At the time, the one guarding the ship alongside him was Jebao of the five-man Skypiean warrior squad. Out at sea, however, Jebao's Thick-Thick Fruit offered little advantage in direct combat.
Holding off Boa Hancock alone was already pushing his limits, leaving him with no strength to protect the youths from the three villages aboard the ship.
Mantis Kamachiri rushed over as soon as he received the news, but the Pirate Empress fully lived up to her reputation. Neither of them had mastered advanced Armament Haki, and even working together, they could not defeat her.
Fortunately, aside from Hancock herself, the Kuja ship lacked other top-tier fighters. While she could not quickly defeat Jebao and Kamachiri, the two of them were more than capable of inflicting heavy damage on the Kuja vessel.
If it had truly come down to a fight to the death, they could have forced the Snake Princess to stay. Even at the cost of their own lives, they could have wiped out the Kuja Pirates and sunk the ship entirely. Once a Devil Fruit user fell into the sea, her fate would be sealed.
But neither of them could abandon the youths from the three villages, nor did they dare kill a Warlord without Ash's explicit command.
So, by silent agreement, both sides withdrew.
The result was grim. The merchant ship Cathay was severely damaged and beyond repair. Thirty-seven youths were injured, though thankfully none died.
Ash, however, was far from satisfied. Not with Jebao and Kamachiri, and certainly not with Hancock.
"That reckless Boa Hancock, robbing me?"
"A real man settles his debts. If two can't win, then send five. As long as she's alive, beat her until she's barely breathing."
After venting his anger, Ash remembered the ruined ship.
"Right, the shark spabu has already been refitted at Water 7. From now on, that's your ride."
"Remember, hit her face hard."
Wyper, who had grown up on Skypiea and had little experience at sea, did not fully understand what Ash meant. Beat her to the brink of death, but not kill her?
With Ash still furious, Wyper did not dare ask. He ended the call, stepped through the space gate, and headed to Twin Capes to seek advice from White Lion Sali.
Sali was enraged upon hearing that their ship had been attacked and that over thirty people were injured. After listening to Ash's orders, he quickly understood Wyper's confusion.
The opponent was a Warlord. Before openly opposing the World Government and Marines, killing her outright was not an option.
When Crocodile came to provoke them, had they not simply beaten him senseless instead of killing him?
Ash's meaning was clear. As long as she stayed alive, everything else was acceptable.
Wyper finally understood.
After bidding Sali farewell, he clenched his fists and returned to Skypiea to prepare.
Nico Robin was left stunned.
She had only come to ask Sali why Ash knew so much about her past. Yet within minutes, Wyper had arrived, and the two openly discussed how to beat Boa Hancock to the brink of death.
What kind of group had she joined?
Just last month, they had defeated Crocodile and taken his position. Now, they were targeting Hancock.
Five days later, near Amazon Lily.
To avoid unnecessary casualties, only Wyper and four other Skypiean Devil Fruit users came. There were no village youths, and they did not detour to Water 7.
Backed by Ash's command, the five acted without hesitation. After a brief discussion, they decided to strike Amazon Lily directly.
Mantis Kamachiri and the others spread out around the island, cutting off any possible escape routes.
Wyper alone hovered hundreds of meters above the island's center. As he raised his hands, the clear sky darkened, storm clouds gathering with crackling lightning.
Raijin could destroy the entire island, but since killing was forbidden, his next best choice was Myriad Thunder.
"I can do this. I am the Thunder Ancestor… no, the Thunder Ancestral Shaman."
His presence in the sky quickly drew the attention of the Kuja warriors. However, none of them could reach him. Their arrows and spears posed no threat at such a height.
Boa Hancock stood below with Elder Nyon and her sisters, frowning at the figure above and the storm clouds blanketing the island. She did not even know who her enemy was.
Moments later, Wyper unleashed Myriad Thunder to its fullest.
A deafening crack split the sky, followed by a rolling boom. Tens of thousands of blazing white lightning bolts appeared and rained down upon Amazon Lily.
Hancock's expression changed instantly. Without hesitation, she leapt into the air, intercepting dozens of lightning strikes aimed at the palace.
At the same time, every Kuja warrior, each skilled in Armament Haki, fought desperately to block the storm.
But they were not Hancock. Even with Haki, lightning was not something easily endured.
When the barrage ended, Wyper simply turned and left.
Hancock trembled with fury, but there was nothing she could do.
Hours later, as the Kuja assessed their losses, Wyper returned.
Myriad Thunder, again.
Three times a day, for three days straight.
Nine full waves of destruction.
By the end, Amazon Lily was left battered and scarred.
Hancock's composure finally shattered. She abandoned all defense and launched herself into the sky, directly challenging Wyper.
He accepted without hesitation.
She intended to question him, to demand a reason for this attack. But Wyper gave her no chance to speak.
His opening move was immediate.
A 30-million-volt Thunder Spear.
Her words were swallowed by lightning as she raised her arms, coated in Armament Haki, to block.
Wyper grinned.
"Not enough? Then take more."
"60-million-volt Thunder Spear!"
"90-million-volt Thunder Spear!"
"300-million-volt Thunder Spear!"
"600-million-volt Thunder Spear!"
Each strike hammered down relentlessly.
Hancock's arms, hardened by years of training, were now charred and numb. She had no choice but to counterattack.
"Slave Arrow!"
Forewarned by Jebao and Kamachiri, Wyper avoided the attack instead of taking it head-on.
Speed was his advantage. Wrapped in lightning, he easily evaded her attacks.
In truth, 600 million volts was already near his limit. The claim of 900 million had been nothing more than momentum and bluff.
Hancock did not know this. To her, he still had strength to spare.
Both fighters grew cautious, wary of each other's trump cards. They shifted to close combat, trading blows directly.
Though Hancock surpassed him in Haki, Wyper's Devil Fruit power and battle instincts allowed him to hold his ground.
Then, gradually, he began to push forward.
After a full day and night of fighting, Wyper broke through and grasped advanced Armament Haki.
His lightning-infused Cannon Fist struck with devastating force, finally overwhelming Hancock.
The Kuja warriors rushed forward to assist, seeing Wyper's exhaustion.
But before they could reach him, Kamachiri and the others descended from the sky, scattering them effortlessly.
Only then did Hancock realize who her enemies were.
Jebao.
Mantis Kamachiri.
Too late.
The battle ended with every Kuja warrior down, unable to continue fighting.
Jebao and Lanchi exchanged a glance and moved together.
They reshaped the island itself.
The land was torn apart and rebuilt. The terrain changed completely. Buildings, barracks, and palaces were destroyed.
By the time they finished, Amazon Lily was unrecognizable.
Without a single backward glance, the five left.
No one had been killed.
But the island was in ruins, and its people were beaten into submission.
Boa Hancock lay unconscious, a clear handprint on her cheek, overwhelmed by both injury and humiliation.
The final count was devastating.
Three hundred seventy Kuja warriors, including Hancock and her sisters, were severely injured. Countless others suffered lighter wounds.
Amazon Lily itself had been devastated.
When Hancock finally awoke and heard the report, she fell silent.
Then she began to calculate.
"I injured thirty-seven of them… and they injured three hundred seventy of us?"
"I damaged one ship… and they destroyed my entire island?"
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became.
But her enemies came from the sky and vanished just as quickly. There was nothing she could do.
Her anger surged violently.
Blood spilled from her lips.
Her vision blurred.
And she fainted once more.
===
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