Chapter 518: So What?"Hagoku!!"The unexpected explosive bullet was Satoru's tried-and-true 'Old Six' attack, but the explosive power wasn't much against people with mid-level or high-level combat strength; even those with low-level combat strength might be able to withstand a wave.Therefore, after the bullet exploded, Satoruimmediately used the gun stock to attack, following up with a Hagoku.Is that how a flintlock is used?Beckman: Yes, that's exactly how a flintlock is used... "Eight-Sword Style: Spider Bite!"From within the thick smoke, Onigumo's eight swords extended. The upper four uniformly slashed downwards, while the lower four slashed upwards. Since the blades were oriented opposite to the direction of the slash, the attack focused on the sword tips, like a spider opening its fangs to bite down.Onigumo intended to forgo defense and choose offense. If Satoru continued attacking, he would only be stabbed by the tips of the eight swords. If Satorustopped, then Onigumo wouldn't need to defend.However, Satoru's action once again caught him off guard. Satoru released the flintlock again, giving it a forceful swing as he let go. The flintlock spun towards Onigumo's abdomen, and Satoru stopped exactly at the maximum range just before the tips of Onigumo's eight swords."What!"The spinning flintlock smashed into Onigumo's abdomen, shaking him and forcing him back a few steps.Although this attack seemed outrageous, it was indeed the Flintlock Fighting Style taught by Beckman. Beckman would only release his flintlock if he was 100% confident he could retrieve it; otherwise, he wouldn't use the move.As for Satoru, he burst forward by stepping on air, catching the flintlock that was about to drop mid-air, then approached Onigumo and smashed the gun stock at him again.Having been hit once, Onigumo no longer underestimated Satoru. He brought his twin swords down to block the gun stock. Unexpectedly, Satorureleased the flintlock yet again, reaching out to tap Onigumo's shoulder, then immediately darted past him, abandoning the gun entirely.Onigumo couldn't understand Satoru's actions, but after Satoru released the flintlock, Onigumoimmediately smashed it down and then stepped on it. He originally intended to crush the barrel, but failed to do so.Onigumo acted as if he hadn't intended to crush it, kicked the gun forward, and turned to look at the unarmed Satoru.He saw that Satoru was completely unperturbed, even sporting a smile.As mentioned before, if Beckman released his flintlock, it was because he was 100% confident he could retrieve it.As for Satoru, it wasn't a matter of 100% confidence, but rather absolute certainty that he could retrieve it.He simply raised his hand, and the bright silver flintlock lying on the deck behind Onigumotransformed into a streak of white light, flying back to Satoru's wrist and reverting into a bracelet.Onigumo frowned. What kind of weapon was this? A technological item?Even as a Vice Admiral, he had never seen an item of this technology within the Marine organization."Your strength is decent. I'm going to go consult with the other Vice Admirals now, Vice AdmiralOnigumo."Without another word, Satoru stepped into the air and flew straight onto the battleship of the neighboring Vice Admiral Huoshan.Onigumo remained silent. The six swords on his back retracted, and the two swords in his hands were returned to their sheaths.Not being able to leave the battleship was one thing.But fighting on another Vice Admiral's battleship would be seen as disrespecting the Vice Admiral in charge of it.If Satoru were a figure of the Four Emperors level or the Shichibukai level, the five of them would have surrounded him long ago.However, Satoru was currently just an obscure rookie pirate from a rookie pirate crew with an 80 million bounty.If news got out that five Vice Admirals had surrounded and captured such a minor figure, they would lose all face.In this regard, they were inferior to the scum Akainu. If Akainu encountered him, he wouldn't care if he was a rookie or not; he would just kill him. Even if the newspaper reported that an Admiral was hunting down a rookie pirate, he wouldn't care... The Buster Call commenced.Fighting was taking place on the Bridge of Hesitation.And everyone on the main island wasn't idle either.Beneath the underwater tunnel leading to the Gate of Justice.Forest Mask Satoru, Zoro, Sanji, Nami, and Usopp—the five of them—also entered it and began rushing toward the Bridge of Hesitation.Ahead of them, Kokoro and her family had already run close to the end.But at that moment, seawater rushed into the tunnel. Kokoro smelled the seawater and immediately turned and ran, ignoring her granddaughter Chimney and the cat-rabbit Gonbe."Grandma! What's wrong!!?"Chimney asked, confused.Kokoro replied while running."Seawater is flooding in!! Run back quickly!!"Then Chimney heard the sound of the seawater rushing in behind her. She turned her head and could already see the water."Ah!!!""Run quickly!! Gonbe!!""Meow meow meow!!"As for why seawater suddenly rushed into the tunnel, one only needs to look at Lucci and Luffyfighting inside the exit pillar... Inside the pillar, in the room where Lucci and Luffy were fighting."Soru Blade!"Lucci utilized the combined technique of Moonwalkand Soru, which had the same speed as Soru but enhanced his movement flexibility based on Soru, creating a sharp, blade-like trajectory in mid-air as he approached Luffy to attack.However, Luffy in Gear Second was still faster. He dodged Lucci's attack, appeared behind him, and delivered an inverted punch to Lucci's abdomen in mid-air. Lucci spat blood, flew out, and collapsed.Luffy himself was so exhausted that he fell straight to the ground in an inverted position.Luffy immediately got up, but the steam vanished, signifying that Gear Second had been deactivated.Lucci also stood up, clutching his abdomen.Furthermore, based on the few hits he took from Luffy, Lucci had figured out the principle behind Luffy's Gear Second."So it's... something akin to a stimulant.""You use your legs as pumps to accelerate the circulation of blood throughout your body. If a normal person did this, their heart would rupture from the immense blood pressure.""However, if your internal organs and blood vessels are rubber, then it doesn't matter.""Although your ability is certainly greatly enhanced, your stamina is incapable of supporting such immense pressure,"This is not a smart move; it will deplete your life force!""This ability can only be used by a Rubber Man. Did you figure it out yourself? If someone else told you, they probably want you dead!""Shut up!!"When Lucci slandered Satoru, Luffy couldn't help but speak up.When Satoru told Luffy the principle and method for activating Gear Second, he also told Luffy that with Luffy's current strength and physique, activating Gear Second would indeed deplete stamina, and excessive stamina depletion would affect the length of his life. Even if he later trained his physique to support Gear Second, the depletion still couldn't be fully recovered.Luffy knew this; Satoru had told him not to use it unless necessary, but... "The one who told me about Gear Second was Satoru! He wants to rescue Robinjust like I do!! He absolutely wouldn't want me dead!!""Even if it shortens my lifespan.""But for the sake of my comrades, so what?""It's better than watching my comrades be taken away!!"
