Chapter 140 - 28

Chapter 230It caught the attention of both of them almost simultaneously.Has total war begun?Zoro knew it from the moment Sentomaru and the Pacifista appeared here.He hadn't expected things to move so quickly.The clouds over there were surging; he had seen such a scene before, back when Luffy and Golden Lion Shiki's Conqueror's Haki clashed.In other words, had a Marine who also possessed Conqueror's Haki arrived?Among the Marines, Zoro only knew one such person.Luffy's grandfather.If that was the case, he couldn't afford to be held up here.His Captain was engaged in a battle of that level; how could he stop here?"Suffering through hardships without weariness, this is the path of Shura."Demon Spirit: Nine Sword Style: Asura: Ugui!A crimson light flashed in Zoro's eyes, and as his figure blurred, his three heads, six arms, and nine swords slashed into Sentomaru.As he dashed past Sentomaru's body, several sword shadows bloomed. Zoro appeared behind Sentomaru, standing like an imposing Shura.Crack.Sentomaru turned around slowly, an expression of disbelief on his face. Immediately after, several blood-red blade wounds erupted across his body, and he knelt on the ground."Not dead yet? You're tough enough, but you're out of strength, aren't you?" Zoro said indifferently.Sentomaru was very strong, especially in his understanding of Haki; for pirates in the first half of the Grand Line, he was an overwhelming force.But Zoro was stronger!In terms of physical arts, swordsmanship, and physical fitness, he had also regained that feeling from when he first cut through steel.The Breath of All Things.Zoro had no time to waste on these enemies.He had to at least complete the task his Captainhad assigned.Zoro had just sheathed his sword and was about to leave when suddenly, his eyes widened. Cold sweat broke out on his forehead, and as he turned his head, he saw a massive figure that had abruptly appeared behind him.The one before him was none other than Kuma!"You... are you the real one?" Zoro instantly pulled back to put distance between himself and Kuma."You're the only one left, Pirate Hunter Zoro," Kuma spoke flatly.What did he mean?"What did you do to them?!" A bad premonition surfaced in Zoro's mind."Eliminating the Straw Hat Crew. I am carrying out my mission," Kuma spoke indifferently."You bastard!"Just as Zoro was about to draw his sword, Kuma was already in front of him. He leaned down and said, "You've grown strong... but you're still far from enough."What did he mean?Before he could think further, Zoro's body stiffened as the backlash from using that Asura technique hit him. He watched helplessly as Kuma's palm struck down.With a'shoo' sound,Zoro's figure vanished from the spot."Hey, Kuma, what are you doing?"Not far away, Sentomaru's eyes widened as he watched Zoro disappear just like that."Executing the highest directive: eliminate the Straw Hat Crew," Kuma spoke flatly."Bullshit, you clearly..." Sentomaru stopped mid-sentence.Did he not know Kuma's ability?Clearly, with the Sabaody Archipelago surrounded by Marines, no pirate should have been able to escape.But noticing Kuma's expressionless face, Sentomaru fell silent."What about Bonney?" Sentomaru asked."Big Eater Bonney was the second directive. Erased."Sentomaru: "..."Kuma looked at the injuries on Sentomaru's body, took a step forward, then withdrew his foot and walked off to the side."Hey, where are you going?" Sentomaru hurriedly asked."Executing the highest directive: eliminate the Straw Hat Crew."Sentomaru: "You're even going to let the Straw Hatgo?""Executing the highest directive: eliminate the Straw Hat Crew."Kuma repeated the phrase as he walked away.Chapter 318: Navy Hero vs. Fifth EmperorFollowing the intense clash just now, neither side had gained any advantage.They stopped almost at the same time.Luffy didn't want to be delayed here by this bastard grandfather of his; he used whatever moves had the most power."Gum-Gum White Bazooka!"Luffy's arms were like a drawn longbow; after building tension to the extreme, he slammed them forward!His fists, wrapped in black-red Haki that flowed like fire, were like two falling white meteors, crashing toward Garp's previous position with a shriek that tore through the air.Rumble!In the distance, an already teetering abandoned warehouse had its walls torn open like paper by the impact of the air pressure from the punch, with brick debris and dust spiraling into the sky.It was very fast.But it didn't hit!Garp's figure was no longer there."Luffy, you brat, you'd better reflect on yourself! Making a deal with the World Government—what were you thinking?!"The voice rang out from Luffy's side. Garp's figure flickered like a ghost, his fist pulling back as he condensed Armament Haki to its limit, smashing it toward Luffy's head.He showed no mercy.The wind from the punch compressed the air, creating a dull sonic boom.Bang!Luffy was also stubborn, neither dodging nor avoiding.His forehead was instantly covered in thick, pitch-black Armament Haki. He