— My turn now!
With a flick of his arm, Sarge's figure blurred. In the blink of an eye, Ennio vanished, retreating in a streak of motion.
But Sarge was right on him.
With a powerful stomp, he shot forward like a flash.
Soru.
One of the Six Powers—moving with explosive speed by stomping dozens of times in a split second. And of course, Sarge had already mastered it.
— Rankyaku!
Ennio's expression twisted in shock as Sarge closed in. Gritting his teeth, he kicked out repeatedly, unleashing a flurry of chaotic blue slashes straight toward his pursuer.
But Sarge didn't flinch. Instead, he rooted himself mid-charge and shouted:
— Tekkai!
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The blade-like kicks tore through his coat, leaving white marks on his skin—but failed to break through.
— Courtesy demands reciprocity.
Sarge raised his leg and fired a spinning kick of his own:
— Rankyaku Cross!
Whoosh!
A blue cross-shaped shockwave ripped through the ground, tearing a deep trench as it roared toward Ennio.
The Rankyaku wasn't just about speed—it was about precise technique. And Sarge didn't just understand it. He wielded it like a veteran.
— Geppo!
Ennio launched himself into the air, dodging the cross slash with a well-timed sky-step.
But Sarge grinned.
— Just what I was waiting for!
With another Geppo, he leapt high, cutting off Ennio's escape path. In midair, his momentum shifted—chasing his opponent directly to the chest.
Geppo, the Sky Walk—by forcefully kicking the air itself, a user could hover or ascend like climbing invisible stairs.
In the air, movement was restricted. Sarge knew that.
And he had been waiting for this moment.
— Hokuto…
He drew in a breath and then exhaled like a compressed blast, his body exploding with motion. Arms blurred—like a peacock spreading its feathers—until countless fists hammered into Ennio from every direction.
— Hyakuretsu Ken!
Bang bang bang bang!!
The impact was thunderous—like Ennio had been struck by a hundred bullets at once. His massive body rippled with the force of each blow. Dents formed across his chest, his limbs convulsing under the barrage, until—
BOOM!
He crashed into the earth like a meteor, kicking up a storm of dust.
Sarge flipped once in the air and landed smoothly.
That was Hokuto Hyakuretsu Ken—the Hundred Crack Fist of the North Star. In the original technique, it targeted pressure points with pinpoint strikes. Once all were hit, the victim would violently explode.
But that was Kenshiro's version.
Sarge didn't inherit just Kenshiro's finesse.
He inherited the entire Hokuto Shinken lineage—including Raoh's interpretation.
Raoh didn't bother with pressure points.
He used pure destructive force, crushing his enemies with raw power.
So when Sarge trained, he didn't just aim for precision. He built his strength until he could deliver enough force to shatter his opponents.
And here, in the weak waters of East Blue, where even Devil Fruits were considered myths...
Sarge's martial arts? They were godlike.
He could punch out mountain bandits, kick down sea kings. Ordinary fighters had no hope in close combat. They could only die.
But the Grand Line was a different beast.
Here, raw strength wasn't enough.
And Sarge knew it.
He wasn't a native. He remembered everything about this world.
First—Devil Fruits.
Some wielded strange, terrifying powers—abilities that could decide life and death with a single touch.
Hokuto Shinken targeted pressure points. But what good were pressure points against someone whose body could turn to smoke? Or metal? Or rubber?
Second…
Whoosh!
The dust cloud trembled. A single foot stomped out with force.
A hulking body emerged—bloodied, battered, but very much alive.
Ennio.
His grotesquely swollen body was covered in craters and soaked in blood. His veins bulged across his face, leaking into his eyes and over his bared teeth.
Sarge's expression darkened.
— …Haki.
Haki could block pressure-point strikes.
Sarge didn't know how to use Haki. He couldn't even see it.
But he felt it.
During the Hundred Crack Fist, something invisible had stopped him from striking the vital points.
— Hahaha…!
Ennio cackled through bloody teeth.
— That was incredible! If I hadn't blocked some of it, I'd be dead by now! Kid—was that some kind of special power?
Sarge's eyes narrowed.
— That wasn't just refined martial arts. But you—your use of Haki… doesn't match your personality. Who the hell are you?
Sarge had studied Haki. Of course he had.
Haki was the manifestation of one's spirit—willpower made tangible.
But mastering it required relentless training.
There was no manual. No shortcuts.
He had tried.
But he wasn't Garp. He couldn't punch mountains. And he had no mentor worthy of teaching him.
Still, one thing was certain:
Haki required resolve.
A coward clinging to his throne… someone who would sacrifice his stepdaughter just to maintain power in a country overrun by bandits—that kind of man shouldn't have Haki.
— Who am I?
Ennio steadied himself, a cruel grin spreading over his bloody face.
— I'm the King of Oikot Kingdom, of course!
— Then die!
A cold voice rang out from the side.
A flash of silver—a blade of ice—shot toward Ennio.
Ennio's eyes gleamed.
He lashed out with a kick—Rankyaku!—sending a blue slash to intercept.
SHLACK!
Blood sprayed in a crimson arc.
Smack!
A hand clamped around Lily's neck, hoisting her effortlessly into the air.
Behind her, the corpses of a dozen Marines lay in pools of blood—bisected.
— Lily!!
Ennio pulled her close, face twisted with rage.
— Why won't you stop?! Why didn't you run?! You're a wanted criminal now—and your bounty will only rise! You see all those dead Marines? That was you! You and that rat!
— Y-yes!! — the cowardly Marine, Captain Nezumi, trembled as he saluted. — A direct attack on the Navy… a grave crime…! She must be severely punished!
— You bastard! — Lily shouted, eyes burning with fury. — You did this! You're the traitor! You created all those bandits—you let this kingdom rot!
— Traitor? Hah! I'm the rightful king. I paid the Celestial Dragons their heavenly tribute. They acknowledge me!
He caressed her face with his free hand.
— And you? Just a caged canary. No one knows your name. You say you're the princess—but who would believe you? Who would care?
He lifted her higher, forcing her to face the city gate.
— See for yourself.
From the distance… a parade of prisoners emerged.
Hundreds of ragged mountain bandits, hands bound with rope, marched in shame. Guns pressed to their backs.
Even from here, Sarge recognized some—bandits he had disabled earlier.
Lily's eyes widened.
— …What did you do?
Ennio's voice was ice.
— Did you really think I'd let you run wild? As long as you're in this kingdom—I will find you.