Chapter 519: Truly the Bearing of an AdmiralTime passed, and the Enies Lobby instance reached its final breakout Buster Call stage.All of CP9, except for Lucci, had been defeated.And Lucci, the final boss, was up to Luffy.It was King versus King!...Facing Lucci's claim that Gear Second would shorten his lifespan, Luffy's answer was:"So what?!""It's better than watching my comrades disappear right before my eyes!!""I'll do everything I can!!""You expect too much of yourself!!"Lucci retorted, disliking Luffy's attitude of thinking he could do anything."You heard the explosion just now, didn't you? It was a Marineford warship test-firing.""In a few minutes, concentrated bombardment will begin... All your comrades in the Tower of Justicewill die there!""Even if they're lucky enough to find... the underground passage leading here...""Rankyaku!!"With that, Lucci kicked, cracking the wall, and seawater surged in."It will still violently rush into the passage and drown everyone inside!!""Bastard!!"Luffy cursed loudly."Things won't go as smoothly as you think... Straw Hat.""To foolishly want everyone to escape safely, let me see how your naive ideas come true!"The room had four levels, with a corridor around the wall. As seawater surged in, Lucci first jumped to the third-level corridor.Luffy followed; they were both Devil Fruit users, and touching seawater would be disastrous for either of them.Lucci proudly declared, "Whether there's anyone in the passage or not, the path here has been cut off!""You bastard!!"This was the dirtiest curse Luffy could think of.Although he was cursed at, Lucci was satisfied with Luffy's expression. He used Moonwalk again, flying up. There was a skylight in the middle of the house's roof, and Lucci jumped inside."Damn it!!"Luffy stretched out his arms and grabbed, entering as well.Inside the skylight was another room, still within the pillar.The two faced each other again."This place is above sea level, so seawater won't flood in here.""Did you hear the warships' bombardment?""What will happen to Nico Robin? What will happen to the pirates?""You must be worried, wanting to save them?!"Lucci continuously provoked Luffy.However, Luffy's eyes were firm."I trust Satoru. He said he wouldn't let Robin enter the Gate of Justice, and he definitely won't!""I believe in everyone, I believe they will bring Robinback.""I'm going to take you down first!!""No matter what predicament they're in now, they'll find a way to survive!""But if I let you escape, you'll go kill them, so I'm going to take you down first!!"Lucci maintained his smile."Hehe.""Truly the bearing of an Admiral. I really wish that foolish superior could hear this.""However, it depends if you have the ability.""If you die, the result is the same!"After speaking, Lucci immediately attacked.Still using Soru to approach quickly in the air, then a Finger Pistol with his Leopard Claws. Luffy bent backward to dodge, then rolled twice to create distance.Lucci then unleashed Rankyaku."Rankyaku: Gaichou!"A spiral-shaped slash, like a beast's tail, flew towards Luffy.Luffy was cut at the waist, blood splattering. Lucciseized the opportunity to quickly approach, about to kick."Do you really think you can defeat me?"Seeing this, Luffy used his leg like a rope, coiling it around Lucci's leg."If I don't defeat you, I can't protect them!""Gomu Gomu no: Revolver!!""Tekkai: Utsugi!"Tekkai 'Utsugi'.Lucci's Tekkai technique reflects the opponent's attack; the stronger the attack, the stronger the counter-force. An ordinary person's fist would be destroyed instantly.Of course, unless the opponent's strength is powerful enough to break through his defensive limit.Luffy's fist couldn't reach that level yet, but if he added Armament Haki mid-way, it would be different."Bang!"Luffy punched, and with a bang, Lucci's eyes widened. His invincible Tekkai was broken through again.Staggering backward, Lucci had blood at the corner of his mouth, gritting his teeth as he retaliated."Tobu Shigan: Bachi!"Lucci flicked his finger, and an air bullet, shot from his sharp fingernail, could be called a projectile-type Finger Pistol.The air bullet flew out, accurately hitting Luffy's right shoulder.Luffy's fist had just retracted when his shoulder was hit, and he was knocked back."That punch was good. If it were in an adrenaline state, it would indeed be formidable.""But it's still lacking now.""So, how much longer can you last, Straw Hat?"Lucci glanced at the fist print on his chest. He knew the power of Armament Haki, but it seemed Luffy's Armament Haki hadn't reached the level of complete control."Hmph... It's not about how long I last, but you!""Let me show you another Gear Shift!""Gear Third!"In the current history with Satoru's existence, the method for Gear Second was told to Luffy by Satoru, but Gear Third was something Luffy thought of himself.If air could be pumped into the blood vessels to accelerate blood flow, then naturally, it could also be pumped into the bones!"Gear Shift: Third: Bone Balloon!!"At this time, Luffy, who had just mastered Gear Third, needed to bite his thumb and blow air into it to make it enlarge. Later, he wouldn't need to, but now Satoru was curious: why did his hand require blowing, but his foot didn't?"I advise you not to bluff!""Tekkai!"Lucci watched Luffy inflate his hand. How hard could something inflatable be? So, even though Tekkai had been shattered many times, Lucci still believed in Tekkai. Of course, besides Tekkai, he had no other defensive skills."Gomu Gomu no: Giant Pistol!"However, under Lucci's underestimation, Luffypunched, shattering the wall and forcefully blasting the upper part of another pillar, carrying Lucci with it... The five Vice Admirals of the Buster Call, with Satoru's current strength, were not so arrogant as to underestimate them. Satoru fought them because he saw them as skill cards that could be replicated. He had already replicated Vice Admiral Onigumo's hair manipulation combat skill, which might be very suitable for his Long Hair. And the five Vice Admirals naturally couldn't all be here.Satoru fought them because he saw them as skill cards that could be replicated. He had already replicated Vice Admiral Onigumo's hair manipulation combat skill, which might be very suitable for his Long Hair.And the five Vice Admirals naturally couldn't all be here.While Satoru was fighting Vice Admiral Onigumo,three warships arrived at the front of Enies Lobby to level it. The Vice Admirals leading them were Vice Admiral Momonga and Vice Admiral Strawberry.Three warships arrived at the front of Enies Lobby, so they could flatten Enies Lobby. The Vice Admirals leading them were Vice AdmiralMomonga and Vice Admiral Strawberry.Zambai and his group arrived at the main gate at this time and coincidentally met them, which could only be described as very unlucky.With all that said, let's return our attention to the Bridge of Hesitation.After Satoru replicated Vice Admiral Onigumo, he sought out Vice Admiral Yamakaji.Yamakaji didn't react much to Satoru's approach, instead smiling at him.Vice Admiral Yamakaji was almost always seen smiling, even in the midst of battle.Satoru also looked at Yamakaji, who had a cigar in his mouth, his smiling eyes always closed, a thick brown beard on his chin, and a katana at his waist, indicating he was also a swordsman.Satoru wasn't familiar with Yamakaji. Although he was known as a gentle general and a model for Soldiers,Satoru didn't know what justice he upheld.A gentle "general" – note the term general. He was gentle to his Soldiers and subordinates, but his stance on pirates was unknown.
Chapter 520: I Don't Want a Haircut Yet"Hello, Long-Haired Bai Yun.""Vice Admiral Garp has mentioned you to me."Satoru planned to replicate all five Vice Admirals leading the Buster Call.After replicating Onigumo, he arrived on Vice Admiral Yamakaji's warship.Unexpectedly, Yamakaji spoke first and recognized him, thanks to Garp."I've long heard that Vice Admiral Yamakaji is a gentle person and a role model for Marine Soldiers.""Old Man Garp mentioning me to you means the rumors are true."Satoru replied. If others were polite, he naturally would be too."Haha, those are just compliments. Gentle or not gentle...""I don't hold back against pirate criminals."Yamakaji smiled and drew his katana."Even better, I don't want you to hold back either."Satoru transformed his bracelet into a sword, preparing to meet him with a blade this time.Regarding Satoru's words, Yamakaji still wore a smile, exhaled a puff of smoke, and with a flash of his footwork, he was already behind Satoru.A burnt hole, as if scorched by flames, appeared on the clothing at Satoru's right waist, and a charred bloodstain appeared on his waist. This was the result of Satoru's quick reaction and moving to the left; otherwise, the wound wouldn't have been so shallow."Good strength.""With your strength, 80 million is too little."Yamakaji tested him with this move. When Satorucould react and dodge, he knew that Satoru's bounty was too low."You've mastered both types of Haki, haven't you?""If you also have Haoshoku, then there's no way I can let you leave today."Yamakaji asked."You overestimate me. I don't have Haoshoku, and even with both types of Haki, I only have a superficial understanding."Satoru was very modest."Even a superficial understanding is much stronger than most rookie pirates in the first half of the Grand Line."Yamakaji was telling the truth. For a rookie pirate like Satoru, who hadn't even been to the New World, already mastering both types of Haki meant he had surpassed ninety-nine percent of rookie pirates."Hmm, you're right, I am very powerful. Well then, see you around. Say hello to Old Man Garp for me."In response to Yamakaji's praise, Satoru nodded, indicating, 'You're right, yes, I'm very awesome, very awesome among rookies.'"Haha, you know, you can come if you want, but leaving isn't that simple.""One-Sword Style: Fire Thorn!"Yamakaji smiled and attacked again.Satoru followed almost instantly, and his sword technique was identical to Yamakaji's. While dodging earlier, Satoru took the opportunity to touch Yamakaji, otherwise he wouldn't have been hit. Satoru's greatest strength right now was still speed, after all, it was a combination of Air Compression Technique, Silent Step, and Soru; how could it not be fast?The two exchanged positions. Satoru's left waist clothing had a burnt hole, but this time it was only the clothing that split open.As for Yamakaji, his right waist clothing also had a burnt hole, but it was just the clothing.Turning around, Yamakaji still wore a smile, but a hint of solemnity was added to the corners of his mouth.Satoru returned the smile.The two smiling people looked at each other, leaving the nearby Soldiers bewildered. They could only aim their weapons at Satoru; without Yamakaji's order, they dared not fire."Possessing the ability to learn someone else's skill after seeing it once?""Your current strength...""No matter what your current strength is, in the future... it's truly terrifying.""Fire!"Yamakaji unhesitatingly ordered to open fire.Countless bullets flew at Satoru from all directions. Satoru's long sword split into eight. Satorucontrolled his hair to wield six swords, plus the two in his hands, which was Onigumo's ability.The eight swords danced, forming a circular blade domain, preventing all bullets from approaching Satoru."What?!""What's going on? Isn't that Vice AdmiralOnigumo's ability?!""Why does Long-Haired Bai Yun have it?!""Could what Vice Admiral Yamakaji said just now be true?"If they hadn't seen it with their own eyes, the Soldiers wouldn't have believed Satoru's ability. This was too unfair! Others worked hard to master something, and he just had to watch it once to learn it!Is this fair? Is this damn fair?!!Regardless of the surprise of the Soldiers and other officers, Satoru's actions confirmed Yamakaji's suspicion. Anyway, there would be a day when it would be exposed, or what he did today at Enies Lobby, as long as the Marines had records, a careful review could deduce it.Since it would be discovered sooner or later, he might as well show off now."Really, Vice Admiral Onigumo didn't even order the Soldiers to open fire just now, Vice AdmiralYamakaji, you're really not playing by the rules."Satoru complained."Long-Haired Bai Yun, you are even more dangerous than I imagined.""Not playing by the rules? When catching pirates, why bother with a 1v1? There's no such rule.""Stay here, Long-Haired Bai Yun!""Except for the Soldiers manning the cannons, everyone else attack together! No matter what, capture the pirate Long-Haired Bai Yun!"As a Vice Admiral genuinely concerned about the development of the Marines, Yamakaji knew that if Satoru's ability were allowed to fully mature, it would be an endless source of trouble for the Marines. It would be best to capture him now.And with Yamakaji's order, on this warship, excluding the Soldiers at the cannons, including Rear Admirals, Commodores, Captains, Commanders, Lieutenant Commanders, Lieutenants, Ensigns, Warrant Officers, Master Sergeants, Sergeants, Corporals, Lance Corporals, Privates First Class, and Privates, at least several hundred Marines launched a siege against Satoru."What a grand display.""If I had time now, it wouldn't hurt to try, but not now."Satoru instantly shot into the air, and only a dozen or so Commodores, Captains, Commanders, and Lieutenant Commanders of the Marine ranks could react and keep up."Eight-Sword Style: Heaven and Earth Net!"The 30-minute replication of Onigumo's ability was still active, so Satoru directly used Onigumo's sword technique.First, he used eight swords to block the few Rear Admirals attacking him, then spun his body to shake off their weapons, rapidly brandishing the eight swords.The slashes intertwined to form a net that descended upon the Marines below.Onigumo on the other side watched Satoru use his sword technique. It was his, but its power was weaker than his own, as Satoru's replication only achieved sixty percent of the original strength.But sixty percent of a Marineford Vice Admiral's strength was enough to deal with most of the fodder. Moreover, the slashes cleaved into the deck, causing it to collapse, sending most of the Marines falling below the deck."One-Sword Style: Flame Flash!"Yamakaji's figure flashed, appearing in front of Satoru in mid-air. He gripped his sword with both hands, and the blade ignited with flames as he brought it down fiercely from above.The flaming blade magnified in Satoru's eyes."Six-Sword Style: Demonic Spider Eyes!"Satoru controlled six swords with his hair, raising them horizontally in front of him, stacked like a spider's eyes.With a clang, flames burst forth. Yamakaji's blade struck the six swords, pushing Satoru down by half his body.Marines from all sides attacked again, raising their weapons and aiming at Satoru's hair, intending to cut off Satoru's "six arms" first.Seeing this, Satoru immediately released his Air Compression Technique and dropped his body, stating, "I don't want a haircut yet."
