Chapter 785

Meanwhile, Viola contacts Riku Doldo III while climbing down from the King’s Plateau. Riku asks if Luffy’s battle against Doflamingo is the only one still going on, which Viola confirms, saying that all the executives had been defeated. At the SMILE Factory, Franky yells to the dwarves to evacuate immediately, as the Torikago has reached them. As the dwarves run away, they and Franky realize that since the factory is made of Seastone, Doflamingo’s Devil Fruit powers cannot cut through it, and the Torikago is instead pushing the SMILE Factory towards them. Suddenly, Franky sees Zoro, Kin’emon, and Kanjuro riding on one of Kanjuro’s sparrows.

Franky asks Zoro why they are not going toward the center of town, but Zoro tells him and the dwarves that they are going to try to stop the Torikago and buy everyone some time. This causes the dwarves to become awestruck, and Franky ponders Zoro’s plan when he suddenly gets an idea. As he lies in the rubble of a building, Doflamingo tries to comprehend Luffy’s new form. Luffy then flies toward Doflamingo, intent on ending the battle before Gear 4’s time limit ends. Doflamingo asks Luffy how long he will be able to maintain that form as Luffy aims both his fists at the Warlord.

However, Doflamingo creates two thick waves of string from the ground which block Luffy’s attack, shocking the Straw Hat. Doflamingo reveals that there existed another level of Devil Fruit ability known as “awakening”. Doflamingo then turns several surrounding buildings into string, telling Luffy that some people’s Devil Fruit abilities could awaken in rare circumstances and give them the ability to not only manipulate their body, but their surroundings as well. Luffy is shocked at Doflamingo’s new display of power, commenting that it was like Doflamingo was not a Paramecia anymore. Twenty minutes have passed since the Torikago began shrinking, and the citizens continue to run when an old woman trips and falls.

Her granddaughter rushes to her and pleads with her to get up before she is cut by the strings, but the old woman says that she has reached her limit and couldn’t run anymore. She tells her granddaughter to leave without her, but her granddaughter refuses. Meanwhile, a man cries for help, pleading for the other citizens to help them carry the patients in a hospital to safety. A woman tearfully asks if anyone has seen her missing child, while a man sits in the middle of a road, having decided to not put up a futile fight against the Torikago. Suddenly, Riku activates a Den Den Mushi and broadcasts to the citizens.

He reminds the citizens that today’s shocking events have not been a dream, and that for ten years they have suffered under Doflamingo’s rule. However, he tells the citizens that all the Donquixote Pirates have been defeated save for Doflamingo himself, and Luffy is battling him right now. He reminds the citizens that regardless of whether Luffy wins or loses, the battle will be over in a matter of minutes, and begs his former subjects to keep running and survive, since they still have hope. Riku’s words cause the old woman to get up and run as fast as she can, along with several other hopeful citizens. Doflamingo then states that it is time for everyone to fall, and attacks Luffy using several sheets of string. Luffy, knowing that his time in Gear 4 was nearly up, manages to pull in his head and blast through a sheet of string. He then pulls back his arms, hitting Doflamingo with Gomu Gomu no Leo Bazooka. The force of the attack sends Doflamingo flying all the way into the palace mountain, and the citizens of Dressrosa cheer at Luffy’s attack.