Minato stood on the opposing ship, completely unharmed! Then who was the one caught in his strings?
As the strings unraveled, they revealed nothing but empty air.
"That ability... is it related to space?!" Seemingly too shocked to even utter his usual flamboyant phrases, Doflamingo questioned.
"It's just an ordinary ability," Minato replied calmly to Doflamingo's inquiry.
"You control strings, huh? Too bad, you're going to die today," Tetsu declared. Each of these shinobi exuded unwavering confidence.
"I'll attack," Kurama Byaku volunteered.
"Alright," Minato agreed. The Hidden Sage villagers looked to him for guidance. Kurama Byaku focused his gaze on Doflamingo below. Then...
"My eyes!" Doflamingo shrieked in terror.
All color drained from his vision, leaving only darkness! His sight had been stolen by Kurama Byaku!
Sensory manipulation, it was an application of the Kurama clan's terrifying and overwhelmingly powerful Kekkei Genkai.
The original owners of this ship felt despair at Byaku's hands, experiencing the utter helplessness of sensory deprivation.
Now, plunged into darkness and silence, Doflamingo shared their fate.
Whoosh!
Thud!
A kunai pierced Doflamingo's flesh, drawing blood.
Depriving his opponents of sight and hearing before swiftly ending their lives with a kunai was Kurama Byaku's signature tactic.
"Oops, that was a bit off."
On the sea, Kurama Byaku drew another kunai, aiming carefully, taking his time.
"This time, I won't miss. Are you scared? Oh, right, you can't hear me now.
"Then, die!"
Whoosh!
"Young Master!!!"
Thud!!!
The kunai pierced through a man's body, one of Doflamingo's crew, an ordinary sailor. While many saw Doflamingo as a cruel and ruthless pirate, to his crew, he was their leader, their faith.
"What the hell?" Kurama Byaku said with annoyance, drawing yet another kunai. "No one else will get in the way this time."
Whoosh!
Another kunai flew.
Kurama Byaku was highly skilled; his kunai throws were precise. The previous miss had been deliberate, a taunt aimed at Doflamingo.
Suddenly, Kurama Byaku leaped back.
Strings were attacking him. Looking at the sightless Doflamingo, he remarked with admiration, "To calmly utilize Observation Haki while deprived of sight and hearing... that's quite some talent."
"Release the genjutsu," Minato instructed.
"Fine." Without questioning, Kurama Byaku shrugged and dispelled the illusion depriving Doflamingo of his senses.
The sensation of light and sound returned to him. Doflamingo's eyes narrowed behind his sunglasses. "What a terrifying power," he muttered, eyeing Kurama Byaku with apprehension.
At this moment, Doflamingo was already contemplating escape.
He wasn't just facing personal danger; his entire crew was in a situation where death seemed almost a certainty.
He glanced around, noticing his subordinates were struggling against their opponents.
Moments before, the two crews had clashed. However, every member of this ship they had encountered was a monster!
The one with the spatial ability was shrouded in mystery, his true strength unknown.
The seemingly harmless individual beside him possessed the power to rob one of their senses, and it was unclear if he could take away even more.
Elsewhere, the boy who controlled water had merged with the sea, commanding water dragons to attack. Then there was the boy who could freeze seawater, the one with exceptional swordsmanship, and the boy who wielded scorching flames...
It wasn't just Doflamingo; his crew was also desperate to escape.
Their initial bravado had long since evaporated in the face of the overwhelming strength of the shinobi pirate crew. No one harbored any illusions of victory anymore; survival was their only goal.
"Damn it, come down here and fight!" a frustrated commander roared at the sea, resembling a flustered rooster.
Ranzuki stood calmly on the water's surface, unmoved and almost amused.
"Why don't you come down here?" he taunted.
As a shinobi, he knew how to exploit every advantage. This opponent's swordsmanship was nothing special.
The Devil Fruit granted him immense power but hindered his true potential as a swordsman. Without the fruit's abilities, Ranzuki held the commander's skills in utter contempt.
"Damn it!!!"
Enraged by the taunt, the commander fumed, practically steaming.
But he was met with a Water Dragon Bullet Technique that sent him scrambling.
Devil Fruit users were powerful, but their vulnerability to seawater was a fatal flaw.
And for Ranzuki, who possessed the Hydrification Technique, the sea was the ultimate weapon. He was truly in his element, like a fish in water.
Ranzuki didn't mind that the commander dodged his attack.
He even had the leisure to observe the other battles.
As for going all out? Minato hadn't given the signal yet, so he would continue to toy with his opponent.
He wasn't alone; the other shinobi had also secured their advantage, waiting for Minato's command to deliver the final blow.
Minato, aware of the entire situation and his comrades' readiness, surveyed the battlefield.
[A/n: Today's meeting lasted from 9 am until now. I'm completely drained. I could only manage to revise a discarded draft. My apologies.
[tl/n: that explains why this chapter felt so incomplete.]]
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