56 56. Fighting Of Monsters
"Luffy stared at the Marine soldiers. Some rolled their eyes and fainted, while others knelt on one knee, their veins bulging as they roared loudly.
A terrifying energy radiated from Sengoku, like a shock wave, crashing into Luffy's Haki. Luffy's Conqueror's Haki surged, overpowering Sengoku's.
Boom.
An invisible force exploded, making Sengoku step back on the execution platform. Ordinary soldiers couldn't see what happened, but the strong ones witnessed it clearly.
Sengoku's Conqueror's Haki, was completely overwhelmed by Luffy's. Even though Sengoku didn't go all out, it was still shocking.
But Sengoku's move wasn't in vain. He managed to contain Luffy's Haki, preventing Marine casualties.
"Luffy," Garp exclaimed, seeing Luffy standing confidently on the square, surrounded by Marines either blown away or kneeling.
Garp was astonished at Luffy's power, equal to his own. He wondered what had caused Luffy's sudden growth.
Garp was torn between pride in Luffy's progress and the dilemma of intervening.
"Such a reckless kid," Whitebeard grumbled from the Moby Dick, though he couldn't hide his admiration.
"Everyone, support Luffy with all your might!" Whitebeard commanded his crew, rallying them.
On the ice behind him, New World warriors surged forward, inspired by Luffy's bravery.
"Straw Hat Luffy. How did he become so strong?"
"Hawkeye fixed his sharp gaze on Luffy, who was now very close to them.
He remembered seeing this young man in a seaside restaurant not long ago. Back then, the guy seemed weak, but Hawkeye sensed potential in him and his crew.
But in less than a year, how had they grown so quickly?
"Is this the guy you lost an arm to, Shanks?" Hawkeye's mood shifted as he thought of his former friend. Shanks, once the strongest in the world, had lost an arm to a seemingly insignificant event in the East Blue.
The idea of facing the world's strongest gradually faded. Instead, a stronger urge took over. Hawkeye wanted to test the strength of the man Shanks had entrusted.
Den den.
Hawkeye's boots echoed on the ground, breaking the silence imposed by Luffy's Conqueror's Haki.
Boa Hancock frowned at him while Doflamingo wore an unexpected smile. "Quite unusual of you to take the initiative," he remarked.
Ignoring Doflamingo, Hawkeye drew his large black sword with force.
To onlookers, it seemed like an ordinary swing. But when the blade descended, an immense green energy sliced through the ground, aiming for Luffy.
"Hawkeye's moving?" Sengoku observed from his vantage point.
Though puzzled by Hawkeye's sudden action, Sengoku saw it as an advantage. As one of the rarely seen independent figures among the Warlords, Hawkeye's strength rivaled that of an Admiral.
Boom.
The emerald green saber aura towered like a hill, hurtling towards Luffy at tremendous speed.
Luffy was about to react when he stopped abruptly, wearing a broad smile.
In the blink of an eye, a figure cloaked in green appeared before him.
Clang.
The blades clashed.
A cold light flashed, then transformed into a black streak.
"One Sword Style: Sanjuroku Pound Ho"
A deep voice resonated like poetry.
On the flat ground, black sword waves clashed with emerald green ones, creating a tempest.
The violent wind tousled Zoro and Luffy's clothes, leaving dozens of sharp incisions on the ground.
In the distance, icebergs broke apart, their surfaces as smooth as mirrors.
"You're too impulsive, Luffy," Zoro chided, standing before him with a flick of his black blade.
"What's there to fear? I knew you'd back me up," Luffy replied nonchalantly.
Zoro sighed but said nothing more.
As the sword waves faded, Hawkeye looked at the man standing before Luffy, a hint of surprise in his eyes.
"Roronoa?" he muttered. The attack displayed by Zoro had the prowess of a master swordsman. Was this the same guy he met at the seaside restaurant? He must have grown remarkably fast.
"If you're looking to kill someone, you've got the wrong guy, Hawkeye," Zoro said, grinning fiercely with the word 'Wado Ichimonji' clenched between his teeth. His eyes gleamed with a menacing intensity.
With a swift motion, Zoro unleashed his three swords, creating countless silver lights that coalesced into a fearsome blue whirlwind.
"Three Swords Style: Three Thousand Worlds."
The whirlwind swept across the ground with even greater force than Hawkeye's attack.
"Roronoa," Hawkeye murmured again, a rare smile gracing his lips as he faced the onslaught of swordsmanship.
Since losing his arm, Hawkeye hadn't encountered a swordsman who ignited his passion. But today, it felt different.
No matter how this swordsman had grown stronger, what mattered was that he stood before Hawkeye as an equal, and that was enough.
Boom.
Hawkeye advanced, his figure leaping from the high platform. Swinging his massive black sword, Yoru exuded a heavy pressure that made space quiver. A bright sword wave burst forth, colliding with Zoro's silver whirlwind.
The clash created a storm, scattering sharp sparks as the swords clashed.
Hawkeye gripped Yoru with both hands, meeting Zoro's Sandai Kitetsu in a collision that sent tremors through the air, forcing Marine soldiers to retreat involuntarily.
This battle between two of the world's strongest swordsmen emitted an aura of terror, keeping onlookers at bay.
"Who's that swordsman? He's holding his own against the world's best," exclaimed a shocked Marine.
Hawkeye, renowned as the world's top swordsman, had clashed with Four Emperors Shanks numerous times. If not for his lone-wolf nature, he could have commanded a force rivalling the Emperors'.
