One Piece: I will become stronger by checking in

The moment Mihawk unsheathed Yoru, countless eyes locked onto him. Meanwhile, barely anyone spared a glance at Doflamingo, who was building up his ultimate attack below.

But that was to be expected. Who in their right mind would challenge the greatest swordsman alive?

Even though both Mihawk and Doflamingo were Shichibukai, the power gap between them was like heaven and earth!

Mihawk's gaze burned as he looked at Kai.

Their last clash in the East Blue had left Mihawk a little impressed, but that was all. If he had fought seriously back then, Kai wouldn't have lasted long.

But now, judging by the recent rumors, Kai had unknowingly grown into a true powerhouse.

Mihawk had already made up his mind—he would test Kai's current strength. And at the same time, measure the gap between himself and the so-called "Strongest Man in the World," Whitebeard.

Without hesitation, Mihawk narrowed his eyes and swung Yoru twice. Two massive green slashes shot through the air, hurtling toward both Kai and Whitebeard.

At the same time, Doflamingo had finished charging up his attack. With a sinister grin, he let out a chilling laugh before shouting:

"Billow White!"

As soon as he spoke, tens of thousands of razor-thin white threads surged together, forming a monstrous tidal wave that rushed toward Kai.

Yet, despite Doflamingo's dramatic entrance, most of the spectators were focused on Mihawk's attack instead. They were eager to see how much damage the World's Strongest Swordsman could inflict.

Because let's be real—even if Doflamingo was making a big show of things, Mihawk's attack was in a league of its own.

However, one person was paying full attention to Doflamingo's move—Kai, the target of the attack.

At that moment, Kai's expression darkened.

Seriously?

Whitebeard was right there. His bounty and reputation were leagues above Kai's. So why the hell was everyone targeting him instead?

First Kizaru, then Aokiji, and now Mihawk and Doflamingo!

And speaking of Doflamingo—Kai was especially annoyed with him.

Why the hell was he only going after me?! Whitebeard is standing right next to me, damn it!

And to make matters worse…

You're not even using Armament Haki? Who do you think you're looking down on?!

At least Mihawk had the decency to put some force behind his slashes, striking both him and Whitebeard with real intent.

But you, Doflamingo…

Are you kidding me? Do I look like some newbie pirate to you?

As these thoughts raced through Kai's mind, Mihawk's sword slashes and Doflamingo's attack closed in.

But instead of bracing himself, Kai's eyes shifted to Mihawk's attack on Whitebeard.

Sure enough, before the slash could land, a figure stepped forward. One of Whitebeard's sons intercepted the attack with his own body and redirected it skyward.

Kai immediately lost interest.

What the hell, man. Comparing yourself to others is so frustrating.

Now he understood why Whitebeard was always adopting new "sons"—because when something like this happened, they handled it for him.

…Actually, now that he thought about it, maybe after this war, he'd have a chat with Luffy and the crew.

Wouldn't be so bad to become their father, huh?

Kai turned his gaze back to the two incoming attacks. The battlefield fell silent as everyone held their breath, waiting to see how he would respond.

But Kai didn't move. He simply stood there, watching.

Then—

Gasps erupted across the battlefield. Eyes widened in shock.

Both Mihawk's sword slashes and Doflamingo's massive attack suddenly stopped, hanging in the air just meters away from Kai.

A faint golden aura shimmered around him.

Moments later, the energy behind the attacks dissipated completely, vanishing into nothingness.

Kai hadn't lifted a finger.

This was far more terrifying than when Jozu had deflected Mihawk's attack earlier.

Kai's gaze shifted toward Doflamingo.

In that instant, Doflamingo felt as if a wild beast had locked onto him.

The oppressive force was suffocating.

This pressure… it was even stronger than when he had faced Kaido!

Wait…

Could it be…

Was Kai actually stronger than Kaido?!

No! That was impossible!

Doflamingo immediately dismissed the thought. He had been part of the underground world for years—his intelligence network was second to none.

He knew what had happened at Water 7. Yes, Kai had held his own against multiple Admirals, but that was only because of his Devil Fruit ability. He could create powerful clones—he won by overwhelming his opponents through sheer numbers, not individual strength.

He knew Kai was strong… but how strong?

He had to test it himself.

Just as that thought crossed his mind—

Kai disappeared.

Doflamingo's pupils shrank.

A sudden sense of dread flooded his entire body.

And then—

A low voice whispered behind him.

"Are you looking down on me, Joker?"

Sweat poured down Doflamingo's forehead as he whipped around—only to see a fist flying straight at him.

"BANG!"

A single, devastating punch sent Doflamingo soaring like a shooting star, carving a long arc across the battlefield.

At that moment, a golden flash appeared in his trajectory—Kizaru.

Kizaru sighed, watching Doflamingo hurtling toward him with a look of resignation.

Sigh… why do you guys keep provoking this monster?

Didn't you see how badly I got wrecked just now?

And now I have to catch you too?

If he didn't intervene, Doflamingo would be sent flying out of Marineford entirely. And given the force behind that punch, who knew how long it would take for him to recover?

So, with no other choice, Kizaru reached out to stop him.

But the moment he caught Doflamingo—

His expression changed.

"What kind of monstrous power is this?"

That was the only thought in Kizaru's mind as the impact sent both of them flying, carving a long trail through the sky.

By the time they finally stopped, they were kilometers away from Marineford.

And that was after Kizaru had done everything he could to slow them down.

As he steadied himself, Kizaru's mind raced.

This level of power…

Could it be that Doflamingo really had no idea what kind of monster he had picked a fight with?