Having temporarily shaken off Tsuru's pursuit, Doflamingo headed towards the area where the sea current was erupting.
"What's the situation, Cricket? Is the stream about to appear?" Doflamingo asked Cricket seriously. The situation demanded his full attention, especially with that persistent nuisance still on their tail.
"If my calculations are correct, it's... about to arrive," Cricket replied, equally grave.
The once clear, sunny sky suddenly darkened, as massive black cumulonimbus clouds gathered. The heavens changed their expression without a second thought, completely disregarding the lives of those at sea.
"Young Master, there's a change in the situation ahead. A huge storm is approaching!" the navigator reported dutifully.
"Continue straight ahead! As if a storm could stop me! Impossible, absolutely impossible!"
The sky, as if offended by someone's disrespect, darkened further. The previously calm sea suddenly became turbulent, and a powerful suction force began to pull Doflamingo's pirate ship forward.
At that moment, the sound of cannon fire broke the brief calm.
Boom!
On the sea behind them, Vice Admiral Tsuru's fleet was firing at Doflamingo.
In an instant, several black cannonballs soared into the sky, like dark meteors, hurtling towards Doflamingo's position.
The previously stable pirate ship began to rock violently due to the bombardment.
"Doflamingo, be a good boy and stop! You can't escape!" Tsuru's voice boomed from behind, trying to dissuade Doflamingo.
"Trebol, you guys handle the pursuit from behind!"
Doflamingo assigned the task of blocking the attack to Trebol. He had no time for Tsuru; his entire focus was on the current anomaly.
The Donquixote Pirates, temporarily free from the barrage, continued forward.
"Young Master, look! There's a giant whirlpool ahead! If we go straight ahead, we'll be swallowed whole!" a crew member reported, trembling.
Doflamingo had already seen the massive whirlpool. Honestly, it was the first time he'd ever seen one so large. The center of the whirlpool was like a black hole, bottomless and terrifying. A monstrous suction force relentlessly pulled the pirate ship forward, as if it wouldn't rest until it devoured everything.
"Fuffuffuffu, we're charging straight in!" Doflamingo showed no hesitation. Hesitation leads to defeat. Just go for it! He glanced at his crew and laughed.
The waves surged on the open sea, and the current became increasingly turbulent. Towering waves rose dozens of meters high, a truly imposing spectacle.
Everyone on the Donquixote Pirates' ship felt the vessel rocking beneath their feet. Their expressions varied: some were terrified, their hands and feet trembling uncontrollably; others appeared calm but gripped the ship's railings tightly, afraid of falling overboard and being swallowed by the sea; and some remained composed, utterly indifferent to life and death.
Doflamingo didn't blame them. The terror of nature was undeniable, and not everyone possessed the courage to face fear head-on.
He noticed Cricket's serious and composed demeanor, and Doflamingo nodded approvingly. Truly, a man burdened with clearing his ancestor's shame had impressive willpower.
"Everyone, hold on tight! It's best to get close to the cabins or grab onto something. The waves are about to get much rougher." Doflamingo warned them.
The crew immediately followed their captain's orders. They'd never seen such a massive whirlpool before, and its earth-shattering power suggested they might not survive this encounter.
Standing on the deck, without a firm grip on the ship, the churning waves could easily sweep a person overboard and into the sea.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, the sails billowed.
"Lower the foresail and mainsail completely! Raise the trysail on the mizzenmast!"
"Mind the order of lowering the sails! Lower the topsail first, then the mainsail..."
The storm was brewing. Diamante was directing the crew in controlling the pirate ship, and the others quickly followed his instructions.
"Splash!"
The rain poured down in torrents, and the wind howled in their ears.
Doflamingo stood in the downpour, facing the gale, his figure erect at the bow of the ship.
His short, golden hair was flamboyant, and his sunglasses concealed his eyes, making it impossible to discern his expression. But his sharply defined, handsome face was the picture of composure and calm.
Doflamingo stared at the towering waves ahead, not daring to relax for even a moment. Tsuru was still relentlessly pursuing them, showing no signs of giving up. This suffocating pressure weighed heavily on him.
Doflamingo knew this was his last chance. If he missed this stream, the consequences were obvious: a long stay in prison, even though the prison meals were large...
The Navy, Vice Admiral Tsuru's fleet, had to follow Doflamingo's reckless advance. But the weather conditions were indeed deteriorating rapidly.
