El replied calmly, "The crew members stationed here were never the strongest ones to begin with."
"Bounties of several tens of millions are about their limit."
"Against true masters, they simply aren't enough."
El had already sent all his capable subordinates away on missions; those who remained were not elite fighters.
He stood up and said quietly, "Lead the way."
"Let me see who this arrogant rookie actually is."
Guided carefully by Naguri, El arrived at the location of the one who dared challenge him.
The man was tall and powerfully built, with curly black hair. Tattooed across his chest were the words: "Shinen Shinjuu" — Death and Heart Devotion.
He wore sunglasses, held a cigarette in his mouth, and carried himself with the arrogant air of someone who believed he was the greatest in the world.
Seeing El arrive, the man turned around and spoke. "So you're El? The famous pirate?"
"They call you an Emperor of the Sea, so I guess you must be pretty strong! I'm here to challenge you today!"
El didn't answer immediately. Instead, his gaze shifted to the area around the man.
Numerous green plants had sprouted all around him.
Several of El's subordinates were pinned in place, their bodies pierced by thick, powerful vines, slowly having their life force drained to feed this man.
El looked at his men, his tone turning icy. "What is your name?"
"Aramaki! Remember it well — I'm the man who will one day become a Marine Admiral!" Aramaki declared arrogantly.
El replied coldly, "No. You will never get the chance."
"Today, you will die by my hand."
As El spoke, a terrifying wave of Conqueror's Haki exploded from his body!
Black lightning crackled and surged directly toward Aramaki.
In an instant, the bright, sunny sky turned pitch black, filled with roiling dark clouds.
Faced with El's overwhelming, terrifying aura, Aramaki's legs began to tremble uncontrollably. Cold sweat poured down his face.
"Wh… What kind of joke is this…!"
Despite his fear, Aramaki stood his ground and did not turn away.
"I won't run away just because you scare me! Never!"
"I'm going to become a Marine Admiral and rise to the top!"
El remained silent.
He drew his supreme-grade blade — Slash God — and swung it casually.
It was a strike made without effort, yet it moved with blinding speed, too fast for the eye to follow!
Aramaki only saw a flash of white light like lightning coming from El's waist.
As the brilliant blade light swept past, every single vine beneath Aramaki's feet was severed in the same instant!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
El's subordinates fell down from the broken vines.
El quickly scanned them with his Observation Haki.
Their bodies were not critically damaged. They had lost some vitality, but they could still be saved.
By now, Aramaki was beginning to panic deep inside.
"That slash… it was so fast… could I have even blocked it if it was aimed at me?" he wondered anxiously.
He carried a short sword himself and knew a thing or two about swordsmanship, yet he hadn't even seen El move.
He hadn't understood how the strike was released… How could he fight someone like that?
Aramaki began to regret his decision to come here.
El looked at him and spoke. "Use your powers and heal my subordinates."
"Do that, and I will let you live."
Aramaki's heart skipped a beat. He realized El's killing intent earlier had been absolutely real.
Thankfully, I didn't kill his men earlier… or I'd be dead already!
Aramaki immediately activated his Devil Fruit ability again. Strong vines grew from the ground once more — but this time, in reverse.
He drew life energy from the surrounding environment and channeled it back into the bodies of El's men.
Slowly, his subordinates, who had been withered and skeletal-looking, regained their healthy appearance.
Within moments, they had fully recovered.
El's subordinates scrambled to their feet and knelt respectfully before him, shame-faced. "Lord El… we have failed you and betrayed your trust!"
El waved his hand dismissively and motioned for them to leave.
After all, those who had stayed behind were meant for general duties and chores, not to act as his elite guards. It was only natural that they lost to someone like Aramaki.
El turned his gaze back to Aramaki and spoke calmly. "So… you wanted to challenge me?"
"Very well. Here is your chance."
"If you can survive a single strike from me, I will spare your life."
Aramaki hesitated. Didn't he just say I could live if I healed his men?
But under the crushing pressure of El's presence, he dared not ask or argue.
"Why do you want to become a Marine Admiral so badly?" El suddenly asked, sounding almost curious.
Aramaki looked at him and revealed his true inner thoughts. "To rise above everyone else!"
"That is my way of surviving!"
As he spoke about his beliefs, Aramaki's expression became fanatical.
"Human existence has always been governed by the rule of the strong oppressing the weak!"
"Without discrimination, there can be no safety or status!"
"And the highest level of existence in this world… are the Celestial Dragons!"
"If I become a Marine Admiral, I will be allowed close to the most noble race in the world!"
He stared intensely at El. "Do you understand my ambition?"
To Aramaki's surprise, El burst out laughing after hearing his explanation.
"Naive… far too naive!"
El looked at him, smiling with pity. "Your logic is foolish… and quite ridiculous!"
After he finished laughing, El said calmly, "You know what? Someone like you should become a Marine Admiral."
"Only then will you truly realize just how wrong and delusional you really are."
Aramaki felt deeply insulted that his philosophy was mocked, yet he dared not say anything rude in return.
Instead, he unleashed the full power of his Forest-Forest Fruit. "I will make you understand that my beliefs are correct!"
"Forbidden Forest of Hatred!"
As his ability erupted, countless green shoots burst from the empty ground.
In just a split second, the tiny seedlings grew rapidly into towering, massive trees!
Flowers, grasses, vines, and giant trunks surged up, completely surrounding Aramaki. In an instant, the space around him transformed into a dense, wild forest.
Aramaki himself began to change, growing larger and larger until he was no longer human-shaped. He became an enormous, sentient tree with arms, legs, and a face.
"COME ON!!"
Aramaki roared, controlling thousands of plants to attack El from all directions.
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