"Damn it! What the hell is Vergo doing?!"
Watching the Straw Hat crew and G-5 Marines break through every obstacle on the monitors, Caesar was furious. The base's defenses couldn't even slow them down. Even the strategically blasted walls were effortlessly patched up by their ability user (Nami). Moments ago, Caesar had been brimming with confidence, but now he was raging. His poison gas might be powerful, but it was useless if it couldn't spread! At this rate, his experiments—and his reputation as a genius scientist—were in jeopardy!
"Master, there's—"
*Bang!*
Before the report could be finished, the armored soldier in a biohazard suit was sent flying into the wall. Luffy, relying on his instincts, had already burst in.
"I've found you—"
"Huh?"
Before Caesar could process what was happening, a punch landed squarely on his stomach with overwhelming force. The "crackling" sound of shattering echoed as layers of "gas armor" on Caesar's flowing robes broke apart one after another.
"This time, you're not escaping, Caesar!"
*Spurt.*
Even with his body wrapped in "gas armor," Caesar coughed up blood.
Despite his tall and slim figure, Caesar wasn't just about appearances. His flowing robes were lined with over a dozen layers of compressed "gas armor," each layer just a centimeter thick. This armor could automatically block nearly any attack, capable of withstanding direct hits from Marine-level artillery. Against gunfire, a single layer was enough to provide 360-degree protection. It was a unique invention he had developed specifically to fend off the threats of the New World.
But now:
"One punch and...?"
Though Caesar was reeling from the blow, as a scientist who had made it in the New World, he still had some fight in him. With a fierce glint in his eye, he didn't retreat but instead lunged at Luffy.
"Blue Flame Sword!"
Caesar pulled out a sword hilt and activated it. A blue-white blade of light ignited, and he swung it fiercely at Luffy. As Caesar approached, Luffy suddenly found himself struggling to breathe.
But:
*Whoosh.*
Luffy's neck stretched, lifting his head into the air, quickly gauging the range of Caesar's suffocating ability. And as for Caesar's sword skills?
*Swish—*
"Not even as good as Roman was back in East Blue."
Luffy dodged Caesar's plasma sword with a quick sidestep. Caesar's missed attack left a smooth, mirror-like slash on the metal floor where Luffy had been standing moments before. The weapon was undeniably sharp, but—
"Too slow."
As Caesar swung again, Luffy had already darted behind him. Both fists were now coated in Armament Haki.
"Gomu Gomu—"
"Huh? When did he—?!"
Before Caesar could react, his vision filled with countless fists flying toward him from every direction. There was no escape; he was trapped.
"Jet Gatling Gun!"
"Ice Dome!"
Just as the rain of punches was about to land, Caesar was saved. Monet, who had been silently watching from the side, intervened. She spread her wings and folded them together, forming a five-meter-thick wall of snow and ice behind Caesar. Although the wall shattered instantly under Luffy's Haki-coated fists, it successfully blocked the attack.
"No wonder they call you Straw Hat Luffy. Ordinary pirates wouldn't be able to break my snow wall."
"And who are you?"
In response to Luffy's question, the green-haired woman named Monet simply shielded Caesar with her wings.
"Please leave, 'Master.'"
"There's no point in fighting him."
"Heh heh, you're right!"
At her words, Caesar, who had just mustered up some courage, immediately reverted to his cowardly self. Taking advantage of Monet holding Luffy back, he turned and bolted without hesitation, shouting threats as he fled:
"Do whatever you want, Straw Hat Luffy!"
"This genius has already thought of a way to make you my test subjects. Just wait and see. Hoohoohoo~~"
"Stop right there!"
*Swish—*
Just as Luffy was about to chase after him, Monet spread her wings and blocked his path.
"I can't let you pass. Otherwise, 'JOKER' won't let me off."
"The 'guy' from the Summit War? What's that guy's deal?!"
...So you don't even know who you're up against? Is that really okay?
A white dove that had somehow flown into the hall rubbed its forehead. What left the dove even more speechless was:
"Luffy."
At this moment, a man in a green robe with a red sash around his waist, green bandages underneath, and black boots walked in.
"You're chasing after Caesar, right?"
Zoro, holding his three swords, tilted his chin slightly.
"I'll handle this woman. You go on ahead and chase him."
Zoro's terrible sense of direction always seemed to work in his favor at critical moments. Even the dove perched on the roof couldn't help but mock, *So your poor sense of direction is like a trade-off? You get it right when it matters most?*
"Thanks!"
"Don't think you can get past me—"
Luffy quickly dashed around Monet and chased after Caesar. As Monet tried to intercept him, a chilling killing intent froze her in her tracks.
"Hmph, how savage," she muttered.
Monet turned to face Zoro, who was approaching slowly.
"Breaking into someone's home, wrecking the place, and now kidnapping the 'host'? Truly pirate behavior..."
"My bad."
