"A fake CP0?"
Ulti froze.
She had never expected Lucas to respond like that.
In the past, simply revealing CP0’s name was enough to make anyone back down.
No one had ever questioned its authenticity.
Yet Lucas dismissed it without a second thought, completely overturning everything she thought she knew.
Smoker, Ain, and Tashigi were equally stunned.
Those words sounded strangely familiar.
A certain past incident immediately flashed through their minds.
Smoker was the first to react.
"Grab onto me!"
"Don’t let go!"
"Smoke Passage!"
Boom!
Smoke erupted from Smoker’s body like an exploding volcano.
Using the enormous recoil generated by his smoke propulsion, he instantly carried Tashigi and Ain over a hundred meters away.
Before following Lucas, Smoker would never have imagined that his Smoke-Smoke Fruit would eventually be developed...
Into a technique specifically for running away.
But the moment he remembered what had happened the last time someone had claimed to be CP0 in front of Lucas...
A chill ran straight down his spine.
Ulti stood rooted to the spot.
Watching the three Marines flee over a hundred meters away in an instant, her heart skipped a beat.
She hurriedly looked toward Lucas.
She was confident that the charming abilities of her Phantom Fox Devil Fruit were more than enough to protect her.
Unfortunately...
That thought had barely formed—
When an overwhelming wave of Conqueror’s Haki crashed toward her like a raging tsunami.
Caught beneath the tangible pressure of Lucas’s Haki...
Ulti felt as though she had been struck head-on by a gigantic hundred-meter Sea King.
Pffft!
She spat out a mouthful of blood.
Her body shot backward like a cannonball before crashing hundreds of meters away.
Boom!
The rocky ground shattered beneath the impact, leaving behind a massive crater.
Fragments of stone flew everywhere.
Ulti struggled once.
Her beautiful eyes were wide with disbelief.
Then...
She lay motionless in the rubble.
Even until she lost consciousness...
She still couldn’t understand.
Am I... not attractive enough?
Why is he so ruthless toward beautiful women?
And why...
Why doesn’t the CP0 identity work on this new Admiral?
"A-Admiral Lucas..."
Ain finally regained her senses.
Looking at Ulti’s unconscious figure embedded in the crater, the muscles in her face twitched involuntarily.
Only moments ago, every attempt she’d made to attack had been unconsciously suppressed.
Ulti’s alluring appearance still lingered vividly in her mind.
Yet...
Lucas had struck without the slightest hesitation.
"What exactly is wrong with that?"
Lucas casually took another drink of strong liquor.
"I worked hard to defeat someone worth a fortune."
"Then someone suddenly shows up, claims to be CP0, and expects to take my prisoner away."
"So what was the point of me doing all that work?"
"Besides..."
He shrugged.
"I’m still a rookie."
"I don’t recognize people."
"The rest is up to you."
"It’s already off-duty hours."
With that, Lucas turned and walked away without another glance.
Smoker and the others stood speechless.
"I’m still a rookie."
Those simple words really could solve almost any problem.
It was...
Exactly the kind of thing Lucas would say.
However...
Looking back at the unconscious Jack and Ulti...
Smoker, Tashigi, and Ain all felt increasingly uneasy.
When Marine Headquarters learned about this...
Would they consider it good news?
Or another headache?
Meanwhile, at Marine Headquarters...
The conference hall was in the middle of yet another strategy meeting.
With the upcoming exchange involving Marshall D. Teach, who intended to hand over Portgas D. Ace, commander of the Whitebeard Pirates’ Second Division, there was a very real possibility that war with the Whitebeard Pirates would erupt.
As Fleet Admiral Sengoku, he had already convened multiple meetings to prepare for every possible contingency.
The atmosphere in the room had been solemn.
Until moments earlier.
Everyone stared at the shattered Den Den Mushi in Sengoku’s hand.
A bad feeling quietly settled over the room.
"Sengoku."
Tsuru frowned.
"Was that call from Admiral Lucas?"
As the Marines’ Chief Staff Officer, she rarely saw Sengoku lose his composure.
Or rather...
Ever since Lucas had been exceptionally promoted to Admiral...
Sengoku’s nerves seemed to have become considerably more fragile.
Sengoku slowly came back to his senses.
Looking at the broken Den Den Mushi in his hand, he realized he had overreacted.
After calming himself, he spoke in a deep voice.
"It was."
"It was that brat."
"Recently, every single time he calls..."
"Nothing good ever happens."
"I’ve become so conditioned that when he suddenly asked me..."
"’How much is the bounty for one of the Three All-Stars?’"
"...I accidentally crushed the Den Den Mushi."
"The Three All-Stars?"
Tsuru looked surprised.
"Only Kaido’s three Lead Performers are known by that title."
"Lucas has clashed with the Beast Pirates several times already."
"He still hasn’t even delivered that captured Flying Six member to Impel Down."
"Sengoku..."
"Do you think he actually ran into one of the Three All-Stars?"
Sengoku’s expression immediately changed.
"Their bounties are all at least 1 billion Berries."
"Their Devil Fruit abilities have all been developed to an extraordinary level."
"That’s precisely why their bounties are so high."
"As Kaido’s right-hand men..."
"None of the Three All-Stars are easy opponents."
"Fleet Admiral Sengoku..."
Vice Admiral Momonga spoke up.
"Are you worried Admiral Lucas can’t defeat one of them?"
Ever since witnessing Lucas effortlessly suppress Edward Weevil...
Momonga’s opinion of the new Admiral had completely changed.
Hearing anyone question Lucas’s strength now...
Simply didn’t sit well with him.
"No."
Sengoku shook his head.
"I’ve never doubted Lucas’s strength."
"Even if he can’t capture one of the Three All-Stars..."
"They won’t be able to defeat him either."
His expression grew serious.
"But right now, all of Marine Headquarters is preparing for Whitebeard."
"If Lucas keeps provoking the Beast Pirates..."
"Knowing Kaido’s temperament..."
"He’ll eventually come looking for us."
"So..."
"I intend to order Lucas to avoid confronting the Three All-Stars for the time being."
"We’ll deal with them after the matter concerning Fire Fist Ace is settled."
"I agree."
Tsuru nodded.
"Only a few minutes have passed since that call."
"We should contact Admiral Lucas immediately."
"If we’re too late..."
"I’m afraid something unexpected will happen."
As she spoke, she turned toward Garp.
Besides Sengoku...
Only Garp maintained a direct Den Den Mushi line to Lucas.
But the moment she looked over—
Her heart skipped a beat.
Garp cleared his throat awkwardly.
Then placed a freshly received fax on the conference table.
"That brat Lucas suddenly sent me this a little while ago."
"I didn’t understand it at first..."
"But now I do."
Everyone hurriedly leaned over to read it.
The entire room fell silent.
The fax contained only one short message.
Target secured.
Where do I collect the bounty?
Don’t worry about me.
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