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Chapter 70 is out!!!! +40 advanced chapters monthly
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CRACK!
The sound of shattering was incredibly loud, instantly drawing everyone's eyes to the clash.
A web of deep cracks had formed across Hakusui's Light Particle Barrier, and his expression grew slightly solemn. If he gave Lucci enough time, the assassin would undoubtedly break through his defenses.
But Hakusui had no intention of giving him that chance.
"Soru!" (Shave)
Hakusui let out a sharp breath, and in an instant, his barrier vanished. He blurred into an afterimage, attempting to create distance. But Lucci wasn't about to let him escape so easily.
Taking a violent step forward, Lucci's Shigan (Finger Pistol) tore through the space where Hakusui had just been, letting out a sharp ripping sound as it grazed him.
"Tekkai: Utsugi!" (Iron Body: Deutzia)
Suddenly, Lucci's expression changed. Unable to turn around in time, he instantly activated his defensive technique to absorb an incoming blow.
BANG!
Hakusui materialized from the empty space behind Lucci. His right leg glowed with blinding light as he brought it down in a devastating axe kick square onto Lucci's back.
Even with the enhanced defense of Tekkai, Lucci had completely underestimated Hakusui's raw power. The sheer force of the blow forced a pained groan from the assassin. His face flushed a deep red, and he had to forcibly swallow the metallic taste of blood rising in his throat.
"Rankyaku: Tail Whip!" (Tempest Kick)
Refusing to back down, the leopard tail on Lucci's back suddenly straightened like a spear and lashed out toward Hakusui. Emitting a razor-sharp aura, Hakusui opted not to take it head-on and swiftly retreated.
"Light Particle Volley!"
Hakusui's attacks were relentless, each move perfectly chaining into the next. If his opponent's reaction speed wasn't up to par, they would inevitably be overwhelmed by his rhythm. And once the rhythm was broken, it was all over.
"Rankyaku: Gaicho!" (Tempest Kick: Victorious Bird)
Seeing the incoming barrage, Lucci's face tightened. His legs kicked out at extreme speeds, firing off multiple bird-shaped blades of compressed air to intercept the light projectiles.
"Light Particle Cannon!"
However, the moment Lucci let out a breath after blocking the volley, a brand new crisis arrived.
"Rokushiki Secret Technique: Rokuogan!" (Six King Gun)
Gritting his teeth, Lucci slammed his fists together, channeling a terrifying surge of energy to collide with the massive beam of light.
"Pfft!"
Trying to suppress a beam of pure light with flesh and bone was simply too much, even for Lucci. He spewed out a mouthful of blood, his face turning deathly pale, before the invisible recoil blasted him completely off his feet.
BOOM!
Lucci violently crashed into the island's dense jungle, tearing through trees and brush until he finally came to a complete stop, utterly silent.
"Ronel Hakusui, you win!"
The World Government official acting as the referee suddenly declared the results. Without another word, he leaped away, landing gracefully onto a ship anchored off the coast and swiftly departing.
"It's... it's over?!" Jabra muttered, his eyes still swimming with disbelief.
He's incredibly strong. I'm absolutely no match for him, Kaku thought silently, mentally comparing their strengths.
"Chapapa! Yo, boy! Do you want to test your Doriki level? It's completely free!"
Just then, the zipper-mouthed Fukuro waddled over to Hakusui, asking with a wide, eerie grin.
"Sure! I just hope you can handle it!" Hakusui couldn't have asked for a better offer. He was genuinely curious to see exactly how strong his physical attacks were.
"Come on! Hit me with whatever you've got! I'll absolutely be fine, chapapa!" Fukuro looked thrilled that Hakusui had agreed.
"Alright then, brace yourself!"
With no need to hold back, Hakusui vanished from his spot. In the blink of an eye, he appeared right in front of Fukuro. His right leg glowed brilliantly as he delivered a merciless, full-power kick straight to the agent's chest.
Hakusui could clearly hear the sound of Fukuro's ribs fracturing.
The spherical agent was launched backward like a deflated rubber ball, flying at breakneck speed into the depths of the forest, crashing in the exact same direction Lucci had gone.
"Everyone from CP9, farewell!"
After delivering that kick, Hakusui felt incredibly refreshed. He clapped his hands, offered a cheerful goodbye, and took to the skies, flying away from the island.
Shortly after he left, Lucci emerged from the tree line, practically dragging a groaning Fukuro.
"How much?" Kaku and Jabra asked simultaneously.
"2400... chapapa..." Fukuro ground out through his teeth.
Hiss!
Everyone collectively sucked in a breath of cold air.
Lucci's current Doriki was only at 2000! While Doriki didn't dictate everything in a real battle, it was a solid metric for raw physical capability. Lucci's defeat likely hinged on that staggering 400-point difference.
Ronel Hakusui... One day, I will definitely surpass you! Lucci silently clenched his fists, swearing an oath to himself.
Aboard T-Bone's Warship.
Hakusui was lying comfortably on the deck, happily humming a little tune to himself.
"You're in a great mood. Beating CP9 must feel pretty good, huh?" T-Bone asked, sitting next to him with an envious expression.
"It was alright, about what I expected!" Hakusui shrugged. "If you hadn't told me that the trip to Marine Headquarters wouldn't take long, I'd probably be heading back home already. I'm always a little worried leaving Aki home alone!"
Since Hakusui couldn't go three sentences without mentioning Aki, T-Bone couldn't help but roll his eyes, utterly exasperated.
