With a distinctive laugh, the four-meter-tall captain of the World Pirates, Byrnndi World, stepped out, wearing a sleeveless captain's coat, a horned helmet with one side chipped, and an iron chain across his chest.
"Seems I'll have to do this myself and crush everything in my way!"
As World stepped forward, Roman and his team felt as if dark energy was rolling off him, wrapping around his body. The instant he stopped speaking, a powerful black aura surged towards them.
Boom— A storm loomed overhead, dark clouds threatening to engulf everything!
Apart from Roman and his team, even those on the Perfume Snake, including the Kuja Pirates and Nami, felt their breathing tighten!
Layers of dark clouds swirled like a looming summer storm, pressing down with a destructive roar. In mere seconds, it covered the sky above, crashing down and pressing toward everyone from all directions.
It was clear that World's Haki was influencing the weather, turning into tangible dark clouds that engulfed everything below!
"What powerful destructive force."
Even a dying camel is bigger than a horse—it's no wonder he could go toe-to-toe with Sengoku and Garp thirty years ago. His presence alone is overwhelming..."Luffy, be careful."
"Got it! Roman, you be careful too—this guy won't be easy!"
"Not easy?"
The helmeted brute on the other side casually plucked a chunk of steel from the ship's edge, tossing it in his hand.
"Who do you think you're messing with? Just two kids and a woman—"
Whoosh—
With a flick of his wrist, the piece of steel spun toward Roman, Luffy, and Hancock, whistling through the air. At the same time, World activated his Devil Fruit ability.
"More More—50x Scatter Shot!"
In an instant, the small piece of steel expanded, turning into countless massive, sharp shards hurtling toward them! The area of attack spread out over several hundred meters, leaving nowhere to escape! The speed of the shards also multiplied, easily breaking into supersonic levels.
Rings of blazing white shockwaves burst out, filling the battlefield with skin-tearing winds and deafening booms! With just a casual toss, World had unleashed the force of a thousand cannons. The name "Destroyer of Worlds" truly lived up to its reputation.
Thunderous blasts echoed nonstop, cracking and shattering the ice, sending fragments of ice and seawater flying through the air! The frozen sea that Nami had been working hard to keep solid was instantly blown open.
"A thin layer of ice doesn't even make me want to throw a punch."
If Aokiji were here, World would be forced to go all out. But Nami's powers? It just so so....
"You managed to beat Sebastian and the others, so you have a bit of skill."
As the dust cleared, three figures appeared:
Luffy, with both hands covered in Armament Haki, blocking the front; Hancock, using her Observation Haki to avoid the steel shrapnel without a scratch; and—Roman, who had jumped out of the air.
"Ah, well, I was in a hurry..."
Seeing Luffy and Hancock's resentful stares, as if asking why he'd left them to take the hit, Roman laughed, trying to brush it off.
"Interesting, a space-type ability user?"
Since Roman had been fighting only with 'Rokushiki' techniques before, World had misjudged his Devil Fruit power. And Roman wasn't about to correct him.
"Hancock, leave this to Roman and me."
Luffy moved in front of Hancock. "You go look after Nami and the others."
Against an opponent like World, who could casually unleash massive, wide-ranging attacks, Nami and the Kuja Pirates were more of a liability. Luffy and Roman could handle blocking or dodging for a while, but if anyone else took a hit—
They'd need a shovel and a mop to clean up..."Luffy~~"
Hancock's face was filled with happiness, because:
"You just called my name right~~ Does this mean we're engaged?"
"No, it doesn't!"
Whoa, did he have to answer that fast?
"Sigh~ your decisiveness makes me fall even harder~~"
Hancock, you're hopeless.
Roman, who got an unexpected taste of their flirting, twitched his mouth. And compared to Roman, who already had a girlfriend, someone else was downright furious!
"You dare flirt in front of me, the Destroyer of Worlds, Byrnndi World?"
"Momo—10x Speed!"
"Watch out—"
Whoosh!
A blur flashed by, faster than even 'Soru' from Rokushiki, as World's massive body appeared in front of Luffy and Roman in an instant. Two fists, shining with metallic light, crashed down on them without hesitation!
"Clang!" "Clang!"Big fists like pots clashed with Luffy's Armament Haki-covered fists and Roman's long sword with 'Vibration Power'. He was fighting one against two!
"Boom——"Amid the loud explosion mixed with metal clashing, Luffy was shot backward like a giant stone from a catapult, crashing into the steel cabin on the other side of the ship with a boom! He was deeply stuck in it.
Roman's long sword also shattered in the fight—or rather, Roman realized his strength and Haki were weaker, so he let his sword break itself to cancel the impact. This shameless move made World wobble slightly.
