◉◉◉◉◉
"Demon Bamboo" Vergo — Vice Admiral of the G-5 Marine Base.
A man who climbed the ranks through grit, power, and results.
Neji studied him calmly.
They were both "vice admirals," but in the Marines, that title covered a massive range of strength. Headquarters vice admirals sat at the top of the hierarchy, followed by base-commanding vice admirals like Vergo. Then came the regular division vice admirals strong, but far from equal.
Vergo was one of the few who'd risen through pure merit.
And Neji remembered him well.
His Armament Haki was monstrous, strong enough that he once believed he could tank Law's spatial cutting technique.
He underestimated Law.
And died in this very facility in the original timeline.
Vergo stepped forward, bamboo staff tapping the ground, killing intent pouring off him.
"Where's that brat Law?"
He struck the floor again another crater.
Neji didn't answer.
He simply crooked his fingers, beckoning him forward the classic "come on then" gesture. Or a Bruce Lee-style taunt.
Vergo's aura flared.
He gripped his Haki-coated bamboo tightly.
BOOM.
He blitzed forward, swinging the staff in a vicious arc.
CLANG!
Black Vongola X gloves materialized on Neji's hands, the seastone-backed gauntlets ringing sharply as they blocked the strike.
Vergo's eyes narrowed.
"…Why do you have his weapon?"
Neji smirked.
In the next heartbeat, he stepped in, fist glowing with a feral aura.
Crushing Fist.
The blow hit like a cannon.
Vergo's Haki-hardened torso collapsed inward as the force blasted through him. His body shot backwards like a fired shell, crashing through cargo crates and drowning the area in smoke.
Guards in protective suits panicked, raising rifles.
"Fire! Fire!"
Gunshots cracked through the hall but every bullet struck an orange-gold barrier around Neji, dispersing harmlessly against the shimmering surface.
Psychic Shield.
Not a single round broke through.
"A Devil Fruit user!"
"Bring out the doctor's special gas grenades! Poison works on ability users!"
They reached for the gas weapons.
Neji snapped his fingers.
Orbs of light streaked across the room — followed by screams.
The gunfire ceased.
He dismissed the shield and looked toward the collapsing smoke.
"Still hiding, Vergo?"
The Marine officer rose from the rubble, cracking his neck loudly. He eyed Neji, and after seeing the gloves and the earlier strike, he finally pieced it together.
"…Impossible. You're supposed to be dead. Two years ago, the World Government reported you executed."
His gaze hardened.
"So what are you now? The real man? Or something else pretending to be him?"
Without warning — he attacked.
A blur of motion.
A wall of Armament Haki.
And a massive frame towering over Neji.
His bamboo staff trembled violently from the pressure between them. Vergo swung with full strength, and at the same time, thrust out two fingers.
Shigan!
Neji caught the strike effortlessly.
Vergo's eyes widened.
Neji countered instantly.
Rankyaku!
But Vergo's weight was off.
The kick launched him into the air, tumbling uncontrollably.
Three light spheres chased him.
Vergo twisted mid-air and slammed both feet against the metal wall, his powerful physique absorbing the impact before he launched back out.
His bamboo staff cracked the air, smashing the orbs before he closed in again.
Neji slowly raised his hand.
The gloves vanished.
He whispered one word.
"Repel."
A pulse shook the air.
Vergo's face rippled like water, the bamboo bending under the crushing force. A single shockwave sent him flying backward at terrifying speed —
CRASH.
He embedded into the reinforced wall in the shape of a massive "X," blood trailing from his lip.
Neji approached him with steady steps.
Then, without hesitation, he thrust his arm into Vergo's chest his Tenseigan reading the man's memories in moments.
He found more intel than Caesar or Monet ever held.
Not that it mattered.
Neji seized his consciousness.
Vergo's eyes went vacant before his massive body dropped to one knee.
Moments later, he stood behind Neji silently controlled, obedient.
"Impressive recovery," Neji commented.
"Your Haki armor really does toughen the body."
With Vergo now under his command, Neji teleported back to the room.
Law instantly raised Kikoku, blade gleaming white as he locked onto Vergo.
Neji waved a hand.
"Relax. He's under my control. No threat."
Law froze for a moment then clenched his jaw.
His hatred for Vergo ran deep.
Vergo had once beaten him mercilessly and would've killed him if Doflamingo hadn't ordered him to stop.
Meanwhile, Caesar, shackled in the corner, watched Vergo stand behind Neji like a guard dog.
Hope died in his eyes.
Whatever little schemes he planned evaporated instantly.
Monet's face grew grim.
If Vergo had fallen…
Then Doflamingo was in real danger.
◉◉◉◉◉
~Support with 200 PowerStones = 1 Bonus Chapter
◉◉◉◉◉
For early access to advanced chapters on P-atreon:
P-atreon/iamxeno
(Just remove the - hyphen to access Patreon normally)
Thank you so much for your support and for reading!