Chapter 21: The Speed of a Predator
The Royal Palace of Dressrosa sat atop the massive flower field like a crown jewel, overlooking the chaos brewing in the city below. In the throne room, Donquixote Doflamingo sat on a velvet couch, his legs crossed. Trafalgar Law lay unconscious at his feet, bound in Sea Prism Stone chains, bleeding onto the expensive rug.
Trebol, the sticky executive, hovered nearby, drooling.
"Ne, ne, Doffy! What do we do with him? Kill him? Kill him?"
"Not yet," Doflamingo swirled his wine glass. "I want him to watch. I want him to see his alliance crumble. I want him to see Straw Hat Luffy die."
"Die?" Trebol laughed, snot dripping from his nose. "Behehehe! Straw Hat is probably lost in the Colosseum! Diamante will finish him!"
BOOM.
The massive double doors of the throne room didn't just open; they disintegrated.
A cloud of dust billowed into the room. From the dust, a sandal stepped out.
Luffy stood there. He wasn't smiling. He wasn't laughing. His hat shaded his eyes. Behind him, Zoro sheathed his swords, having cut through the Pica statue that tried to block their ascent, and Kin'emon stood ready with his foxfire blades.
"Mingo," Luffy said.
Doflamingo stood up. His grin widened, but his veins pulsed on his forehead. "Straw Hat. You are early. I expected you to die in the ring."
"I quit," Luffy said simply. "My brother is handling the ring. I'm here for you."
Luffy walked into the room. He looked at Law. He saw the blood. He saw the chains.
"Zoro," Luffy said without looking back. "Get Law. Get him out of here."
"Right," Zoro moved.
"Not so fast!" Trebol launched a stream of sticky mucus at Zoro. "Beta Beta Chain!"
Zoro cut the mucus mid-air. "Disgusting."
"Trebol," Doflamingo ordered. "Handle the swordsman. I will deal with the captain."
Doflamingo walked toward Luffy. He towered over the rubber man.
"You think you can beat me?" Doflamingo sneered. "I am a descendant of Gods. I have awakened my fruit. I have ruled the underworld for decades. You are just a rubber monkey."
He raised his hand. "Five Color Strings."
Razor-sharp strings slashed at Luffy's chest.
Luffy didn't dodge. He hardened his chest with Armament Haki.
Clang.
The strings sparked against his skin but didn't cut.
"I don't care about your gods," Luffy said. He bit his forearm. "I don't care about your underworld."
He blew air into his arm. His muscles expanded, but not like Boundman. He compressed the air, forcing it into his legs, his calves, his thighs. His body remained lean, streamlined, aerodynamic. His Haki coated his limbs in jagged, tribal patterns that looked like the stripes of a wild cat.
"Gear Fourth."
Steam erupted from his body, hissing like a jet engine. He didn't bounce. He vibrated with potential energy.
"Cheetah."
Doflamingo frowned. "What is this? A smaller form? You think shrinking will save you?"
"I think," Luffy vanished.
He didn't just move fast. He moved instantly. There was a sonic boom where he had been standing, shattering the windows of the palace.
Doflamingo's Observation Haki screamed a warning, but his body couldn't react in time.
WHAM.
A fist slammed into Doflamingo's side. It was so fast it felt like a railgun shot. Doflamingo folded over the fist, spitting blood. He was launched sideways, smashing through three pillars before he could even register the pain.
"Too slow," Luffy's voice came from right behind him.
Doflamingo spun around, lashing out with a kick. "Athlete!"
His foot hit empty air.
Luffy was already above him.
"Gomu Gomu no..."
Luffy's legs pumped like pistons, blurring into invisibility.
"...Jet Cheetah Gatling!"
It wasn't a barrage of punches. It was a barrage of kicks, faster than sound. Thousands of impacts hit Doflamingo in a single second.
Ratatatatatatatata!
Doflamingo was pinned against the floor by the sheer pressure of the attacks. His feather coat was shredded. His glasses cracked. He couldn't breathe. He couldn't think. He couldn't summon his strings.
"Gah! Argh!" Doflamingo coughed, trying to create a shield. "Spider's Web!"
The web formed, but Luffy simply moved around it. He ran on the air, circling Doflamingo so fast he created a tornado.
"You like controlling people with strings?" Luffy appeared in front of Doflamingo again. "Then let's see you control this."
Luffy grabbed Doflamingo's face. His grip was iron.
"Ryou."
He channeled his advanced Haki directly into Doflamingo's skull.
FLASH.
A shockwave of red lightning exploded from the point of contact. Doflamingo screamed as the internal destruction Haki ravaged his head.
Luffy threw him.
Doflamingo flew through the ceiling, crashing onto the roof of the palace.
Luffy crouched. His legs compressed like high-tension springs.
BOOM.
He launched himself through the hole.
On the roof, Doflamingo struggled to stand. He was bleeding from his nose, mouth, and ears. His glasses were gone, revealing eyes filled with pure shock and terror.
"This... this speed..." Doflamingo wheezed. "It is impossible! Who are you?!"
"I'm the guy who is going to be King of the Pirates," Luffy said, landing softly. Steam curled from his shoulders.
Doflamingo roared. He slammed his hands onto the roof. The stone turned into strings.
"Awakening! Break White!"
Thousands of thick, white strings erupted from the ground, attempting to impale Luffy from all sides. It was a tidal wave of thread.
"Useless," Luffy said.
He didn't dodge the strings. He ran on them.
He sprinted up the tsunami of white threads, his feet moving so fast they didn't sink. He reached the top of the wave and dove toward Doflamingo.
"God Thread!" Doflamingo summoned his ultimate attack, sixteen holy bullets of Haki-infused string. "Die!"
He fired.
Luffy spun his body, becoming a living drill.
"Gomu Gomu no..."
He bypassed the God Threads. He slipped through the gaps in Doflamingo's defense like a phantom.
"...Cheetah... Hunt!"
He didn't punch. He slashed. His fingers, held in a claw shape and coated in Ryou, struck Doflamingo's chest.
SLASH.
Five deep gashes opened across Doflamingo's torso. The force of the blow sent a shockwave through his body, stopping his heart for a second.
Doflamingo's eyes rolled back. He coughed up a massive amount of blood. He fell backward, crashing onto the roof tiles.
He didn't move. He didn't twitch. The strings controlling the Birdcage (which he hadn't even had time to fully cast) dissolved into nothingness.
Luffy stood over him. He exhaled sharply. The steam dissipated. His body returned to normal.
He looked down at the fallen Warlord.
"You talked too much," Luffy said.
Zoro jumped onto the roof, carrying Law. He looked at the unconscious Doflamingo, then at Luffy.
"Done already?" Zoro asked, not looking surprised.
"Yeah," Luffy adjusted his hat. "He was weaker than the cracker guy."
"Cracker guy?" Zoro raised an eyebrow. "Who is that?"
"No one," Luffy grinned. "Let's get out of here. I'm hungry."
Law opened his eyes groggily. He looked at the defeated Doflamingo. He looked at the peaceful sky.
"He... he lost?" Law whispered. "Just like that?"
"I told you," Luffy bent down and poked Law's forehead. "Trust me."
Law closed his eyes again, a faint smile touching his lips.
"Worst... generation... indeed."