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This man, a formidable fighter who had mastered Geppo (Moonwalk) once again demonstrated his overwhelming strength in the city. With a sharp stomp on the air, his right leg turned jet black with Armament Haki as he shot forward like lightning, appearing before the enormous stone giant and kicking it square in the head.
In that instant, a massive shockwave erupted. Under the stunned gazes of countless onlookers, the enormous stone giant toppled over, its head cracking apart piece by piece into a shower of rubble.
"Hey! Haven't you caused enough trouble already? Do you have a death wish? Hand over Gilbert, now!"
In his werewolf form, Dars roared furiously after shattering the giant's head, only to realize that Pica's true body wasn't inside. The thunderous bellow rattled the air, forcing everyone nearby to cover their ears.
Even Pica, hiding within the remnants of his stone construct, was shaken. His heart trembled as he realized anew why even Donquixote Doflamingo regarded this man with caution.
That kick just now, infused with powerful Armament Haki, had nearly terrified him out of his wits. If Dars had known where he was truly hiding, Pica would've been gravely injured.
No wonder the Young Master didn't dare openly provoke this city. This Dars, the leader of the Dars Gang, was indeed a monster easily at the level of a Marine Vice Admiral, and not just an ordinary one at that.
It was absurd that someone of such strength wasn't ruling the New World, but instead playing the role of a gang boss here in Paradise.
In truth, Dars was originally from the New World, but he had come to Paradise for the sake of his daughter's medical treatment.
Despite Dars's demand, Pica had no intention of complying. The moment he began his rampage, he had already decided not to let Gilbert go. Not because he wanted to kill him, but because Gilbert made for a perfect hostage. With him as leverage, the city's defenders would hesitate to fight back, allowing Pica to continue his destruction and eventually escape alive.
Pica valued his life dearly. He'd never throw it away if there was any chance of survival.
And so, instead of surrendering, he made his stance clear through action. The shattered head of the stone giant quickly reformed, and its massive body began moving once not to attack Dars, but to continue demolishing the surroundings.
"So you've chosen death, then."
Dars's eyes flared crimson as he roared in fury, activating his Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) in an attempt to locate Pica's true body.
Unfortunately, Pica remained completely hidden within the stone giant, making it impossible for Dars to pinpoint him or find Gilbert, trapped inside with him.
Enraged, Dars had no choice but to cripple the stone giant's limbs to stop it from further destroying the city.
"It's useless!" Pica's voice echoed mockingly from within the rubble. "As long as you can't hit my real body, my stone giant won't disappear. Oh, and by the way, Gilbert's inside me! You'd better be careful⊠one wrong move and you might squash him. I won't take responsibility for that, hahaha!"
Reforming the stone giant with his Devil Fruit power, Pica used Gilbert as a shield, laughing wildly as he taunted Dars and the other powerful figures rushing to the scene.
Dars's rage flared higher than ever, yet when he struck again, his attacks grew more restrained. The same went for the other gang leaders who had arrived to help.
Pica's words were infuriating but effective. Gilbert himself wasn't a strong man, but his status made him untouchable.
If they accidentally killed him, the consequences would be catastrophic. At the very least, none of them could remain in Vilia Harbor afterward unless they wanted open rebellion.
For a time, everyone hesitated to act, giving Pica precious breathing room.
Meanwhile, inside Pica's massive body, Lao G was fuming. The old man's patience was at its limit, he was ready to explode from frustration at Pica's idiotic tactics. If he weren't trapped within and unable to stop the fool, he'd have beaten Pica to death himself.
But given the situation, all he could do was cooperate, helping Pica keep Gilbert restrained.
Truth be told, Lao G didn't entirely disapprove of Pica's brutal approach razing Vilia Harbor to the ground did have a certain appeal.
However, the consequences were grave. Such reckless destruction would tarnish the Donquixote Pirates' reputation in the eyes of other nations' leaders.
Sure, the Donquixote Family wasn't exactly known for virtue, but under Doflamingo's rule, many governments saw them as reliable underground partners who could help maintain their regimes.
After this fiasco, Lao G had no idea how long it would take to repair that diplomatic damage.
"Lao G," Gilbert sneered coldly, "you'd better call Doflamingo and tell him to stop this lunatic before it's too late. You're old enough to understand what this will cost you. You can't escape now. Dars alone is giving you trouble, once more people arrive, you'll all be dead. I promise, if you let me go, I'll make sure you leave here safely. There's no need for us to ruin future cooperation between me and Doflamingo."
Lao G didn't respond. In fact, he had already contacted Doflamingo via Den Den Mushi, but for some reason, there had been no answer. Perhaps the Young Master was tied up with something else, but at a time like this? It was maddening.
Suddenly, the ground shook violently, throwing both Lao G and Gilbert off balance.
A cold chill ran down Lao G's spine an instinctive sense of imminent death.
Without hesitation, he sprang up and unleashed his ultimate technique, the Jio-Ken's "Battlefield Guardian Fist." His already muscular body swelled further, towering with power.
"G!" he bellowed.
The next moment, a massive hand coated in Armament Haki tore through the rock in front of him as though it were soft clay. The hand reached toward both Lao G and Gilbert, colliding head-on with Lao G's "G" imprint.
To his horror, Lao G's full-strength attack only managed to leave a faint scratch on the opponent's hand. In an instant, two fingers, thumb and forefinger snapped around him like lightning. A single squeeze, and Lao G lost consciousness.
Outside, a colossal giant, far larger than even Pica's stone form had pinned the rock titan beneath his foot, rendering it immobile. He reached into its body with one enormous hand.
The giant was impeccably dressed in a tailored suit, with slicked-back hair, a braided mustache, and a massive cigar hanging from his mouth. He looked every bit the image of a gentleman if a gentleman could crush mountains with his bare hands.
Moments later, he pulled Lao G and Gilbert free from the shattered remains of the stone giant.
"It's over now, Lord Mayor," the giant said with a calm smile, holding Gilbert safely in his palm.
"Thank you for your rescue, Mr. Akio," Gilbert replied, his face pale but his tone filled with relief and gratitude.
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