Could you stop showing off your love life for five minutes? T-Bone grumbled internally.
Marineford!
After another three hours of sailing, T-Bone's crew finally arrived at Marine Headquarters.
Looking up at the colossal, crescent-shaped fortress, Hakusui couldn't help but sigh in admiration. "As expected of Marineford. It truly is solemn and majestic!"
"Are you Captain T-Bone?"
A Marine Lieutenant jogged over, offering a crisp salute before speaking.
"Yes, I am Captain T-Bone," he replied.
"Please follow me. The Fleet Admiral has been expecting you!" Upon confirming his identity, the Lieutenant saluted again and gestured for them to follow.
T-Bone didn't waste any time and strode forward. Hakusui, however, immediately noticed that the moment he stepped foot on the plaza, more than a dozen sharp gazes locked onto him, making him feel incredibly scrutinized.
The Fleet Admiral's Office.
"Reporting to the Fleet Admiral! Captain T-Bone has arrived!" an Ensign announced loudly after saluting Sengoku.
"Understood. Send them in," Sengoku replied without looking up, his voice carrying a natural, heavy authority.
"Captain T-Bone of the East Blue Branch T-31 Unit, reporting!" The moment T-Bone entered, he snapped a textbook salute to the man reviewing documents at the desk.
Hakusui, trailing behind him, had absolutely zero restraint. Much like Garp, he casually threw himself onto the sofa, sprawling out comfortably and staring directly at Sengoku.
Sengoku looked quite different from the man Hakusui remembered from the original series.
Perhaps it was because the current year was still 1515. Sengoku looked incredibly robust and full of vitality. There was no trace of the aged, white-haired old man who would appear after the Paramount War in 1522. His eyes burned like torches, and his iconic round glasses did nothing to diminish his intimidating aura; if anything, they made him look more unfathomable.
His braided beard hung neatly from his chin, and beneath his seagull-adorned Marine cap hid his signature afro. He was the absolute picture of a stern, unsmiling commander.
Hakusui simply couldn't connect this imposing figure with the elderly Sengoku from the Dressrosa incident. They looked like completely different people. One was a laid-back, cracker-stealing old man; the other was a terrifying, authoritative commander.
"So, you're the Ronel Hakusui who captured Torsen the Sabertooth Tiger."
While Hakusui was observing him, Sengoku was quietly observing the boy in return. Seeing that Hakusui was completely unfazed by his overbearing presence, Sengoku's respect for him ticked up a notch.
In the entire Marine Headquarters, the number of people who could remain perfectly composed under his gaze could be counted on two hands. It was pretty much just Garp, the three Admirals, Chief Staff Officer Tsuru, Vice Admirals Momousagi and Chaton, and a handful of elite veterans.
A standard officer facing him would normally be stiff with anxiety—just like T-Bone, who was currently standing at attention like a wooden board, cold sweat beading on his forehead.
"Have a seat," Sengoku said, shaking his head slightly. Compared to Hakusui's effortless composure, T-Bone was severely lacking in mental fortitude.
"Tell me, how did you manage to catch Torsen?" Sengoku asked, smiling slightly to help ease T-Bone's nerves.
"Yes, sir!" But the encouragement did little to help. T-Bone remained painfully stiff. "I... um... actually... it was—!"
Forget it, Sengoku sighed internally. If he waited for T-Bone to stammer through the entire story, he'd be here until next week.
Sengoku waved his hand, motioning for T-Bone to sit down, and turned his gaze to Hakusui, hoping the young man would explain.
"Does it really matter?" Hakusui replied with a completely apathetic expression. "The process is exactly what you'd expect. We fought, and I won."
Hakusui wasn't one to play by the rules or follow conversational scripts.
"I see. You really do have a unique personality, kid," Sengoku chuckled helplessly. He didn't have much leverage over someone like Hakusui. Everyone had their own worldview, after all. "Never mind. If you don't care about the details, we'll skip them."
"Let's discuss your rewards," Sengoku said, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes. "Here. This is your reward, and this is T-Bone's official letter of promotion."
Sengoku slid two folders across the desk. T-Bone accepted his with both hands, looking as though he were holding a sacred artifact.
"A Certificate of Honor, one commemorative badge, which guarantees a direct promotion to the rank of Ensign if I enlist... and a payment of five million Berries as a reward," Hakusui read aloud.
His face instantly darkened. He shot Sengoku an incredibly dirty look and noticed that the Fleet Admiral suddenly looked a bit guilty.
"Hey, Boss Sengoku. I busted my ass doing your Marines a massive favor, and you're paying me a measly five million?!"
Hakusui scoffed, rolling his eyes in blatant disdain. "I'd be better off becoming a full-time bounty hunter! I couldn't even afford to support a wife with this kind of pocket change!"
Torsen had a bounty of 120 million Berries. Giving him five million was a complete rip-off!
"Ahem, you shouldn't look down on the honor—" Sengoku coughed awkwardly, trying to mask his embarrassment. But before he could launch into his speech, Hakusui rudely cut him off.
"Save the grand, righteous speeches! I only care about the cash. Everything else is useless to me!"
The only reason Hakusui had agreed to help T-Bone in the first place was because he assumed he'd get at least a 60% cut of the bounty! If it hadn't been for his newfound friendship with T-Bone, he wouldn't have bothered even for a 90% cut.
Any actual bounty hunter who brought in a pirate received 97% of the total payout after the standard processing and handling fees!
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