Chapter 521: Deeply ConnectedFacing the "haircut" from the Marine officers on Vice Admiral Yamakaji's warship...Satoru immediately released his Air Compression Technique, rapidly dropping to make them miss, and declared, "I don't want a haircut yet."As he fell, Satoru's eight swords transformed into a rocket launcher, firing a shot at Yamakaji and the others in the air."Bang!!!"Before the smoke and dust could clear, Satoruextended his arm, grabbed the adjacent warship, and swung himself over.Because the bracelet was replicated, Satoru himself couldn't be replicated. This meant that until he discarded or replaced the replicated Human-Human Fruit of Chopper and the Flower-Flower Fruit of Robin, Satoru could only replicate Luffy's Rubber-Rubber Fruit. And he didn't have to worry about it being gone after use, as Luffy was right there; he just had to wait for the effect to wear off.Yamakaji swung his sword, using the blade wind to disperse the explosion smoke, only to see Satoruswinging between warships, presumably heading towards the warship where Vice Admiral Dobermanwas located.After a moment of thought, Yamakaji ordered his adjutant, a Rear Admiral, to lead their warship, while he himself pursued... Vice Admiral Doberman, a Vice Admiral with many scars on his face, looking fierce and menacing.Satoru didn't know much about him. The only thing he knew was that during the Marineford War, he was immune to Shanks's "Face-Face Fruit Ability," having challenged Shanks when Shanks wanted to retrieve Whitebeard's body.To dare to challenge a Four Emperors, one is either utterly foolish or possesses some strength.Satoru knew that if he didn't use the trump cards of those strong individuals he replicated, relying solely on his currently mastered, completely personal power, he probably couldn't defeat the MarinefordVice Admirals. He might handle one, but definitely not two.However, strictly speaking, how could possessing the Replication Fruit ability not be considered Satoru's own strength?As long as he could win or escape, what did it matter if it was his own or someone else's?"Come to me."Doberman's eyes narrowed as he watched Satoruswing towards him.Although there were no Vice Admirals on the other warships, it would still take some effort for Satoru to shake off a Rear Admiral, so he couldn't arrive so quickly.So, before Satoru arrived, a Soldier asked."Vice Admiral, should we go to the Bridge of Hesitation to capture Nico Robin?"Doberman's reply was, "Let her go."Then, amidst the Soldiers' confusion, he began to recount Lucci's past.Fifteen years ago, when Lucci was thirteen, a certain kingdom, one of the World Government's affiliated countries, was invaded by pirates. 500 of the kingdom's Soldiers were defeated and captured, and the pirates used these 500 Soldiers to blackmail the king.The World Government sent Lucci to resolve the matter. Lucci infiltrated the warehouse where the pirates held the 500 Soldiers captive and single-handedly killed all 500. When the pirates heard the news and rushed to the warehouse, only a young boy stood atop a mountain of corpses. The enraged pirates immediately fired cannons at Lucci, who was hit five times in the back. These five scars later became his mark. At the time, Lucci only suffered superficial injuries because he had mastered Iron Body. After being hit by the cannons, he emerged from the smoke, immediately charged at the stunned pirates, lifted the pirate leader with his left hand, and used Finger Pistol to create many blood holes in his body with his right hand. He single-handedly resolved the crisis of this kingdom and joined CP9.After joining CP9, Lucci took "Dark Justice" as his calling and was regarded as CP9's strongest assassin in history, known as the ruthless "Slaughter Weapon."Satoru just wanted to say, "If Lucci is CP9, then it's really nothing.""Also, justice is justice. What is 'Dark Justice'?""Does Justice agree to be described by the word 'dark'?""If it weren't forbidden, I'd 'praise' him a bit more.""Click, click, click!!"Satoru arrived on the warship, and the sound of rifles being cocked continuously rang out. Of course, with pirates boarding the warship, if the Soldiers didn't cock their rifles, were they supposed to applaud and welcome them?Doberman looked at Satoru, who wore a smile. The feeling Doberman got was that this smile was different from Yamakaji's; it was clearly a smile, but it seemed to carry a hint of mockery, a look of disdain."CP9 is nothing? You've got quite a big mouth.""Don't fantasize, you won't be able to save Nico Robin."Doberman replied. He had seen Satoru's fight with Onigumo and Yamakaji from afar just now.Although Satoru could exchange blows with two Vice Admirals, Doberman knew that Onigumo and Yamakaji hadn't gotten serious yet, hadn't shown their true skills. Otherwise, it wouldn't have been so easy for Satoru to leave. Therefore, he still thought Satoru was an arrogant brat."That skill of yours, using a flintlock stock to strike, you learned it from Benn Beckman, the First Mate of the Red Hair Pirates, didn't you?""You know him?""Otherwise, I don't think you could have escaped from their hands."Doberman asked. As a Vice Admiral with Observation Haki, the flintlock fighting style Satoruused in his fight with Onigumo was all observed by Doberman. After all, with Vice Admirals making a move, it was hard for them not to sense it.Mentioning Beckman, Satoru recalled the image of that Old Smoker and spread his hands, indicating."I don't know that smoking, gentleman-pretending, philandering 'old guy'."Satoru's words made Doberman raise an eyebrow. Satoru daring to say that further confirmed his deep connection with Beckman."You actually came over, Yamakaji."Doberman ignored Satoru and looked at Yamakaji, who had followed behind Satoru.Because of Yamakaji's versatile personality, he had good relationships with other Marines. Doberman's words weren't meant to accuse Yamakaji of looking down on him, but rather a question: was a rookie pirate with a mere 80 million bounty worth this much trouble? Even he, who was supposed to be stationed on his warship, left it to pursue.However, once he was 80% certain of Satoru's connection with Beckman, Doberman felt that treating this rookie pirate, Satoru, in such a manner was quite reasonable.But he also knew the Red Hair Pirates' character. If Satoru really had a connection with Beckman, then if he were captured or died, the Red Hair Pirateswould likely cause a huge ruckus.Beckman: Cause a huge ruckus? Even if I die, I'll still turn Marineford into a sieve."Long-Haired Bai Yun is more dangerous than we imagined. An 80 million bounty... is too low.""You saw it too just now."Yamakaji replied. He didn't believe Doberman hadn't seen the fight between Onigumo, himself, and Satoru just now."Oh, you praise me so much, I'll get embarrassed, Vice Admiral Yamakaji. I'm not as powerful as you think; you really don't need to... cross ships to chase me."Satoru stated. If Yamakaji also came, then he would probably have to use his trump cards to escape or defeat the two Vice Admirals.And just as Yamakaji was about to make a move, Luffy's Gear Three punch shot out, the loud bang attracting everyone's attention.
