A streak of blue light cut through the sky. No one knew how far it flew, yet it lasted for only a heartbeat.
Black snapped back to his senses and raised his fist, thick Armament Haki surging around it with a dangerous pulse. His punch crashed forward but struck nothing. Bullet had vanished.
Momentum carried Black backward. He twisted in the air and looked ahead, spotting a barren island below. The sight surprised him. It wasn't far from Vosk Island, but sailing from one to the other still took time. To be dragged here in the span of a single instant felt unreal.
He steadied himself and prepared to land.
* * *
In the dense forest below, Law raised his left hand slightly.
"ROOM!"
His shout echoed as several hidden auras burst out. A translucent dome expanded and wrapped around the entire island. Black, who had just entered the airspace above, was caught inside as well.
"What?!"
His heart jumped and his Observation Haki swept out in every direction. He sensed only a few weak presences beneath him, snorting in disdain.
"Only you?"
He checked again. The island held only these few. They were the ones lying in ambush.
"Looking for death."
Black's body shone with a diamond-like brilliance. He stepped down hard and charged toward the group like a raging beast.
Law watched the incoming monster and tensed, trying to activate his power. Nothing happened. He let out a quiet breath.
"As expected, it doesn't work."
He lifted his head again.
"Scatter!"
He triggered his ability. In a flash, he, Drake, Doberman, and Momonga vanished from their positions and reappeared in different spots.
Boom!
Black slammed into the ground with such force that the whole island trembled.
Before he could climb out of the crater, a harsh tearing sound echoed. Smoke split apart vertically as the mountain behind him and even the ground under his feet were cut clean through by Law's ability.
Standing at the center without a scratch, Black's eyes narrowed as he searched for his prey.
* * *
A thousand meters above, Bullet, Carlo, Enel, and Soter stood on a floating warship watching the fight.
Black raged across the island with no restraint. Against a pirate with a bounty of 1,450,000,000, the four attacking him could not break his defense at all. His speed was high as well. They could not dodge in time. They had to rely entirely on Law, who controlled the field and teleported them around to avoid each charge.
If not for teleportation being faster than Black's pursuit, the fight would already be over.
Enel sat on the railing of the warship, swinging his legs. "Giving them training chances is pointless. They're just getting chased around. So miserable."
Carlo shot him a glare and laughed. "You're one to talk. You wouldn't fare much better. We picked someone way too strong. Twinkle-Twinkle Fruit combined with that thick Haki make him almost impossible for them to handle. A miscalculation."
Bullet nodded slightly. He kept his eyes on the battlefield, ready to intervene any moment. But as the fight continued, all four grew serious. Even Enel straightened, feeling a headache coming on.
He turned to Soter. "Hey, has that guy always been this reckless?"
* * *
On the barren island below, Drake's hybrid form snarled with bloodshot eyes. The beastly transformation clouded his thoughts, and frustration kept piling up.
This was supposed to be a trial meant for them, but what kind of trial was this? They hadn't even managed to land a single hit. They were chased across the island and could only escape thanks to Law.
Teleport, teleport, teleport. The scenery never stopped spinning before Law threw them somewhere else.
"Raaghhh!"
A furious roar burst from Drake. His killing intent exploded as he shifted fully into a massive allosaurus tens of meters tall. Haki coated his skull as he charged straight at Black.
Black glanced at the giant beast rushing toward him and abandoned his pursuit of Law. Grinning, he stayed exactly where he was, not dodging at all.
Law had just teleported to a new spot, and a drop of sweat slid down his forehead. "That idiot…"
He reached out to activate his ability, trying to pull Drake away. Doberman and Momonga fired several sword slashes from afar, but Black only glanced sideways at them. The attacks hit him without leaving the smallest mark.
He drew back his fist and aimed at Drake's head. Law triggered his power and Drake vanished. At that instant, his eyes were hit by a sudden burst of blinding light. Tears spilled down his cheeks as his vision went white. He was temporarily blinded.
Black, fist raised, appeared in front of him. Haki locked onto Law. A vicious grin spread across the pirate's face as he swung.
His real target had always been this one. Everything else had been a distraction. And clearly… all of them fell for it.
Boom!
The ground split apart under him, but Black frowned.
"As expected. Come out."
Whoosh!
Carlo appeared in the distance, gripping Law by the shoulder.
"A brilliant trick," he said. "You changed the angle of the diamond's mirror surfaces to refract a flash as bright as staring into the sun. One burst blinds the target. It's hard to guard against. Anyone who gets hit would die on the spot. Terrifying."
Black's expression tightened. "You figured that out so quickly…"
Very few had ever seen this move because those who did were already dead. But this marine understood its mechanism after witnessing it only once. It was unsettling.
Zzzt!
A crackle of electricity sounded. Enel appeared and rubbed his chin. "Why not be bolder? For example, adjust every diamond surface on your body and calculate the angles. You might be able to refract an actual laser. Another Borsalino in the making."
Black froze. He did not understand the word "laser," but the name "Borsalino" made everything click.
Of course. Admiral Kizaru's power was light. Those beams were not called flashes. They were called lasers.
A sinister grin formed on his face as an idea surfaced. He slowly raised his arm and aimed at Enel.
"Thanks, kid."
Sunlight poured into Black's diamond body. It refracted and concentrated into his arm. His arm turned into a pillar of light.
A beam shot out.
A thick column of gold tore through Enel's chest and continued through countless mountains, trees, and rock behind him. Everything it touched melted before the light faded away.
The refracted laser beam had incredible piercing power but no explosive force.
Enel's chest slowly regenerated, but the corner of his mouth twitched uncontrollably.
So this was… aiding the enemy?
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