pulled back and then slammed it forward.Head and fist collided head-on with brute force.A dull sound like a great bell tolling exploded out. The fierce collision of Haki against Haki sent out blinding sparks, and a violent shockwave spread out in a ring, shaving another layer off the surrounding ground.Luffy's head tilted back slightly, but other than a faint white mark left by the Haki collision, there wasn't a single injury on his forehead.He used the counterforce of the impact to pull back some distance, glaring fiercely at his grandfather."Deal with the World Government my ass! They're a bunch of people with no credibility. I'll just fight my way into Impel Down!"Garp's expression froze instantly, and the veins on his forehead bulged.This brat! Wasn't fighting his way into Impel Downeven worse than making a deal with the World Government?He was simply lawless!Was he intentionally trying to anger his grandfather to death?!"You little bastard."Garp spoke through gritted teeth.Luffy, however, completely ignored his grandfather's rage. His body expanded rapidly like it was being inflated, the white flame clouds on him grew larger, and his hair danced like fire. In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a white giant even larger than the towering yarukiman mangrove nearby!Looking down at Garp below, he raised his massive right foot high, wrapping it in black-red lightning and Ryou Haki. Like a divine punishment, he stomped down hard toward Garp!"Gum-Gum White Giant Stomp!"A massive shadow instantly enveloped Garp, and the ground beneath his feet cracked inch by inch, unable to withstand the wind pressure."Pwahahaha!"Seeing this, Garp laughed instead of being alarmed. He tore off his already damaged Marinecoat, straightened his suit, clenched both fists, and laughed heroically. "Brat, even if you become as big as that Kaido fellow, it's still useless before this old man!"Before his voice finished, Garp twisted his body, and the ground beneath him exploded.With speed exceeding that of the giant's stomp, he instantly rushed directly under the sole of Luffy's foot.He didn't choose to dodge; instead, he exerted power from his waist and core, slamming his right fist upward like a rising dragon."Fist Bone: Impact!""I'll squash you!"The massive white sole and the tiny black fist collided in mid-air once again.The expected impact didn't happen; the two attacks stopped abruptly at a very close distance. Black-red Conqueror's Haki lightning and condensed Armament Haki clashed frantically within that small space.Boom! Boom!The two were locked in a stalemate. The exploding airwaves surged in all directions like a tsunami. The already messy battlefield was baptized once more, with building debris further away being blown away directly, and the ground splitting into countless bottomless ravines as if it had been plowed.After a few seconds of stalemate, Luffy's massive body swayed slightly. He took the initiative to step back, his giant foot leaving the tip of Garp's fist.At the same time, he looked up at the thick dark clouds gathered in the sky due to the battle's aftermath. His massive white palm reached into the clouds and grabbed a bolt of lightning."Pwahahaha! Your ability development is really getting weirder and weirder!"Garp shook his slightly numb fist and laughed toward the sky. "You can even grab lightning now? Who on earth did you get your imagination from?!"The most important point in the development of a Devil Fruit ability was imagination.A person with enough imagination would have a powerful enough Devil Fruit.When he was a kid, Luffy had all sorts of names for his moves, like pistols, cannons, whips, and such.Now it was even more excessive; even lightning had become a move?Sizzle!Dazzling lightning exploded within the clouds. With a savage grin, Luffy pulled a thick lightning javelin out of the dark clouds, destructive energy jumping across it.That javelin was composed entirely of lightning; held in his giant white palm, it let out a heart-palpitating hum."From you, of course! You bastard grandfather!""I don't have such an outrageous imagination!"Garp faced the terrifying lightning spear that could instantly vaporize steel without a trace of fear. Instead, his fighting spirit rose even higher. "But can the power of lightning really compare to the fists this old man has tempered for a lifetime?!"He had always maintained a critical attitude toward Devil Fruit Users.Except for top-tier experts who developed their abilities to the limit and integrated them into their own combat systems.Like Sengoku and Whitebeard. Most others relied on their abilities and neglected their own foundations.He had always looked down on that.In Garp's view, true power came from an unmatched physique and Haki!"Then let's test it out!!"Luffy grinned, revealing his signature bright smile, though on the face of this white giant, it appeared exceptionally oppressive.Then his massive body made a standard throwing posture, and he hurled the lightning javelin fiercely toward Garp!Zzzzt~