Chapter 122: A Complete Rout, Vivi is Stunned
SWISH!
In the next instant, the black-haired young man was already above the giant Tyrannosaurus Rex.
He raised his right leg high, a thick layer of Armament Haki coating it. The black blade of his leg glinted coldly in the desert sun.
"Tempest Kick: Ripple Slash!"
With a low cry, Shane's right leg came crashing down like a battle-axe!
VWOOM!
A massive, crescent-shaped slash shot out. The surface of the slash was covered in a spiraling ripple of energy, tearing through the air and creating a deafening screech.
Hanafuda's pupils constricted.
What the hell!
You call that a Tempest Kick?!
How is it so different from what I've seen before?
A bad feeling rose in his heart. He quickly coated his head in Armament Haki to strengthen his defense.
However, even though he was not underestimating his opponent in the slightest, the power of this slash was still far beyond his imagination.
With a loud BOOM, the shockwave from the Tempest Kick collided with the surface of his Armament Haki and, after a brief stalemate, shattered and dissipated.
But the violent ripple of energy passed right through his scales and slammed into his body, sending a searing pain through the giant Tyrannosaurus Rex's entire skull!
"ROAR!"
The Tyrannosaurus Rex roared in pain, its massive body stumbling back and carving deep furrows in the sand.
"Not bad," Shane said, nodding with satisfaction.
As his mastery of the physical arts grew, he was able to create and combine moves with greater and greater ease.
He had previously combined the internal destruction of Armament Haki with the Ripple Fist to create his strongest Six Powers technique, the "Sunlight Yellow Overdrive."
And now, after continuous improvement and refinement, he had further expanded the application of the Ripple Fist.
It was no longer limited to just "fists," but could now also be used with "Finger Pistol" and "Tempest Kick"!
"Try this!"
With a calm voice, Shane's figure appeared behind the Tyrannosaurus Rex like a phantom. He crossed his hands in front of his chest, and a faint ripple appeared at his fingertips.
"Flying Finger Pistol: Ripple Barrage!"
SWISH, SWISH, SWISH—!
Dozens of Finger Pistol shockwaves, each one wrapped in a ripple of energy, rained down on the enraged and panicked Tyrannosaurus Rex!
————
"The captain… he seems to be testing out the new moves he's mastered these past few days."
"Is he really just using that guy as a sandbag?"
"In any case, he has the upper hand. Nothing to worry about."
On the ice, the crew, after watching for a moment, quickly turned their attention back to the matter at hand.
They all looked up at the massive pirate ship that was blocking their path.
Under the crimson sails, emblazoned with the playing card and the demon's face, a large number of pirates had already poured out of the cabins, almost completely filling the entire deck.
And several tall officers were standing at the bow, their weapons drawn, looking down at them as if they were facing a formidable enemy.
King against king, general against general.
This was a long-standing rule of the sea.
Boss Hanafuda had already transformed into his Tyrannosaurus Rex form and was locked in a fierce battle. His officers naturally understood that their own battle was imminent and unavoidable.
But…
Can we win?
Gulp~
A tall officer swallowed hard, and a cold sweat broke out on the foreheads of the others.
Unlike Boss Hanafuda, who had always been dismissive of wanted posters, they knew very well just how powerful the officers of the Curtain Call Pirates were.
Aside from the little orange-haired girl, whose combat ability was negligible…
All the others were renowned powerhouses with high bounties. In fact, most of them had bounties of over one hundred million Berries!
One hundred million Berries!
What does that even mean?
In the first half of the Grand Line, any one of these officers could have dominated a region on their own. They would have been called "Supernovas"!
"Hey, hey, hey, what's wrong with you all? You're already showing fear before the fight has even started?"
Jack took a step forward, annoyed. "Boss Hanafuda must have been blind to appoint you cowards as officers. You might as well just give your positions to me!"
"Shut up, you brat!"
An officer roared in a fit of rage. "Just last month, you were just a grunt, hauling cargo at the docks!"
"You just got lucky and ate a good fruit, and that's why Boss Hanafuda took you in and started training you! You dare to talk big here?!"
"That's right! If you're so brave, why don't you go first!"
"Me first?"
Jack said dismissively, snorting. "A small matter like this is nothing… fine, I'll go first! But don't you be jealous when Boss Hanafuda praises me after he's done with that brat!"
…
On the ice.
"These guys don't seem very confident. They're already starting to argue among themselves,"
Kuina said, pushing the hilt of her sword with her thumb. The glint of the blade illuminated her calm face. "Just a rabble. Let's just attack."
"We can't be too careless,"
Smoker said, a cigar between his teeth, narrowing his eyes. "A few of their officers have bounties of over fifty million Berries… and the vice-captain's bounty is over ninety million… hmm?"
He frowned.
At this moment, a tall, burly man he didn't recognize suddenly charged forward from the bow of the enemy ship.
He leaped from the deck, pounding his chest and letting out a deafening roar.
ROAR!
In the next instant, under the shocked gazes of the crew, the burly man's body rapidly transformed.
His head twisted and elongated, and two massive, curved tusks pierced through his lips. In a flash, he had turned into a small mountain of a mammoth and crashed down onto the ice!