The sea ahead had split open into a gigantic maw, as if to devour everything, to extinguish all life. Tsuru watched the situation with concern. Her ship hadn't even entered the vortex proper; even on the periphery, she could feel the immense pulling force.
"Doflamingo, stop! Come back with me! At least you'll save your life! If you enter that vortex, you'll die for sure!" Tsuru shouted at Doflamingo. The increasingly violent whirlpool made Tsuru cautious, fearing total annihilation.
However, Tsuru's words had no effect. Doflamingo ignored them completely, determined to plunge into the massive whirlpool.
"Madman! Doflamingo is doomed! To escape justice, he'd rather choose a path to certain death than surrender," Tsuru muttered, slightly dazed.
But she quickly regained her composure. They were pirates, after all. Sympathizing with pirates was ridiculous. Wouldn't it be better if pirates were dead? Tsuru immediately gave orders.
"Control the ship's speed! Don't get sucked into the whirlpool! Pay close attention! Keep a close watch on the Donquixote Pirates and see what becomes of them!"
Tsuru ordered her fleet to remain on the outskirts of the whirlpool, observing Doflamingo's movements. Although, in their view, Doflamingo was doomed. Such a massive whirlpool, even Jesus couldn't save him.
And so, the distance between the two ships widened. The Donquixote Pirates resolutely advanced towards the whirlpool, while Tsuru's fleet lingered on the edge.
Ahead, as the whirlpool's suction grew more terrifying, not only Doflamingo's crew but also some marine life were caught. In this immense pull, they were drawn towards the center of the vortex.
"Roar!"
Suddenly, a Sea King, very similar to the Near-Sea Lords from Luffy's hometown, surged up, roaring loudly, seemingly about to destroy the pirate ship.
"Do you also wish to dance, beast?" Doflamingo's gaze was imperious, full of swagger.
"Whoosh!"
His Conqueror's Haki spread invisibly, terrifying the Sea King so much that it broke out in a cold sweat and hastily dived back into the depths, making a swift escape.
The startled crew members were immediately relieved, but the increasingly terrifying pull and waves brought their hearts back into their throats. It was like riding a roller coaster, a constant state of suspense.
The sky was dark, as if night had fallen.
Outside the whirlpool, Vice Admiral Tsuru watched as Doflamingo, with everyone's apprehension, charged into the center of the vortex. The outcome was sealed. Doflamingo's fate was ship destruction and death.
However, a bizarre scene unfolded. The previously turbulent sea calmed down. The black hole-like whirlpool suddenly vanished, replaced by an unusually calm surface, as if everything that had just happened was unrelated.
Due to the disappearance of the whirlpool, the ship, on the verge of being swallowed by the black hole, came to a stable stop on the surface of the sea, unharmed.
"This... What's going on?"
"What happened? Why did the whirlpool disappear all of a sudden?"
The female officers' faces were filled with bewilderment. They had been quietly waiting for the Donquixote Pirates' demise, and now this sudden turn of events left everyone utterly confused.
"I don't know. What's going on?"
"This whirlpool is truly strange, appearing suddenly and disappearing just as suddenly."
Even the navigator on Vice Admiral Tsuru's ship scratched his head, looking utterly bewildered and perplexed.
Even Vice Admiral Tsuru's expression was unsettled. She had sailed the seas for decades and had never encountered anything so strange.
"They have damn good luck. To think they'd escape death like that," someone muttered quietly.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru, should we pursue them?"
Tsuru's expression was grim. This was completely beyond her expectations, a real slap in the face.
"Wait a while longer. This happened suddenly; it's full of mysteries," Tsuru said, ignoring the discussions around her.
The crew of the Donquixote Pirates were also experiencing a rollercoaster of emotions. Just moments ago, they had watched themselves falling into the black hole of the vortex, believing they were doomed. To think they'd survive! The turnaround was so swift that it felt unbelievable.
But soon, their calmed hearts were once again thrown into turmoil.
The wild winds at sea had ceased, and even the sky had stopped weeping. The sea was calm and still, without a single ripple, as if everything that had just happened was a final performance.
Silence. Deathly silence.
The entire world seemed to have fallen into silence at that moment. Even the sound of swallowing was clearly audible.
Everyone on the sea was enveloped in this atmosphere, silent and terrifying. An unknown fear lingered in everyone's heart. A sense of danger was rapidly approaching.
