"Allen!"
Nami cried out in panic at the sight, quickly turning her head to look at Heracles.
"What is going on?! He clearly didn't even hit him!"
"It's a shockwave, the ability of the Abyssal Giant Pistol Shrimp. It can fire an ultra-high-temperature blast from its claw, powerful enough to kill even a small Sea King."
Heracles explained, his voice grave. "This is Proteus. Through the power of the Devil Fruit, it perfectly fuses the abilities of all creatures in the world together."
"Up until now, the abilities Toruno has displayed are nothing more than the tip of the iceberg in his massive biological arsenal."
"To think such a powerful ability exists in this world. Isn't that the equivalent of eating every single Zoan-type fruit?"
Robin said with a slight frown, her gaze fixed on the grotesque figure in the clearing.
Heracles crossed his arms over his chest and nodded.
"Yes. Aside from Mythical Zoans, he can freely transform into any creature that exists in the world. That is why it is called the Blueprint of Life."
...
"Gah!"
Deep in the forest, Allen lay slumped against a shattered boulder, coughing up a mouthful of blood onto the ground.
Even with Armament Haki, the strike had pierced right through his defenses, dealing substantial damage.
Thinking back, the last person to push him this far was Drake. However, back when he fought Drake, he hadn't yet mastered both types of Haki.
To think that this time, the situation was completely reversed.
It was now his opponent's turn to fight him without knowing Haki.
Allen raised a hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, revealing a ferocious grin. His gaze pierced through the dense shadows of the trees, locking onto Toruno.
If the man hadn't lost his mind, his strength would likely be even greater. He must have been a renowned powerhouse back in the day.
Allen pushed himself up from the ground and tore off his ruined shirt, exposing his muscular physique. The muscles on his back twitched and contorted, forming the shape of a terrifying demon face.
Separated by over a hundred meters, their eyes met.
A burning will to fight flared in Allen's eyes. However...
In the clearing, Toruno actually took a step back, seemingly resistant to the idea of fighting.
"What's going on? Is he scared?"
Nami furrowed her brows, unable to hide her confusion.
The monster's strength didn't seem any inferior to Allen's.
"Fleeing from danger is a biological instinct. Actions that defy instinct are driven by willpower. Toruno has clearly sensed danger from Allen."
Heracles stared intently at Toruno, a trace of disbelief inevitably appearing in his eyes.
Challenging the strong was a trait exclusive to highly intelligent beings. Animals relying on instinct were different; the moment they perceived a threat, they would actively retreat.
This was an instinct evolved through hundreds of millions of years of natural selection. Toruno's reaction proved that he felt a lethal threat radiating from Allen.
"Oh no! He's going to grab the bait and run!"
Suddenly, a loud shout rang out from nearby.
Everyone turned to look, only to see Toruno change direction and sprint rapidly toward the large cauldron boiling with plant resin.
"Stop him!"
Sanji gritted his teeth and shouted, immediately dashing forward. Gin, the Nyaban Brothers, and the rest of the pirates quickly charged out after him.
Just as Toruno reached the cauldron, the ground beneath his feet rumbled. A massive vine burst from the earth, its end blooming into a giant man-eating flower that opened its fang-filled maw to viciously bite down!
*Schwing! Schwing!*
Toruno's right arm transformed into a mantis foreleg. The scythe flashed with two cold gleams, effortlessly slicing the man-eating flower into several pieces that fell to the ground.
"Twelve Fleur: Hang!!"
Robin crossed her arms over her chest and activated her ability. Over a dozen arms sprouted all over Toruno's body, tightly gripping his joints and pulling with all their might.
Toruno's body bent backward into an inverted U-shape, his head crashing into the ground. Yet, he simply blinked his compound eyes as if nothing had happened.
Swinging his tail—which was lined with countless barbs along its edges—he lashed out, whipping the sprouted arms on his body.
"Ugh—!"
Overcome by pain, Robin deactivated her ability. Her brows knitted tightly in agony as her legs gave out, causing her to drop to one knee.
"A joint lock? Unfortunately, his joints have long surpassed the realm of humanity."
Heracles crouched down, lifting Robin's hand to inspect it before speaking in a low voice.
"It's the venom of a bullet ant. The pain is excruciating, but the toxicity itself isn't too troublesome. Apply this herbal ointment, and you'll be fine in no time."
Heracles took out several glass vials, selected one, and began applying the medicine to Robin's wounds.
Meanwhile, in the clearing, Sanji and the others engaged Toruno in combat.
"Tiger Kill: Double Leg Kick!!"
*Bang!!*
Buchi transformed into his tiger-man form, bringing his thick legs together and bending them before delivering an explosive kick to the hard carapace covering Toruno's chest.
Under the immense force, Toruno's feet plowed through the dirt as his body was pushed back a meter. He then raised his triple-jointed locust leg, unleashing a powerful, explosive kick of his own!
*Bang!!*
The lightning-fast kick landed squarely on Buchi, instantly sending his massive frame flying into the forest.
At that moment, Gin seized the opportunity to appear behind Toruno's flank.
"Demon Tonfa: Double Bone Shatter!!"
*Bang!!*
Gin let out a deep roar, swinging his high-speed spinning tonfas one after the other. The first iron ball smashed violently into Toruno's abdomen, causing the iron-hard chitinous carapace to fracture slightly.
—*Clang!!*
The second iron ball struck the back of the first, transferring its force straight through. The carapace shattered completely, and nearly half of the first iron ball embedded itself deeply into Toruno's abdomen!
