"Hey, couldn't we just hide in an amusement park or something?"
Running beside Jin, Monkey D. Luffy grinned, baring his teeth. "We only need to hide for three days anyway."
"You idiot, were you even listening to Jin?!" Nami roared, her face turning into a shark's maw. "A Marine Admiral is already here!"
With such a terrifying figure appearing—and targeting the Straw Hat Pirates—how could he be thinking about playing instead of escaping?
What exactly was going on inside this guy's head?
Luffy pouted and turned his head away, as if protesting against Nami.
At that moment, a massive figure dropped from the sky, crashing down right in front of them and blocking their path.
"BOOM!!"
"This guy is…"
Zoro's pupils shrank as he got a clear look. "A Warlord of the Sea!"
Wasn't this the same one they encountered in the Florian Triangle?
The user of the Paw-Paw Fruit… Kuma!
"Why is he here?!" Usopp cried out in panic.
If they were blocked here, wouldn't the Admiral catch up to them too?!
"This is… a really bad situation."
Sanji's expression darkened. He clearly hadn't expected a Warlord to show up.
"Heh, as expected of a Warlord," Jin sneered.
It hadn't even been long since they took down a Celestial Dragon, and this guy was already here to intercept them.
Talk about dedication.
"Get ready to fight," Franky said grimly.
"A Warlord?"
Luffy looked at his crew in confusion. "Why does everyone know him?"
"Who is he?"
"He's the Kuma who tried to recruit Jin into the Seven Warlords!" Nami replied, pulling out her weapon and staring at the Pacifista with a serious gaze.
No matter why he was here—since he had appeared, they'd have to defeat him.
After all… there was no way he'd just let them leave.
"What?!"
"He's that Kuma?!"
Luffy's expression instantly turned furious, his eyes blazing as he glared at the Pacifista.
This bastard dared try to take his crewmate?!
He wouldn't forgive him!
Without hesitation, Luffy activated Second Gear.
The Pacifista swept its gaze across the Straw Hats and spoke coldly:
"Target confirmed."
"Proceed… with elimination."
It raised its hand, aiming directly at Luffy.
Golden light began gathering at its palm.
"Dodge!" Sanji shouted urgently. "It's a shockwave!"
Back in the Florian Triangle, that was how Kuma attacked—with compressed air shockwaves from the Paw-Paw Fruit. If not for Jin, they would've lost consciousness instantly.
"Shockwave?"
Luffy blinked. What was that?
"…Doesn't look like one."
Jin frowned as he stared at the increasingly bright palm.
Wasn't Kuma's attack style different?
To launch a shockwave, he should at least compress air first.
But this… wasn't that.
'Wait… this isn't a shockwave!'
Jin's eyes sharpened. That glow looked more like Admiral Kizaru's laser!
And considering the opponent was a modified human…
"Dodge—it's a laser attack!" Jin shouted.
Without hesitation, he grabbed Merry and Chopper and leapt away.
The others scattered instantly.
"Whoosh—!"
A terrifying beam shot through the space they had just occupied and blasted into the ground behind them.
"BOOM!!"
"That power…"
Cold sweat trickled down Sanji's face.
They absolutely couldn't get hit by that—or they'd die!
"What's going on? Last time we met Kuma, he couldn't fire lasers," Chopper said, confused as he jumped down and transformed into his heavy point.
"He must've been modified again," Nico Robin calmly speculated.
"If he could be modified once, there's no reason it couldn't happen again."
"His lasers are similar to Kizaru's," Jin said quickly after setting Merry down. "Do not get hit."
"Easy to say, but… that's a laser!"
Usopp grimaced. That speed was ridiculous—it wouldn't be easy to dodge.
"Instead of worrying about that, think about how to take him down!"
Franky raised his arm. "Coup de Vent!"
"BANG!!"
The compressed air blast slammed into the Pacifista, sending it flying into a massive tree behind it.
"BOOM!!"
"Did it work?"
"Doesn't look like it…" Franky muttered, his face darkening. "It's tougher than I thought."
"What about his repelling ability?" Brook asked.
"If he used it, wouldn't Franky's attack have been bounced back?"
"How should I know?"
"Maybe he doesn't think he needs it yet."
"Who cares!"
Luffy charged forward.
"Kuma, you bastard—prepare yourself!"
"Jet… Bazooka!"
"BOOM!!"
A heavy blow sent the Pacifista flying again—but it quickly got back up and fired a laser in response.
"Whoosh—!"
"BOOM!!"
"Close one!"
Luffy flipped backward, cold sweat forming. That shot had barely missed him.
