"Hmm? Rare, came across one who doesn't speak..."
Sage opened his palm, "But it's not very important."
Boom!
A Haki Bullet flew out of his open palm, directly towards the young man with goggles.
The latter was startled, his fingers wrapped in a brilliant green glow, sweeping forward. The Haki Bullet, which was clearly formed by willpower, mysteriously vanished right in front of him, as if it never appeared.
"Interesting..."
Sage smirked, "My Haki Bullet is ineffective against you? No, the power of will is enough to resist abilities, how did you manage to block it?"
As he spoke, his fingers tensed, propelling Haki Bullets one after another.
"No need to be so hostile towards me!"
The goggle-wearing youth gritted his teeth, the green on his hands deepened, swiftly maneuvering, and just before the Haki Bullets approached, he swiped forward as if wiping something off. He forcibly made each incoming Haki Bullet disappear.
Then his form swiftly moved, darting to the side, shouting to the three, "Hey! Move now, or the Golden Mist will really be gone!"
"Eh? Didn't you say you weren't sure?" The brawny man dressed like a girl opened his eyes wide and blinked.
"Stop joking! If you don't act now, I'll spill all the details!" Roared the goggle-wearing youth, "One mi...in five hundred years..."
"Take action!"
The silent burly man stepped forward, kicking up dust and debris, sprinting towards Sage, his fists held together, launching a strike before having reached the target.
Bang!
The sound, like a burst of air, rang out, causing Sage to instinctively turn his gaze, but seemed a bit too late, as his body was hammered backward about ten steps before stopping.
Upon seeing this, Lily instinctively bent her knees, placing her hand on the sword hilt at her waist.
"No need."
Sage, now steady, waved his hand, looking at the burly man emitting twisted steam, his entire body subtly vaporizing the air around him.
"Interesting, shockwaves... Qi Gong Techniques?"
"Exactly so."
The stout man exhaled sword-like air, adopted a stance, and said in a sonorous voice, "My name is Carl Hewitt, a man proficient in all Qi Gong Techniques of the ocean! I am also one sworn to achieve the Divine Domain!"
Hawkins was stunned, "Carl Hewitt?"
Urouge glanced over as Hawkins continued, "I know this name, a man who once massacred an entire nation in the North Sea, unlike a Pirate sort. According to legend, this guy punched every single person in that country to death."
"True."
Hewitt's voice was hoarse, "To test the measure of my might!"
Bang!
Upon finishing, he stomped fiercely, smoke rings soared to the sky, his muscles expanded in an instant, and the twisted air around him consolidated, concentrating in his hands.
"Jio-Ken, Eight Charging Fist, King's Fist, Rokugan... These special punches and Qi Gong, different from Haki, are all under my mastery!"
The chaotic space converged, as the Haki enveloped his fists, subtly emitting black sparks.
Ultimate Armament Aura?!
"This guy..."
Hawkins furrowed his brows, "Is he really that strong?"
"The strong on the ocean are as numerous as fish in the river."
Lily looked at Hewitt above, calmly saying, "Fujitora once served as the Defense Army Commander; Ryokugyu was the Security Officer before joining the Navy, quietly powerful figures of the sea. On the ocean, there are always strong ones whose names haven't been heard."
She glanced at the other three, except for the armored, long-haired youth named Gatz who had his eyes obscured, the others had uncommon aura and could be considered among strong ranks.
However...
She released the grip on the sword hilt, "To Sage, still not up to par."
"Defeating you is merely a step into the Divine Domain for me!"
Hewitt descended like a meteor, his fist from high above swinging down, akin to...
"Vajra Continent Splitting Slash?"
Boom!!
The ground beneath Sage's feet cracked under the immense impact, forming a wide depression around him.
However, this formidable fist, accompanied by a light chuckle, was firmly caught by Sage's single hand.
"Such a weakened version dares to be presented before me?"
Sage's hand moved, gliding over Hewitt's fist like a snake, probing to his chest, and two fingers tapped, instantly freezing Hewitt's intended motion.
Immediately following, the hand tapping the chest morphed into a hand blade, swiftly striking Hewitt's throat, sending him flying sideways.
Whoosh!
At the moment of flight, Sage's figure flickered, appearing before him, his foot landing on Hewitt's head, driving it harshly into the ground.
Bang!
Amid flying fragments, his body crashed onto the ground, creating a pit.
Sage continued to tread on his head, sneering, "The gap is too vast!"
He could discern the man's Qi Gong techniques were indeed strong, blending multiple body techniques from the sea.
But such things...
"Do you realize? You claim to reach the Divine Domain, for that is your upper limit only. I am deemed as unrivaled because people of the sea can conceive no other term, only unrivaled to describe me."
Sage smirked ferociously, "That's merely my lower limit!"
Speaking, he raised his leg, ready to squash the man to death.
"Roar!"
Yet this instant, a wave of sweltering air swept nearby, Sage glanced sideways, observing a giant fire pillar rushing over.
Whoosh!
