Chapter 145: A Haki-Infused Punch
Outside the palace, just as Luo Han and Whitebeard landed—still surprised that the Celestial Dragons hadn't retreated—space beside them twisted.
Cole emerged, stepping out from his spatial jump. In the spatial realm, he moved much faster than Luo Han and had already arrived moments earlier.
"How is it?" Luo Han asked.
"No good, Han-ge," Cole shook his head. He had already tried several times but couldn't break through. It was as if the space within the barrier was isolated—completely inaccessible.
"Just as I thought."
Luo Han waved it off. He had already suspected it. Since even his spiritual sense couldn't penetrate the barrier, it was likely a high-level ability with few loopholes.
Tap tap tap! Whitebeard knocked against the barrier with his knuckles. It felt like tapping thick transparent glass—completely different from the rippling reaction Luo Han's gold spears had caused earlier.
"So... we're just smashing it?" Whitebeard asked dumbly.
"Straightforward it is. And once we break this damn thing, I'm going to beat those bastards inside to a pulp," Luo Han said, his tone suddenly turning fierce.
"What happened?" Whitebeard blinked, puzzled by Luo Han's sudden fury.
"They called us mongrels. Those bubble-headed bastards!" Luo Han pointed at the blurred figures inside the barrier.
Though the Celestial Dragons had spoken quietly, Luo Han had heard it clearly thanks to his Mirror-World-enhanced sensory perception.
Whitebeard chuckled. "Bubble-heads"… must be the Celestial Dragons. Not a bad name, actually.
"Well, I'll start then. Let's see just how tough this thing really is."
Whitebeard raised his right arm, muscles bulging as he channeled Armament Haki.
CLANG! His punch struck the barrier with the sound of smashing steel. His fist sank nearly twenty centimeters into it, and the entire barrier quivered.
What had once felt like glass now rippled like molten steel—soft and yielding, yet unbreakable. Waves spread out in all directions, creating a bigger effect than Luo Han's golden spear had.
"Looks like Haki is the key here!"
Luo Han's eyes lit up. Whitebeard hadn't broken it, but his punch clearly had a greater impact than Luo Han's psychic attacks.
"Let's go too, Cole."
Luo Han and Cole moved to Whitebeard's left and right, twenty meters apart.
Luo Han gently touched the barrier with his left hand, then tightened his right into a fist.
"It's been a while since I used this. Hopefully I haven't gotten rusty…" he muttered.
This time, he wasn't using psychic power.
It would be the first time he used Armament Haki in front of others.
The Rocks Era was about to end, and there was no longer any reason to hide his physical prowess. He had always been cautious—wary of the World Government's unknown methods.
But his body, enhanced by both giant Sea King genes and Big Mom's physique, was now inhuman. His raw strength and Haki had both skyrocketed, especially when combined with his Devil Fruit ability.
No CP0 agent could push him into a corner anymore. It was time to stop holding back.
After all, he would eventually go to war with the World Government in 29 years—this was only the beginning.
His eyes focused.
Ssst! A sharp sound echoed as Armament Haki wrapped tightly around his right fist.
He looked toward the palace and smirked. Let this be the beginning of the legend.
"Elbaf's Spear: Divine Realm!!"
With a thunderous roar, Luo Han punched the barrier.
CLANG! It sounded like a meteor had struck. The impact echoed across the entire island. The contact point dented into a five-meter-wide, one-meter-deep hemisphere, sending half-meter-high ripples surging outward.
The shock was several levels higher than Whitebeard's earlier blow—not because Whitebeard was weaker, but because he hadn't used his Devil Fruit ability.
Whitebeard was the first to react, eyes bulging in disbelief.
"This…!"
It was the first time he had seen Luo Han use Haki. Though he had suspected Luo Han's strength, this was beyond expectations.
Just physical force and Haki—and it was stronger than Whitebeard's own punch.
He, like Big Mom, was considered a mutated human with enhanced physique. Though not as monstrous as her, his body far exceeded normal standards.
Yet this little guy beside him, always playing the fool, was stronger.
"Freakin' monster…" Whitebeard muttered, stunned.
"That kid has that kind of power?!" Golden Lion was equally shocked as he flew toward them.
Realizing the magnitude of the attack, his heart sank. He had once been on the receiving end of Luo Han's endless firepower—but now, this? A Haki punch with such destructive force? It spelled disaster for any enemy.
Even Big Mom was caught off guard. She'd thought Cole was the stronger one. Clearly, she was wrong.
"If only…" she thought darkly, remembering what Luo Han had said back at the Hachinosu port.
Meanwhile, Ecks and the others were stunned—but their concern was tactical. Luo Han might enter the palace first.
"Karma! Speed boost—now!" Ecks shouted.
"Understood!"
The feminine-voiced Karma struck a pose, and glowing blue light surged from his body, hitting Ecks and Koda.
Zoom zoom! They shot forward like missiles, quickly widening the gap between themselves and Golden Lion's group as they raced toward Luo Han.
"So that's how they got ahead of us earlier…" the others realized. Karma's Devil Fruit was clearly a powerful support ability.
Everyone pushed themselves harder, speeding up the chase.
Meanwhile, Cole unleashed his own punch.
It, too, was infused with Haki and channeled the Giants' secret technique. The effect was devastating—every punch rattled the barrier like it was on the verge of collapse.
The three-man barrage—Luo Han, Cole, and Whitebeard—had the shield quaking with each hit.
But it still wouldn't break.
Everyone knew why: the CP0 Commander was inside, holding the barrier up with all his power.
Luo Han had sensed earlier that the barrier belonged to him—so he knew what needed to be done.
We just need to keep hitting it. With this much force, his stamina won't last much longer.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG! The thunderous blows continued.
Inside, the CP0 Commander's veins bulged. Sweat poured down his face. His breathing sounded like steam rolling out of a boiler.
"Blue Demon…! Damn that freak! How is his physical strength so terrifying?!"
He was panicking. The trio had only just begun their assault, but his energy was nearly spent. He'd be lucky to last two more minutes.
And once Golden Lion and the others arrived, the barrier would fall instantly.
Trouble was coming.
(END CHAPTER)
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