The plaza fell into dead silence.
Everyone stared at the scene before them in utter disbelief.
Not far away, atop one of the giant mangrove trees, Rayleigh took another sip of the strong liquor Lucas had given him earlier. A hint of amusement crossed his face.
If everything really played out according to common sense, then this trip would have been a complete waste.
"Kid," Rayleigh murmured with a smile, "let me see just how far your mastery of Conqueror’s Haki has come compared to Rocks."
"If I can witness someone shake the foundations of the Celestial Dragons before I die..."
"...then I’ll have lived a worthwhile life."
He took another leisurely drink before shifting his gaze toward Kalifa and the others, whose identities had now been completely exposed.
Kaku and the rest stood frozen.
None of them had expected the situation to spiral so completely out of control.
Unable to hold back any longer, Kalifa gritted her teeth.
"Jabra, you’re betraying CP9! You’re selling us out!"
"When Lucci wakes up, he’ll never forgive you!"
"Shut up, Kalifa!" Jabra shot back anxiously.
"You don’t understand!"
"That Marine Admiral is monstrously strong. I’m trying to save CP9!"
He immediately turned back toward Lucas.
"Admiral Lucas!"
"Please accept our surrender!"
Beside him, Fukurou and Kumadori hurriedly echoed his plea.
Seeing how determined the three of them were, Kalifa, Kaku, and the others were left speechless.
Was this really self-preservation...
...or were they throwing themselves into the lion’s den?
Still, despite their shock, they couldn’t help but wonder how the newly appointed Marine Admiral would react to such an enormous achievement practically being handed to him.
"Surrender?" Lucas muttered before taking another sip of liquor.
He glanced toward Ain.
"That’s good news."
"Ain, give old man Sengoku a call."
"Ask him how many millions in bounty they’re worth."
Silence.
Everyone present was completely dumbfounded.
Even Kalifa and Kaku were no exception.
They had imagined many possible endings.
Being captured.
Becoming bargaining chips.
Even being executed.
But never...
Never had they imagined being casually discussed as a cash reward.
And measured in millions at that.
Were they really that cheap?
"You insolent Marine Admiral!"
Pica roared furiously.
"How dare you look down on our young master!"
"Do you think the authority of the Seven Warlords of the Sea means nothing?!"
"Until our young master gives the order..."
"No one is taking them away!"
"Stone Barrage!"
Boom!!
Pica slammed both hands onto the ground.
The earth erupted violently.
Eight enormous fissures tore open across the plaza as massive stone pillars burst upward.
Like giant spears, they converged on Lucas from every direction.
Everyone’s expression changed.
No matter how young Lucas was, he was still a Marine Admiral.
This was the Sabaody Archipelago, practically next door to Marine Headquarters.
Attacking an Admiral here...
One had to either be completely insane...
...or have someone powerful backing them.
Meanwhile, Kalifa and the others watched with anticipation.
They wanted to see exactly what kind of strength had convinced the ever-arrogant Jabra—the man who constantly challenged Rob Lucci—to surrender without hesitation.
Then...
Their pupils contracted.
Golden light exploded from Lucas’s body.
A magnificent Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva materialized around him.
The eight stone pillars, carrying overwhelming force, stopped dead less than four meters away from him.
They could advance no farther.
Pica’s expression stiffened.
He had never expected his surprise attack to be blocked so effortlessly.
Originally, he had merely wanted to teach Lucas a lesson.
Now...
There was no turning back.
"Stone Bite!"
Boom!!
The earth beneath Lucas churned once more.
A gigantic stone head nearly six meters tall erupted from below.
Its enormous jaws snapped open, lunging toward Lucas.
At the same moment, Pica merged into the ground using his Stone-Stone Fruit.
When he emerged again, he was already behind Lucas.
Raising his massive katana overhead, he slashed down with all his might.
Boom!!
The two-pronged attack landed simultaneously.
Yet Pica’s face changed dramatically.
Whether it was the giant stone jaws...
...or the blade in his hands...
It felt as though he had struck solid steel.
From beginning to end...
The Marine Admiral simply stood there, calmly drinking his liquor without taking a single step.
"So this is the dignity of a Warlord?"
Lucas adjusted his glasses inside the protective aura of the Thousand-Armed Bodhisattva.
"Pathetic."
"I’m taking those people with me."
"But you’re getting in my way."
Boom!
The Conqueror’s Haki sleeping within him erupted.
An overwhelming shockwave burst outward from Lucas like a physical tidal wave.
The surrounding stone pillars shattered instantly.
The giant stone head exploded into countless fragments.
Standing closest to him, Pica felt as though he had been struck head-on by a colossal tsunami.
His entire body was blasted away.
Dust billowed into the sky.
Everything in the shockwave’s path was smashed apart.
Pica flew hundreds of meters before crashing into a group of fleeing pirates.
The impact sent several unlucky pirates coughing up blood as they were launched through the air.
When the dust finally settled, Pica struggled to his feet.
Ignoring the blood running down his face, he stared at Lucas in complete disbelief.
"That’s..."
"Conqueror’s Haki?"
"How can it possess actual physical destructive force?"
He couldn’t help blurting out,
"Then..."
"Is our young master’s Conqueror’s Haki fake?!"
In Pica’s eyes, Trebol had chosen Doflamingo to become the young master of the Donquixote Family precisely because he possessed the rare qualities of a supreme king.
Among the Seven Warlords, very few possessed Conqueror’s Haki.
It had always been a source of immense pride.
But compared to what Lucas had just displayed...
The gap was simply overwhelming.
"Pica-sama!"
A pirate hurried over in panic.
"Young Master Doflamingo sent word!"
"He says that until he gives the order..."
"No one is allowed to take CP9 away."
"Not even a Marine Admiral."
"Young Master is negotiating with the Five Elders."
"He only needs another five minutes!"
"Five minutes..."
Pica’s expression froze before twisting with determination.
"If that’s the young master’s command..."
"Then not even the Five Elders themselves can take them away."
He glared at Lucas.
"Arrogant Marine Admiral."
"Now let me see whether your Conqueror’s Haki..."
"...can stand against the power of my Stone-Stone Fruit!"
The moment he finished speaking, the entire plaza began to rumble.
The ground shook more and more violently, like the onset of a massive earthquake.
Watching Pica merge deeper and deeper into the surrounding land, Lucas suddenly remembered something.
A very important thing.
This was the perfect opportunity...
...to test the heaven-defying effects of the Intermediate Mutation Card.
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