The island was ravaged, the vibrant island now no more than a smoldering wasteland from their brutality. The air hung thick and greasy with smoke and the furnace-like heat clung like a cancerous shroud. Solian and Doflamingo were standing on their feet, chests panting, bodies shattered but still upright.
Doflamingo's clothes were in tatters, his once pristine suit smudged and frayed. His skin was charred in patches, but his will was as unyielding as ever. His hands trembled barely perceptibly as he gripped his strings tightly, pulling himself upright with a grimace. Pain or not, his eyes burned with resolve. He was still standing.
Solian was firm, his whole body radiating burning heat, a wild determination burning in his eyes. Perspiration ran down his face, and there wasn't an inch of going back in him. Solar fires flickered around his body, flared like mad fire, and his chest rose and fell with every labored breath. His fists were clenched, and fresh energy boiled within his body.
The battle had been a long and difficult one. Both combatants had poured everything into it, and now it was reduced to this single instant. Neither would surrender. The passion to battle burned within them, each wishing to emerge victorious.
"Is that all, Solian?" Doflamingo sneered, his voice harsh but poisonous. "You've done your flames, your Haki, but you still don't know everything I can do. I'm not the one who's going down today."
Solian's gaze never shifted. His fists tightened further, and he slowly crept forward. "Then strike me with everything you have."
Doflamingo's smile faltered for a moment. He had underestimated Solian in the past, but now he was starting to realize just how dangerous the young pirate really was. The power, the resolve, the need to keep going—it was something he had never seen before. And Solian was far from done.
With a quick gesture, Doflamingo's strings darted forward, each one sliding like a snake hunting for its next meal. He cut through the air, spinning an impenetrable web of attack, his control over them flawless as ever. He aimed for Solian's chest, his legs, his arms—his whole body was a target. The strings gnawed into the air with such unnatural haste.
But Solian was not deterred. He had suffered too much already. His eyes burned with determination as he dug deep into himself. He could feel the power raging inside him, pushing him to his limits. He had to push harder.
The ground beneath his feet began to crack as his power grew. And then, in the space of a heartbeat, Solian felt it—a reservoir of power such as he had never known. It stormed through him like an unconfined tide, and without will, he channeled it.
His body burst in a torrent of power, but it was different this time. Solian's entire body seemed to glow as he channeled the energy into his arms and legs. Pressure built around him as he called upon the slumbering power of Armament Haki. His fists, now glowing dark, impenetrable armor, became the symbol of his newfound power. The aura surrounding him shifted, becoming black with power, his Haki now flowing through each part of his body.
"This is over now, Doflamingo," Solian's voice thundered, his Haki power creating ripples in the air. He focused all his power into his right fist and his left leg. The solar flames swirled around him, but now, they burned brighter, emanating the new power of his Haki.".
Doflamingo's eyes grew wide in realization. Solian was not only using fire to attack now. The Haki that had come from him was a material force, a force equal to his own. His heart ached, yet his pride reclaimed itself again and would not let up.
"If you really think your little tricks can stop me—" Doflamingo snarled, unleashing his strings again.
But Solian was quicker. In a swift motion, he launched himself toward Doflamingo, sending his burning, Haki-charged fist straight at him. The wind around him became distorted as the power of his punch met the strings of the puppet master. The strings turned to liquid fire and dissolved with the heat, burning away like paper in flames. Doflamingo's smile began to falter as he batted the incoming punch aside, but Solian's strength was too much to handle.
With a powerful punch, Solian's fist hit Doflamingo's defense. The power of the punch was so immense that the ground they were on collapsed, and shockwaves spread across the entire island. The sky above darkened as the collision exploded with a thunderous noise, as if thunder cracked the peace of the world.
Doflamingo's body was pulled back, his feet scraping against the ground as his strings could not deflect him from the raw power of the punch. Blood was smeared on his mouth, and he rose on wobbly legs, his eyes wild with shock. His body was singed, his clothes tattered, and for the first time in the fight, he looked fragile.
"Is this… the end?" Doflamingo pouted, removing the blood from his lip. His face became twisted with rage. "You think you can defeat me? I'm not so easily broken!"
Solian did not respond verbally. Instead, he rushed forward again, his Armament Haki-covered fist and solar flames ablaze with increased intensity. He gave it everything he had in terms of power and will. This time, there would be no holding back.
The air distortion snapped as Solian's Haki and fire clashed with Doflamingo's defenses for the final time. The world held its breath as both combatants poured all the willpower they could muster into their final meeting.
With a final roar, Solian charged his fist forward with what remained of his strength.
"THIS IS MY WILL!" Solian roared.
Doflamingo's eyes had widened in astonishment as he summoned the remaining strength in his body, counterattacking his own Haki against Solian's. Too late.
The shock caused by the force of the impact shattered the ground away from their feet, and the world exploded in light and power. The struggle that had been burning for what felt like forever was finally ended.
When the dust had settled, Solian stood tall, his battered and burned body but victorious. His chest heaved with each breath, and his eyes burned with unbreakable flames of determination.
Doflamingo, in contrast, lay on the ground, defeated but not yet broken. His body bruised, his strength drained, and his strings silent at his side.
Solian's breathing strained as he gazed down at his vanquished opponent. His solar flames flickered again before extinguishing, his Haki still lingering about him like a mystical aura. This battle had been the testing ground for his strength, and he had emerged victorious.
"This… is the end of your rule, Doflamingo," Solian breathed, his voice steadfast.
But even in that instant of victory, Solian knew that it was only the beginning. The Grand Line was huge, and there were a lot of challenges waiting for him. The world still had its enemies, and Solian still had to climb up where he wanted to go. But in that instant, that victory was his.
And nothing would stand in the way of it.