Chapter 522: I Am Afraid of DeathLuffy threw a Gear Third punch, directly smashing another pillar while dragging Lucci along.Lucci, clinging to the fist, felt like he was about to pass out. This wouldn't do! He immediately bit his tongue to force himself to stay conscious, realizing the sea was below him. Was he really going to lose like this?Who knew that when he fell, he didn't drop into the sea, but landed on something solid.It was the deck of a Marine warship. A warship happened to be sailing right into the position where he had been knocked out."Who is that?!""A beast?""No, it's a Devil Fruit User!!""He flew over from the bridge. I think I saw a giant hand."As an assassin for the World Government, it was natural that not many people recognized Lucci's face. These common Soldiers discussing him naturally didn't know who he was.Listening to the Soldiers' chatter and seeing the flags fluttering in the air, Lucci realized, and thought to himself.It's the deck of a warship. I'm saved... Getting up, Lucci canceled his Half-Beast Form.The Soldiers were startled and immediately raised their weapons at him."Who are you!? We're asking you a question!!""Idiot! Put your guns down quickly!!""Colonel?"At this moment, on this warship without a Vice Admiral present, a Colonel spoke up, stopping the Soldiers from aiming their weapons at Lucci."He is... Rob Lucci of CP9!""Huh? What!!""We're sorry!! Please spare us!!"Hearing the name Rob Lucci, the Soldiers were so terrified they stumbled and fell, dropping their rifles.They had likely heard rumors about Rob Lucci's madness and "sickness," fearing that this lunatic might casually kill them if he got angry."Shut up, you're too noisy."Lucci took off his shirt, revealing the scars on his back, further confirming his identity. The moment he spoke, the Soldiers immediately obeyed and covered their mouths."Gomu Gomu no Rocket!"Just then, Luffy flew out. Because the air from his fist had been squeezed into his body, Luffy now looked like a balloon."What else is flying out now?!""It's Straw Hat Luffy, with a bounty of 100 million!!""We're going to get rich!! Attack!!!"The Soldiers immediately opened fire, dreaming of getting rich.However, the bullets had no effect whatsoever on Luffy.Luffy raised his right leg high and stretched it out. All the air in his body was squeezed into his right leg, which instantly swelled up."Gomu Gomu no Gigant Axe!!"With one stomp, the center of the entire massive warship was crushed down, causing both ends to tilt upwards."Waaah!! Is he part of the Giant Race?!!"The Soldiers frantically fled for their lives.Lucci jumped onto the mast to avoid Luffy's stomp, then flew through the air towards Luffy. By the time he reached Luffy, he had transformed into his Full Beast Form—a leopard—and immediately clamped his jaws onto Luffy's right arm, drawing blood."Aowu wuwu!!""Waaaaah!!"One sound was the growl of a beast, the other was Luffy's cry of pain.Seeing that Lucci wouldn't stop until he bit off the arm, the air in Luffy's right leg retracted. Luffy's body swelled up again, forcefully bouncing Lucciaway.Lucci retreated, reverted to his Human Form, and stood back on the mast.Luffy moved quickly, channeling air into his foot again, and aimed a kick at Lucci on the mast."Gomu Gomu no Gigant Whip!"With one sweeping kick, all three masts on the warship were snapped.Lucci was very fast and jumped to evade it."Waaaaah, look out!! The mast is broken!!""It's going to fall!!""The fight between those two is insane!!"When strong people fight, the bystanders always suffer. Lucci was unharmed, but the Soldiers were chased and struck by the masts and broken planks.After dodging Luffy's attack, Lucci followed up with a Finger Pistol: Slicing Strike, hitting Luffy's shoulder, then instantly appeared behind Luffy. "The attack power is higher, but the speed has dropped."Lucci pointed out the flaw in Luffy's current state, which is why the later Gear Fourth combined the speed of Gear Second and the power of Gear Third.After finishing his taunt, Lucci kicked Luffy down toward the deck, then followed up with another technique: "Rankyaku: Gaichou!"He kicked out a Rankyaku slash shaped like a bird, which was very wide.The slash descended, cutting through the hundreds of meters wide and tens of meters thick iron plates covering the Marine warship.Luffy retracted his Gear Third foot. The slash cut down right past his foot; if he had been any slower, his foot would have been severed."That was close. I almost got cut in half."Luffy sighed in relief, while Lucci, standing in the air, revealed a triumphant smile again.Satoru and the three Vice Admirals watched the fight between Luffy and Lucci.Onigumo saw that the warship was damaged... beyond recognition, and he picked up the den den mushi receiver without hesitation."Rob Lucci will not die.""All gunners, aim at Warship Number Four. Commence bombardment in five seconds."The Soldier next to him heard Onigumo's order and couldn't believe it. "V-Vice Admiral, you're not joking, are you! There are over a thousand of our own men up there!""Bang!"Onigumo likewise pulled out his gun without hesitation and shot the Soldier who had spoken.The Soldier cried out in pain.Onigumo stated coldly, "If a moment of hesitation leads to the criminal's escape, how will you... face the future?""Fire!!!"Flames engulfed Warship Number Four, where Lucciand Luffy were located.On the warship where Doberman was stationed, Satoru watched this scene."Is this... Justice?""Two Vice Admirals, bombarding their own men just to catch one pirate.""How many of your Soldiers are on that ship? How many of those Soldiers are strong enough to withstand cannon fire?""Of course, I don't pity them. As a pirate, if your Marine Soldiers die, I suppose I should laugh, right."Satoru's question pierced the soul.Onigumo supported Akainu's Absolute Justice, which is why he could carry out the act.Yamakaji clearly did not belong to the Absolute Justice faction; he remained silent.Doberman, who looked fierce and detested pirates—detested them so much he dared to challenge the Four Emperors—still cursed the action of bombarding their own warship."That lunatic Onigumo!"However, he only cursed once. Since there were none of his confidantes or subordinates on Warship Number Four, he naturally wouldn't antagonize Onigumo over this."Just cursing once is enough?""That's how many lives?""Old Man Garp, I still don't understand..."Satoru sighed, lamenting that this pirate world was chaotic, very chaotic. But what did that have to do with him? It was just like what he had told Garpwhen he refused Garp's offer to become a pirate."Old Man, I'm afraid of dying. I don't want to offend those powerful pirates.""Furthermore, I don't want there to be a day when I am stabbed in the back by my own people, or die at the hands of my own people, all because of so-called Justice."
