Every CP9 agent immediately threw themselves into full emergency retreat.
"They're running!"
Issho, hovering in the sky, was the first to notice. Hancock, hearing his call, reacted right after.
"Strike together—we must stop every single one of them!"
As he spoke, Issho activated his Devil Fruit power, lifting the senior officers and positioning them directly in the paths of the fleeing agents.
…
"Hmph… You think you can still escape at this point?"
Back in his quarters, El had been waiting calmly for Lucci and his team to make their move.
He had not expected that Lucci—the strongest in CP9 and a Zoan-type user—would sense the danger ahead of time.
"Have I failed to suppress my aura enough?" El wondered, briefly blaming himself.
In truth, it had little to do with him. It was Lucci's primal animal instincts that had kicked in, alerting him to the threat at the last moment and giving him just enough time to order his team to withdraw.
When it came to escaping, the rest of CP9 could not rely on a Devil Fruit like Blueno's to vanish instantly—but they were still highly trained in combat techniques.
Among the skills they mastered was the Rokushiki, or Six Powers, which included several moves designed for rapid movement.
Though named after the Navy, the Rokushiki was not exclusive to them. Many of the World Government's elite forces trained in this set of techniques.
Refined over decades by the Marines, it had become nearly flawless.
Before mastering Haki and reaching the level of true top-tier fighters, anyone who fully mastered all six techniques could easily gain strength far beyond that of an ordinary human.
Yet mastering the Rokushiki was no simple feat, even for the most talented recruits.
Among those raised and selected by the World Government from early childhood, only a handful could truly integrate all six moves into their fighting style.
Most candidates were weeded out during training; only the best remained to become the sharp, trusted tools of the Government—and CP9 was exactly such an organization.
"Soru!"
Lucci shot forward at blinding speed. Following his orders, every other agent was also using the same technique to flee.
Soru was one of the Six Powers—a method of movement achieved by tapping the ground dozens of times in the blink of an eye, so fast that the feet became a blur invisible to the naked eye.
The resulting burst of speed defied normal human limits, allowing the user to leap vast distances in an instant.
With deeper mastery, it could even be combined with quick direction changes, making it nearly impossible to predict where the user would strike or move next.
Speed was the foundation of combat. A master of Soru could reach peak velocity in seconds, keeping enemies off-balance and creating a completely advantageous battlefield.
It was a technique the World Government's strongest operatives relied on to dominate their opponents.
Rumble!
Suddenly, a thick wall of solid rock rose up directly in Lucci's path, blocking his way. It had not been there moments before—it had materialized out of nowhere.
"Who's there?!"
Lucci instantly realized he was being targeted. He skidded to a halt and assumed a battle stance.
At that moment, a voice drifted down from the sky.
"To dare to intrude upon our captain's quarters—and to do so through such cowardly, underhanded means… I could not simply look away."
It was Issho. Having flown right up to Lucci, he descended slowly from above.
The advantage of flight was undeniable—even the incredible speed of Soru could not compare to unobstructed movement through open air.
In truth, Lucci was not entirely grounded.
His mastery of the Rokushiki also included Geppo, another of the Six Powers—a technique that allowed the user to kick the air itself as if it were solid ground, granting temporary flight.
It was one of the few ways humans could move through the sky without a Devil Fruit.
However, Geppo consumed immense stamina. Even a prodigy like Lucci could not sustain it for long-distance travel.
It was far more useful in combat, allowing him to leap, change positions, and strike from above in short bursts.
Aside from the physical strain, Lucci had avoided using Geppo and Soru together for another reason: rising into the air would make him far too visible.
They had come here secretly, hoping to gather information or launch a surprise attack—exposing themselves openly would be foolish.
Until now, Lucci had no idea that El's crew even included someone capable of true flight.
"You… just who are you?!"
Lucci tensed, his senses screaming danger. Though the man before him appeared blind, the aura radiating from him was terrifying.
Lucci had never faced an Emperor-level figure, but he had stood before Marine Admirals—and the feeling Issho gave him was exactly like facing one of those monstrously powerful men.
Worse, his presence seemed to lock onto Lucci completely, leaving him nowhere to hide.
"Roar!"
The pressure Issho exuded was simply too great. Rob Lucci instinctively unleashed the full power of his Devil Fruit.
He was a Zoan-type user of the Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Leopard. Upon activating his ability, his body transformed into that of a half-human, half-leopard beast.
His frame grew larger and more imposing, while his strength and destructive power surged visibly.
True to the nature of Zoan fruits, his natural recovery rate in battle also increased to a frightening degree.
Though his power had not yet reached the stage of Awakening, as one of the World Government's most gifted prodigies, he was already perilously close to that level.
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