Under the White Knight armor, Roman's muscles were coursing with countless tiny lightning bolts, keeping his physical condition at its peak!
At the same time, the entire White Knight armor was enveloped in a whirlwind, as if surfing on the sea, with large amounts of sand and gravel spraying everywhere like a giant fountain, turning the battlefield into a cloud of dust.
Meanwhile, pieces of white paper detached from the White Knight and exploded, forming clusters of flames..."Has this guy fought 'Pacifistas' before?"
Sentomaru frowned. The smoke screen, the high-temperature inducement... these were clearly tactics against robots! Coupled with constant high-speed movement and positioning, Roman was handling two Pacifistas with ease..."What are Pacifistas?"
Facing Luffy's question, Sentomaru, who had put down his axe to fight barehanded, snorted.
"I am 'the world's tightest-lipped' Sentomaru. Pacifistas are important humanoid weapons of the World Government, how could I possibly tell you that?"
..."So they're humanoid weapons..."
"...I told you that voluntarily, not as an answer."
Claiming to be 'the world's tightest-lipped' Sentomaru, he launched a palm strike at Gear Second Luffy from a distance.
"Ashigara Dokkoi!"
Boom!!
In an instant, Luffy seemed to be hit by an invisible attack, flying backward out of nowhere! With a crash, he smashed through a building and fell into the rubble, with a series of painful cries.
"So painful! What a strange move!!"
"A non-contact palm strike that can do this to Luffy... could it be..."
Zoro looked serious!
"It must be,"
Sanji took a puff of his cigarette, "It's what Roman mentioned—"
"The advanced Armament Haki 'emission' technique!"
"Oh? You have some insight..."
Sentomaru glanced again at Roman, who was entangled with two Pacifistas, then turned back to the still combat-ready Straw Hat crew.
"Too bad, your journey ends here."
"Old man, you finally arrived."
??
"Oh my, you actually took down a Pacifista... the rookies these days,"
"So strong... so scary."
!!!!
Although the words were slow and soft, the three main fighters of the Straw Hat crew couldn't even turn their heads! Their muscles felt like locked steel bars, and the overwhelming pressure behind them clearly told them—whoever moves, dies!
Damn, just the aura—Suddenly spinning around, three famous swords with a faint ghostly aura slashed backward!
As the fierce blades moved, killing intent surged! The surrounding flowers and plants withered, bubbles in the air burst, and were shredded into pieces by the overwhelming killing aura. Leaves fell like rain, and the sky darkened, making Zoro look like he had three heads and six arms.
"Ghostly Nine-Sword Style: Asura - Demon Nine—"
Facing Zoro, who looked like a Shura demon, the tall man in the golden suit behind him calmly put his hands in his pockets and slowly spoke.
"You—"
Slash!!!
A straight line cut through the battlefield, crashing through more than a dozen buildings! Zoro, who launched the attack, had disappeared, leaving only the tall man in the golden suit with one leg raised, speaking calmly.
"Have you ever been kicked by light?"
!!
"Watch out, it's Admiral Kizaru!"
"Gomu Gomu no Jet Gatling!"
In a mix of shock and anger, Luffy instantly used the speed of 'Gear Second' and the power of 'Gear Third,' his Haki-wrapped fists attacking alongside Zoro! But the opponent had already attacked Zoro first.
Boom!
A figure flashed by, and the full-force Luffy, along with his fist, smashed backward! His fist hit the ground, instantly tearing it apart, with radial cracks spreading in all directions, creating a terrifying earthquake-like destruction! But:"Oh my, it's Armament Haki..."
The upper half of the golden-suited man, who had been cut in half by the punch, instantly turned into golden light, flying back to his lower half and reassembling into the tall, unharmed Marine Admiral.
"Oh... what a terrifying attack..."
"It scared me."
!
Th-this...Sanji, turning around, bit his cigarette in half! This was clearly the signature skill of 'elementalization,' but even Luffy with Haki couldn't do anything to him, so what could he do...Haki, Haki!!
