One piece: Dark Smoker

On a distant mountain peak, Zean and Doflamingo's battle had reached a fever pitch.

Doflamingo's clothes were in tatters, his face smeared with blood, and gruesome wounds dotted his body. Yet he seemed oblivious to the pain, pressing his hands to the ground to activate his awakened Devil Fruit powers.

"Surge Wave White Thread!"

In an instant, half the mountainside transformed into a sea of white threads, surging toward Zean like a tsunami.

Zean was just as battered, with a bloody gash across her cheek. Seeing the wave of threads closing in, she used Shave to retreat and create distance.

"Don't think you're the only one with awakened powers! Thorned Moon Barrage!"

From the ground, countless black thorns erupted, forming a dense forest that collided head-on with the white threads.

The two forces clashed violently—threads slicing through thorns, thorns tearing through threads—turning the entire mountain into a battlefield of black and white.

"Five-Colored Thread!"

Seizing an opportunity, Doflamingo launched a precise attack, aiming the razor-sharp threads at Zean's neck for a swift decapitation.

*So fast!* Zean's pupils shrank as she realized she couldn't dodge in time.

She raised her Haki-coated arm to block the attack.

The threads struck with a grinding screech, sending sparks flying. While her Armament Haki held, it wasn't refined enough to completely nullify the blow, and a deep gash was left on her arm, exposing the bone.

Ignoring the searing pain, Zean countered. Manipulating the thorns, she launched several spikes directly at Doflamingo's face.

"Thread Shield!"

A white-thread shield materialized before Doflamingo. While it was highly effective against slashes and blunt force, its defense against piercing attacks was lacking.

There was a sharp crack as most spikes were stopped, but two broke through, impaling Doflamingo's shoulder.

Both combatants retreated, heavily injured and panting, their eyes locked in a deadly stare.

Zean clutched her bleeding arm, blood staining half her body. *Damn it, my arm's useless now! And this blood loss... it's too fast.*

*It's been years, and he's gotten even stronger!**she thought bitterly.

Unlike Zean, who had attended the Navy's elite training program, Doflamingo had fought his way through countless life-and-death battles. Zean had expected to dominate the fight, but instead, they were evenly matched, both sustaining serious injuries.

Doflamingo gritted his teeth as he yanked out the spikes from his shoulder. The agony turned his face pale, sweat mixing with blood as it dripped down his chin.

"Fufufufu... Hahahaha!" Doflamingo's sudden laughter echoed through the air.

"After all these years, Zean, this is the first time we've crossed paths again. And it seems we're still evenly matched!" he sneered.

Zean scoffed. "If it weren't for your lackeys meddling last time, you'd be dead already."

"Fufufu..." Doflamingo ignored the jab, his grin unfaltering. "Once Pikra and the others finish off your subordinates, your time is up. Blame your own foolishness... and your lack of a family worth trusting."

"Ugh, spare me your 'family loyalty' nonsense!" Zean retorted, rolling her eyes. "I'm not one of those idiots who'll grovel for crumbs while you spin lies. You prey on fools, and that's just low, even for you."

Doflamingo's smile faltered, his expression darkening. "Fufufu... Say what you want. In the end, I'll sever that clever little head of yours and turn your skull into my wine cup!"

Without warning, Doflamingo leaped into the air, unleashing black wind blades that gouged deep craters into the ground.

In the distance, Smoker and Hina approached using Geppo.

"Hina, protect Rear Admiral Zean! I'll handle him!" Smoker barked.

"Understood!" Hina accelerated toward Zean.

"Not so fast!" Doflamingo roared. "Five-Colored Thread!"

The colorful threads slashed through Hina—only for her body to disperse into smoke and reform in front of Zean.

"Logia?!"

Doflamingo's heart sank. These two marines were far more troublesome than he'd anticipated.

Zean, barely holding on, managed to mutter, "I'll leave it to you," before collapsing. With her consciousness fading, the thorny forest created by her awakened powers vanished.

Zeon was finally at her limit, unlike Doflamingo, whose resilience seemed monstrous. Her earlier bravado had merely been a façade to deceive him, forcing herself to stand tall despite her injuries.

The truth was, Doflamingo could have ended her life with a single move moments ago.