Chapter 523: You're Right"Justice, this justice, I'm afraid only the strong are qualified to speak of justice.""This rotten world, I've arrived, and I have no interest in changing it.""Of course, you can also curse me, 'Who are you? You think you can change it just by saying so? Who do you think you are?'""If Luffy's pursuit interferes with your justice, interferes with the world, I will still help him.""No reason, because he is my brother and my Captain.""This is our justice!""Pirates are disgusting, a thief is a thief?""That's hilarious. If someone thinks that way, then all I can say is, 'Ah, yes, yes, yes, you're right.' Of course, no pirate would say they're a good person; that would be an insult to themselves.""Alright, after all that talk, we will definitely leave safely today, no matter what!""Two Vice Admirals."This was Satoru's heartfelt remark after seeing Onigumo shell their own Marine ships.Simply put, the world is rotten, but it has nothing to do with me. I just need to live my own life, with my comrades and brothers.If you attack us, we'll fight back. It's that simple; it's about not offending others unless they offend you.He could feel the low pressure, but Yamakaji's face still wore a smile, as if it was his only expression."...""No matter what you say."Long-Haired Bai Yun.""You cannot leave today, including Nico Robin!""You are a pirate, we are Marines. It's only natural for Marines to capture pirates, right?""And Nico Robin... her existence is a crisis for the world. This is for the sake of the world.""Stop the nonsense, Vice Admiral Yamakaji.""If you want to catch me, you'll have to show your true abilities.""Are you coming too, Vice Admiral Doberman?"Satoru was very confident and arrogant, openly provoking two Marineford Vice Admirals.Doberman let out a heavy snort, offering no reply or movement, while Vice Admiral Yamakaji once again raised his samurai sword and charged at Satoru."Clang!"With a clang, Satoru once again transformed his bracelet into a flintlock pistol, holding the gun with one hand and supporting the stock with the other, using the muzzle to block Yamakaji's descending blade.It should be noted that from the time he set sail until now, Satoru's marksmanship was self-taught. But now, he was using the flintlock gunmanship he replicated from his cheap master, Beckman. This was 60% of the strength of the Four Emperors' strongest First Mate."Then let's have a good fight, Vice AdmiralYamakaji."Satoru replied, then pulled the trigger, and the bullet shot out, deflecting Yamakaji's blade.Immediately, Satoru stepped and flew up to the mast.The Marine Soldiers below surrounded him, and Doberman was watching from behind. Satoruwould be crazy to fight Yamakaji down there.Seeing this, Yamakaji also used Moonwalk to fly up and pursue him. For Marineford officers, the Six Powers are essential... Back to Luffy, Luffy naturally couldn't die from the cannon fire.But due to the feedback from Gear Third, he was now tiny."I was big for one minute, so I'll be like this for one minute. Before my body returns to normal, I need to find a place to hide, or I'll be in trouble."Luffy adopted a retreating tactic and ran back into the pillar.Lucci stood in the air, saw Luffy's figure, and couldn't help but complain."Is he a toy? So many tricks.""After all that, he's still alive.""Good, it would be boring if he was killed by a cannonball."Lucci then chased after him, and the two entered the pillar again... On the Bridge of Hesitation.Spandam burst into laughter when he saw the Marine ship Luffy was on being heavily shelled."Wahahahahaha, did you see that?""Straw Hat Luffy, who was acting so cocky on the Marine ship just now, is now blown to smithereens, wahahaha!""Your Captain is dead!!""And that idiot Long-Haired Bai Yun, daring to provoke a Vice Admiral, just wait to be beaten to death or captured and sent to Impel Down!!"Franky didn't care about Spandam's madness. He knew Luffy wouldn't die that easily, and as for Satoru, seeing his confident demeanor, he didn't seem like a reckless fool walking into a trap."Hey, hey, you're even bombing your own people!"Spandam didn't care about the Marine Soldiers who were bombed. What did their deaths have to do with him? On the contrary, he was very proud."This is the power of the Buster Call I activated!!""This is justice!! Cutty Flam, quickly hand Nico Robinover to me, and your crimes will be wiped clean!!"With the Buster Call backing him, even though he was now bruised and burned, Spandam was still dreaming of a promotion."To put it plainly, you have no obligation to protect this woman.""You're not a pirate!""You don't trust the World Government that protects you common people, but you trust this dangerous woman who carries the blood of Ohara!!""If you dare to disobey me, your fate will be the same as Tom's!!"Just listen to him, with his intelligence, he just had to bring up Tom in front of Franky, of all people."You're dead—""Bang!!"Before the word left his mouth, Franky's spring-loaded fist shot out, landing a punch on Spandam.Satoru couldn't help but marvel at Spandam's thick skin; it seemed impossible to break."Pwah!! My face is ruined!!"Spandam wailed. If Satoru were there, he'd remind him: it's not 'ruined,' it's 'ruined again.'"Damn it!!"Cockroach Spandam got up again, drawing his Elephant Sword."He pulled out the Elephant Sword!!""That sword is rumored to be very powerful!!"The Soldiers cheered him on, but being powerful was useless since Spandam was holding it.Spandam glared at Franky and Robin, secretly telling the sword to quickly finish off Nico Robin.As the saying goes, if you can't have it, destroy it completely."Take this!""Elephant Sword Slice!!"Spandam swung his sword, and the giant elephant head's trunk turned into a blade, piercing towards Robin with its tusks."Waaahhh!!"Franky directly grabbed the blade with both hands, forcefully stopping the elephant head."Overestimating yourself!!""He stopped it!!"Spandam quickly slapped his own face.One second he said 'overestimating yourself,' the next Franky had stopped the elephant head."You hopeless idiot!!"Franky cursed. Spandam was indeed hopeless, especially his intelligence."Funkfreed, you're an elephant, how can you lose to him!!""Keep charging!!"Spandam shouted.However, the person who appeared behind Robinimmediately made the elephant cower.It was Forest Mask Satoru. Others needed to use the passage, but he didn't, because he could fly directly.Sanji didn't come because he was 'protecting' Nami.Forest Mask Satoru didn't even need to take off his mask. Through the mask, one could see Satoru's eyes, and when Satoru raised his hand again, the elephant recalled that slap; it still had a palm print on its face.Do you know how much damage a big slap can do to a fully grown Elephant Sword!!As Forest Mask Satoru raised his hand, the elephant's blade-like trunk immediately softened and retracted, returning to a normal nose.Spandam and the Soldiers were also very nervous seeing Forest Mask Satoru.The Soldiers were purely nervous about another enemy arriving.As for Spandam, he had witnessed Forest Mask Satoru defeat Blueno.Franky noticed something was wrong and turned to look."Long-Haired Man.""No, another Long-Haired Man.""Damn it, what should I call you?"Forest Mask Satoru replied."Why do you care so much? Let's deal with that idiot first. You've wanted to do that for a long time, haven't you?"Franky responded with a smile, "You're right."
Chapter 524: The Final Battle"That's true.""Alright, good boy, stay put, little elephant."Franky agreed with Forest Mask Satoru that they should deal with the idiot Spandam first.Turning back, he first "comforted" the elephant, comforting it with his fingers transformed into gun barrels."The Masked Long-Haired Man is here.""That means the others are also rushing over.""Right, Masked Long-Haired Man, Robin, Straw HatLuffy, they'll come, right?!""They definitely will!"Forest Mask Satoru and Robin said in unison.The two exchanged glances, and Forest Mask Satoru helped Robin up."Hahaha, that's great!""I said I put everything on them! Spandam!!""I never thought there would be a day like this. If only I had been strong enough back then.""I would have saved Mr. Tom no matter what.""The world only knows the undying legend of Enies Lobby, only knows the power of the World Government.""But Straw Hat Luffy and his crew broke that legend!!""For a comrade, everyone fought against the World Government without hesitation.""It's truly exhilarating...""To this day, I haven't forgotten how Mr. Tom died!!""Every time I think of that running dog's ugly face!! I wish I could smash him to pieces one day!!""Just like this!!"Franky grabbed the elephant's trunk and violently suplexed the elephant onto Spandam."Now, thanks to them, I can finally fulfill my wish.""I'm someone who has died once already. If I can get Straw Hat Luffy and his crew out of here alive, I don't mind sacrificing my life!!""Clear out the escort ship for me!!""I need to clear a path for their retreat.""Weapon Left Fist!"Franky fired bullets from his left fist, clearing the Soldiers ahead to get to the escort ship.Forest Mask Satoru's eyes questioned, Robinnodded, and Forest Mask Satoru let go of her hand.Robin took a step forward, raising her hands and crossing them, "I'll help too, I'm fine now.""It's different now... from back in Ohara.""I have nothing to fear, because I'm no longer alone.""Yes, from the moment you joined the crew, you were no longer alone, Sister Robin."Forest Mask Satoru stepped forward, helping to seize the escort ship.While Franky and Robin cleared the Soldiers, Forest Mask Satoru calmly walked forward... into the underwater passage.Because Lucci kicked open the wall, seawater poured in, so after Kokoro and her family met Zoroand the others, the group was submerged by the water.This is why Forest Mask Satoru didn't take the passage.As for why he didn't warn Zoro and the others?Because Forest Mask Satoru knew Zoro and the others would be fine. Some experiences can't be missed (ಡωಡ).In the water, everyone held their breath, their cheeks puffed out, but the skills they currently possessed couldn't cope with the situation.A certain death situation?Of course not.As their vision began to dim, everyone heard a voice."No problem, hold your breath, I won't let you die."Everyone felt their bodies being pulled quickly through the water.In the darkness, at that glimmer of light, Sanjiseemed to see flowing hair and a caudal fin.What happened?Ah, I must be dreaming? It must be a dream.Some crew members who had almost drowned before, as they gradually lost consciousness, vaguely saw an elegant caudal fin.Looking up further, they saw Long Hair floating in the seawater.Her posture was as beautiful and dreamlike as a mermaid legend... If it was a dream, let this dream go on forever... However, the voice in the water sounded again, shattering Sanji's beautiful dream, shattering it beyond repair, and at the same time, it jolted him and everyone else awake."I'm speeding up, everyone hold your breath.""N'gagagaga!"Yes, this "beautiful" mermaid was Kokoro.At this moment, everyone's thoughts were surprisingly consistent: This isn't a mermaid, this is a dugong!!!...Little Luffy ran inside the pillar. It was right to stay away from Lucci before returning to his normal size.However, Lucci, being a beast, followed the scent and appeared in front of Luffy with a flash, poking little Luffy down with a Finger Pistol."The force of this move is uneven. If this is a side effect of that punch just now.""Then taking your punch wasn't a loss.""Life Return: Paper Art Martial Body!"Lucci, in his human-beast form, freely controlled his body, hair, and internal organs. After pouring his consciousness into it, his body shrunk and became compact, reducing his strength but increasing his speed. The effect of Paper Art would also be greatly enhanced, allowing him to instinctively avoid many attacks with various parts of his body, saving stamina."Finger Pistol!"With Paper Art Martial Body activated, Lucci's speed increased, and he instantly approached little Luffy. Although it was a Finger Pistol, he grabbed Luffy by the neck and slammed him against the wall."Your ridiculous techniques are ultimately useless against me."With that, Lucci pressed down hard, embedding Luffy in the wall, then quickly retreated."Damn it! I'm stuck!!"Luffy struggled, but he was stuck tight.This is a good opportunity!"What a pity, in this state... you're finished, straw hat!!""Finger Pistol: Spotted!"Lucci ran forward, simultaneously firing countless Finger Pistols with both hands, approaching Luffyagain. The reason he moved away earlier was probably to charge up this move from a distance.Luffy slapped his own face, "Change back quickly!! I'm going to die!! Hurry!!"The next second, Luffy's body inflated like a balloon and transformed back with a 'poof'.Meanwhile, Lucci's legs gave out halfway through his run, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth."How..."The previous injury made my legs weak... (referring to the Gear Third punch Luffy gave him.)Luffy landed on the ground, panting, and looked at Lucci with a smile."Heh! Looks like my moves are still quite effective against you!"Lucci's face was cold.Both were injured and exhausted.It was time for the final battle!
