There was no earth-shattering roar, no radiant spectacle. Although Luffy still appeared as the familiar Luffy, with the only notable change being his reddened skin, at this moment, an unmistakable aura of strength emanated from him!
Having undertaken countless hunting missions, the Four Rakshasa Demons were seasoned in recognizing the aura of the powerful. "Seems stronger than before, quite interesting," remarked Sten. A twisted smile gradually formed on his face as he spread his five fingers, producing a distinct clicking sound.
"However, despite your heightened aura, you'll come to understand one fundamental truth in the face of absolute power! Even if a feeble hare fluffs up its fur, it can never transform into a ferocious lion!"
With those words, Sten slammed his feet onto the ground. Despite his considerable bulk, this increased his inertia. While the martial arts of the Imperial Fist and the Pirate World differed, particularly in terms of fortifying the human body, the Imperial Fist's martial arts were no less potent than Marine Six Styles when it came to physical enhancement.
Considering the relative lack of physical prowess in the Akame Ga Kill world compared to the basic human physique in the pirate world, the Imperial Fist's training could still enhance the physical defenses of individuals like Sten, Ibara, and Suzuka—originally ordinary humans—toward an ultimate level. Ibara, in particular, could not only resist swords with his body but also wield any piece of flesh as a weapon, a testament to the strength of those practicing at Imperial Fist.
"Imperial Fist·Big Stelebearer!!——"
Like a ferocious beast unleashed from its cage or a speeding train arriving suddenly, Sten rushed toward Luffy in an instant. His palms, akin to two steel plates, swung open, aiming for a resounding slap to Luffy's head.
This move, dubbed "opening coconuts" by Sten himself, had cracked heads and scattered brains before, even defeating formidable opponents.
Boom!
The palms closed over Luffy's head, and Sten grinned widely, anticipating the satisfaction of feeling the other's brains splattering across his body.
Only...
Snapped!
The shocking pain from the palms suddenly jolted Sten out of his fantasy. It was the searing pain caused by the clap of Luffy's palms.
As for Luffy, who had just been slapped by Sten's palms, he vanished like a bubble.
"Afterimage!?"
"How is this possible!"
Realizing the gravity of the situation, the ferocity on Sten's face froze instantly. He violently turned his head, scanning his surroundings.
"It's here!"
swift!
Luffy reappeared behind Sten.
Sten turned his head again, feeling as if a mountain had suddenly crashed into his chin.
"Rubber Hawk!!—"
Luffy kicked up, and the sole of his slipper struck Sten's chin directly. Under the impact of this tremendous force, Sten's burly body took off! Wuhu~~ After traversing a perfect parabola, Sten crashed to the ground with a resounding thud, on the verge of losing consciousness.
"Wow..., wow... wow..."
His hands squirmed unconsciously, attempting to say something, but his shattered jaw and lack of consciousness rendered him unable to utter coherent words.
Suddenly, his vision slightly recovered.
No! —
In Sten's sight, he saw a massive foot descending from the sky!
"Rubber Axe!!——"
Luffy landed on Sten's face! Boom! ——
The ground shattered!
Luffy's feet plunged into the ground along with Sten's head...
Ka Ka Ka Ka! ! !
The entire avenue leading to the imperial palace seemed to have been struck by an earthquake. In an instant, countless cracks materialized out of thin air, rapidly extending in all directions.
Ka Ka Ka Ka! ! !
One of the fissures continued into the alley behind Luffy.
"This... this, this, this..."
In the alley, Tatsumi fell to the ground in shock, his eyes wide with astonishment. "Is this the power that humans can achieve?"
When he emerged from the village and dealt with a few dangerous species along the way, Tatsumi thought he was formidable. But witnessing this scene now, he began to doubt the essence of life.
Is that person truly of the same species as me?
"Amazing... so strong!"
Mine's mouth hung wide open, utterly dumbfounded.
This incredible strength...
Until now, she had only witnessed her brother Bulat in battle. However, Bulat could only attain this level when using Teigu. Yet, the individual before her relied solely on their own strength!
Hiss~
Under the streetlamp, Suzuka gasped.
It wasn't that Sten was knocked down that surprised her. But the fact that Sten was instantly defeated... that was beyond her acceptance.
"Hey, Mez, should we retreat first?"
As the most pragmatic of the Four Rakshasa Demons, Suzuka had no desire to end up like Sten.
"Nah~"
Hearing this, Mez jumped down from the second floor, tossing his hands back to grab his braid.
Untie~
Bang! !
"You want to fight?"
Suzuka frowned. She knew that the Mez's only removed the ponytail lwhen fighting at full strength, enabling maximum speed.
"Actually, I don't want to fight with such a little big brother! It's just that the order I received was to kill the criminals who disturbed the execution scene. So, I am also very helpless~~" Spreading out her two hands, Mez wore a slightly playful expression.
Boom!
No sooner had she finished speaking than an extended fist landed on her face.
"Now, you don't have to be helpless."
Looking at the unconscious Mez, Luffy withdrew his fist.
"How about you?"
"..."
Sensing Luffy's formidable gaze, Suzuka pursed her lips~~~
When will you be serious?
"Ahahaha~~Thank you for your mercy~"
She lifted Mez with one hand and disappeared into the alley without looking back.