Black lightning flashed across the sky as the mysterious drumbeats resounded once more.
Luffy joyfully leaped into the air, his limbs moving as if running through the sky, his entire body brimming with renewed vitality.
Amid his cheerful expression, playful laughter occasionally escaped his lips.
Everyone present felt a surge of happiness in their hearts, their gazes burning with excitement as they watched Luffy awakening once more.
"What a guy! he just won't stay down!" Kaido stared blankly at Luffy, muttering under his breath.
Just moments ago, he had thought Luffy was done for, yet now he was completely revitalized.
Even Kaido, a man with monstrous vitality known as the Strongest Creature in the world, could sense the terrifying life force emanating from Luffy.
"Commander!" Kaido called out to Bob, who stood nearby.
Now he finally understood the meaning behind his commander's earlier words.
The power Luffy was displaying now was something even he wasn't confident he could overcome.
Hearing this, Bob's thin lips parted slightly.
"This is the strength of the Child of the World!"
"But it's still not enough!"
As his words fell—
Bob shrugged, then lightly tapped his toes against the ground.
BOOM!!
A massive crater appeared on the ground, the sheer force collapsing the roof above, sending tiles shattering and dust flying in all directions.
The small fry fighting below were startled by the sudden turn of events.
"Damn it! This isn't a place for fighting!"
"First terrifying giants, now sudden craters!"
With that, the two sides who had been brawling moments ago wordlessly agreed to cease their fighting and relocate elsewhere.
------
Meanwhile, high above—
Bob had already transformed into a streak of light piercing through the night, arriving right in front of Luffy.
In the next instant—
Luffy's legs slashed through the air at blinding speed, leaving only afterimages behind, like an electric fan accelerated countless times over.
Beneath his feet, white shockwaves continuously erupted with each of his step.
His arms swung wildly as he sprinted through the air.
Yet Bob suddenly accelerated mid-flight, a deafening sonic boom erupting beneath his feet.
BOOM!
With a violent impact, Bob closed the distance in an instant, his arm shooting forward to grab Luffy.
Luffy was caught firmly in Bob's grasp.
However, Luffy wasn't about to back down—his other hand latched onto Bob's skin, attempting to turn him into rubber as well.
But when Luffy's palm made contact, nothing happened.
Bob remained completely unaffected by Luffy's Devil Fruit powers.
Realization quickly dawned on Luffy.
The next moment, he tried to create distance, kicking off the air to propel himself backward.
Yet his other arm was still tightly clenched in Bob's grip, making escape impossible.
As a result, his arm stretched to an absurd length.
The onlookers found the scene utterly ridiculous.
But in the next moment—
Bob swung Luffy around in a full circle before hurling him upward with tremendous force.
WHOOSH!!
A sharp tearing sound pierced the air as Luffy's body rocketed skyward at breakneck speed, like a missile launched from the ground.
His body burst into scorching flames as it rubbed against the air.
In an instant, Luffy was completely engulfed in fire.
From the perspective of those below, a brilliant streak of light could be seen streaking upward.
Piercing through the dark night sky and the gathering storm clouds, it resembled fireworks shooting into the night over the Flower Capital.
"Mamamamama!"
"This isn't looking good for the Straw Hat Kid!"
Big Mom, wielding Napoleon in her hand, danced around excitedly, hopping left and right.
Not just her—Zoro, Kid, and the others also sensed the danger, cold sweat dripping from their foreheads.
Their eyes were fixed on Luffy as he disappeared into the night, filled with despair yet clinging to a sliver of hope.
Meanwhile, Kaido turned his gaze to the sky as well.
Only Bob showed no trace of concern.
He knew Luffy wouldn't be taken down so easily in this state.
After all, this was the Sun God.
Just then, an all-too-familiar voice suddenly echoed from the sky.
"Gum-Gum..."
Hearing this voice, Yamato and the others were stunned, immediately recognizing who it belonged to.
The next moment, their expressions turned to sheer disbelief as they looked up at the sky, their pupils shrinking.
Amid the thunderclouds, a colossal giant suddenly appeared.
Along with it, his slippers and clothes also enlarged, white lightning crackling incessantly behind him.
Waves of fiery aura swirled around Luffy.
That enormous slipper was now descending towards Bob's face.
Beside him, Kaido could only gape silently at the absurd sight, his expression completely dumbfounded.
Yet, faced with the stomp of the giant Luffy, Bob merely smiled faintly.
In an instant, his body flickered like a ghost, appearing beside Kaido in a flash. \
He then snatched the kanabo from Kaido's hand.
"Commander, what...?"
Kaido, bewildered by Bob's bizarre move, asked weakly, his voice full of confusion.
"Nothing much!"
"I'm afraid if i use my fist, i might accidentally kill him!"
With that, Bob shot towards Luffy without hesitation.
"Has Straw Hat really gotten this strong?"
"He actually forced Bob to resort to using a weapon!"
"Even during the Summit War, Bob never reached this point!"
Kid, watching Bob wield Kaido's kanabo, muttered with a glint in his eyes.
At the same time, he was shocked by Luffy's overwhelming power.
"Seems like Bob's backed into a corner!"
"This fight isn't hopeless for Straw Hat after all!"
Law, resting his sword in front of him with both hands on the hilt, watched as Bob charged toward Luffy.
In midair, Bob's aura surged abruptly, causing the massive kanabo to instantly change color.
The originally pitch-black weapon turned crimson-black, enveloped in a seething wave of energy.
Crimson-black lightning crackled around it like a divine weapon.
In an instant, it came crashing down towards Luffy.
-----------
I release a new whitebeard scientist fic : One Piece : Scientist of Whitebeard Pirates
Go read it!