Chapter 132: Tower of Justice – Usopp vs. Blueno: Sniper King's Desperate Victory
Usopp's side of the battle was equally deadlocked, and the situation was extremely critical.
"Tempest Kick!" Bruno coldly shouted. A fierce slashing wave tore through the air, ripping up the floor as it rushed straight toward Usopp. Usopp ducked in terror; the slash narrowly passed over his head.
Immediately after, several more Tempest Kicks came in succession. Usopp dodged and weaved desperately, performing all sorts of high-difficulty maneuvers to evade. The final slash grazed right past his long nose—at the last possible second, he yanked his nose back in, barely escaping disaster.
"T-That was close…!" Usopp gasped, heart pounding, but immediately counterattacked: "Take this! Shuriken Meteor Shower!" He rapidly fired a volley of shuriken; countless darts scattered toward Bruno like a swarm of hornets.
Bruno watched the incoming shuriken expressionlessly and calmly activated "Iron Body." The darts struck him one after another, clanging metallically before falling harmlessly to the ground. Just as Bruno prepared to taunt, the shuriken that had landed at his feet suddenly erupted with blinding light.
BOOM BOOM BOOM!!
A chain of explosions erupted instantly. Smoke, debris, and fragments flew everywhere; the ground was blasted into a deep crater. Usopp cautiously crept forward, trying to confirm whether Bruno had been blown into the pit. But the moment he poked his head out, a clear door-opening sound came from behind.
An air door silently opened. Bruno stepped out calmly, his right index finger already aimed at the back of Usopp's head.
"Six Powers – Finger Pistol."
Before the cold words finished, the finger pistol stabbed out precisely—but Usopp's sixth sense made him twist his head at the critical moment. He was only hit in the left shoulder.
Blood sprayed instantly. Usopp cried out in pain and staggered to the ground, but his survival instinct was astonishing. He immediately rolled away, dodging Bruno's follow-up heavy punch—"Iron Body – Shatter!"
Bruno's fist missed and smashed into the floor, instantly pulverizing the solid stone.
"Ultimate Move – Smoke Star!" Despite the searing pain, Usopp fired a special round. Thick smoke rapidly filled the entire room, dropping visibility to near zero.
"Huff… huff… This should make it harder for him to find me…" Usopp held his breath and shrank into a corner; blood continued to seep from his left shoulder. He gritted his teeth, mind racing. "I need to come up with a plan fast…"
In the thick smoke, Bruno's footsteps seemed to come from everywhere—like the tolling of a death knell drawing nearer.
"Damn it… that guy really is a Devil Fruit user!" Usopp whispered to himself through the pain in his shoulder, curled up in the smoke. "I clearly heard the door open just now, and suddenly he appeared behind me… It was the same at the beginning—he suddenly dragged me into this weird room…"
While piecing together clues, the floor beneath him suddenly gave way.
"Waaah?! What's happening?!"
He screamed as he fell downward. Looking down, he realized that—without him noticing—two bizarre doors had opened in the floor, clamping tightly around his legs like a trap.
"When did he do this?! The room's already full of smoke! How?!" Usopp was both shocked and confused, struggling futilely.
"Air Door."
Bruno's cold voice came from within the smoke. As he spoke, an invisible door opened right in front of Usopp. Bruno stepped out calmly, expression indifferent.
"I ate the Door-Door Fruit. I can open all kinds of doors anywhere—air, ground, even on your body." He looked down at the trapped Usopp and continued explaining: "As for how I found you… from inside the doors I open, I can see everything outside clearly. Smoke? Meaningless. Sniper King."
Usopp's heart sank heavily.
"Now—die quietly." Bruno tightened his right fist, powering up: "Iron Body – Shatter!" Before the words finished, a heavy iron fist smashed straight into Usopp's abdomen!
"Urgh!"
With his legs locked by the doors, Usopp had no way to dodge. He doubled over like a boiled shrimp; searing pain instantly drained all his strength. Beneath the mask, blood surged uncontrollably, forming a scarlet stream that dripped to the floor.
Bruno watched coldly, as though observing a predetermined outcome.
"Cough… cough cough… It didn't even hurt!" Beneath the mask, Usopp's face was actually twisted in agony, but he forced his voice to sound nonchalant.
"Is that so?" Bruno's eyes turned colder. "Then the next hit will cut you in half at the waist!"
He whipped his right leg upward, vacuum air swirling violently. A ferocious Tempest Kick slash tore through the air straight toward Usopp!
At the last possible instant, Usopp forcibly yanked one leg free from the door and twisted his body, narrowly dodging the slash. At the same time, he swiftly raised his weapon and fired without hesitation: "Ultimate Move – Firebird Star!"
A blazing firebird whistled toward Bruno.
Bruno snorted coldly and calmly opened an air door in front of himself, intending to escape into the alternate space to avoid the attack.
But Usopp—watching his movement—showed a triumphant smile: "Three… two… one… explode!"
BOOM!!
A muffled explosion came from inside the just-closed door. Immediately after, the door was violently blasted open. Bruno tumbled out covered in black smoke, crashing heavily to the ground and coughing violently.
"You bastard… when did you plant the bomb?!" He struggled to lift his head, voice filled with rage and disbelief.
When he had entered the alternate space, he was immediately greeted by blinding white light exploding in his face. If not for activating "Iron Body – Steel" at maximum defense in time, he would likely have been blown to pieces. Even so, the explosion's impact had left him covered in wounds.
"I noticed it long ago," Usopp said, forcing himself to stand straight despite the pain, tone carrying a hint of pride. "You can choose any exit point when coming out of the door, but the entry point is always fixed based on your real-world position."
He paused, then continued: "Did you really think my leg was actually stuck in the door earlier… and I couldn't pull it out?"
"Cough cough… I see," Bruno realized instantly. "You secretly planted a bomb inside the alternate space while your leg was trapped, then used a wide-area attack to force me to open a door and escape instead of retreating backward."
He had to admit—the guy in front of him calling himself Sniper King had not only figured out his ability but had also bet his own life on an almost insane trap.
"Now—the outcome is decided!" Usopp endured the pain, raised his slingshot, eyes blazing: "Take my final move! Ultimate Move – Atlas Comet!"
In an instant, a specially made projectile shaped like the horn of an Atlas beetle whistled out. Mid-flight it suddenly split, bombarding the immobilized Bruno from all directions at once!
BOOM!!!
A deafening explosion swept the entire room. Surging flames and thick smoke shot skyward. The powerful shockwave tore open an even larger crater in the floor; debris flew everywhere.
When the smoke slowly cleared, Bruno lay blackened and gravely wounded in the center of the deep pit. His limbs were twisted; he lay motionless—striking the classic "Yamcha defeat pose"—completely unconscious.
Usopp panted heavily, still holding his firing pose. Looking at the result before him, he finally let out a long breath.
"Wahahaha! Now you know the power of Sniper King!"
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