Chapter 121: Big Dumb Bear, Let Me Tell You Two Pieces of Good News!
At the top floor of the central tower on Clockwork Island, the battle had erupted in full force.
"Zoro—! Do you remember me?!"
Amid a sharp, piercing roar, the Trump Pirates' officer, Pin Joker, gripped a slender rapier with both hands, its tip trembling slightly with rage.
His face was painted with exaggerated greasepaint, but beneath the makeup, a massive, hideous scar slanted from his right temple to his left jaw, nearly splitting his entire face in two.
Zoro glanced at Pin Joker, his brow slightly furrowed as if trying to recall.
Three seconds later.
"Don't remember."
Zoro said bluntly, "I've cut down too many people. How could I possibly remember every single one."
"You—!"
Pin Joker roared, "Today, I'll make sure you—have nowhere to hide your corpse!"
As soon as the words left his mouth, he struck first.
But not with his sword.
Pin Joker flung his left hand, and a dense shower of poison needles, fine as ox hair, shot toward Zoro like a torrential downpour!
Though he styled himself a swordsman, he resorted to hidden weapons for a sneak attack.
This very act revealed just how little confidence he had in his own swordsmanship.
It was remarkably similar to his habit of misusing words and phrases he didn't understand.
What a coincidence!
Zoro was a swordsman of considerable literary refinement.
Every sword technique he employed bore a fitting and elegant name.
Moreover, he currently detested those who claimed to be swordsmen but didn't wield their swords properly!
Pin Joker had precisely stepped on two landmines.
"It's 'have nowhere to bury your corpse'!"
Zoro's eyes turned cold.
Three swords instantly whirled into a blur of silver light.
"Clink-clink-clink-clink-clink—!"
Every single poison needle was sliced down half a meter from Zoro's body, not one able to get close.
As the sword gleams converged, Zoro's figure had already vanished from his original spot.
"Wha—?!"
Pin Joker's pupils contracted sharply, instinctively raising his sword to block.
"Clang—!!"
The rapier collided with Wado Ichimonji, sparks flying.
"Today," Zoro's voice was icy, "I'll teach you what a real swordsman is."
With that, Zoro's figure charged forward, four blades clashing together, sending sparks flying!
Zoro fought with exceptional ferocity, as if treating Pin Joker like someone who didn't use their sword properly.
...
Meanwhile, the battle on the other side of the tower top was of a completely different style.
"Gomu Gomu no—Pistol!"
Lufia's rubber arm shot out like a cannonball, her fist landing solidly on Bear King's chest.
"Thud!"
A deafening metallic crash.
Bear King's three-meter-tall steel body didn't budge an inch.
He grinned, revealing a mouthful of large teeth:
"It's useless, Straw Hat Girl. I'm an Kachi Kachi no Mi user. My entire body is as hard as steel. Your rubber fists can't pierce my defense."
Lufia retracted her arm, "Hard..."
But she immediately perked up again:
"But that's what makes it fun!"
She charged again, her rubber leg elongating in a sweeping kick aimed at Bear King's waist.
Bear King neither dodged nor avoided it, letting the rubber leg strike him. Another "clang" echoed, but that was all.
Lufia suddenly let out a low shout.
A faint layer of black covered her rubber fist.
The power of this punch was noticeably greater. Bear King was blasted back two steps, a deeper dent appearing in the armor on his chest.
Bear King's gaze sharpened, "What kind of power is this..."
But before he could finish, he noticed Lufia had stopped, a dissatisfied expression on her rubber face.
She noticed that Bear King was timid and hesitant during their fight, only defending and seemingly not using his full strength, which made her very unhappy!
Of course.
When you are an invader or plunderer, you naturally don't care about the victims' homes and property.
Bear King lowered his head, looking at the cracked transparent floor beneath his feet.
He had occupied Clockwork Island for seven years, built an arsenal here, forced the residents to develop the King Cannon, and wanted to use this as a foundation to dominate the East Blue, even advancing into the Grand Line.
All of this was built on the premise that Clockwork Island remained intact.
If the island collapsed, seven years of effort would be destroyed in an instant.
How could he not be terrified?
How could he not be cautious?
Lufia grinned, "Ralph is truly amazing, even predicting this."
Bear King frowned:
"What?"
Lufia grinned widely, "Big dumb bear, let me tell you two pieces of good news!"
She raised one finger:
"First, your underground factory has been taken over by us! The workers inside have rebelled!"
Bear King's pupils contracted.
"Second—"
Lufia raised a second finger, "That huge cannon in the factory, what's it called again? The King Cannon? It's already been dismantled by us!"
"What—?!"
Bear King cried out in shock, "You said the King Cannon was—?!"
"Yeah, yeah!"
Lufia nodded, "Usopp took the workers to dismantle it. They should be done by now, right?"
A brief silence.
Then—
"Roar—!!!"
A beast-like roar erupted from Bear King's throat.
His eyes instantly turned bloodshot, his steel teeth grinding loudly, and his three-meter-tall body trembled with rage.
Seven years of hard work, dreams of domination, everything...
"I'll kill you—!!!"
A steel fist shot toward Lufia with a whistling sound!
This punch no longer held back, its force so fierce that it even blew against Lufia's face!
Lufia's eyes lit up, "That's more like it!"
She leaned her rubber body back, narrowly avoiding the punch.
The steel fist brushed past the tip of her nose and slammed into the wall behind her.
"Boom—!!"
A huge hole was blasted through the entire wall, and rubble rained down.
The tower shook violently, and the glass floor beneath their feet cracked and splintered further.
Lufia jumped back a few steps, holding onto her straw hat, and smiled happily:
"You're definitely more motivated now! But killing me is impossible—because I'm the woman who will become the Pirate King!"
She added, "Ralph is clearing out all your men, and I'll defeat you here!"
This sentence became the last straw.
The factory was taken over.
The King Cannon was destroyed.
His men were being cleared out.
Seven years of effort, gone in an instant.
"Straw Hat Girl—!!!"
Bear King went completely mad, his steel body unleashing all its power as he charged toward Lufia like an out-of-control tank!
"Bring it on!"
Lufia didn't dodge or evade, stretching her rubber arms back to their limit, then—
"Gomu Gomu no Rocket!"
"Boom—!!!"
The collision between steel and armed rubber produced a shockwave that spread like a physical force.
All the remaining glass windows at the top of the tower shattered simultaneously, and the glass floor beneath their feet groaned under the strain. Cracks spread wildly from the center of the battle, radiating outward.
"Creak... crack crack crack..."
...
Meanwhile, in another corner of the tower, the atmosphere... wasn't quite as intense.
Nami and Sanji stood side by side, facing Honey Queen, who was watching them warily.
The three parties had fallen into a delicate stalemate.