"Giii—!!"
Blood splattered as Toruno threw his head back, letting out a bizarre, agonizing shriek.
"Hmph. I didn't expect a monster like you to bleed red."
Gin scoffed coldly, pulling back his tonfas to build momentum for another strike.
However, Toruno was a step faster. His mantis arms howled through the air, rapidly slashing inward from both sides in a pincer attack!
*Clang! Clang!*
Gin hastily raised his tonfas to parry, firmly blocking the sharp, jagged scythe arms.
Terrifying pressure continuously squeezed inward. Gin gritted his teeth, feeling as though the two mantis arms were hydraulic presses trying to crush his body flat.
Toruno glared at him furiously and opened his mandibles. A long tongue shot out rapidly, just like a chameleon's!
*Bang!!*
Gin's expression changed drastically in shock as the chameleon tongue struck his chest with supersonic force.
The long tongue continued to extend without losing momentum, launching Gin's body through the air until his back slammed heavily against a massive boulder.
*Boom!!*
Rubble flew everywhere as the giant rock fractured into several pieces under the heavy impact and collapsed.
"Cough... Cough, cough!"
Gin clutched his chest, coughing up several mouthfuls of blood with a pained expression. He looked up toward the center of the clearing, his eyes filled with wariness and disbelief.
This terrifying sense of oppression made him feel exactly like he was facing Allen during training. He never knew what tricky angle the attack would come from, and the monster's strength and speed were just as overwhelming.
It was hard to imagine that this was a monster acting purely on instinct.
In the clearing, the battle raged on.
Facing the high-speed movements of Sham, Toruno's compound eyes swiveled to lock onto his trajectory. His locust legs folded tightly like a drawn bow before explosively launching him forward.
*Bang!!*
The giant horn on his head unleashed a force far greater than a cannonball, headbutting Sham and sending him flying over a hundred meters away.
Just as Toruno turned back to snatch the cauldron of plant resin, a dark shadow descended from the sky!
"Veau Hachis!!"
Sanji roared, raising his long leg high like a battleaxe before violently bringing it down on the tip of the giant horn!
*Bang!!*
Toruno's body sank, his head smashing fiercely into the earth.
Sanji tucked his knees and flipped several times in mid-air. Using the centrifugal force, he extended his long leg and delivered another devastating axe kick.
However, Toruno spread the four wings on his back. Vibrating them at a high frequency, he burst forth with astonishing speed and vanished from his spot!
*Bang!!*
Sanji's kick missed, smashing a deep crater into the ground. Before he could steady his footing...
*Bzzzt—!*
Accompanied by an intense buzzing sound, Toruno suddenly appeared behind him.
Sanji spun around abruptly, only to be met with the sight of a giant shrimp claw, its tip featuring a pitch-black, gun-like barrel.
"Crap...!!"
Sanji's face paled in horror. In the next instant...
*Click!!*
*Boom!!*
A terrifying shockwave suddenly erupted! It instantly blasted Sanji away, shooting him deep into the forest at breakneck speed before a loud crash echoed from the distance!
After repelling several of the top officers, Toruno charged toward the center of the clearing without a moment's pause, his compound eyes fixated on the cauldron radiating that fatal temptation.
Just as he was about to grab the cauldron, Allen finally returned. His figure flashed above Toruno's head, his large hand clamping tightly onto the monster's face!
"Long time no see, bastard!"
Allen sneered, his eyes glinting with ferocity. The muscles in his arm bulged as he slammed Toruno's head ruthlessly into the earth!
*Bang!!*
Countless cracks exploded across the ground, spreading densely like a spiderweb all the way to the edge of the forest. The entire clearing caved in, forming a massive crater with the two of them at the center!
With his head pinned down by a thick, powerful hand, Toruno struggled frantically with his limbs. His sharp, serrated mantis scythes continuously slashed at Allen's body.
In an instant, blood sprayed in all directions.
Gritting his teeth, Allen grabbed one of Toruno's arms and wrapped his legs tightly around it. Hugging the barbed, serrated mantis arm, he violently twisted his waist and wrenched it with all his might!
*Snap!*
"Giii—!!"
Blood geysered into the sky as Toruno threw his head back, letting out an ear-piercing howl of agony. One of his arms had been violently torn off by Allen!
"That's payback for your earlier attack. Next up..."
Allen tossed the severed limb aside, staring at Toruno with a savage grin. Tapping his toes rapidly against the ground, he flashed right in front of the creature.
Armament Haki surged over his wrist like a tidal wave. Just as he was about to unleash an explosive punch, the shrieking Toruno's body suddenly emitted a blinding flash of light!
*Bang!!*
Allen's pupils contracted as his vision went completely white. However, relying on his Observation Haki, he still managed to land his punch squarely on Toruno's face, sending him flying.
"My eyes! Damn it!"
"A firefly?! Or what the hell is that?!"
"I can't see anything!"
Angry shouts rang out consecutively from the surroundings. Everyone present had been blinded by the sudden, intense light, clutching their eyes in pain.
A stinging pain emanated from his eyes. Allen gritted his teeth and simply closed them, relying solely on his Observation Haki to track his enemy's movements.
The moment he sensed his opponent's position, he bent his knees slightly before launching himself forward in a powerful dash.
*Bang!! Bang!! Bang!!*
A series of collision sounds continuously echoed through the clearing. Even without sight, it was clear from the noise that Allen was once again locked in a fierce battle with Toruno.