engulfing Enel's position for a moment.

Having observed for so long, Dor understood now that the other members of the Donquixote Family weren't nearly as formidable. The sheer weight of five thousand men was having an effect; the Donquixote rank-and-file were steadily being pushed back. The real problem lay with those four officers, especially the one who had just taunted him. Their momentum was terrifying, seemingly unstoppable. Dor suddenly regretted not bringing the veterans who had returned from the Grand Line. During their initial planning, the five leaders had felt that sending five thousand men was already giving the Donquixote Family too much credit. Now, it seemed anything but an exaggeration. Nearly half of his five thousand men had already been slaughtered! Those veterans were meant to be their trump card – though few in number, each was a formidable warrior, capable of taking on hundreds, thousands, perhaps even tens of thousands of enemies.

Well, time to see what they were truly made of, put them to the test!

Doflamingo watched for a little longer, then turned his attention away. The outcome was essentially decided. The allied forces of the Five Families, five thousand strong, would undoubtedly be returning with broken plumes, utterly defeated.

Although five thousand was a large number, they were simply too weak compared to Enel and the others.

"Attack! Everyone, prioritize taking out those four! Kill them, and the Donquixote Family will crumble like sand! Whoever kills them – money, power, women – anything you desire, I'll give it to you!" Dor bellowed again, attempting to reignite his forces' fighting spirit.

"Kill! The glory is mine!" "For beautiful women, you bastards can just die!" "It's all money! My precious money!"

Dor's words ignited a fire of greed and lust in the hearts of his men, a powerful temptation.

"You want my head? Then come and get it! It's either you die or I do! Let's fight until we drop!" Enel's fighting spirit blazed, completely unfazed by the enemy's renewed ferocity.

"Hahaha! I'm right here! Come and try if you dare!" Diamante laughed boisterously, his words carrying an undeniable weight of confidence and power.

"Behehehehe! I say, I say, come kill me if you've got the guts!" Trebol's laugh was as slimy as his appearance, his disgusting abilities drawing curses from all around.

"Bring it on!" Pica added.

Pica should have kept quiet. The moment he spoke, even the enemy soldiers couldn't help but snicker at his high-pitched voice.

Seeing this, Pica's face contorted with rage.

"DIE! DAMN YOU ALL!"

Pica went berserk, fighting like a crazed demon. His attacks became instantly lethal, leaving no chance for survival.

The battle surged to an even greater intensity!

After raging for an entire day, the fighting finally drew to a close. The Donquixote Family emerged victorious, but it was a costly, hard-won victory. Enel, Pica, Trebol, and Diamante had all sustained various injuries. Ibes, though having been in a perilous situation, proved surprisingly resilient and survived with injuries that weren't overly severe. Their bodies were caked in so much dried enemy blood that it formed a crust. The survivors looked as if they had returned from Hell itself, emanating a thick, murderous aura that had long since sent the town's remaining inhabitants fleeing in terror.

The allied forces of the Five Great Families were thus repelled. They had arrived five thousand strong, full of bluster; they retreated, battered and broken, with barely one or two thousand remaining. Dor's heart bled at the loss – five thousand men! Less than two thousand survived. Though, the Donquixote Family had certainly paid a price as well.

But ultimately, victory belonged to Donquixote.

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