And then…
He sank.
That's right, he sank.
The mammoth he had transformed into was simply too heavy.
And he had jumped from a great height. The layer of ice that Nojiko had created couldn't possibly withstand such a force.
So, the moment he landed, he crashed right through the ice and, with a massive splash, sank to the bottom.
In the blink of an eye, he was gone.
A dead silence fell over the ice.
"...?"
The crew stared at the spot where their "formidable enemy" had just disappeared, speechless.
"An Ancient Zoan, a Mammoth Fruit user?" Even Robin was a little bewildered. "He should have been a very difficult opponent, but…"
"…but he turned out to be a complete idiot,"
Smoker said, blowing a smoke ring and shaking his head, his face impassive. "Forget about that guy. Let's go!"
The moment he finished speaking, his lower body had already turned to smoke, and he shot toward the deck of the giant pirate ship like an arrow!
The wind whistled past his ears, and he couldn't help but grin.
To be able to just attack these scum who harm the innocent… it feels so good!
If he were still a Marine…
He wouldn't have been able to do a thing against a Warlord with the legal right to plunder, even if they were pillaging and murdering right in front of him. And if he had dared to intervene, he would have been severely punished by his damn superiors.
And now?
He no longer had to worry about those damn superiors or those damn Warlord agreements! To be able to beat these scum to a pulp before any more innocent people were hurt, there was nothing better!
Freedom… it's a wonderful thing!
SWISH!
In a swirl of smoke, Smoker was already above the deck. His arms suddenly extended, transforming into two thick chains of smoke that instantly wrapped around a dozen or so pirates who were too slow to react.
"White Serpent: Constriction!"
The smoke chains tightened, and a series of sickening crunches echoed in the air. The dozen or so pirates screamed and collapsed to the ground.
"Stop, you bastard!"
"How dare you charge in here alone?! Such arrogance! Surround him!"
The surrounding pirates were both shocked and enraged. They all drew their swords and charged, but their blades passed right through the smoke.
"Dammit, I can't hit him!"
"You idiot! He's a Logia user!"
…
"You're not going to steal all the glory, Smokey!"
Nojiko giggled and leaped high into the air with Moonwalk.
She slammed her fists together in front of her chest, and an incredible amount of cold energy instantly gathered. It then rapidly spread out from her fists, engulfing the entire pirate ship.
"Blizzard!"
WHOOSH—!
A fierce, cold wind swept over the ship, instantly freezing it in place. A thick wall of snow rose up around the ship's railing.
With this, the deck was now an isolated island, and all the pirates' escape routes were cut off.
Nojiko's figure coalesced within the swirling blizzard. She shot both her fists out, a wave of snow surrounding them, and slammed them down on the pirates on the deck below!
"Snow Fist: Ice Spikes!"
BOOM!
A massive explosion echoed throughout the entire Sandy River.
"Another Logia user?!"
A mournful cry came from the pirates on the deck.
"Wait for me! I'm coming too!"
Nami, impatient, suddenly transformed into a firebird and shot into the sky, as if to make sure that no one missed the fact that the roaring flames were coming from her.
…
On the ice.
Kuina listened to the screams of agony coming from within the ice wall and shrugged, sheathing the Wado Ichimonji.
"Looks like they don't need us," she said softly.
"Haha, it's rare for the two little girls to have so much fun," Zeff said with a grin. "Let them have at it."
"Logia abilities are so convenient,"
Robin said from the side. "Not only do they have a wide range of destructive power, but just the ability to elementalize their bodies is a huge headache for anyone who can't use Haki."
Kuina and Zeff both nodded.
Hanafuda's pirate crew, though numerous and seemingly formidable, was actually much weaker than they had expected.
It seemed that even his officers had been recruited in the first half of the Grand Line. Aside from the vice-captain, who was currently fighting Smoker, no one else could even use Armament Haki.
They were no threat to a Logia user.
Originally, they had planned for all six of them to attack, and to even call Gin from the ship. But now, it seemed that the three Logia users on the crew were more than enough.
The remaining three of them could just watch the show.
…
In the vast desert, a group of Super Spot-Billed Ducks was galloping along the riverbank at full speed toward the river mouth.
"Karoo, please, a little faster! Faster!"
Vivi clung to the neck of her duck, her long blue hair flying in the hot wind. Her young face was covered in dust, but it couldn't hide the anxiety in her eyes.
"Quack! Quack!"
Karoo couldn't help but cry out. He was already running as fast as he could.
"Your Highness,"
the captain of the guard, Igaram, said, riding another duck beside her. Though his own expression was grim, he tried to comfort her. "We're almost there. The river mouth is just around that corner. His actions are just a way to force the royal family to meet with him sooner. We'll be able to start negotiations with him soon. Please, don't worry too much."
"..."
Vivi bit her lower lip, not answering.
Uncle Igaram was still treating her like a child, but she knew that the Warlord, Hanafuda, was no soft-hearted person.
Destroying one ship every ten minutes, until the royal family meets his demands…
Remembering his threat before he hung up, her heart clenched, and she closed her eyes and prayed.
