The cruel grin on Kuro's face froze solid in an instant.
What replaced it was an overwhelming, absurd disbelief.
His claws were less than three centimeters from Ronan's throat.
But Ronan's fist had already slammed squarely into his abdomen!
This long-prepared Beng Fist pushed Ronan's twelve points of Strength and the essence of traditional martial arts' ming kg to their absolute limit.
The terrifying force punched straight through Kuro's suit, violently shaking his internal organs.
"PFF—!!"
Kuro, who had been charging forward in a killing stance, was hit as if by a battering ram head-on.
His body curled in midair like a cooked shrimp, sent flying backward even faster than he'd come!
A spray of dark red blood mixed with stomach fluid burst from his mouth, arcing miserably through the air.
BANG!!
Kuro flew seven or eight meters back and smashed straight into the flowerbed Kaya had cherished so carefully!
Wood splinters, dirt, and red-and-yellow petals exploded outward, raining down in a chaotic storm.
Kuro crashed into the ruined garden, his ten clawed fingers digging deep into the soil as his body convulsed violently.
Silence.
Dead silence.
Luffy and Zoro were completely stunned.
Their brains simply couldn't process what had just happened.
An enemy so fast that even Zoro couldn't track him…
A pirate with a sixteen-million-beli bounty…
Had just been sent flying by Ronan with a single punch?
Luffy's mouth hung open in a perfect "O," his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets.
Zoro's hand trembled as he gripped his sword hilt—not from fear, but from shock.
He muttered under his breath,
"…He… he saw it? No… he didn't even look… How did he do that?"
Inside Ronan's mind, that cold, familiar mechanical voice sounded right on cue:
[Host has entered Deathmatch State]
[cultivation multiplier ×5]
In an instant, a massive surge of heat—far stronger than anything from stance training—flooded Ronan's entire body.
He could clearly feel his muscles, bones, and even neural reaction speed strengthening once more, visibly and rapidly!
"Cough… cough…"
Several meters away, in the shattered flowerbed, Kuro propped himself up.
He wiped the blood from his mouth with one hand while the other clutched his abdomen, which still throbbed as if it had been pierced by a hammer.
He stared at Ronan in disbelief. One lens of his glasses had shattered in the impact, exposing bloodshot eyes filled with shock.
"How… is that possible…"
His voice was hoarse and twisted with pain and rage.
"You little brat… how could you deal with my Silent Step?!"
"No… you didn't dodge it!"
Kuro suddenly realized the truth, his fury intensifying.
"You bastard! You predicted my position!!"
Ronan slowly exhaled a breath of stale air. The recoil from that punch had left his arm slightly numb.
Looking at the enraged Kuro, he spoke calmly:
"Your killing intent is too heavy, Kuro. It stands out like a firefly in the dark."
Under the fivefold boost of the Perseverance system, Ronan could clearly feel it—
The arm that had gone numb from releasing all its power was already recovering at a visible pace, becoming even tougher than before.
Muscle fibers all over his body trembled, tore, and reassembled.
He let out a slow breath of white mist. Under the bright sunlight, it lingered unnaturally, like a miniature white dragon.
Ronan's gaze locked onto Kuro struggling in the ruins, sharp as a hawk's.
"You don't look like a pirate who specializes in physical toughness," he said coolly, dissecting his opponent.
"As far as durability goes, your body's even weaker than that three-million-beli pirate captain I ran into before."
"But—" Ronan changed tone slightly,
"with a bounty that high, I guess all your value lies in your speed… and those claws of yours."
"Cough—cough!"
Clutching his abdomen, Kuro staggered up from the mud and crushed petals.
Cracks spiderwebbed across his broken lens, reflecting his warped, disbelieving expression.
That Beng Fist had nearly knocked his organs out of place.
"So that's how it is…"
Kuro glared at Ronan, forcing down the pain as he tried to regain control.
"A… thinking-type fighter, huh? To think Hyaku-kei Kuro would fall for a trick like that from some brat!"
He adjusted his damaged glasses, snake-like malice flickering in his eyes.
"But listen carefully, kid. On this sea, brains alone won't save you! You need power!"
His voice grew sharp with rage and pain.
"Now that I'm prepared, do you think you can dodge my second move? No—you won't even see it! And I won't let you hit me again!"
"You're right, Kuro."
Ronan actually nodded in agreement.
"In this world, brains do matter less than strength."
Kuro froze.
"But—" Ronan's lips curled into a mocking smile,
"you forgot one more thing."
"…What?" Kuro asked instinctively.
"Partners. And backing."
Ronan's gaze shifted slowly to the two companions beside him, already brimming with battle intent.
"Right?"
Bang!
Luffy slammed his fist into his palm with a sharp crack.
All trace of innocence vanished from his face, replaced by absolute seriousness.
"Yeah! Ronan's my crewmate! There's no way I'd let you hurt him!"
Beside him, Zoro lifted the white blade Wado Ichimonji to his mouth.
Clang… clang…
The other two swords were drawn at the same time.
Three-Sword Style.
A swordsman's aura—far purer and more domineering than Kuro's cold killing intent—swept across the entire backyard like a storm!
Zoro leveled all three blades at Kuro.
"Fighting three-on-one isn't my style,"
he said around the sword clenched in his teeth, his words muffled but his intent crystal clear,
"but your speed is troublesome. To keep you from doing anything stupid, I'll end this right here."
Before the last word even faded, Zoro moved.
He stomped forward hard—
the grass beneath his foot caving into a deep crater from the force!
"Three-Sword Style: Oni Giri!!"
Zoro launched himself like a cannonball, turning into a whirling gale as he charged straight at Kuro!
Three slashing arcs crossed in midair, sealing off every possible escape route!
"Damn brat—!"
Kuro's pupils shrank. He hadn't expected such explosive power from the swordsman.
With no time to use Silent Step, he crossed his arms in front of his chest, all ten claws raised to block the incoming strike!
CLANG——!!!
An ear-splitting screech of metal-on-metal exploded across the garden!
Three swords slammed into ten claws, sparks bursting like fireworks in every direction!
A visible shockwave erupted from the point of impact!
WHOOOM—!
The grass rippled violently;
the broken stick Ronan had tossed aside jumped into the air;
Luffy's red vest snapped loudly in the blast;
even the windows on the mansion's second floor creaked under the pressure.
Zoro and Kuro were locked together—
A pure contest of raw power.