Building B.
BOOM!
A massive dark shadow hurtled through the air at extreme speeds, crashing violently into the earth. The sheer force of the impact shattered the ground instantly, leaving a gaping crater. Thick fissures spiderwebbed outward in every direction as a visible shockwave of air swept across the area, sending countless stone fragments flying.
"Huff... huff..."
Luffy hung in mid-air, panting heavily. He looked down with a grimace. "He took five minutes of continuous internal attacks... this guy is way too durable!"
"ROAARRR!"
Suddenly, amidst the flying debris, Otto stood up with a furious roar. He kicked off the ground once more, lunging toward Luffy like a projectile. In an instant, Otto was in Luffy's face, his razor-sharp claws swinging forward with a piercing gale.
"Dammit!"
Luffy gritted his teeth, his body soaring higher into the sky to evade.
BOOM!
The metallic wall dozens of meters away was instantly shredded. The five sharp gusts of wind sliced through the ten-centimeter-thick steel plate as easily as a hot knife through butter, even carving through the seventy-centimeter-thick reinforced wall behind it.
Witnessing the power of that single strike, Luffy knew that even if they fought for another ten minutes, or even an hour, his opponent would still be brimming with energy.
"Phew…"
Luffy exhaled a long breath of turbid air, his gaze becoming incredibly sharp. "I can't let this drag on any longer. I'll finish this in one go!"
Without hesitation, Luffy bit into his swollen right forearm and blew air into it.
His already massive arm expanded further under the pressure, its diameter reaching a staggering meter. Simultaneously, the Armament Haki patterns etched across his torso spread, covering a much wider area of his body.
POW!
The next moment, Luffy kicked off the air. A ring of white vapor exploded around him as he shot downward like a bolt of lightning, appearing before the falling Otto as if he had teleported.
"Gomu Gomu no... KING KONG GUN!!!"
With a ferocious snarl, Luffy raised his gargantuan right arm. His fist, compressed deep into his forearm like a loaded spring, suddenly unleashed. The pent-up pressure exploded forward, striking Otto square in the chest.
BOOM!
The dull thud resonated like a clap of thunder. In a heartbeat, Otto was turned into a massive dark blur, hurtling backward at terminal velocity, leaving only a fragmented trail of blood in the air behind him.
RUMBLE… RUMBLE…
The shadow streaked through the atmosphere, creating a succession of sonic booms. He slammed into the metallic wall behind him; the immense force twisted and shattered the steel plates, and he crashed straight through the structure.
Without slowing down, he continued his trajectory, smashing through a dozen thick laboratory walls. He flew entirely out of the confines of Building B, finally slamming heavily into the main metallic gate of Building A.
The terrifying power caused the massive gate to warp severely, denting inward. Cracks spread across the metal surface like a giant spiderweb.
"Huff... huff... huff..."
Luffy was wheezing, sweat pouring down his forehead. His eyes betrayed deep exhaustion. Although the time limit for Gear 4 hadn't been reached yet, the sheer exertion of the King Kong Gun had drained a significant portion of his stamina.
RUMBLE!
A massive roar echoed as a dazzling bolt of lightning streaked across the sky, coming to a halt above Research Institute No. 3.
The brilliant electricity coalesced into a human form. As the light faded, Enel floated in mid-air, looking down lazily at the massive structures hidden within the wind and snow.
"Such a cold climate... I'll never get used to this," Enel muttered, squinting as he took a languid stretch. His Observation Haki radiated outward, enveloping the entire facility.
"Let's see... Jason, Caesar, Cavendish, Otto... his voice is quite loud, has he gone berserk? Eh? Why are there so many unfamiliar voices? Are these the 'little bugs' the Captain mentioned...?"
"There are a few familiar voices too, but why can't I remember who they belong to?" Enel murmured to himself, his brow furrowing.
Suddenly, his expression shifted. "Wait! Otto's voice is fading... what's happening?"
CRACK-BOOM!
Bolts of lightning erupted from Enel's body as he transformed into a thunderbolt and dove toward the facility.
…
In front of the R-66 Gate, Building R.
"Kill them!"
"Take them down!"
"Protect the Master!"
"Don't let anything happen to Jason-sama!"
A chaotic melee had broken out. Shouts and battle cries filled the air, punctuated by the rapid fire of guns and the metallic clashing of blades.
Facing the combined assault of the Straw Hat Pirates and the G-5 Marines, Jason, Caesar, and Monet, along with over a hundred guards, were in a dire situation. People were falling every second.
"Gastille!!!"
Caesar clutched a pair of castanets—one blue, one red—and slammed them together with force.
BOOM!
The air in front of him ignited instantly, a violent explosion of flames creating a powerful backdraft.
"You bastard! Don't just set off explosions everywhere! What if you hit Nami-san?!"
A silhouette burst through the flames, appearing before Caesar in the blink of an eye.
"Flanchet!!!"
Sanji roared, delivering a powerful kick directly into Caesar's midsection.
THWACK!
With a dull thud, Caesar spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward.
Tap, tap, tap...
Amidst the noise of the battlefield, a steady set of footsteps rang out. Two figures gradually emerged from the shadows.
Caesar, who had only stopped his momentum by turning into gas, clutched his stomach in agony and looked up. A silhouette stepped into the light: it was Trafalgar Law.
"Law!"
Caesar's pain was momentarily forgotten as a look of joy crossed his face. Although he didn't know where Law had been at the start, his arrival now wasn't too late.
"Quick! Law, kill these guys!" Caesar shouted excitedly, pointing at Sanji.
"ROOM!"
Law raised his hand expressionlessly. The hemispherical surgical field expanded rapidly, orbing over everyone present.
In that instant, Jason's face paled. He had spotted the second figure emerging from the darkness behind Law.
"Wait! He's a traitor!" Jason screamed, his voice a frantic shriek.
SWISH—
The world blurred. Law appeared directly in front of Caesar, his blade already in mid-swing.
Under the shocked gazes of the onlookers, Caesar's head was sent spinning into the air, his face still frozen in a mask of pleasant surprise.
Immediately following, Law delivered another horizontal slash, bisecting Caesar's body at the waist.
"Master!!"
"Trafalgar Law, why?!"
"He betrayed us!"
"Damn you! Are you not afraid of those two Great Entities?!"
The laboratory guards cried out in horror. It was then that everyone finally saw the figure standing behind Law: Marine Vice Admiral Smoker.
"It was you, Trafalgar Law!"
Jason spat the words through gritted teeth, staring death at Law. "You were the one who took the blood samples for analysis and had Chopper formulate the antidote! No wonder I felt something was off... only you have that kind of medical skill. I can't believe I didn't see it!"
"My apologies, Dr. Jason," Law said, slowly lifting his head to look at Jason with cold indifference.