Everyone, please be safe!
The Super Spot-Billed Duck troop ran with all their might, kicking up a long trail of dust in the desert.
After what seemed like an eternity, she suddenly heard Igaram's voice. "Your Highness, we're rounding the corner! We'll be able to see the situation at the river mouth soon!"
We're here?
Vivi's eyes snapped open, and she looked off into the distance.
And then, she saw a sight that she would never forget for the rest of her life—
…
THUMP!
On the sandy riverbank, two disproportionately sized figures, under the watchful gaze of countless eyes, crashed into each other with a dull thud!
"Hahaha! That's the stuff!"
Shane laughed wildly, shooting back from the cloud of sand, his feet carving a trench dozens of meters long.
And the giant Tyrannosaurus Rex across from him was also sent stumbling back, nearly falling to the ground.
Their battle had been going on for over an hour now.
And for the past hour, it had been a pure, relentless clash of physical strength.
And Shane had taken this opportunity to test out all the physical techniques he hadn't had a chance to use in a real fight.
Many of his moves were ineffective against the Tyrannosaurus Rex's tough hide, but some, using the internal destruction of Armament Haki, had successfully broken through its defenses.
After over an hour of fierce battle, Hanafuda's scales were still mostly intact on the outside, but his insides were a mess!
And Shane, though he had also taken a few hits, had already mostly healed thanks to his powerful regenerative abilities.
What a great sandbag!
The more Shane looked at the giant Tyrannosaurus Rex, the more satisfied he was. If they were just sparring, with nothing else to do, he could have fought him for two days and two nights!
But unfortunately…
This was the mouth of the Sandy River, and on the other side was the oasis city of Erumalu. Half the city had been drawn out by the earth-shattering sounds of their battle and were now gathered on the opposite bank, watching!
I can't disturb the peace for too long…
"Hey, big guy,"
Shane grinned. "Getting tired of defending? Your physical defense doesn't seem to be as strong as it was at the beginning. It's about time we ended this!"
"Don't get cocky, brat!"
The giant Tyrannosaurus Rex roared in fury. "We're just getting started, and you're already thinking about defeating me?!!!"
He said that, but Hanafuda had to admit, this brat's strength was far beyond his expectations.
The fact that he could match him in physical strength, without even having eaten a Devil Fruit, was terrifying enough!
He was an Ancient Zoan, a Tyrannosaurus Rex! In terms of pure physical strength, even in the Beast Pirates, where he had once been, only a handful of people could have overpowered him.
And yet, he was being pushed back by a mere human…
Does he have some special bloodline? This physique… it's almost on the same level as that guy, King!
"Is that so?"
Shane laughed. "If you don't use your trump card, you really think I can't do anything to you?!"
VWOOM!
The moment he finished speaking, his body suddenly expanded, and in the blink of an eye, he was four meters tall, his corded muscles like the twisted roots of a tree.
SWISH!
Even with his massive size, his speed was still terrifying. He shot across the sand like a black bolt of lightning and, in the next instant, he was at the base of the Tyrannosaurus Rex's thick tail.
"Hmm?"
Hanafuda felt a chill on his tailbone. Before he could react, he felt a terrifying force from behind—
"UP!"
Shane's arm muscles suddenly bulged, like steel cables. His ten fingers clamped down on the Tyrannosaurus Rex's dark, scaly tail.
With a roar, the massive creature, which weighed dozens of tons, was lifted from the ground!
"Wh—"
The Tyrannosaurus Rex's lantern-like pupils constricted. Before he could react, the desert scene in front of him was spinning.
Its twenty-meter-long body traced an exaggerated arc in the air, and with a whistling sound, it crashed into a sand dune on the other side!
BOOM!!!
The entire desert trembled, and a giant wave of yellow sand shot into the sky. The sand dunes within a radius of a hundred meters were instantly flattened by the shockwave.
The Tyrannosaurus Rex's head was buried deep in the sand, its thick neck twisted at an unnatural angle.
"Cough…"
Hanafuda struggled to turn his head, his gaze savage. "Your strength has increased… but, if that's all you've got, it's still not—"
"I'm not done yet!"
His words were cut short. Shane had, at some point, appeared in front of him again. He grabbed its tail with both hands and, with another burst of strength!
BOOM!
BOOM!!
BOOM!!!
This time, he didn't throw Hanafuda. He held on to its massive body and, like a giant flail, began to swing it back and forth!
The tremors were getting more and more intense, and not just in the desert, but also in the distant river, where huge columns of water were shooting into the air.
In the distance, on the merchant ships that had already retreated to the outskirts of the riverbank, the sailors were clinging to the masts to keep from being thrown overboard.
They were all staring in terror at the ancient creature, which they had only ever seen in legends, now being tossed around like a rag doll by the humanoid tyrannosaurus.
"Dammit, brat!"
The blood that was pouring from the Tyrannosaurus Rex's mouth had turned the sand a dark red. Hanafuda finally regained his senses from the dizziness, his eyes filled with a ferocious light.
He suddenly opened his gaping maw, and a blinding red light gathered between his sharp, white teeth—
"Dragon's Breath: Searing Ray!"
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