Seeing his comrade standing before him, T-Bone exhaled a sigh of relief, recognizing his ally instantly. "Shu," he muttered, relieved to see a familiar face.
Shu, like T-Bone, held the rank of captain at Marineford. Both had been tasked with the same mission—to escort the sea train. As he stood firm beside Shu, T-Bone warned in a grave tone, "Be careful, this opponent is formidable."
Shu, his face obscured by a white cloth mask, responded with confidence, "Against a swordsman, I have no fear." His confidence stemmed from his unique ability, provided by his Devil Fruit, which made him a natural adversary to any swordsman.
Known as the Rust-Rust Fruit, Shu's power could decay any metal object he touched into useless rust. This ability rendered most blades and weapons futile against him.
Without hesitation, Shu charged at Zoro, reaching out to grab him. Zoro instinctively raised his sword Yubashiri to block the attack.
Shu grasped the blade, activating his fruit's power, expecting the metal to corrode instantly. However, to his shock, he exclaimed, "What?!!" as he felt his power inexplicably resisted.
Zoro, sensing the odd resistance, thrust his sword forward vigorously, forcing Shu to dodge swiftly. "What a strange Devil Fruit ability," Zoro remarked, eyeing the faint marks left on Yubashiri's blade that had somehow withstood the rusting effect.
Regaining his composure, Shu faced Zoro again, acknowledging, "Yes, I possess the Rust-Rust Fruit's power. It can rust anything it touches, but... your sword resisted my ability."
Zoro nodded and lifted his sword, Yubashiri, examining it thoughtfully before addressing Shu with a slight smile. "So, that's your power," he remarked casually. "However, my sword isn't easily rusted."
Before their adventure in Little Garden, Bai Ye had taken measures to enhance Zoro's swords, specifically to guard against rusting effects, like those from Shu's Devil Fruit. In the original storyline, Yubashiri had been irreparably damaged by Shu's ability in the Enies Lobby arc, which led Zoro to eventually acquire a new sword, Shusui, from the legendary swordsman Ryoma in Wano country.
Beyond Bai Ye's enhancements, there was another layer to the swords' resilience— the technique of cultivating an Artifact Spirit that Bai Ye had introduced to the crew. This method imbued weapons with a sort of spiritual essence, making them more than mere tools.
Among the crew, Zoro's swords were particularly receptive to this method, gaining a distinct presence of their own, especially after Zoro had faced and overcome his inner demon. This spiritual essence was why Yubashiri could withstand Shu's rusting power—because it wasn't just metal and craftsmanship; it had a spirit, a will of its own.
At that moment, T-Bone interjected, cautioning his comrade, "Shu, don't underestimate him. He's formidable. We should combine our efforts to take him on."
Realizing the challenge at hand, Shu acknowledged the shift in their battle's dynamics. With Zoro's sword resisting his rust-inducing ability, he had lost his primary advantage over the swordsman.
-----
As Zoro was preparing to clash again with the two navy captains, Sanji found himself facing his own set of opponents. Standing in front of him was Jabra, who confidently identified him: "Curly eyebrows, smoking a cigarette—that's definitely Sanji of the Straw Hat Pirates."
From behind, Kumadori, who always seemed more like a theatrical performer than a fighter, confirmed with a nod, "Yes, that seems correct."
"CP9?" Sanji casually lit another cigarette, his voice cool. "Looks like your buddy didn't share how badly he got kicked by me."
Sanji was referring to his previous encounter with Blueno in Water 7, an incident well-known among the CP9 agents. Jabra scoffed at the comparison, a smirk spreading across his face. "Don't lump me with Blueno, that 820 Doriki weakling. My strength is nearly three times his!"
With a dramatic flair, Jabra then pointed behind Sanji, teasing, "The real scaredy-cat is that one."
On cue, Kumadori dramatically dropped to his knees, wailing in a theatrical fashion, "Oh, what a failure I am! I should perform harakiri!" Immediately, he attempted the act, only to block his own blade with his Iron Body technique. "I can't die, oh what a tragedy!"
Watching the bizarre performance, Sanji blinked, utterly baffled. "What's with this guy? Does he have a screw loose or something?"
As Sanji glanced over at Kumadori's antics, Jabra, initially seething with feigned anger, let a sly smirk slip through. Having consumed the Mutt-Mutt Fruit Wolf Model, Jabra's nature had grown increasingly sly and cunning. Despite his sarcastic demeanor, he spotted a golden opportunity to strike.
During Sanji's brief distraction, Jabra pounced, finding a gap in the cook's guard. He whispered to himself, "Perfect timing!" and readied his attack.
"Six Powers: Finger Pistol x10!"
His fingers curled, assuming the precise posture of a seasoned martial artist channeling his chi. In a flash, Jabra employed the Soru technique to blur across the space, reappearing behind Sanji almost instantly. His eyes gleamed with malice as he aimed a devastating blow.
With a cruel grin, Jabra thrust forward both hands. Ten fingers, sharp as bullets, lunged toward Sanji's back with lethal force, propelled by the potent Finger Pistol technique. The air hissed under the pressure, vibrating with the impending impact. Jabra's grin widened, confident he had trapped the Straw Hat cook.
But just as Jabra thought he had Sanji cornered with his move—
"I won't fall for such a weak trick!"
Black Leg Style - Concassé!
With lightning speed, Sanji spun, delivering a powerful, upside-down hook kick. Before Jabra could react, the kick landed squarely on him.
Boom!
The impact sent Jabra flying upwards. As Sanji prepared to follow up with another attack, an unexpected twist occurred. Kumadori, who had just clumsily attempted seppuku, leapt back into action.
"Life Return: Hair Binding!" he shouted.
Instantly, his long hair took on a life of its own, slithering and extending in all directions. The strands swiftly entwined around Sanji's legs, immobilizing him. Kumadori had mastered the advanced technique of Life Return, enabling him to control his hair with precise movements.
"What the—!" Sanji exclaimed, his face twisting in disgust as he found himself ensnared by Kumadori's hair.
Above them, Jabra seized the moment to ready his counterattack. "Iron Body: Heavy Step Wolf!" he declared from midair.
Employing the Moonwalk technique to stabilize himself, Jabra inverted his body for a downward strike. Simultaneously, he activated Iron Body, significantly hardening his muscles to increase the potency of his impending punch. This combination of power and agility, a refined extension of his Iron Body technique, made his attack dangerously formidable.
At this critical moment, Jabra and Kumadori believed they had Sanji cornered, but Sanji himself saw things differently.
With his legs tangled in Kumadori's hair, Sanji couldn't help but yell out, "This is so boring!" Disgusted and unimpressed, he flicked away his cigarette, swiftly flipped into a handstand, and used the momentum to wrench free from the hair bindings.
With a powerful kick, he not only freed himself but also hurled Kumadori directly at Jabra, who was descending from the air. "What?!" Jabra exclaimed in shock as Kumadori hurtled toward him.
Reacting instinctively, Kumadori activated his Iron Body technique. Clang! The sound of their collision echoed as the two CP9 agents crashed into each other and then plummeted to the ground together.