Bang!
Sanji crashed heavily into the ground.
Blood poured from the wound across his chest, quickly staining the earth crimson.
The searing pain made his body convulse uncontrollably.
As he watched Lucas calmly walk past him, Sanji experienced true helplessness for the first time.
The exhilaration of conquering Enies Lobby just days ago had completely vanished.
"Zoro, don’t move! I just finished bandaging your wounds!"
Chopper grabbed hold of Zoro’s clothes.
But Zoro shook him off.
Glancing down at the still-bleeding gash across his abdomen, he picked up Wado Ichimonji and Sandai Kitetsu.
Then he reached for another large sword lying nearby.
Is this fate?
"Chopper, take Nami and Robin and get out of here first. I’ll bring Luffy and Sanji to meet up with you."
With Wado Ichimonji clenched between his teeth, Zoro tested the unfamiliar oversized blade in his hand before speaking through gritted teeth.
"When I fought the World’s Greatest Swordsman, Dracule Mihawk, I couldn’t even last ten moves."
"I never imagined that against you... I wouldn’t even survive a single one."
"But just now..."
"I saw through the secret behind your slash."
"That invisible blade."
"This time..."
"I’ll hold you off for a full minute!"
Lucas smiled as he adjusted his gold-rimmed glasses.
"You’re as hard to kill as a cockroach."
"Your vitality really is impressive."
"But unfortunately..."
"I’m in a bit of a hurry."
"In a hurry?"
Zoro froze for a moment before tightening his grip despite the pain.
"Sorry..."
"I’ve already figured out your technique."
"I’ll stop you for one minute, even if it costs me my life."
"Chopper... go!"
"Demon Aura: Nine-Sword Style—Asura: Silver Mist!"
Hummm!
The air trembled.
Zoro’s figure instantly transformed into the illusion of three heads and six arms.
His overwhelming fighting spirit erupted.
His aura climbed to its absolute peak.
Silver mist spread through the surrounding air.
The next instant, Zoro himself became like a phantom within the fog.
A piercing sword cry echoed through the sky.
He shot forward like a streak of silver light, tearing through the mist.
By the time everyone realized what had happened—
Zoro had already appeared directly before Lucas.
Standing perfectly still, Lucas had long since locked onto Zoro with Observation Haki.
Watching the incoming attack reflected in his eyes, he tightened his grip on Monohoshizao.
"As expected..."
"You’re even flashier than I am."
"But unfortunately..."
"What I’m hiding isn’t one slash."
"It’s two."
Hummm!
Monohoshizao descended in a clean frontal slash.
Seeing the attack finally coming straight at him—
A chill shot down Zoro’s spine.
Every hair on his body stood on end.
For a split second...
He seemed to glimpse a second invisible slash hidden within the void.
Wait...
Wasn’t there only one?
Where did the second one come from?!
Slash!
Two intersecting sword wounds erupted across Zoro’s chest.
Blood sprayed into the air.
The fighting spirit he had just reignited disappeared instantly.
Zoro stared blankly in disbelief.
So this...
Was the one minute I’d boasted about?
In the end...
He still couldn’t withstand even a single strike.
"Quit standing there!"
"Get out of here! I’ll buy us some time!"
"Fire Breath!"
Franky suddenly rushed to Nami and the others.
Opening his mouth wide, he unleashed a torrent of blazing fire toward Lucas.
At the same time, his chain-equipped arm shot forward, wrapped around Zoro, and yanked him backward in an attempt to rescue him.
Meanwhile, Luffy and Sanji were also pulled to safety by their companions.
After witnessing the instant defeat of the three strongest fighters...
The Straw Hats had clearly abandoned any thought of continuing the fight.
Facing the incoming flames, Lucas casually adjusted his glasses.
"I already said I’m in a hurry."
"Couldn’t you all cooperate for once?"
"I suppose I’ll just have to make you cooperate."
Boom!
The sea of flames was blown apart instantly.
The resulting shockwave hurled Zoro away despite Franky’s efforts.
Behind Lucas, an enormous, wrathful Asura materialized.
Standing over six meters tall, the golden figure radiated an overwhelming pressure.
Franky had only just caught Zoro.
The moment he looked up and met the Asura’s furious gaze, his face turned deathly pale.
Against an opponent like this...
Can we really escape alive?
"Break."
Lucas spoke only a single word.
The giant Asura immediately unleashed countless punches.
A storm of golden fists rained down like a torrential downpour.
At the same time, the Conqueror’s Haki slumbering within Lucas erupted once again.
Since he intended to clear the battlefield as quickly as possible...
There was no reason to hold back.
In an instant, everyone’s vision was consumed by golden light.
The endless barrage of fists and overwhelming Haki crashed toward them like a tidal wave.
Forget counterattacking—
Even defending themselves felt impossible.
They were like tiny boats caught beneath a towering tsunami, ready to be swallowed whole at any moment.
BOOM!!
The tremendous impact spread across several kilometers.
One figure after another was blasted out of the abandoned harbor.
The terrifying force smashed through everything in their path.
Nami coughed up a mouthful of blood.
Her body continued flying uncontrollably through the air.
She had believed that after defeating CP9 and conquering Enies Lobby, they had become much stronger.
Surely they could at least put up a fight against a newly appointed Marine Admiral.
Who could have imagined...
This young Admiral wasn’t merely a monster because of his age.
His strength was monstrous as well.
Watching the scenery rush past her, despair filled Nami’s heart.
Thud!
A rough, calloused hand suddenly pressed against her back.
A burst of air exploded outward as the tremendous momentum was completely dispersed.
Nami spat out another mouthful of blood before collapsing onto the ground in confusion.
"You alright, little lady?"
"I only dozed off for a bit."
"How did things end up becoming such a mess?"
Looking at the abandoned harbor that had been reduced to ruins, Garp absentmindedly picked his nose.
"You’re... Marine Hero Garp?"
Nami finally snapped back to reality.
Without caring whether the hand that had just saved her was the same one Garp had been using to pick his nose, she hurriedly spoke.
"You’re Luffy’s grandfather, aren’t you?"
"Luffy’s being hunted by the new Marine Admiral!"
"Mr. Garp, please save him!"
"If you don’t... Luffy and the others will die!"
Nami knew perfectly well that Garp was a Marine.
Their sides were fundamentally opposed.
But after witnessing Lucas’s utterly overwhelming strength...
Garp was the only person she could think of who might be able to stop him.
"Hunted by the new Marine Admiral?"
Garp blinked.
He pulled out the pocket watch at his waist and checked the time.
Then he burst into hearty laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"That brat really doesn’t miss a single chance to game the system."
"But don’t worry."
"It’s exactly five o’clock."
"He doesn’t kill people after work."
Five o’clock?
He doesn’t kill people after work?
Nami stared blankly at the time displayed on Garp’s pocket watch.
Her mind went completely blank.
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