Now that the tension broke, Zeon could no longer hold on. She collapsed, unconscious, her strength completely drained.

Hina, alarmed, quickly cradled Zeon in her arms and prepared to escape using Geppo.

Doflamingo roared in fury, "Bring that woman back! I still need her head as a trophy!"

Threads laced with Haki slashed through the air toward the two women.

Hina gritted her teeth, holding Zeon tightly as she prepared to shield her with her body, bracing for the impact.

Suddenly, Smoker appeared in front of them.

"Tekkai!"

The threads struck with a screech, sparks and blood flying everywhere. Smoker's chest bore five deep gashes, pain contorting his face as veins bulged on his forehead. Yet, he stood firm, stopping the attack.

Doflamingo's fingers twitched.

"Bullet String!"

"Rankyaku!"

The two attacks collided mid-air, erupting in smoke and debris.

Taking the opportunity, Hina flew off with Zeon in her arms, creating as much distance as possible.

"Fufufu... Such boldness for a mere Marine soldier to stand in my way!" Doflamingo's manic laughter echoed as he conjured a spear of white threads, hurling it at Smoker.

"Dark Void!"

A dark aura enveloped Smoker's body, spreading to the incoming threads and absorbing them entirely.

Doflamingo's eyes widened in shock. **What kind of ability is this?!**

The unusual power momentarily stunned him, and Smoker capitalized on the distraction.

"Dark Pull!"

Doflamingo, caught off guard, was yanked forward by an invisible force, his wrist caught in Smoker's iron grip.

"Hmph, hand-to-hand combat? Fine… Overheat String!"

This move sent five threads from above, aiming to pierce through Smoker's body.

Doflamingo's towering height gave him the perfect angle to execute the move, but then he noticed something unsettling—the attack didn't work.

"What's going on?!"

"Hmph… Figure it out yourself," Smoker replied coldly, channeling power into his fist.

With a heavy punch, Smoker struck Doflamingo's abdomen. Though devoid of Haki, the sheer force sent Doflamingo flying dozens of meters, smashing through massive rocks and trees before crashing to the ground.

Doflamingo tried to rise, but his body froze. He coughed up blood and collapsed, unable to move.

His earlier battle with Zeon had left him riddled with internal and external injuries. While his recently developed ability to stitch wounds gave him an edge, it wasn't enough. The cumulative damage and Smoker's powerful blow finally drained his strength entirely.

Smoker wasn't about to let him recover. Charging forward, he prepared to deal the finishing blow.

Suddenly, the ground next to Doflamingo rippled.

Senior Pink emerged, grabbing Doflamingo and attempting to escape into the earth.

"You won't get away!" Smoker bellowed. "Dark Pull!"

The immense suction force nearly dragged both men upward. Senior Pink clung to Doflamingo's ankle with one hand and a massive embedded rock with the other, struggling to resist.

But the pull grew stronger, and the rock began to loosen.

Desperate, Senior Pink shouted, "Young Master! Wake up!"

The harsh pull and the urgent cry stirred Doflamingo back to semi-consciousness. Gritting his teeth, he mustered the last remnants of his strength.

"Shield White Thread…"

A shield of white threads appeared in front of them, briefly blocking Smoker's pull.

"Escape... underground..."

With those final words, Doflamingo's head drooped, and he passed out completely.

The white shield shattered under the force of Smoker's power, but it had bought just enough time.

Senior Pink dove into the earth with Doflamingo, vanishing entirely.

Smoker landed where they had disappeared, his face grim. He slammed the ground in frustration, leaving a deep crater.

"Damn it!"

Regret washed over him. If he had mastered Armament Haki, his earlier punch could have ended Doflamingo for good.

Even Observation Haki would have sufficed—Senior Pink's ability allowed him to swim through the earth, but he still needed air. Smoker could have tracked him, waiting for the moment they surfaced.

But now it was too late.

Without knowing which direction they fled, and with Senior Pink's ability to hold his breath for several minutes, tracking them was impossible.

*I need to prioritize Haki training when I get back,* Smoker thought with a heavy sigh.

Shaking off his frustration, he turned to find Hina and Zeon, determined to regroup.