Gurgle, gurgle...
The calm sea surface, at some unknown point, began to bubble.
Boom!!
A strange vibration suddenly came from the seabed.
"This is?"
"Could it be an underwater volcanic eruption...?"
The Navy personnel in the distance saw this, and the female officers were terrified. They were grateful for Vice Admiral Tsuru's wise decision and simultaneously felt pity for the pirates.
Boom! Boom!
The vibrations from the seabed grew more intense. The sea current became chaotic, even creating numerous ripples, as if the entire ocean was about to be shaken.
The underwater eruption had begun...
In the dark depths, a vast column of water began to form.
"That's..."
On the warship, sweat dripped from the navigator's forehead. She hadn't realized that her voice had become hoarse, and her previously fair and beautiful face had become even paler.
Vice Admiral Tsuru ignored everyone's reactions, focusing intently on what was happening before her. Everything that had occurred today would be another highlight in her decades-long naval career.
The sea was indeed full of miracles, captivating. This kind of divine phenomenon was unheard of, rare in the world.
Boom! Boom!
The rumbling from the seabed grew louder, almost deafening.
The massive column of water became clearer, as if stirring up the entire sea.
The nascent water column rapidly broke through the surface, ascending towards the sky.
Doflamingo's ship was also lifted by the waves, riding atop the current. Even the surrounding sea currents gradually became more violent.
A breathtaking surge of air, carrying the turbulent currents, instantly swept across the entire ocean.
The atmospheric pressure at sea rose at an unimaginable, astonishing speed.
"Boom!"
With a tremendous roar, a mighty, awe-inspiring column of water shot up into the sky, as if reaching for its mother's embrace, disappearing into the firmament.
The Donquixote Pirates, caught in the center of the surging water, were also in a precarious situation. The invisible, terrifying air pressure made it difficult for them to breathe. The intense disorientation forced them to rely on external objects to steady themselves. And so, Doflamingo and his crew finally embarked on their journey to the sky, thousands of meters above.
Fly, Doflamingo! Fly towards the land of dreams...
The journey of dreams had taken another step forward.
Suffocation. This breathtaking scene made even the Navy personnel feel breathless.
"No way..."
"The sea current is rising! Towards the sky!"
The female officers, witnessing this stunning spectacle, were in disbelief.
"Unheard of, unbelievable!"
Vice Admiral Tsuru also wore a grave expression. That massive column of water was right before her eyes, continuously ascending into the sky, showing no sign of slowing down, only intensifying. She didn't know what would become of Doflamingo and his crew within it. Would they be carried thousands of meters into the sky and then fall to the Blue Sea, smashed to pieces? Would they be torn apart by the immense pressure of the Knock-Up Stream? Or was there another possibility: that Doflamingo would survive unscathed and escape her pursuit?
Seeing the Donquixote Pirates disappear before their eyes, the shock in the marines' eyes was gradually replaced by excited glee. They believed that with such a powerful Knock-Up Stream, the Donquixote Pirates were undoubtedly doomed. No one could save them. But would things really turn out as they thought? Who knew?
Amidst the cheers, only Tsuru remained exceptionally calm. She had a nagging suspicion, a feeling that something was amiss. Analyzing Doflamingo's behavior, she saw him as a rebellious, arrogant individual who believed in his own superiority. How could he die so easily? And judging by his decision to flee rather than fight, even if he couldn't defeat her, he wouldn't willingly put himself in a situation that guaranteed his death.
Unless... all of this was premeditated. Tsuru finally arrived at this conclusion. Her mood, which had been shaken by the awe-inspiring Knock-Up Stream, turned sour, and her expression became increasingly gloomy.
But what did any of this have to do with Doflamingo? He might even mock Tsuru if he knew she was frowning, adding insult to injury.
On the once-joyful warship, the female officers, seeing Vice Admiral Tsuru's expression, also felt their hearts waver.
"Vice Admiral Tsuru, could it be that they...?"
"Yes, things have taken a turn for the worse. They've escaped, and this time, we've truly lost them completely, lost all trace of them," Tsuru said somberly.
Leaving the stunned crew behind, Tsuru walked to the bow of the ship. Looking at the distant, sky-piercing sea current, she fell into deep thought. A sea breeze blew, making the "Justice" coat on her back flutter loudly.
Doflamingo, you won't be so lucky next time. I look forward to our next encounter.