Confirming Zephyr wasn't just after him, Sage felt a bit relieved. He shifted his steps, standing between Zephyr and Lily, and said, "Lily, go inform the subordinates, tell them to speed up."
"Got it."
Lily nodded, knowing she wouldn't be of any help here, and started running towards Logue Town.
Just as she moved, Zephyr raised his mechanical arm, swiftly reaching out towards Lily.
Bam!
A foot stomped on the mechanical arm, pressing it to the ground. Sage grinned sinisterly at Zephyr while keeping the arm pinned underfoot.
Zephyr shifted the mechanical arm slightly, a corner of his mouth tugging up. "I recall, you took out Ennio, didn't you? That little girl also has a Wanted Order, thirty million, surname Bienta... I see, so that's why White Thunder is in her hands. Old man's foolish disciple's wish came true, huh?"
"I don't care about that stuff, I only know that you won't ruin my money-making plans!"
Sage gritted his teeth and said, "Old-timers should just enjoy retirement. You've even lost a hand, why keep exerting yourself? Careful you don't have an asthma attack with no one to save you!"
The massive warship following the branch battleship was still in its sails, with no other strong individuals in sight, just Zephyr alone.
Just one person, Admiral or not, he didn't care about that!
"Truly a dangerous individual, but I..."
Zephyr clenched his other hand into a fist, launching a fierce punch at Sage. "Don't concede to age!"
Bam!
An equally strong fist collided with Zephyr's, both fists cloaked in black, echoing a sound like clashing steel.
"Haki?"
Zephyr was visibly stunned for a moment.
Taking advantage of this gap, Sage quickly lashed out his leg like a whip towards Zephyr's head.
"Too shallow!"
Bang!
Faced with the incoming kick, Zephyr remained unflustered, using his arm strength to press Sage's fist, creating a force that pushed him backward, causing him to fly away from the mechanical arm he was stepping on.
"Shattering Gatling!"
At that instant, Zephyr raised his mechanical arm and opened fire on the retreating Sage, releasing a barrage of bullets.
Ratatatata!
A rapid and dense barrage of bullets shot towards Sage's entire body; even with Haki defense, it was still draining.
Having Haki indeed surprised Zephyr, but this kid seemed quite smug about it. Against such individuals, there's no need for hard confrontation; there are plenty of ways...
"Tekkai!"
Having retreated, Sage crossed his arms, standing firm and letting the bullets rain on him, sparking off his body.
This sudden move caused Zephyr another momentary pause, but he quickly reacted, his mechanical arm aiming at Sage and gathering a bright glow.
"Shattering Spray!"
Boom!
This time he fired a cannon blast!
"Soru."
Sage's form vanished from the spot, appearing to Zephyr's side, his foot whipping out, targeting Zephyr's waist and ribs at a tricky angle.
Whoosh!
In that moment, Zephyr twisted his waist, his massive mechanical arm spinning half a circle and swinging towards Sage.
"Moon Step."
Thump!
Sage stepped on the air, rising continuously to evade the swinging mechanical arm.
Ratatatata!
Zephyr quickly lifted and fired another barrage of bullets.
This time, in mid-air, Sage's body shifted like a willow, moving with the wind, allowing the dense bullets to pass around him without hitting even once.
Zephyr ceased fire, eyeing Sage, who bounced in the air for a moment before swiftly landing. He squinted, rasping, "Six Styles? Who taught you?"
"Can't it be self-taught?"
Sage moved his hands, provocatively asking.
"What a pity someone like you became a pirate. Truly a waste!" Zephyr shouted.
"Mind your own business, you old geezer!"
With a step, Sage instantly dashed at Zephyr, his blackened fist aiming straight for Zephyr's chest.
Just need to land one punch...
Bam!
The mechanical arm rose, clashing with his fist on the hardened steel, producing a deep sound.
Sage's eyes narrowed, his body suddenly ducking, sliding under the mechanical arm, a foot rising like lightning, driving into Zephyr's chin, making his head snap back.
Hit!
Bam!
As the kick landed, Zephyr's mechanical arm pressed down heavily. A red gleam flickered in Sage's eyes as he quickly withdrew to dodge the crushing blow.
"Kids today really are different."
Zephyr's chin showed a fading stroke of black. After pondering for a while, he said, "There's a special force in your attacks."
"Ah... you'd better watch out!" Sage gritted his teeth and said.
As a former Admiral, even in his old age, Sage didn't think Zephyr couldn't perceive the uniqueness of his strikes.
His Haki wasn't simply about power increase; once it hit, the Haki would infiltrate the body's Secret Hole, inflicting damage.
"Sage!"
Suddenly, a sound rose from within the town, and Renedia and Marika approached from the left and right respectively. One carried a large bundle on her back, while the other dragged what looked like a mountain of ingredients.
"Hey, who is this old man!"
Renedia took out a tool hammer, which extended with a twist.