Thud,
A figure staggered up from the distant ruins, revealing the heavily injured Zoro.
"Oh... you newbies worth 'hundred millions,' each one of you is like a monster..."
In the next moment, Kizaru had disappeared from in front of Sanji. In the distant ruins, a tall figure with hands in his pockets stepped on Zoro's back, the light on his raised foot ready to strike.
"You should rest well."
"Zoro!!"
"Damn, if he gets hit at this close range, it's over—"
"Barrel Dance: Chain Strike!"
"Special Attack: Gunpowder Star Barrage!"
The fastest Brook and the long-range attacker Usopp immediately attacked, trying to save Zoro, but whether it was the rapier or gunpowder, all attacks were useless against the man in the golden suit:
"Useless, I ate the 'Glint-Glint Fruit,' I'm a Logia 'Light Human'..."
"Ahhh! Our attacks can't hit—"
"Get your foot off, you bastard!!"
Damn it, I can't move...Zoro, being stepped on, didn't even have the strength to turn over. This humiliation and powerlessness... it was just like when he faced 'Kuma' before!
Is today the day I die..."Zoro—"
"Sky Walk!"
Thud,Luffy, who was sent flying by a mid-air palm strike, spat out a mouthful of blood, his body crashing to the ground halfway through his charge.
"You still have time to worry about others?"
Sentomaru, with his palms ready to strike, seriously blocked Luffy's path.
"Your opponent is me."
Too strong...Whether it was that golden admiral or this man in the bellyband... neither were opponents we could handle.
After just a few exchanges, Luffy had a clear realization! These were not opponents that could be defeated with willpower, courage, or anything else! They were on a different level from the Straw Hat crew, what could be done—Luffy looked up, first at the Straw Hat crew's futile attacks on the golden admiral, then at Roman, who was fiercely entangled with two 'Kumas', and finally at Zoro, who was being stepped on...Damn, I'm too weak!
Damn, it's my fault the Marines are here!
...
"Roronoa Zoro, you're done for... stop wasting your strength..."
Roman, who was using his speed to maneuver around the two Pacifistas, resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Despite the Straw Hat crew's desperate attacks on Kizaru... no, it should be said, their utter despair! But if you looked closely, Admiral Kizaru's leg was almost tired from being raised so long without coming down, and he was running out of new taunts to say. Fortunately:In the moment when no one reacted, a figure joined the battlefield! A carefree sandal kicked away Kizaru's leg, which was about to fire a beam, saving Zoro's life!
Finally...Not only did 'Dark King' Rayleigh come to the rescue, but among the white doves Roman released, a tall figure 'suddenly' appeared at the edge of the battlefield, holding a Bible.
Bartholomew Kuma!
The one holding the book was the real deal, the others were clone robots.
"Uncle..."
Luffy, desperate to the point of tears, finally breathed a sigh of relief, then:"Usopp! Take Zoro and go!"
"Everyone, run for your lives!!"
"We can't beat them right now!"
With Luffy's order, everyone scattered. This battlefield was indeed not one the current Straw Hat crew could handle, and Luffy:"Thanks, Uncle!"
After thanking Rayleigh, Luffy looked to the other side of the battlefield.
"Roman, sorry, stay with me to cover our retreat!"
"Leave it to me."
Dealing with these two clumsy Kumas, Roman felt no pressure—just kidding!
Zap, zap!
As soon as he finished speaking, Roman, in his White Knight form, dodged, and two beams pierced through the afterimage he left behind!
Under the relentless attacks of the two Pacifistas, Roman couldn't afford to stop for even a moment, nor could he let them calculate his speed and trajectory, or else beams that could pierce warships and steel would hit him.
Run, Roman could certainly escape.
But it was clear the rest of the Straw Hat crew couldn't... so he had to firmly hold off the two Pacifistas, while Luffy steeled himself to face Sentomaru.
"I won't let you—?!"
"What is this..."
"How did another one appear!?"