"Even if he's not using the Paw-Paw Fruit, that works in our favor!"
Zoro dashed to the side.
"Three-Sword Style: 1080 Pound Phoenix!"
"SHING!!"
The flying slash struck hard, interrupting the Pacifista's next laser.
"…Something feels off," Jin muttered, frowning.
"Normally, he'd use his ability to repel himself away instead of tanking hits."
"I was thinking the same," Sanji said.
"…Forget it. Let's test something."
Jin glanced toward the sea and sprinted for the shore.
'I wanted to use this fight to train my Haki… but there's no time.'
An Admiral could arrive at any moment.
Better to finish this quickly.
Sanji immediately understood and grinned. "As expected of him."
"Nami, get back!"
He rushed forward to hold the Pacifista in place—buying time for Jin.
"We should help—"
"Merry, not getting in their way is the best help," Nami said, grabbing her and retreating with Robin.
"We—"
"BOOM!!"
A laser shot toward them.
Usopp screamed and dove aside.
"Damn it… I'm running out of cola," Franky muttered.
"Go to Merry—she has reserves."
"Right!"
He dashed off. Without cola, his combat ability would drop below Usopp's.
Meanwhile—
"Three-Sword Style: Oni Giri!"
"CLANG!"
"…Too tough."
Zoro frowned. "I can't cut through."
"BZZZT—!"
"Not good!"
A laser shot from the Pacifista's mouth—Zoro barely dodged.
"Gomu Gomu no… Jet Gatling!"
"DADADADADA!!"
A barrage of punches forced the Pacifista back.
"Diable Jambe!"
Sanji's leg burned red-hot as he kicked—
"Concassé!"
"BOOM!!"
The impact blasted the Pacifista into a building.
"BOOM!!"
"Did it work?" Brook asked.
"…Not sure."
A noise came from inside.
"Tch. Not that easy," Sanji spat.
"Of course not," Zoro said. "He's a Warlord… and he hasn't even used his Devil Fruit."
"Yeah…"
"Tch… we're being underestimated."
Suddenly—
A yellow glow burst from the building.
"Dodge!"
"Whoosh—!"
"BOOM!!"
A laser shot out, barely missing Brook's afro.
"You bastard!" Brook raged. "You dared target my hair?!"
That was how Laboon would recognize him!
"Three Verse: Arrow Notch Slash!"
"SLASH!"
He cut off some of the Pacifista's hair.
"…At least react!"
But the Pacifista immediately fired another laser.
"…This guy really is like a machine…"
"Usopp Spell: Atlas Comet!"
"BOOM!!"
Explosives detonated, creating smoke.
"Too tough…" Chopper muttered.
"Back at Thriller Bark, it was the same," Franky said. "This guy's durability… is insane."
At that moment—
"RUMBLE—!"
Jin returned, riding a massive surge of seawater.
"Jin!"
"Move aside!"
Standing atop the water, he clapped his hands.
"Water Style: Water Shock Wave!"
"BOOM!!"
A torrent of seawater engulfed the Pacifista.
"Yes!" Sanji and Zoro's eyes lit up.
Seawater would weaken Devil Fruit users!
"Gurgle—gurgle—"
"…Huh?"
They turned—
"LUFFY?!"
Jin: …
He stared, speechless.
Why didn't this idiot grab onto a tree?!
With a sigh, Jin manipulated the water and tossed Luffy—and the others—out.
"COUGH—!"
"Thought… I was gonna die…"
No one paid attention.
"Jin did it!" Usopp cheered. "He's in seawater now!"
…but then froze.
"…Why doesn't he look weak?"
Jin frowned.
Something was wrong.
Then—
The Pacifista moved.
It raised its hands and fired lasers—even underwater.
"What?!"
The beams shot wildly, missing their target.
"…I get it." Jin smirked coldly.
"A fake."
Only Devil Fruit users were weakened by the sea.
If he wasn't affected—
"Either a twin… or a machine created by the World Government."
If it was the latter…
That meant they could mass-produce these things.
"…That'd be bad."
"BZZZT—!"
"Enough."
"Lightning Style: Ground Flow!"
Electricity surged through the water—
"BOOM!!"
The Pacifista convulsed violently, smoke rising from its body before collapsing.
Jin dispelled the water, then appeared above it in an instant.
His fist hardened with Armament Haki.
"Armament… Monster Strength Punch!"
"BOOM!!"
The head shattered completely.
"BZZZT… bzzt…"
The machine twitched—then fell silent.
It had stopped functioning.
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