With a lift of his fingers, his cape billowed, unleashing fierce Wind Blades, severing the fire pillar, accompanied by a strong gust forming fiery sparks in the sky.
Gatz maintained an odd stance in the lower body; however, his upper body was arching, thumb brushing his nose, baring teeth in a grin, with a whiff of fire escaping the corner of his mouth.
In that instant, Sage's brow furrowed, watching as Hewitt mysteriously disappeared beneath his feet.
No way...
He wasn't supposed to escape.
Sage's eyes shifted as he focused on the young man with goggles, who was slightly panting next to the fallen Hewitt.
"What did you do this time?" Sage asked.
He grinned, "I've told you, I'm not telling!"
"Leave it to me, let me take him down!"
Kazu suddenly started running, assuming a peculiar pose, transitioning from a deep brooding demeanor into a cheerful, single-minded youth.
"Watch this..."
He suddenly leapt up, took a deep breath, and as his chest and stomach swelled, he lowered his head and spewed flames like a pillar of fire.
"Watch this! Roar of the Fire Dragon!"
The pillar of fire roared out once more, and this time, Sage's eyes widened in disbelief, looking upwards.
Whoosh!
"Hundred Times Speed!"
Still, a fierce gust tore through, shredding the pillar of fire into sparks, leaving Sage standing unharmed outside the sparks, surprised, "You, with your adolescent delusions, are quite interesting. Coincidence?"
It truly has awakened some long-lost memories in him...
"Does fire not affect you?"
Kazu quickly landed, wiped the corner of his mouth, his expression turning from cheerful to somber. He set a firm stance, clenched his fists, preparing for action, even his voice became simple and combative.
"Ha!!"
A blast wave exploded around him with his shout, the armor on him cracking, revealing a frail figure that swiftly expanded, transforming into muscular build.
"Watch this, World King Fist!!"
"Hmm? Hundred Times Speed!"
Sage's pupils shrank, his form instantly vanished from where he stood, reappearing before Kazu, grabbing his neck and lifting him up.
"What did you just say?!"
Sage stared intently at this guy, eyes full of disbelief.
World King Fist?
On the ocean, there's never been such a technique!
There's no such odd... power surge!
Moreover, the name of this technique, it's alarmingly familiar to Sage!
"Erase!"
As he was grasping Kazu's neck, the goggle-wearing youth dashed forward, his hand glowing with vibrant green light, brushing against Sage's arm.
Haki covered Sage's arm, firmly blocking his hands. His waist twisted, the outstretched arm transformed into an elbow strike, hitting the chest of the approaching youth with a strike.
Bam!
The youth flew backward, landed on the ground coughing up blood, but struggled to rise, giving Sage a 'victory' gesture.
Sage frowned, that strike was using the North Star Divine Fist, the Haki should have entered his body, yet his current appearance seemed only to have taken a normal elbow strike, the power he injected into him vanished...
Most importantly, the Kazu he was holding had somehow disappeared, reappearing on another side.
"Hehe, curious? While I can't tell you my ability, how about a little introduction."
The goggle-wearing youth laughed, "I'm Wao, a specially appointed agent of the World Government, here to complete this task. Perhaps in the future, you'll frequently hear my name, but you'll never know what I've done."
"Is that so..."
Sage glanced at this guy, then turned to the long-haired, eye-obscured youth who seemed curiously exploring his own body, "Transmigrator?"
"Hmm? What's that? I'm Kazu, King of Space-Time!"
Kazu crossed his arms, adopting an arrogant pose, "Also known as Uchiha Kazu! A performer who ate the Act-Act Fruit, the more I learn about information and abilities and imitate them, the more power I gain! Come on, show me your dance!"
"Uchiha... Madara?"
Sage sneered viciously, "You've given me quite a shock! It's got me trembling all over with excitement!"
That white hair danced wildly like flames!
"I have many questions, but I guess you won't answer them. I was going to toy around some more..."
Boom!
A layer of white cocoon enveloped Sage, unraveling like bandages to reveal not clothes, but a battle skin armored by Haki.
"After capturing you, I have ways to make you speak truthfully! Lily, seal off the whole island, not a single person is allowed to escape! Lady, Marika, go assist! Old Hawk, Old Urouge, stay vigilant, don't let any surprises happen!"
Sage opened his eyes, fists cracking with explosive power, threatening them, "None of you are getting away!"
Something's wrong!
Very wrong!
Especially that Kazu, it's all wrong, just thinking about it excites Sage!
Those techniques, those names, make Sage, who nearly forgot how he got here, recall some things!
Thinking back, that 'Fire Dragon Roar' wasn't a normal technique, it wasn't a coincidence, it was something from his damned memory!
Some things were forgotten, but some continuity can trigger deeply hidden memories!
The crux is, this is the Age of Sailing!
It's the era of the Pirate King!
There's shouldn't be so many strange things!
And this guy doesn't seem like someone akin to him, but the role-play is very peculiar.
These people gathering together, surely aiming for something, even willing to offend him to obtain it...
Sage doesn't know what it is, but soon he will!
Once he captures them, his North Star Divine Fist will make them speak the truth!