Chapter 132: Cole Develops His Ability
…
"Not bad at all!"
Cole felt the effect of twisting Zephyr's punch just moments ago and silently marveled at it.
Fortunately, he had been inspired by Luo Han's psychic armor mode. After his own Devil Fruit awakened, Cole had spent time deeply developing his spatial-water-manipulation ability.
By covering his body in flowing spatial energy and injecting his own will into it, he created what he called a "spatial feather cloak." This cloak, merging with his body like a second skin, allowed him to control and twist space freely—redirecting, stretching, and altering the flow of incoming attacks at will.
So, when Zephyr's punch landed on Cole's cloaked fist, its power didn't transfer directly to Cole. Instead, the force bent through the distorted space, looped around his body, and re-emerged from his own fist, redirected straight back at Zephyr. It was as if Zephyr had punched Cole only to have the force circle around and strike himself in return.
This gave Cole a near-absolute defense technique. As long as the spatial distortion wasn't broken, any force could be neutralized and redirected.
Meanwhile, back on the battlefield, Luo Han continued bombarding Garp and Sengoku with golden explosive spears—but he was also secretly watching Cole through his spiritual sense, and naturally noticed the new ability.
"So that's the legendary 'return the attack unto the attacker' technique? Cole's really done it—developing his Fruit in such a creative way," Luo Han thought, genuinely impressed and pleased by Cole's progress.
Then he turned his gaze to Garp and Sengoku—and instantly grew annoyed.
"These two again… Fine. I'll make sure they feel it this time so they stop bothering me!"
Fueled by irritation, Luo Han's golden spear barrage became even more intense.
Back on Cole's side—boom! Zephyr emerged from the sea again, hovering near Cole using Moonwalk.
"These two brothers really have terrifying Devil Fruit development. This is the first time I've ever experienced being hurt by my own attack!"
He wiped a trace of blood from his mouth, wariness flashing in his eyes.
He'd realized instantly that the blast which had knocked him back had been his own strength, bent back at him by the strange ripples around Cole's body. It was like his power had gone full circle and come back.
"A bizarre ability. But using Haki and Devil Fruit powers at the same time must drain stamina fast. How long can he keep it up?" Zephyr wondered. He doubted such a skill came without cost.
"Well… except for that freak Luo Han," he cursed silently.
Refocusing, Zephyr rushed in again—another full-force punch.
Boom! A loud impact rang out.
Cole didn't dodge. The same spatial waves spread from his body, then retracted and converged at the point of impact.
BOOM! A white, transparent shockwave sliced past the right side of the warship, stirring violent waves and shaking the vessel.
"Haha! Kid, your defense is strong, but your counterattack has a slight delay. It's not easy to hit someone like me!"
Step step! Zephyr laughed as he floated to Cole's left. He had dodged the rebound just as expected. The counter needed about a second to launch—plenty of time for someone of his level to evade.
"As long as I can stop you, it's enough," Cole replied calmly, unbothered.
He had already achieved his goal—keeping Zephyr occupied and away from Luo Han's fight.
And so the battle continued in a loop—Zephyr's attacks couldn't break through, while Cole's counterattacks couldn't land.
The stalemate dragged on. The only ones terrified were the navy soldiers on the nearby warship, trembling as they braced for a shockwave that might sink them at any moment.
Back on Luo Han's side, he had made up his mind—this fight with Garp and Sengoku would leave them a memory they'd never forget. But their battle was stuck in deadlock too.
…
While Zephyr and Cole clashed, at Marine Headquarters in Marineford, a few seagulls passed the Fleet Admiral's office, suddenly screeching and scattering as if startled by something.
"So Zephyr and Sengoku are both at Battleship Island!"
SLAM! The Fleet Admiral, wearing his signature coat, slammed his desk and glared at the messenger in front of him.
"Yes, Admiral. That was confirmed by soldiers aboard Vice Admiral Garp's ship," the messenger said anxiously.
"Those two bastards!" the Admiral growled, furious. "Why are we only learning this now?"
"Well… Vice Admiral Sengoku claimed he was pursuing Golden Lion, so no one followed up. And Vice Admiral Zephyr… uh, he sealed his Den Den Mushi to avoid orders…" the messenger added, sweat pouring down his forehead.
"Forget it. Send word to the soldiers aboard Garp's ship—tell them to find a way to recall Zephyr and Sengoku immediately. John and the Golden Lion have already looted several World Government member nations. They need to return now!"
The Admiral's furious roar echoed through the office.
"Yes, sir!" The messenger saluted and ran off.
…
On a medium-sized island in the New World—this was the first country to fall after the navy launched its full-force deployment. Known for its rich mining industry, it was nicknamed the "Silver Kingdom."
But now, what was once a bustling city lay in ruins. Only the massive royal palace still gleamed with silvery light.
Indeed, this palace was made of pure silver—second only to the legendary Golden City, Shandora.
"So beautiful…"
Sitting on the silver throne, John gently caressed the glowing armrest, muttering to himself.
"Captain John, we've moved all the treasures we could. Only the palace remains."
A massive man with an iron club approached, speaking excitedly.
John rose, admiring the palace one last time. He stepped down from the throne, moved to the grand hall, and looked down at the group before him.
"What a pity. You'll get to become one with this beautiful palace forever."
"No! Captain John, you promised to spare us if we gave you all the treasure!"
"Yeah! Captain John, we were forced to join the World Government! We're still part of the Rocks Pirates—you can't do this to us!"
Kneeling on the floor were members of the nation's royal family, desperately pleading for their lives.
"Rocks?"
Hearing that name, John paused mid-stride and glanced back with a mocking smile.
"Compared to the 'treasure' Rocks promised, what you had was far more tempting. So thanks… for joining the World Government."
With a cruel laugh, John walked away. Moments later, flames engulfed the palace. The royal family that had ruled the Silver Kingdom for centuries perished with their shining palace—becoming one with it forever.
One day later—the tenth day since Luo Han's battle began—the navy soldiers left behind on Garp's ship finally succeeded in breaking through to the battlefield and delivered the Fleet Admiral's order to Garp and Sengoku.
(END CHAPTER)
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