Days later, in the early morning
The sea near Punk Hazard was shrouded in a hazy mist.
The sun had just risen.
A massive warship sailed into the harbor, and Enel sat listlessly on the railing, yawning.
As the warship docked, Enel casually called out:
"Yo~ Uncle."
"Brother Carol."
Some excitement in his voice, he jumped down directly onto the port.
Sakazuki gave a soft 'hmm'.
Carol also nodded with a smile, sighing with emotion:
"You've grown so fast."
"After not seeing you for years, you're almost as tall as Admiral Sakazuki."
Enel chuckled.
Just then, Rosinante's voice came from the docked warship:
"Admiral Sakazuki, Rear Admiral Carol."
Sakazuki nodded:
"How are the injuries?"
Rosinante replied:
"Fully recovered."
"All well."
With that, he waved his hand behind him, and squads of Marines marched down, escorting several pirates.
Chained by seastone cuffs, they were too weak to resist, utterly depleted.
Sakazuki surveyed these members of the Donquixote family:
"Not bad."
"They're all here."
Enel nodded:
"Yes, all the Devil Fruit users are here."
"Those without fruits were all killed."
Sakazuki stepped forward, grabbed the tallest of them, Pica, by the neck.
*Crack—*
His neck shattered instantly, Armament Haki injected into his cervical spine, destroying the nerves.
He slumped down, unconscious.
Four soldiers carried him into a chamber filled with green nutrient fluid and headed for a research facility.
Then, he moved to the next one...
"Pica!"
"Damn it!!!"
"You!..."
*Crack—*
*Crack—*
*Crack—*
*Boom!!!*
Suddenly, an immense killing intent erupted from the warship, a surging Conqueror's Haki.
Doflamingo's furious voice roared:
"Stop it right there!!!!"
His body, bound by seastone, lacked strength, but his contorted face was like a demon's as he glared at Sakazuki.
Watching his family fall one by one, he was on the verge of losing his mind.
He wanted to rush down, but he was restrained by the escorting soldiers working together.
Sakazuki, holding Gladius by the neck, looked at the figure on the warship.
*Crack—*
He casually tossed him towards the nutrient chamber prepared by the soldiers.
Sakazuki frowned, looking at Doflamingo:
"This is truly reckless."
"How could you unleash Conqueror's Haki in a place like this?"
*Boom!*
Beside him, Enel suddenly unleashed his own Conqueror's Haki, pressing down on Doflamingo to counter.
Seeing Enel, who had awakened Conqueror's Haki at some point.
Sakazuki showed a hint of interest:
"When did you awaken it?"
Enel's eyes narrowed as he stared at Doflamingo:
"When I went to save Rosinante earlier."
"Rosinante was almost killed by this guy... If it were just a few seconds later..."
"He might have... Fortunately, I saved him in the end."
Sakazuki chuckled:
"Good."
He looked at the soldiers on the warship:
"Bring that guy down."
Looking at Doflamingo, who was brought before him, still glaring ferociously.
Sakazuki smiled:
"A pirate prisoner."
"How dare you be so arrogant?"
"What gives you your confidence?"
*Crack! x2*
Both his lower legs snapped forward at a 90-degree angle from the knee.
*Tear—*
The sound of bone tearing through flesh and skin echoed.
The white bone at the broken knee forcefully ripped through muscle, protruding from his body.
Before he could react.
A hand wearing a black glove instantly clamped around Doflamingo's neck, silencing him.
Sakazuki leaned down slightly.
Looking at Doflamingo, trapped in his hand, his face red, veins bulging.
"Hm?"
"Can you tell me?"
Everything happened in a flash.
Rosinante on the warship didn't even have time to react before witnessing this brutal scene.
Law was also stunned, looking at Sakazuki with a touch of fear.
Rosinante reacted, pulling Law behind him, and shouted at Sakazuki:
"Admiral Sakazuki! Wait!!"
"You can't kill him!!!"
Yet, he himself was also trembling with fear.
Indeed, besides those truly close to him and the hardliners, Sakazuki's methods were notoriously brutal.
Not only pirates feared him, but many within the Marines themselves trembled upon seeing him.
For someone like Rosinante, it had taken years of acquaintance to suppress his fear.
But if provoked directly... that fear resurfaced.
Sakazuki glanced at Rosinante, who immediately stiffened slightly...
Shaking his head, Sakazuki chuckled:
"Don't worry, I don't intend to kill him."
"After all, someone upstairs wants him alive."
"However..."
He released his grip, dropping the limp body to the ground.
Looking at Doflamingo, his face contorted with hatred, gritting his teeth without a sound.
Sakazuki stepped on the white bone at his knee and ground it down.
Seeing Doflamingo still silent, Sakazuki smiled:
"I like it when bones are tough."
Then, his black leather shoe slowly moved.
Except for Carol and Enel, who were already accustomed to it, those around them felt their bodies weaken and were chilled to the bone.
Doflamingo's limb bones were being systematically crushed by Sakazuki.
The continuous sound of cracking bones filled the air.
The entire port, everyone, fell silent...
They dared not even breathe...
After a long while.
*Crack—*
He crushed the last bone in his shoulder.
Looking at Doflamingo, his eyes rolled back, seemingly losing consciousness, yet still gritting his teeth and remaining silent.
Sakazuki nodded:
"Good."
He waved his hand, summoning the next group of soldiers carrying nutrient chambers.
He waved a few more times before the soldiers reacted. Just as they were about to move,
They all collapsed onto the ground...
Sakazuki frowned and kicked them directly onto the nutrient chamber.
Suddenly experiencing the impact, Doflamingo seemed to regain a sliver of consciousness.
The several collapsed soldiers, in a fluster, shoved him inside.
As Doflamingo was pushed in, his body instinctively coughed a few times, but found he could still breathe.
Even the nutrient fluid he inhaled was rapidly repairing his body.
Sakazuki walked over and looked at Doflamingo submerged within:
"Don't rush, this is nutrient fluid."
"For repairing your body."
"Later, they'll put you in the most advanced nutrient chamber."
"These injuries will heal in a day."
"It will just cost you 'a little bit' of your lifespan."
"We'll continue tomorrow."
"I want to see how tough your bones truly are."
"In the days to come, you will know what true..."
"Hell... is."