The battle had reached boiling point.
The streets of Dressrosa, once bright with the color of life, were now war-torn, filled with tension and the stench of bitter burning debris. Solian and Doflamingo were engaged in an open battle, their clashing powers making the ground beneath their feet shake. But the fight had taken a turn—Solian had released a power he had kept bottled up for so long. His solar fire, once merely a tool to an end, was now his weapon of choice. The air around him wavered with heat as the fire came to life, bursting from his form like a furnace about to explode.
"You're not getting away, Doflamingo," Solian growled, his voice full of determination. His body radiated a hot intensity, a byproduct of the solar energy he had stored within. He could feel the flame coursing through his veins, his muscles burning with the fiery energy of the sun. The ground beneath him split from the pressure of his growing energy, the air around him distorting from the flames building within him.
Doflamingo, standing at the center of the chaos, watched with a mocking grin. "Impressive," he sneered, his strings snapping through the air, cutting through the flames with ease. "But you're still not strong enough, little pirate."
Solian was on fire with resolve. His flames erupted in all directions, surrounding his body with a burning aura. The temperature of the air around him rose exponentially, turning the air itself into burning heat. Blazing heat surrounded everything, similar to the face of molten lava. His solar flames were now at his disposal, and the ground around him began to smolder at his feet. Doflamingo's smirking confidence started to waver, his hands moving into a defensive stance to control his strings in anticipation of the rising heat.
"You think you can kill me while I'm alive?" Doflamingo taunted, his voice not fazed by the crushing heat.
"I'm not trying to kill you," Solian growled. His eyes were as hard as stone with resolve. "I'm going to melt you down to powder."
With that, he thrust his hand ahead, unleashing a wave of solar flames in front of Doflamingo. The furious flash of fire was something the world had never witnessed. The fires charged ahead, twisting into a colossal blaze, and Doflamingo was forced to step back, his strings flashing about him as he attempted to shield himself.
The fire ravaged the field, lapping over every obstacle in its way. The heat was oppressive, and the very ground began to crumble and break up as the fire spread. Doflamingo, strong though he was, had to bend under growing stress, his strings straining as they contained the onrush.
"Imposing. But you are not yet strong enough to kill me," replied Doflamingo, his grin evil as his strings came alive and sliced through the flames, even as the heat grew more intense.
Solian, feeling the surge of power coursing through him, allowed his willpower to burn hotter. The flames around him responded, increasing in intensity again as he reached deeper into his solar power. He grunted, focusing, pushing his power to its limits.
The battle of their willpower was at hand. Doflamingo's Haki surged to the forefront, a black aura of Haoshoku emanating from his body as he tried to shatter Solian's will. Solian's own Haoshoku flared back, a storm of willpower crashing into Doflamingo's in a jarring shockwave that shook the ground beneath them.
The flames only grew hotter as the two users of Haki clashed with each other—one in the fiery energies of the sun, the other in years of cleverness and frozen will. The air would appear to brew with a threatened explosion into flames as their Haki burst out.
Doflamingo's eyes narrowed, piercing strings of light flashing ever more quickly, the Haki smoldering within them like furious snakes. The very air began to ripple around him, as if reality itself was bending under pressure. Solian felt the heavy burden of the Haoshoku but refused to shatter. He breathed deeply instead, summoning his own inner strength to counter Doflamingo's.
"Not this time, Doflamingo!" Solian bellowed, charging forward as his solar flames became even more incandescent than they previously had, a blazing tide of liquid fire hurled at the Donquixote pirate.
Doflamingo's face contorted into a look of laughter at the jest, but he had not been left unprepared. He unleashed a massive blast of his own Haoshoku to meet Solian's flames, the two bludgeoning collision in a wracking shockwave blast so forceful that the two pirates were sent flying backwards. The blaze that consumed Solian twisted and exploded in greater flames, burning like a giant fire as the heat around the air intensified to scorching temperatures. The ground beneath their feet split, and the rubble of the structures was engulfed by the storm's flames.
Solian's breathing was strained, but his resolve grew only stronger. He could feel the power of his flames pitted against Doflamingo's Haoshoku, but he knew he could not give up. If he surrendered now, Doflamingo would annihilate him. The pressure of the battle was overwhelming, but Solian would not yield. He had worked so hard—he would not lose here.
The battle continued to burn on, the clash of fire and Haki causing shockwaves in the battlefield. Solian's body was ablaze with the effort, but his resolve never faltered. His solar flames were now an extension of himself, a product of his will. With the fire burning all around him, Solian's eyes hardened into a focus.
"Burn," he snarled, near muttering to himself.
The flames listened to his voice.