Chapter 525: The Future is Unforeseen; Anything is Possible"Click."Under the cover of Franky and Robin, Forest Mask Satoru slowly walked onto the escort ship.The moment his shoe stepped onto the deck, the bullets from the Soldiers on the ship instantly rained down.Forest Mask Satoru remained calm, raising his hand with his palm facing forward. A black hole generated from his palm, instantly expanding. The bullets hitting the black hole were like mud oxen entering the sea, vanishing without a trace."What?! What kind of ability is this!?"The Soldiers were astonished.Forest Mask Satoru did not reply. Black smoke emerged from his body, and he pressed his hand onto the deck. Darkness spread across the entire deck, and the Soldiers slowly sank into the darkness as if trapped in a swamp."What is this!!!""Noooo!!""Help!!!"The wailing was useless. In just a moment, Forest Mask Satoru had cleared the Marine Soldiers on the escort ship.Franky and Robin arrived shortly after, and seeing the clean, white deck, they thought they were mistaken."Mama, Masked Long-Haired Man, what is that pitch-black ability of yours?!""That felt terrifying.""But, if a friend controls it, then it's super~"Robin knew this was the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit. After all, Blackbeard had betrayed the Whitebeard Pirates while she was still under Crocodile. As the Chief Intelligence Officer of Baroque Works, Robin quickly learned about the incident involving Blackbeard on the Whitebeard Pirates.Because Crocodile was very concerned about the Whitebeard Pirates' affairs."I don't particularly like this ability, although it's certainly useful for clearing Soldiers."Forest Mask Satoru replied, then pointed his hand toward the left side of the warship. Black smoke shot out along his arm, forming a black vortex floating above the sea surface to the warship's left. Inside the vortex, the Marine Soldiers swallowed by the darkness were now being tossed into the sea one by one like dumplings being dropped, their cries rising and falling."You can let them out? What would happen if you didn't let them out, Masked Long-Haired Man?"Franky asked curiously."They would be crushed into meat paste before long, just like the compactors you use to process scrap ships."Forest Mask Satoru stated this terrifying fact calmly. Indeed, after entering the dark space, one feels the heavens and earth merging and compressing them. If one is strong enough, they can endure it; if not, they will be crushed to death. If they are extremely strong, they might even shatter the dark space and break out, or perhaps never enter in the first place."Ugh~ That is truly terrifying!!""Good thing you're a teammate.""Alright, you've cleaned up too. Now we just wait for Straw Hat Luffy and the others to arrive."Franky said.However, the moment he finished speaking, they heard a sudden, rapid sound of water.Not only him, but Forest Mask Satoru and Robinheard it too.Forest Mask Satoru knew what it was, but Frankydidn't. He stepped to the side of the ship, just about to lean his head down to look."I won't let you die!!!""Waaah!!!"Kokoro instantly leaped up, giving Franky a direct visual shock.Even though Forest Mask Satoru was prepared, the impact was still immense.Thinking about Kokoro's appearance, and then imagining her dressed as a mermaid—Mama, that's not a mermaid, that's a Deep Sea Xenomorph!!Of course, this was just an internal thought. Kokorohad saved everyone, so no matter what she looked like, she was everyone's savior... "Puff puff!!""Alright, they've spit out some water. They seemed to have suffered a great shock and were unconscious, so they didn't swallow much water.""It's just that Chopper's injuries are a bit severe, and now they've been exposed to water. We have to wait for them to dry before treating the wounds.""Overall, everyone is fine. They won't die."Since Chopper was one of the injured, only Forest Mask Satoru could diagnose everyone."Um-ga-ga-ga, that's wonderful.""But what caused them to lose consciousness?"Kokoro asked suspiciously. Franky, who had just experienced the shock up close, responded, "It was you!"Kokoro pretended not to hear, and while getting dressed, she looked at Robin."The comrade that boy came to save, that would be you.""We met on the Sea Train, I remember.""I really didn't expect it back then.""That you all could pull off something this huge!""I didn't expect it, though. He said he wanted to be the Pirate King. It made me laugh.""But looking at it now, maybe he really can do it. Um-ga-ga-ga."Robin returned a smile."The future is unforeseen, Kokoro, anything is possible, just like Mr. Tom didn't know Roger would become the Pirate King."Forest Mask Satoru replied.Franky, however, exclaimed, "Put your clothes on first, old hag!!!""Cough cough!!!""Uh...""Miss Nami... are you okay..."Usopp, Zoro, and Sanji woke up first.Franky complained, "You guys are really tough.""Not bad, not bad, you're all still alive.Kokoro was very relieved, but the moment she spoke, the three turned their heads to look, instantly terrified, their eyes bulging and their tongues sticking out like snakes."Woah!!! Back to reality!! Mermaids really don't exist!!""The rumor that 'what looks like a mermaid is actually a manatee' is true after all.""Shut up! She never said she was a mermaid! Don't give up on your dreams so easily!!"Sanji refused to believe that the beautiful mermaids from pictures and legends didn't exist, or that if they did, they looked like Kokoro."I am a White Fish Fishman from Fish-Man Island."However, Kokoro replied with absolute certainty."Don't say it!!!""I object! Mermaids should be more... should be more..."Sanji pounded the deck, unwilling to accept the truth.Usopp recovered slightly and asked, "I've never seen a Fishman with two legs.""After a Fishman passes the age of 30, their tail fin splits into two legs to adapt to life on land. They are a very mysterious race.""If you get a chance to visit Fish-Man Island, you will understand."Kokoro replied.Usopp seemed half-understanding, half-confused."Is that so? They say that when a cat lives for 100 years, its tail splits into two, and it becomes a 'Monster'."Hearing this, Sanji suddenly stood up, "Oh~ So you're a 'Cat Monster'..."Kokoro got angry. Do you have any manners?"Don't compare me to that!!! Won't you say thank you?""Kokoro, thank you."Everyone listened to the advice; when told to say thank you, they said thank you. If someone saves your life and you blame or extort them, are you even human?"Um-ga-ga-ga, you're welcome."Asking others to thank you, and then saying 'you're welcome' right after—what is that? That's social etiquette.Next, everyone else woke up. Sanji originally wanted to leap forward and hug Robin but was knocked away by Nami and Chopper.Nami and Chopper hugged Robin, clinging to her to show that she was finally back.Zoro was less expressive with his emotions (tsundere); he merely exchanged glances with Robinbefore looking ahead.Then Chopper suddenly fell off Robin, and Forest Mask Satoru accurately caught him."I... I think I can't move.""That's normal. You'll be fine after resting."Forest Mask Satoru replied. Chopper was originally unable to move due to overexertion; the fact that he was able to run over and hug Robin was purely due to emotional stimulation.