"Zephyr..."
It was Marika whose pupils shrank, recognizing the visitor.
As an original Navy Admiral, even after retiring for more than thirty years, people still knew who he was.
Marika had read from old newspapers about the person before her.
"Pirates!"
Zephyr aimed his mechanical arm at the two, about to fire bullets, when Sage suddenly attacked, Haki appearing on his foot as he kicked the mechanical arm away.
"Don't mind, load the goods onto the ship and prepare to leave!" Sage shouted.
"Would old me let you leave!"
Zephyr's steps halted as the displaced mechanical arm quickly struck Sage's body, and simultaneously a swift kick hit Sage's leg, causing him to stumble, and the heavy mechanical arm knocked him to the ground, then captured him.
"Shattering..."
Boom!!
Sage raised both fists, dense Haki gathering in his hands, swiftly expanding under its flow, as if igniting black flames on his fists, which struck the mechanical arm, leaving two fist imprints on it, one of its iron fingers loosening downward, allowing Sage to break free.
"Coiling?"
Zephyr paused for a moment, observing the two fist imprints on the iron fingers of his mechanical arm, which was made from very strong steel and contained Seastone; its hardness was far from ordinary.
Being able to leave fist marks on it...
"Kid, is your Haki still enough?" Zephyr asked in a tense voice.
"It's none of your business!"
Sage slightly bent his body, quickly dashing toward Zephyr, his fist wrapped in black flame turning into afterimages, swiftly striking out.
Zephyr sneered coldly, directly lifting his mechanical arm as a shield, while Sage's fist struck directly on the mechanical arm.
"Ora ora ora!"
Bam bam bam!
The mechanical arm shook intensely with each punch, making Zephyr shake his head, "Your talent's good, but too impatient with using Haki..."
He stepped back twice, his left hand quickly stretching out to grab Sage's wrist, eyes wide open, letting out a muffled shout, and forcefully slammed Sage's body down to the ground.
"It's something that can be exhausted!"
Bang!
The ground was pounded into a depression where Sage's body sank into it. Zephyr didn't even glance at him, straightened his mechanical arm, aiming at the two moving toward the Black Ship, causing the gun barrel inside the mechanical arm to start rotating.
"Shattering..."
Crack!
The thick root pipe connecting to the mechanical arm suddenly disintegrated at this moment, like a chain reaction, continuously disintegrating into parts, and ultimately the entire mechanical arm connecting the right shoulder fell apart on the ground, revealing Zephyr's prosthetic limb.
Swoosh!
The flowing Haki, like black flames, accompanied by the sound of Breaking the Sky, swiftly kicked in from a foot, making Zephyr's eyes shrink, as his left hand also wrapped with Haki, instinctively guarding his chest.
Bam!
Zephyr took a few steps back, looking incredulously at the mechanical arm scattered into parts and at Sage who jumped swiftly from the depression using his legs, "You..."
"Old fellow, not only swordsmen can do 'Breath of All Things'." Sage grinned, revealing a ferocity through the bleeding corner of his mouth.
From the very start, he aimed at this mechanical arm.
If this thing started firing bullets and shells, his subordinates might as well not bother loading any loot onto the ship. A few volleys could blow them away.
First, get rid of that annoying mechanical arm!
As for its hardness...
Just like swordsmen can use 'Breath of All Things' to easily cut iron, Sage himself could see the Secret Hole in worldly objects, it's just that extremely hard objects couldn't be punched through.
But now with Haki, the enhancement was no minor.
Though he hasn't mastered the sheer physical power and resilience like Garp that can shatter mountains, with Haki and using Coiling to enhance force, he can achieve similar effects.
"Sage!"
From the rear, Lily appeared again, accompanied by a large number of Pirates, carrying boxes and barrels towards the outskirts.
"Those black market merchants know who you're fighting against, they want to back out!"
"Bullshit!"
Sage's confident smile instantly darkened, he shouted, "Since both sides signed a contract, whether they do or not, they have to pay! Load the goods at the outskirts, and if they don't pay, rob them! Take the ten billion Belly!"
Someone dared try to cheat his money?
Unacceptable!
Zephyr swung his prosthetic limb, gripped his left fist, letting Haki extend from the fist to the entire forearm.
"You are indeed dangerous, old me won't allow you to leave."
That figure seemed much more lightweight.
The mechanical arm was heavy, though losing it meant losing a convenient attack method, it likewise... freed him from restraints.
"I wasn't planning to leave now..."
Sage grinned viciously, "I'm still quite trustworthy, if I say I'll rob ten billion Belly's worth of goods, then I'll rob ten billion Belly's worth of goods. Delays of half a day's time are enough!"
Though Zephyr gave him a sense of strength too, Sage could perceive that his Haki wasn't as pure and strong as Garp's.
Instead, it felt kind of bewildered...
The will is weakening!
Holding for half a day is possible!