Urouge smashed a fist through a cluster of enemies and laughed loud. "Physical combat really is the most perfect path!"
Ever since Garp had shattered his pillar weapon with a single punch, Urouge had begged Franky for a pair of memory-alloy gauntlets.
Now he trained his body and Haki obsessively. On the crew, he'd mastered the Six Powers best of all.
"Iron Body Fist!"
He punched a huge man flying—then the next second, a swarm piled onto him, trying to drown him in numbers.
"Haha!" Urouge planted his feet. "Shock Punch!"
BOOM—!
A large chunk of the crowd screamed as they were blasted backward like bowling pins.
"Don't get cocky, you winged freak!" A pirate captain charged him with a huge blade.
"Iron Body!" Urouge crossed his arms to block.
CLANG—!
The blade snapped.
"Nani?!" The captain stared at the broken weapon. I've cut down marines using Iron Body before—what the hell is this guy?!
Before he could even process it, Urouge's fist slammed into him and dropped him cold.
Enel swung his silver staff like a hurricane—one strike, one body, never wasting motion.
"YOHOHOHOHO!" Brook's blade flashed as he cut in clean, rapid lines, the rhythm of his footwork almost musical even in slaughter.
Spidey watched the battlefield, his face darkening. "These trash idiots… they bully unarmed villagers all day, but the moment they face real killers, they get crushed."
"Go," Shura said, annoyed. "I told you bringing this garbage was pointless."
"Yes, sir."
A masked woman stepped forward, sword in hand.
Feathered wings unfolded from her back—not angelic light like Kuina's, but a predatory bird's spread—dark-edged and sharp.
She shot into the sky toward the hilltop.
Ain's eyes narrowed. Not bad.
She fired a sword wave upward.
The masked woman drew her blade in midair and split the attack with a single swing.
Ain's sword aura shattered.
"Twin-blade swordsman… Ain, huh?" the masked woman said, looking down at her.
"Didn't think I was famous," Ain replied, stepping into Sky Walk and slashing upward.
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!
They traded in the air at high speed.
Ain was slightly disadvantaged—she couldn't fly naturally, and every movement cost more.
"I've seen your file," the masked woman said, using flight to kite her, cutting from angles Ain couldn't comfortably reach.
Ain landed hard, skidding, then cut apart another incoming slash, her expression turning ugly. So Zoans can fly and suddenly they think they're gods?
"What's wrong?" the masked woman hovered above, voice dripping with mockery. "Feeling helpless?"
Ain crossed her twin blades.
"Secret Sword—!"
She unleashed a swarm of tiny cutting arcs that climbed into the sky like shrapnel.
The masked woman deflected them quickly, then laughed. "A tantrum? Is that all?"
"Fine," she said, folding her wings and landing. "I'll play with you properly."
Ain's mouth curved. "So you are looking down on me."
"You can believe that," the masked woman answered coolly.
Ain launched a larger slash, then burst forward immediately behind it.
The masked woman parried the slash and met her in close combat—only to feel her confidence crack.
This woman's sword fundamentals… how long has she trained?
CLANG-CLANG-CLANG!
Ain's blades came in relentless angles—feints, step-cuts, sudden reversals—forcing the masked woman backward again and again.
Defense could only hold so long.
RIP—!
Ain's blade tore the woman's clothing and left a shallow cut. Blood beaded red.
The masked woman's tone vanished. She sprang back and opened her wings again, refusing to stay grounded.
"Twin-Blade Style—Tornado!"
Ain swung both swords.
A violent cyclone erupted and climbed upward, swallowing the masked woman inside.
Not far away, Zan Gao found his own opponent.
Half-beast Zan Gao traded punches with a tiger-man in a brutal brawl.
"ORA ORA ORA!"
"MUDA MUDA MUDA!"
Their fists made wind. The shockwaves forced everyone nearby to scatter—they couldn't even stand close.
Zan Gao caught an opening and drove the tiger-man back.
The tiger-man crossed his arms, boots carving two trenches in the soil as he skidded. He looked up, impressed.
"So you really are the one who traded blows with Whitebeard's Third Division Commander—Diamond Jozu."
"Mad Tiger Zan Gao… you live up to the name."
CRACK—!
Zan Gao stomped. The ground burst under his feet.
He shot forward like a cannonball, laughing. "Mad tiger? Screw that. I'm IRON-FIST ZAN GAO!"
"Arrogant!" the tiger-man roared. "Iron Fist belongs to Marine Hero Garp!"
He threw a punch to meet Zan Gao's.
BOOM—!
Fist collided with fist.
The earth around them fractured. Armament Haki sparked and spat light.
"This sea really does have monsters!" Zan Gao laughed—then his fist suddenly reshaped into a clawed hand, snapping out to lock the tiger-man's arm.
"Nani?!" The tiger-man tried to pull back—too late.
CRUNCH—!
Zan Gao tore through the Armament coating.
CRACK—!
The tiger-man's hand snapped. He screamed.
"Who said I only use fists?" Zan Gao grinned, eyes savage.
Both hands shot forward and hooked into the tiger-man's ribs.
"Dragon Claw—RIP!"
"HAAH—!"
The tiger-man screamed, his strength collapsing. He tried to smash Zan Gao's head with his left fist.
Zan Gao didn't dodge.
Armament covered his skull. He tanked the blow and kept pulling.
"What's he doing?!"
The surrounding thugs stared in horror.
"He… he's going to tear Tiger Boss in half?!"
Zan Gao's arm muscles bulged. His eyes turned bloodshot.
"Split for me—NOW!"
Pain stole the tiger-man's strength. His pupils bulged.
RIP—!
A sound like meat tearing filled the air.
Zan Gao's claws had sunk into flesh.
"Ghh—!"
The wound widened.
And then—
SHRIIIP—!
Under everyone's horrified gaze, the tiger-man's body was torn open.
Organs spilled. Blood sprayed. The scream died midair.
"Ugh—!"
Some nearby men couldn't take it and vomited on the spot.
They'd killed before, sure. But tearing a man apart with bare hands? That was insanity.
Zan Gao licked blood from the corner of his mouth. His eyes burned with pure predatory hunger.
"ROAR—!"
A tiger-like bellow shook the slope.
THUD!
Someone collapsed to the ground in terror, staring at the saber-toothed beast of a man.
"WHOOSH—!"
Zan Gao dove into the crowd and slaughtered.
Heads shattered under fists. Chests were split open by claws.
Screams rose, then broke, then vanished.
Finally, people snapped and tried to run.
"Anyone who runs dies!" a voice thundered.
A hulking man stepped forward and smashed fleeing men with a warhammer, turning them into pulp to keep the rest in line.
Only when the crowd stopped wavering did he turn toward Zan Gao with a sneer.
"Hmph."
"My name is Giant Elephant Jerlen."
His body swelled and transformed—skin thickening, muscles ballooning—until a massive elephant-man half-beast stood there, tusks jutting forward, trunk twitching as it sucked in the stink of blood.
The warhammer looked small in his grip now.
"In hell," Jerlen rumbled, raising the hammer overhead, "tell them Jerlen sent you."
He stomped forward.
BOOM—!
Warhammer raised—crashing down toward Zan Gao.
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