Chapter 526: Six King GunsAs time passed, everyone except Luffy and Satoru's Main Body boarded the escort ship—oh wait, it's now an escape ship.It seemed like the end, but in reality, the storm had just begun... While everyone was welcoming Robinback, Zoro walked onto the bridge alone.Seeing this, Usopp immediately followed, and so did Franky."Zoro! Zoro...""Look over there."Usopp shouted, but Zoro signaled for him to look ahead."It's truly unimaginable that this is the island from a moment ago."Usopp looked, feeling the heat even from this distance."The bombardment is too fierce; it has completely turned into a sea of fire!"Franky added right after."It seems this wave of attacks received orders not to kill Nico Robin.""That's why this bridge was spared."Zoro understood the implication."Not killing her means they still intend to take her away."Franky was silent for a second. "Once Enies Lobby is blown up, the next step is close-quarters combat."Usopp was panicked. "Everyone is seriously injured, and there must be many experts on those battleships!!""That... is Satoru!!"Looking left and right, Usopp spotted Satorufighting Vice Admiral Huoshan above a Marine battleship."Who is he fighting?!!""That Long-Haired Man said he would take on the Buster Call alone. The one fighting him must be one of the Vice Admirals leading the fleet."Franky replied."What!!! A Vice Admiral!!"Usopp couldn't believe it. Was Satoru already strong enough to fight so fiercely against a Marineford Vice Admiral?"Don't worry about him. If he wasn't confident, he wouldn't provoke a Vice Admiral."Zoro replied. Having been comrades for so long, he knew Satoru well."Y-yeah, Satoru hasn't disappointed us yet."Usopp replied, then asked."What about Luffy?"Franky pointed to the support pillar of the Bridge of Hesitation. "On the first pillar of that bridge, dust is billowing. He must be fighting that 'Pigeon Bastard,' Rob Lucci.""Isn't that close? Should we go help?"Although Usopp was a coward, he would never run from a fight."Don't go. That Pigeon Man is no ordinary opponent. If we get involved, we might get separated again.""And we might end up being taken as hostages, right?"The first sentence was Zoro's reply; the second was the reply of Forest Mask Satoru, who had also followed them.Zoro didn't answer. He saw through it but didn't say it aloud, saving face."Then why aren't you going?"Zoro countered."Do you think Luffy wants anyone to interfere?"Forest Mask Satoru immediately replied. Zoro fell silent, thinking Satoru was right, and changed the subject."The fleet could surround us at any moment. We must ensure we escape immediately. We'll wait here for Luffy.""That's enough.""The storm has just begun.""Understood."Usopp obeyed the command.Forest Mask Satoru also agreed."That's right. Although my Main Body spoke so confidently, the Buster Call is no small matter. We must be cautious.""But at the same time, we must believe in that miracle.""A miracle? So what exactly is this miracle you're talking about?"Franky was very curious."How should I know? I just said it was a miracle.""Uh... if I had to explain it, a miracle is when the impossible happens."Forest Mask Satoru's answer left Franky silent; it was as good as no answer at all.Just then, Sanji arrived as well. All the men were on the bridge, except for Chopper, who couldn't move."Franky, where are your subordinates?"Sanji had heard everything. If they escaped, what about Franky's subordinates and the shipwrights from Galley-La Company?Franky turned his head and said with a smile, "They have ridiculously strong luck. They'll definitely be fine. They must have escaped safely."In reality, the more he said it, the more worried he was about his subordinates.And his subordinates were indeed being bombarded at the main gate of Enies Lobby!!...After all that talk, let's return to the final duel between Luffy and Lucci.Luffy came down from the wall, returned to his original size, and stood in a horse stance.Since Lucci's legs had given out, there was still some distance between them.The two exchanged glances. Lucci looked at the panting Luffy, a smile still on his lips.The next second, Luffy's feet began pumping air again. "This is the final blow. Success or failure depends on this."Lucci's smile vanished. "Do you intend to burn yourself out and die?"Luffy was resolute, closing his eyes as he replied."I don't care about what happens next."As he opened his eyes, steam erupted from his body once more."Gear Second!!""Gomu Gomu no Jet Pistol!"Luffy struck first, hitting Lucci squarely in the chest. If this attack had the speed of Gear Second combined with the power of Gear Third, Lucci would certainly fall.However, although Lucci didn't dodge, he retreated a distance.Luffy realized, "He jumped backward, reducing the impact."After taking the attack, Lucci used Sky Walk to quickly get behind Luffy, thrusting his fingertips forward."Finger Pistol!!"Luffy shifted his body horizontally to the left and dodged.Lucci bent down and added a punch. Luffy extended his palm, caught the punch, held it, turned, and threw a punch with his other hand. Lucci was no ordinary opponent and blocked Luffy's punch with his elbow.Seeing this, Luffy retracted his fist, pulled it back for power, "Jet Bullet!"At such close range, even though Lucci blocked with his elbow, he was smashed backward, scraping his feet along the ground, and coughed up blood.Luffy pressed the attack, striking Lucci with a Jet Pistol that sent him crashing to the ground, covered in rubble.However, Lucci had thick skin. As Luffy approached again, Lucci was already standing. "Let me show you the strongest martial art achieved by a master of the Six Powers pushed to the extreme!"As Luffy drew near, Lucci extended both hands, clenched his fists, and pressed the backs of his knuckles against Luffy's chest."Six King Guns!!"A massive shockwave erupted. In terms of numerical power, it was roughly ten times the force of an impact dial from Sky Island, and its strength was comparable to a Reject Dial.Luffy was shaken so violently his form blurred, and blood simultaneously burst from his mouth and nose.He fell but managed to prop himself up with his hands.Although Lucci landed the attack, he frowned, because he felt as if he had struck an iron plate instead of flesh.This was because Luffy had hardened the area around his chest with Armament Haki at the last moment. If he had taken the attack without hardening, he would have coughed up a lot of blood
Chapter 527: Not the Type to Desert the BattlefieldAlready exhausted to the point of collapse, Luffyhad just taken a Six King Guns attack from Luccihead-on and was now sprawled on the ground.But before taking the blow, Luffy had broken past the stage where Armament Haki could only harden his fists, hardening it on his chest instead. This allowed him to withstand Lucci's Six King Gunswithout being defeated.Lucci sensed this, but Luffy was not unscathed. Being sprawled out was a good opportunity, so Lucci followed up with a kick."Rankyaku: Kaine!"The slash flew toward him. Luffy slapped the ground and flashed to the right. The slash scraped past him, hit the wall, and pierced right through. The men on the bridge outside naturally noticed such a huge commotion.Earlier, Franky had learned from the Marinebroadcast that there were no survivors left on Enies Lobby, which meant his subordinates and the shipwrights... The truly 'Iron Man' suppressed his inner grief, crossed his arms, and accepted the situation. Instead of mourning, he shouted for Luffyto quickly defeat Lucci and return, as his comradeswere waiting for him.Now, they noticed the scene of Luffy and Luccifighting, hearing the sound of the slash.Everyone knew it was Lucci's doing, as Luffy did not use slashing attacks."Luffy!"Seeing the Rankyaku slash fly out, Usopp couldn't help but shout, worried about Luffy.Ever since Franky heard the news that there were no survivors on Enies Lobby, he had stood on the bridge with his arms crossed, like a statue."Lucci... is indeed very strong.""If Straw Hat wasn't there tying him down, honestly, we... apart from that strange guy, the Long-Haired Man, we don't know how many of us would have died.""What do you mean, strange guy? I'm perfectly normal."Forest Mask Satoru replied.Franky ignored him. You're normal my ass!At this moment, the warship carrying Vice AdmiralOnigumo also discovered Luffy inside the First Pillar of the Bridge of Hesitation."Report! Straw Hat Luffy has been found inside the First Pillar."Vice Admiral Onigumo heard this, unsurprised. "He's still alive, huh.""Order all ships to deploy around the Bridge of Hesitation.""Yes, sir!!"The Soldier saluted in acknowledgment and immediately went to relay the order to the communications officer.Back on the bridge, Usopp heard Franky's words and couldn't help but guess, "That kid... he didn't die, did he...""Are you an idiot!"Zoro and Forest Mask Satoru said in unison.Usopp jumped in surprise, seeing Forest Mask Satoru turn his head, a smile playing on his lips as he spoke."Don't ever entertain that thought. Remember that? Usopp's... friend, Sniper King."For some reason, Usopp felt that although it was a smile, it seemed incredibly stern."I... I got it.""Bang!! Bang!!!"Suddenly, artillery fired in unison. Everyone on the bridge felt a tremor beneath their feet, and the bridge segment ahead was blown apart.The Marine broadcast sounded immediately afterward."First Pillar separation complete.""Inside the First Pillar are CP9's Rob Lucci and Straw Hat Luffy!!!""Wow!! The warships are heading this way!!"Chimney yelled from the escort ship. The Buster Call warships were much larger than the escort ship, and with seven of them surrounding them, the sense of oppression was immense."All warships have deployed around the Bridge of Hesitation.""It is confirmed that there are ten pirates on the bridge and the escort ship, including Pirate Hunter Zoro and Nico Robin!!""They must be the main pirate crew that defeated CP9 on Enies Lobby!!"Hearing the broadcast, everyone tensed up again. Zoro gripped his sword hilt. "They're coming for Robin again."Sanji gripped his cigarette.Usopp picked up his slingshot.Franky spread his arms wide.Forest Mask Satoru watched the warships surround them and remarked, "That's a lot of people."Nami on the ship assembled her clima-tact. "We won't let them succeed."Robin, whose legs had turned to jelly when she first saw the Buster Call, was no longer afraid now that her comrades were beside her. She stood firm, crossing and raising her arms.As the smoke drifting behind the destroyed bridge segment cleared, Forest Mask Satoru shouted, signaling everyone to look over."Look over there, everyone!"Over there, because the connecting bridge segment was blown up, a large hole had been torn in the wall of the First Pillar, revealing the figures of Luffy and Lucci inside.Seeing this, Usopp immediately yelled at the top of his lungs."Luffy!! We're here!!"Luffy heard the voice, turned his head to look, and saw everyone on the bridge.Franky and Sanji shouted along."Don't worry about us, everyone is safely on the ship.""Sister Robin has been rescued too!"Forest Mask Satoru added."Only you are left!!"Then everyone shouted together, "Defeat him!! Let's all break out of here alive!!"Hearing their voices, Luffy didn't answer verbally, but returned their shouts with a smile, and that was enough.Zoro said, "The rest is up to us...""How long can we hold out?"Franky asked.Forest Mask Satoru glanced at his Main Body, who was battling Vice Admiral Yamakaji while weaving through the seven warships, and replied confidently."Until Luffy defeats that cat."Sanji stamped his foot."That would be best."