Crash—Roman, taking big steps back, grabbed thin air, and another long sword fell into his hand. Taking advantage of World's slight pause, he swung it fiercely towards his neck! No mercy.
But as World missed his punch, he lifted his eyelids, and Roman saw his eyes full of blood and anger, with a fierce aura that seemed capable of destroying everything. This made Roman hesitate for half a beat.
"Clang!"
In that instant, Valpo raised his hand and grabbed Roman's long sword, then pulled his other hand back to his waist like thunder.
"Oops!""Armament-Kami-e-Change——"
"More More-20x speed!"
With a shout, so fast that even the shadow of his punch was invisible, Roman shot up like a high meteor! Along his straight path, paper bits rained down, making Luffy, who had just jumped down from the wall next to him, furious.
"What did you do to my partner?"
"Rubber Hawk Rifle!"
Covering Haki, his metal-like fist suddenly slammed toward World, but World, with his tall body, dodged like Inazuma, causing Luffy's angry strike to miss completely.
"Partner?"
Luffy lunged forward, and World's angry, fierce face filled his eyes. With a pain in his chest, Luffy was blasted into the sky by an uppercut! At the same time, using Geppo, World quickly flew to a spot above Luffy who was still rising, fists clenched like hammers.
"You're just a tool!"
?!
But just as World was about to slam down with a heavy hit, a strong sense of danger made him abandon the attack, turning around. He raised his right arm to block upward.
"Clang!"
"Is that you?"
Above World was Roman, who was supposed to have been smashed by a punch.
"I'm dissapointed——"
Roman didn't have a rubber body or Luffy's strong Haki resistance, so at the moment of the punch, he strengthened his paper armor with Armament Haki, then used 'Kami-e' to float back, releasing the force like a golden silkworm shedding its skin.
So although he was punched into a meteor, he wasn't seriously hurt.
While World was focused on Luffy, Roman flew back and suddenly came down with a sword to break World's combo.
"Hmph, just a little tricks!"
Facing Roman's downward sword, World raised one arm with Armament Haki to block directly, but the next second his face changed!
A wave of coldness with a domineering aura rushed at him, making him freeze for a moment! Then, intense pain tore from his blocked arm.
Roman's Haki was clearly not as strong as World's. Even with the advantage of surprise, charging, and being above, it only barely broke the skin. But Roman's attack was never just a simple slash!
First, a sharp high-frequency shockwave came from the sword, instantly causing World's arm muscles to buzz.
The ulna and radius vibrated and rubbed, making a series of sharp strange sounds. Although it didn't injure World yet, it made his blood flow rush, muscles go limp, and for a moment he felt his muscles numb and his bones soft, unable to gather strength.
Another explosive force surged into his muscles. Even though World's muscles seemed as tough as steel, with his Armament Haki broken and his strength momentarily down, Roman didn't hesitate to strike hard:
[Paper Dance - Shattering Burst Sword!]
Boom—With a loud blast, World's right arm was instantly shredded and bloody! But this crazed powerhouse, known for his destructiveness, only narrowed his eyes, ignoring the injury to his right arm. His left hand shot out lightning-fast, grabbing Roman by the neck.
Chokehold!
The fact was, at 'More More-20x speed,' World's speed far surpassed anything Roman or Luffy could match.
"Heh..."
Even as he was caught, Roman just grinned.
"Why are you smiling—?!"
"Gomu Gomu no Eagle Rocket!"
Two hands, coated in Armament Haki, slammed in with full force. It was Luffy, whom World had forgotten! His upgraded Second Gear 'Gomu Gomu no Jet Rocket' struck World's stomach from below, delivering a gut-wrenching pain that even the towering World couldn't ignore. His grip loosened, and he went flying sideways, crashing hard into the ship's hull.
Thud! Thud!Roman and Luffy landed on the deck one after the other, both already battered but fired up to fight.
"Roman, I'll take the front!"
After their exchange, Luffy had a deep impression of their opponent's powerful attacks. In the Straw Hat Crew, there was no clear strongest attacker, but in terms of defense, Luffy was undoubtedly number one.
"Alright,"
Roman might have a bunch of abilities, but one punch combining World's Devil Fruit power and Armament Haki could easily knock him out. Only someone like Luffy, who could resist blunt force and withstand top-level Haki strikes, could face the boss head-on.
Boom—World rose from the rubble he had crashed into, glaring at the united front of Luffy and Roman, feeling even more annoyed.
"A true partner is someone who fights alongside you—not some tool."
Luffy's words were salt in the wound, filling World's vision with a blood-red haze.
"You two brats, you're asking for it!"
--- ————— ----You can read 10 advanced chapters at my patreon.com/YeyeQiu