In front of Usopp and the others, who were carrying Zoro, stood another 'Pacifista' holding a book.
No, this aura..."Put me down..."
Struggling down from Usopp's back, Zoro drew his two swords and faced the man in front of him, who looked like a bear. His intuition told him:This is the real deal! This is the true Shichibukai: Bartholomew Kuma.
"Roronoa, if you were to travel—"
The big bear in front of him didn't attack the Straw Hat crew immediately but took off his gloves.
"Where would you like to go?"
?!
Whoosh,Before Zoro could answer, the other party lightly slapped him.
"Zo... Zoro?!!"
He disappeared.
Just like when Roman was slapped and disappeared on the Thriller Bark!
"Zo... Zoro... what's going on?"
Luffy was stunned. Where did my world's greatest swordsman partner go?
"Haha, people slapped by Kuma will fly for three days and nights and land on the other side of the world."
Claiming to be 'the world's tightest-lipped' Sentomaru casually explained, "Anyway, you won't see him on this island again."
!
"Everyone, run, we'll talk about the rest later!!"
At Luffy's words, all the still-dazed companions immediately scattered and continued to flee. But:Whoosh,In a flash, the real Kuma, unlike those PX units, instantly appeared behind Usopp and the others—
"Watch out, you two,"
Shouldering Usopp and Sanji aside, Brook fearlessly faced the opponent with his rapier.
"Yohoho—"
Whoosh,With a wave of his palm, Brook disappeared.
"Watch my special attack - Fire—"
Whoosh,Kuma casually waved again, and Usopp disappeared too.
"Ahhh, what am I doing?!"
Grabbing his hair in frustration, Sanji, seeing his companions disappear one after another, spun around and kicked fiercely!
"I won't let you—"
Whoosh,With a light slap, Sanji disappeared too.
"Ahhh!! Gomu Gomu no Jet Pistol!"
Abandoning his opponent Sentomaru, Luffy charged in, his full-force punch filled with anger slicing through the air! The air in front of his fist turned thick like 'liquid', the power within making even Sentomaru's eyes narrow, but:
Snap,The tall 'Kuma' casually deflected Luffy's desperate attack!
In a flash, Kuma appeared in front of Franky and Chopper.
"Strong Right—"
"Franky, don't—"
Flash,Before Luffy could finish shouting, Franky also disappeared.
"Uwaaah, my friends!!"
Tears and snot streaming, Chopper grabbed a handful of Rumble Balls! Even if he turned into a monster—Flash,
Without even a chance to fight back, Chopper disappeared too! Only a few Rumble Balls fell weakly to the ground.
"Stop, stop it!!"
Facing the charging Luffy again, the opponent still lightly waved and changed Luffy's direction, making him crash into the nearby ruins in vain.
"Luffy..."
Whoosh,
Before Robin could finish her sentence, she also disappeared.
"Damn it, damn it!!!"
Right, there's still Nami..."Nami, Roman!!"
In fact, amidst this series of changes, Nami instinctively ran towards Roman! Although he knew that Kuma was 'saving Straw Hat Crew,' when faced with the panicked Nami, Roman made a mistake in the heat of battle:
Splash~~~The paper on his body instinctively peeled off, flying over to protect Nami—Flash,In a blink, Nami, along with half of Roman's paper, disappeared!
"What is this..."
Just as Luffy felt all his strength being drained, something even more desperate happened:Because he instinctively peeled off the paper, only half of the White Knight remained, exposing Roman's true body. At the same time, his 'Wind Speed' state was immediately disrupted, causing Roman's speed to suddenly drop.
Whoosh, whoosh!
Thud!
Two beams of light pierced through Roman's chest.
In Luffy's disbelieving gaze, the next second, the chest-pierced Roman was replaced by a tall figure, accompanied by a cold voice.
"Good Bye."
Flash,With a palm strike, Luffy also disappeared.
—————— ----You can read 30 advanced chapters at my patreon.com/YeyeQiu