...Shifting their gaze away from Luffy, Marines were already standing ready on the edges of the warships surrounding the Bridge of Hesitation, waiting for them."Anyone below the rank of Major is not required to deploy for combat.""Send out a 200-man elite unit composed of Colonels and Lieutenant Colonels!""End the fight quickly!!"Hearing the Marine broadcast, Usopp thought he had misheard."Wha... what?""Marineford Colonels?! The same rank as Smoker, the one who smokes? And so many of them at once?!!"Zoro, however, was optimistic. "This just means the Marines are afraid of us...""Grandma, this is terrifying!!"Chimney was still just a child, after all.Let alone her, even the well-traveled Kokoro was silenced by the scale of the situation.To make matters worse, Usopp noticed something."Where did Sanji go?! Wasn't he just here?!!"Zoro turned his head to look, and indeed, Sanji was nowhere to be seen."What is he doing!? Where did he run off to at a time like this!""That idiot cook!!""Oh, even though you say that, Zoro, you should know that Sanji is not the type to desert the battlefield. Maybe he has some clever plan."Just now, Satoru had taken the opportunity to switch places with his Forest Mask clone. He himself came to the bridge to join Zoro and the others, leaving the clone to deal with Vice AdmiralYamakaji. Naturally, the clone couldn't defeat the Vice Admiral, but it could stall him for a while.As for Yamakaji, although the Vice Admiral was not weak, he was still about one and a half ranks below a Four Emperor.An Admiral is half a rank below a Four Emperor, and a Vice Admiral is one rank below an Admiral, so a Vice Admiral is naturally one and a half ranks below a Four Emperor.After fighting Satoru, who possessed 60% of Beckman's Flintlock Gunmanship, he had sustained injuries.(Regarding the gap between Admirals and Four Emperors, I think half a rank difference is reasonable. If an Admiral were the same rank as a Four Emperor, then there would still be Fleet Admirals and Commanders of the Three Forces above them, and so on. After all that, this is just my opinion. If you disagree, then you are right ԅ(¯ㅂ¯ԅ))
Chapter 528: Watch OutThe Marine ships surrounded the escort ship, and a 200-man elite force launched their attack.Luffy and his comrades received a buff.This was truly the final moment!...Satoru swapped positions with his Forest Maskclone, arriving on the ship himself to help everyone fend off the elite force composed of Marine Colonels and Lieutenant Colonels.The clone went to intercept Vice Admiral Yamakaji, who was extremely fixated on him.With Satoru using 60% of the power of the replicated Benn Beckman's flintlock pistoltechnique.Even Vice Admiral Yamakaji, a Marineford Vice Admiral, was wounded; a scar on his waist that looked like a sword cut was actually caused by a bullet grazing him.His draped coat of justice also had many holes made by bullets.This was also the reason why Vice AdmiralYamakaji was so fixated on Satoru. To have such strength in such a short time since setting out to sea, along with that terrifying ability, he would surely grow into a figure at the level of the Four Emperors.This confirmed his belief that he had to capture this menace, Satoru, right now. However, as the fight continued, even though he used his full strength, he found that he couldn't do anything to Satoru. Instead, he himself was wounded, and he let him escape, only for this... masked man to take his place."Are you also one of the straw hat pirates?""I have many identities. One is Forest Mask, one is a wish spirit, and there's another... guess."Forest Mask Satoru replied.To Vice Admiral Yamakaji, this sounded like mere posturing."One Sword Style: Flame Flash!!"Vice Admiral Yamakaji approached rapidly and swung his sword down. As the blade descended, it trailed a fan-shaped tail of flames.In the eyes of Forest Mask Satoru, the flames were extremely bright. Only a fool would take that hit head-on, not to mention that there were still a few minutes left on the fifteen-minute duration of the Dark-Dark Fruit.Double the pain—that was not something pleasant to experience.(The double pain of the Dark-Dark Fruit is explained in detail as follows: The body of a Dark-Dark Fruituser cannot elementalize to dodge, so the pain received is doubled. Note that it is "pain," not "damage." It is not damage; rather, the double pain is the result of absorbing physical attacks and converting that physical damage into mental suffering.Simply put, this pain is mental suffering. Once the pain passes, even the physical scars disappear completely. This is the "absorption" ability of the Dark-Dark Fruit: absorbing damage and converting it into pain.Of course, for instance, in the operation where Satoru cut off Blackbeard's entire hand, Blackbeardcould heal his severed hand by absorbing damage, but he could not regenerate a severed limb.Since Blackbeard can absorb damage, does that mean he "won't" take damage in battle? Is he invincible? No, no, no. There is a way to die called being pained to death!)Back to the main topic, Forest Mask Satoru used an air-pressure burst to retreat, narrowly dodging Vice Admiral Yamakaji's slash.Vice Admiral Yamakaji was stunned again. So now even a rookie pirate can dodge my attacks, huh!"One Sword Style: Flame Tail!"Vice Admiral Yamakaji attacked again. This time, his hand was behind him, the sword was behind him, and the blade was facing down as he dragged it forward.He approached in an instant, his hand swung forward violently, and the blade, trailing flames, swung upwards from below.The speed was faster than the previous move, and the flames were more intense than the previous move.With the clone's ability, it was a little slower—only a little—and the mask on Forest Mask Satoru's face did not escape. It was split in two, fell off, and revealed the face underneath.Vice Admiral Yamakaji, who was about to pursue, froze when he saw this face—it was identical to Satoru's. Although the Marines had deduced that Satoru might possess cloning abilities back in Alabasta, now that Vice Admiral Yamakaji, a Vice Admiral, had seen it with his own eyes, it was 100% confirmed."You really can create clones!?"Vice Admiral Yamakaji couldn't help but say."Eh, actually, I am Satoru's twin brother."Forest Mask Satoru—oh no, the mask was gone now—Forest Satoru said very sincerely.Vice Admiral Yamakaji looked at him with an expression of "I don't believe a word of that.""Super-speed learning, cloning, rookie.""Putting these three words together is simply... unimaginable.""You are a genius. I finally understand that line Vice Admiral Garp said: 'If only you were willing to become Marines.'""Unfortunately, you are now pirates!!""Even if Nico Robin leaves today, you cannot leave!! Long-Haired Bai Yun!!""Doberman, let's attack together!!"Vice Admiral Yamakaji even disregarded his own reputation, calling on Doberman to help deal with Satoru, this rookie.Doberman was silent. They had just announced that an elite force composed of Lieutenant Colonels and Colonels would be deployed, and now he was going to personally go onto the ship to fight Satoru's Main Body, in full view of the Soldiers?Obviously, Doberman cared a bit more about his reputation than Vice Admiral Yamakaji.Vice Admiral Yamakaji was anxious. "You come and stop that kid's clone; I'll go down!"Doberman agreed to this suggestion, stepped into the air, and swapped places with Vice AdmiralYamakaji....While the clone and Vice Admiral Yamakaji were fighting, the escort ship below was naturally also attacked by the 200-man elite force.Over 200 men jumped down from the Marine ships, surrounding the men on the bridge. They were densely packed, like rain.Zoro, Franky, and Usopp were surrounded. When the Marines jumped down, Franky fired his cannons and blew two of them away.The rest all landed.The chaotic battle began!!"Oh my, what a huge spectacle. You all must protect me well."Satoru expressed that he was very scared.The three of them told him to stop pretending, saying, "Don't think we don't know you could handle this all by yourself!""Super!!!"Franky charged straight ahead, tanking the bullets, as he wasn't afraid of bullets head-on."Cutting them one by one is too much trouble!"Zoro used his three swords directly, spinning at close range, and the wind from his blades took out several people."Clang! Clang! Clang!!""Those of you using swords, go find Zoro!!"Usopp was being chased and slashed at. He could only retreat while using his slingshot to defend himself. Seeing that he was about to reach the edge of the bridge, Usopp shouted in panic."Look over there!!"What a clumsy trick, but it was very effective. The Lieutenant Colonel who was slashing at Usoppturned his head to look. There was nothing there, and by the time he turned back, Usopp had already pulled his slingshot to its full extent."Big Explosion Star!!"The explosion before his eyes wasn't just an explosion; it was the lowness of his intelligence. This nameless Lieutenant Colonel collapsed immediately.Usopp raised his hands in celebration."Yes! The distraction plan was a huge success."Satoru was surrounded by Lieutenant Colonels in a circle, with long guns pointed at him—merely a dozen or twenty of them.Satoru said, "Are you sure you want to fight me?"With a flick of his hand, his bracelet transformed into dual pistols. With the dual pistols in hand, the world was his, Satoru declared."The show begins!!"With his arms spread and tilted toward the sky, the pistols in Satoru's hands fired rapidly.Using the power of the Light-Heavy Fruit to change the weight of the bullets, the bullets fired in succession were heavier, while the later bullets were lighter. Therefore, the later bullets could catch up to the earlier ones, collide, and bounce back. Repeating this, a bullet-ricochet field expanded with Satoru at the center. The Colonels and Lieutenant Colonels surrounding Satoru were instantly hit by the bullets, while Satoru, who was at the center, was completely unaffected, and he said, "Watch out."