Other Warlords paled in comparison.
Yet here he was, facing off against a relatively unknown young swordsman.
"He's Roronoa Zoro, second in command of the Straw Hat Pirates, with a bounty of 120 million Berries," a Marine familiar with bounties revealed.
But disbelief spread among the crowd. A mere rookie pirate with a 120 million Berry bounty? Surely there was a mistake. Some even argued it should be 3 billion.
"Did you see that, Commander Smoker?" Tashigi asked, her face reflecting her astonishment.
"Yeah, those Straw Hat boys," Smoker replied with a knowing nod.
Smoker clenched his fists tightly, his face grave as if water could drip from it. He hadn't expected the Straw Hat Pirates to evolve so quickly, attaining the formidable strength they displayed now.
"Facing off against the world's top swordsman without backing down," Tashigi mused dreamily, her eyes fixed on Zoro with a mix of admiration and complexity.
"Straw Hat boy, how intriguing. Let's stir up some chaos," Doflamingo chuckled, his hand extending to release invisible threads from his fingertips. In an instant, several Marine Rear Admirals, like puppets, drew their knives and lunged at Luffy.
Although these Rear Admirals alone posed no real threat to Luffy, Doflamingo aimed to provoke him.
Yet, a sense of danger gripped Doflamingo. A tiny steel ball grazed his face, erupting with explosive force. Doflamingo's expression darkened as blood seeped from the wound.
"From that direction? Impossible!" Doflamingo exclaimed, glaring towards the distant Moby Dick.
On the deck of the Moby Dick, Usopp, wearing a Sniper King mask, held his giant slingshot. With keen perception and knowledge, he could pinpoint each person's position, armed with steel balls coated in Armament Haki.
"Don't underestimate the Straw Hat Pirates' sniper," Usopp declared proudly.
It was Usopp who had shot the steel ball that grazed Doflamingo. His aim fell slightly short, but it was enough to rattle the Warlord.
"He still has room to grow," Usopp thought, acknowledging his need for further improvement.
Two days ago, after Luffy sparred with Whitebeard, he gained evolution points but hadn't reached his peak strength. Otherwise, his sneak attack on Doflamingo would have landed solidly.
"What a sharpshooter. Where does that kid find these little monsters?" Whitebeard remarked, casting a glance towards Usopp. Despite his previous insignificance, Usopp's recent display demanded respect.
With such prowess, he could even captain his own ship.
While Doflamingo felt intimidated by Usopp's sniper skills, not everyone was daunted.
In an instant, Luffy charged into the fray, his Conqueror's Haki humiliating the Marines. Some Marine powerhouses resented his presence.
"Grandson of Garp, your arrogance is misplaced on this battlefield," a deep, weathered voice boomed.
A muscular old Marine wielding a massive mechanical arm struck at Luffy.
"Enhanced Wrist Strength."
A figure appeared before Luffy, their palm wrapped in Armament Haki as they clashed with the mechanical arm.
But upon contact, Chopper's expression changed as he realized it was made of seastone.
"It's seastone," Chopper called out weakly before being overwhelmed.
"Chopper!" Luffy shouted, his determination evident as a bright light began to emanate from him.
"You don't have time to worry about others, Straw Hat, Luffy," the voice warned.
A lewd and frivolous voice resounded above Luffy's head as bright light waves almost engulfed the sky.
Kizaru appeared above Luffy, hands glowing with a radiant light.
"Crush, Bunt," Zephyr laughed, extending his massive mechanical arms to seize Luffy.
"Yasakani no Magatama," countless light waves surged towards Luffy from behind.
"Devil's Feet" Sanji's voice echoed as he lunged towards Luffy with a powerful kick.
"Brother Luffy, here we come! Fish-man Karate, Seven Thousand Tiles, Right Fist," another voice joined in, one behind Luffy and the other in front.
In an instant, a slender but incredibly sturdy figure appeared both in front of and behind Luffy. Their terrifying kicks clashed with the swirling light waves, resulting in a deafening explosion.
Accompanied by Jinbei's punch, the surrounding air seemed to ripple with invisible force as he struck the massive mechanical arm.
"This is the power of Black Arm Zephyr?" Jinbei grimaced, feeling the weight of the blow.
"Jinbei, aiding the enemy as a Shichibukai makes you a sinner," Zephyr sneered, exerting all his strength to overpower Jinbei.
But then, a flash of light caught Zephyr's attention.
"Shining Shock!" accompanied by a heavy impact, sent Zephyr flying, his mechanical arm smashing through a building upon impact.
As Zephyr rose to his feet, spitting out blood and tearing his tattered clothes, he faced off against a group protecting Luffy.
Shichibukai Jinbei, Whitebeard's Third Division Captain, Diamond Jozu, and the gentlemanly figure behind Luffy caught Zephyr's attention.
It was this man who had effortlessly blocked Borsalino's attacks earlier, proving he was no ordinary foe.
"If you dare attack our captain, it won't be easy, Kizaru," Sanji declared, flames igniting under his feet like molten iron.
"Blackfoot Sanji, what a fearsome kicking style. You've grown remarkably since Sabaody Archipelago," Kizaru remarked, fear flickering in his eyes.
Though he had briefly clashed with Sanji at Sabaody Archipelago, Sanji now effortlessly countered his attacks, displaying incredible power and skill. Kizaru couldn't help but acknowledge Sanji's monstrous strength and presence.
----------
You can read advanced chapters here: patreon.com/GregariousLion