Zoro casually rested one hand on his sword handle.
"We're just doing our 'job.'"
——————
Meanwhile, in the SAD production factory,
two figures were locked in fierce combat!
Each punch shook the massive factory, with enormous metal tanks twisting and shattering under the force of their blows. The sounds of punches and kicks colliding echoed so powerfully that the two spectators felt their hearts tremble, as if their very blood vibrated with the impact.
Every hit was raw and thunderous, like a storm crashing through the sky, a battle drum pounding on a battlefield, stirring the soul!
This wasn't about tricks—it was Armament Haki clashing head-on!
Simpler, more direct, and more ferocious than any complex techniques, terrifying powers, or strange abilities. That's what made it so unstoppable. It was pure vitality and spirit unleashed in its rawest, most unfiltered form.
One punch at a time, it seemed to break through everything, tearing the heavens and splitting the seas! But no matter how fierce the exchange, the difference in strength—both physical and mental—was undeniable.
Before long, with every punch Roman landed, the metallic sheen of Vergo's body dimmed. Sparks flew as if even his Armament Haki was about to fail.
"Too weak. Just too weak."
This was supposed to be the top-tier Armament Haki hyped up by Doflamingo?
"It's nothing compared to Vice Admiral Garp's iron fists!"
Hearing Roman's taunting words, Vergo—silent throughout the fight—twitched at the corner of his mouth. *Since when was I ever worthy of being compared to Garp, who crushed an entire era with his fists?*
"My intel on 'White Dove' Roman didn't describe him as someone who relied on brute force."
On the sidelines, Law watched as the two fighters exchanged blows, their chaotic battle leaving most of the factory in ruins. He couldn't help but comment.
Still, his goal had been achieved.
The factory was nearly destroyed, and it was only a matter of time before the Marines took control.
"Cluck, cluck, cluck~~"
A talking white dove flew by.
"Vice Admiral Smoker, please have your men arrest and detain the guards in the base. Someone conducting secret experiments in a defunct Marine lab cannot be allowed to get away with this."
Then the white dove turned to look at Trafalgar Law.
"Law, I'll ask you later why you're here. For now, stay put and don't move."
After saying this, the white dove flew away, clearly implying: "What are you two looking at? Got nothing better to do? Leave already!"
"Hmph,"
Smoker and Law exchanged glances, then both used their abilities to leave the factory. Meanwhile, the battle was nearing its end.
"If this is all you've got—"
With those words, Roman still hadn't used his Devil Fruit power. Instead, he moved fluidly, spinning to narrowly dodge Vergo's punch. Like a fish slipping through water, he maneuvered behind Vergo, shifted his fists into claws, grabbed Vergo's arm, and pulled him close. With one arm locking Vergo's waist and a knee pressed against his lower back—
"Up!"
Roman shouted as he lifted Vergo high into the air. Once off the ground with no leverage, even the legendary Antaeus, the son of the earth, would be defeated, let alone Vergo, whose strength was no match for Roman's.
"Down!"
Roman slammed Vergo down with immense force while driving his knee upward.
Crack!
First came the sound of bones breaking, followed by the impact reverberating through the steel ground. The entire base—or perhaps the entire Punk Hazard—shook violently. Elsewhere, people stumbled, soldiers rolled into piles, and skilled fighters quickly regained their footing.
"An earthquake?"
"A volcanic eruption?"
"No, that impact just now seemed to come from…"
Back at the now-destroyed SAD production factory, where the ground had caved into a massive crater spanning hundreds of meters, shattered concrete and metal tanks were strewn everywhere. The materials used to produce "artificial Devil Fruits" had spilled all over the place.
Vergo, who Roman had slammed down like a broken chair, was no longer able to fight.
In fact, his spine was shattered into pieces. Although the superhuman physique of this world would keep him alive, Vergo wouldn't be able to stand again in this lifetime—unless some advanced technology or Devil Fruit power could help him.
"As a former Marine Vice Admiral, you should leave your judgment to Marine Headquarters. I'm sure they'll find your intel quite valuable."
At the last moment, Roman restrained the urge to kill Vergo outright. A living Vergo was more useful than a dead one, especially for exposing the wrongful cases he had covered up over the years.
"Anyone who dares to sail these seas can fight and risk their lives however they want—that's their choice."
"But experimenting on children who can't make decisions—"
That crosses the line.
Bending down, Roman pulled out a connected Den Den Mushi from Vergo's pocket. His voice was calm as he spoke:
"And you, it's time to pay for what you've done."
Click.
On the other end, there was only silence before the line disconnected—a predictable response. If Doflamingo dared to say a word now, a Marine Admiral would descend upon Dressrosa and wipe him out entirely. Planting spies in the Marines and leaving evidence? Not even his status as a Warlord could protect him.
(End of Chapter)
----You can read 10 advanced chapters at my patreon.com/YeyeQiu