As for the strength of Naguri, the man who had once challenged the Pirate King and possessed Conqueror’s Haki, they truly had no idea how powerful he was.
But Fujitora Issho was different.
Fleet Admiral Sengoku himself had described Fujitora as possessing strength comparable to an Admiral.
His strength was right there for everyone to see!
BOOM!
The almost tangible wave of Conqueror’s Haki crashed toward Fujitora and Naguri like a raging tidal wave.
The tremendous pressure it carried was like a mountain bearing down on them, leaving everyone with a suffocating feeling.
Standing beneath it, Fujitora and Naguri’s expressions changed drastically.
This was the second time they had witnessed Lucas’s Haki attack.
Yet it was still just as shocking.
At least, looking across the entire sea, apart from the legendary Rocks in the past, there was probably no one else like him.
"Naguri, go! I’ll buy you some time!"
The cane sword in Fujitora’s hand suddenly flashed out of its sheath.
Purple gravity gathered around the blade like a flowing bolt of light before he slashed it toward the rear once again.
BOOM!
Violent winds rapidly swept outward in all directions.
The clouds of dust they kicked up seemed capable of blotting out the sky.
Doll was clearly caught completely off guard by Fujitora’s sudden intervention.
After all, only moments ago, Fujitora had been the one who had launched an explosive attack against Naguri.
Before Doll could even react, Smoker was already shouting urgently.
"Save the people! Prepare to run!"
Run?
The muscles in Doll’s cheeks twitched.
When she saw that a great battle was about to erupt, her first instinct had been to join the fight.
She had never expected the first thing she would hear would be an order to save people and flee.
But those complaints had barely crossed her mind before she saw Lucas launch another attack capable of shaking heaven and earth.
Doll immediately abandoned all other thoughts, turned around, and rushed off to rescue the civilians.
At that moment, she finally understood why Smoker had developed such an extraordinarily refined ability to rescue people.
He had probably been forced into it.
Faced with Lucas’s fighting style—where he did nothing when he didn’t attack, but once he did, heaven and earth seemed to collapse—there was probably no other way.
Apart from rescuing people and desperately trying to make his presence known, what else could he do?
HUM...
The air circulating throughout the heavens and earth began to tremble.
The beast-shaped manifestation of Haki that shot straight into the sky coiled high above the clouds.
The Super-Level Magic: Fall of the Sky appeared, with nine layers of magic circles rapidly unfolding.
At the same time, the Hundred-Type Guanyin condensed behind Lucas.
The three ultimate attacks once again erupted simultaneously.
Naguri, who had just turned around and intended to flee, looked at the changes taking place in the sky.
The weathered, tree-bark-like wrinkles on his face twitched.
He clenched his pipe, tightened his grip around his giant hammer, then turned around and quickly returned to Fujitora’s side.
With a faint sigh, he said,
"Originally, when I saw you here, little brother, I only intended to secretly take one last look at you."
"That would’ve been enough to fulfill the final wish I’ve carried in this lifetime."
"I never expected that someone would recognize my identity here."
"But as your big brother, I can’t bring myself to disappoint you."
"You’re willing to cover my escape, but forget it."
"Still, I really want to know something."
"Why is this dignified Marine Admiral fighting so crazily?"
"Did negotiations fall apart before they even started?"
Fujitora revealed a rare smile and shook his head.
"Heh heh. Big Brother Naguri, when I first ventured out onto the sea, you were the one who spared my life."
"Without you, I probably wouldn’t have survived until today."
"I originally intended to come to this country, which has been ravaged by a Warlord of the Sea, and take a look around."
"I never expected to encounter this Marine Admiral who actually dares to attack the Seven Warlords of the Sea and refuses to follow convention."
"Still, compared with the other Marines, I actually find myself agreeing with his way of doing things."
"Whether you’re a Warlord of the Sea or someone like me, who has been designated as special combat power, the moment we cross the boundaries he’s drawn, he’ll disregard everything and strike with overwhelming force."
"Someone like him really is impossible to figure out!"
Naguri couldn’t help being stunned.
"Little Brother Fujitora, I didn’t expect you to think so highly of him."
"But I really want to know something."
"Why is he so determined to pursue us?"
In Naguri’s eyes, he certainly hadn’t expected to end up on the special combat power list.
But what puzzled him even more was why Lucas continued pursuing him even after he had refused.
"Why?"
Fujitora was stunned for a moment before suddenly laughing.
"Rumor has it we’re worth a 20 million-Berry bonus!"
A 20 million-Berry bonus?
Naguri was completely dumbfounded.
He had considered all sorts of reasons.
But he had never imagined that he’d simply been valued at 20 million Berries.
The price was so cheap that even Naguri found it difficult to maintain his dignity.
He looked up at the attacks accumulating in the sky and couldn’t help tightening his grip around his giant hammer.
"This is giving me a headache."
"Little Brother Fujitora, let’s tear the heavens apart together!"
"Gravity Sword: Fierce Dragon!"
"Giant Hammer: Ryuo Coiling Conqueror’s Haki!"
BOOM!
Countless attacks poured down from the sky like a waterfall.
Two enormous explosive shockwaves swept outward like hurricanes.
Smoker and the others, who had already fled into the distance with the civilians, instantly turned pale.
The storm of dust that erupted swallowed the entire harbor entrance in an instant.
Everyone felt a chill run down their spines.
The only thing they could be grateful for was that they had Smoker with them, a man who had become exceptionally skilled at escaping.
Otherwise, their situation would have been extremely grim.
No one knew how much time had passed.
The violent shockwaves of the explosion gradually dissipated.
The clouds of dust rolling through the sky slowly settled.
The harbor entrance had been completely flattened, obliterated and swallowed by the sea.
Everyone’s pupils contracted as they eagerly looked toward the ruins.
The first thing they saw was still Lucas, standing within the protection of the Hundred-Type Guanyin.
But the Hundred-Type Guanyin was already completely different from before.
Its entire body was covered in Armament Haki, giving it an additional sense of indestructibility.
Despite the devastating impact that had just erupted, capable of shaking heaven and earth, Lucas remained completely unharmed within the Hundred-Type Guanyin.
In fact, as they looked at the single patch of raised ground remaining beneath Lucas’s feet...
If someone told them that Lucas hadn’t even moved during the entire collision, they absolutely would have believed it.
Even Fujitora and Naguri, standing a hundred meters away and covered in dust, were no exception.
The suffocating sensation they had experienced at the instant of the collision still lingered in their hearts.
Looking at Lucas, who remained standing beneath the Hundred-Type Guanyin, Naguri couldn’t help asking,
"Marine Admiral, why are you so determined to pursue me?"
"Do you really think I’ll submit to force?"
"Force?"
Lucas took a gulp of strong liquor and smiled as he shook his head.
"Lord Naguri, of course I don’t think that."
"But I believe we’re destined to have a connection."
"For example, I have a connection with Mr. Garp."
"That’s why his grandson is still alive."
"If you and I have a connection as well, who knows what good things might happen?"
"Garp?"
Naguri’s expression froze.
Of course he hadn’t forgotten that bastard.
Back then, at an unknown terminal landfill, he had encountered Luffy and the other two.
It had been Garp who had deliberately arranged for Naguri to train them.
Everything had seemed like a coincidence.
It was only afterward that Naguri realized it had all been a trap.
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