Yet—to Fukuro's horror—
Rubble shifted.
Stones rolled aside.
A figure stood up.
"Ah… that was close. Thought my organs were going to spill out."
Usopp dusted himself off and stepped out of the ruins.
His clothes were torn.
But his body?
Only light bruising.
"…That's impossible!"
Fukuro shrieked.
"Are you even human?! Or are you wearing armor?!"
Usopp grinned, raising his chin.
"I'm the brave warrior of the sea—Captain Usopp!"
Boom!
A Pop Green explosive slammed at Fukuro's feet.
But instead of retreating—
Usopp charged.
He swung his massive alloy slingshot like a spiked club.
"I'm done running! Let's smash into each other!"
"You suicidal idiot! A sniper wants close combat?!"
Fukuro felt insulted.
His body blurred—
Splitting into afterimages.
"Beast Technique—Owl Barrage!"
Four Fukuro silhouettes struck at once.
Punches rained down like a storm.
And yet—
Usopp didn't block.
CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!
Each punch landed—
Like hitting thick leather over steel.
His body barely swayed.
Then—
He swung back.
Like a war hammer.
BOOM!
Fukuro's arms trembled from the recoil.
"How… how are you this hard?!"
Despair crept into his voice.
This wasn't a sniper.
This was a walking fortress.
A human-shaped iron Buddha.
The two clashed head-on—
Shockwaves flattening everything nearby.
—
Meanwhile—
The sky.
Sanji stood still, one leg planted, eyes locked upward.
Tracking.
Analyzing.
"Frequency… angle… air compression…"
He murmured.
A dangerous smile formed.
"Oi! Curly-brow! Stop mumbling and die already!"
Jabra roared, diving again.
Then—
Sanji moved.
STEP.
His foot struck the air.
A white ring—
Formed.
Visible.
Compressed atmosphere.
STEP. STEP. STEP.
He climbed.
Like walking invisible stairs.
Higher.
Higher.
Until—
He stood in the sky.
Level with Jabra.
"…Thanks, wolf."
Sanji exhaled smoke.
"Geppo suits me perfectly."
"As thanks…"
"I'll take you down—beautifully."
"…Monster!!"
Jabra's mind snapped.
"You learned it in minutes?! I trained YEARS!"
His pride—
Shattered.
"I'll tear you apart!"
"Less barking. More fighting."
Sanji's voice was calm.
"My friends are waiting."
"I've wasted enough time on you."
"DIE! Iron Body—Wolf Fang!"
Jabra exploded forward.
His claws hardened to black iron.
Ten slashes tore through the air—
Shrieking.
Deadly.
Sanji tilted.
Just slightly.
The claws grazed past his tie.
Missed.
"Over-compressing muscle to imitate steel…"
Sanji spoke mid-dodge.
"Looks impressive."
"But it sacrifices flexibility."
"Compared to real Armament Haki…"
"It's inferior."
"What did you say?!"
Jabra swung again—
Fury boiling.
"I said…"
Sanji's leg snapped out.
A blur.
No flames.
No lightning.
Just pure—
Compressed force.
BOOM!!!
Jabra's claw—
Warped.
Bones cracked instantly.
His body flew back like a broken kite.
"AAARGH!!"
He forced himself stable with Geppo—
But his trembling arm betrayed everything.
Fear.
Real fear.
Still—
He lunged again.
"Iron Body—Wolf Bullet!"
Palm strike.
Close range.
Fatal angle.
Sanji didn't dodge.
He raised a knee—
Intercept.
CRACK.
Jabra's attack collapsed mid-motion.
Desperate—
Jabra poured everything into one final punch.
A full-power Iron Body strike.
Sanji flipped backward—
Light.
Effortless.
Then—
Tap.
His toe touched the incoming fist.
At that exact instant—
A shockwave exploded in midair.
A perfect white ring expanding outward—
The sky itself seemed to tremble.
And in that clash—
The difference between them became undeniable.
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