CHAPTER 170 — Crushing
The Celestial Dragon's scream tore through the street.
"Kill them! Arrest them! Do something!"
His voice cracked with panic, but the order itself carried absolute weight.
The Marines flinched.
They did not want to move. That much was clear. Every Marine present had seen what happened to CP0.
They didn't believe they were better than CP0.
But this was a Celestial Dragon.
Disobedience was not an option.
"Move!" one officer shouted, forcing his voice steady. "Advance!"
The Marines surged forward, rifles coming up, blades drawn. Their formation broke into a rushed, uneven line. Some moved too fast. Some too slow. Fear sat behind every step.
The remaining CP0 agents moved as well.
They did not hesitate. They did not shout. They simply stepped forward, masks fixed on Gaius and his group. Even after losing their comrades, their duty did not change.
The street filled with motion again.
Gaius did nothing.
He stood still, hands relaxed at his sides, eyes calm. He did not raise his guard. He did not step forward. He simply watched as Marines and CP0 closed the distance.
Behind him, Tony's eyes narrowed.
"Well," Tony said calmly, "guess that answers that."
His arm lifted.
A bright pulse of energy burst from his palm.
The repulsor blast tore down the street, aimed straight at the CP0 agent leading the charge. The agent reacted instantly, body blurring as he vanished to the side with Soru.
The blast didn't stop.
It slammed into the Marine line behind.
One Marine was too slow.
The energy struck him square in the chest, throwing him backward like a rag doll. He crashed into the stone hard enough to crack it. His rifle skidded away, and he lay still, breath knocked from his lungs.
Before anyone could react, Tony shifted his shoulder.
A compartment opened.
A micro missile launched, curving sharply through the air, tracking the CP0 agent mid-movement. The agent twisted, trying to evade.
Too late.
The missile hit.
The explosion was tight, controlled, and violent. Fire and smoke bloomed for a moment before fading. When it cleared, the CP0 were reduced to smoke and charred remains.
The Marines froze again, eyes wide opened.
Naruto moved.
He stepped forward, hands flashing through seals. A shadow clone burst into existence beside him, sprinting straight toward the remaining CP0.
The CP0 reacted instantly.
One clone was struck and vanished in a puff of smoke.
The smoke lingered, hanging in the air for a heartbeat.
That was all the opening Naruto needed.
He burst out of it, Rasengan already spinning in his hand. The blue sphere hummed softly, energy coiling within as he drove it forward. It slammed into the chest of the nearest CP0.
The impact was brutal.
The CP0 was sent flying, body twisting violently as the Rasengan tore through him. He crashed to the ground with a heavy thud and did not move again.
The effect was immediate.
Marines stopped mid-step.
Even CP0 hesitated. After all, their comrades were being killed with ease, as if they offered no resistance at al
Mindy raised her arm and fired.
Her shots were precise and clean, aimed straight at the heads of the remaining CP0.
The bullets struck.
And bounced.
Metallic clangs rang out as the CP0 activated Iron Body. Their muscles tightened, skin hardening like steel. The bullets fell uselessly to the ground.
Mindy paused.
Just for a moment.
Her eyes scanned their stance, the locked muscles, the rigid posture, the way their bodies resisted even the smallest movement.
"Oh," she said quietly. "That's how it works."
She fired again.
This time, every shot targeted the chest, right over the heart.
The CP0 were forced to maintain Iron Body. They couldn't dodge. They couldn't advance. Each time they tried to shift, another bullet struck, keeping them pinned in place.
Saeko noticed it too. As their bodies stiffened like metal, they couldn't move at all.
She stepped forward, drawing her blade smoothly from its sheath.
Marines reacted quickly.
Rifles barked, bullets flying toward her.
She moved through them easily.
Her steps were smooth. Her body bent and turned with perfect timing. Bullets passed where she had been a moment earlier.
Some Marines switched to blades and rushed her.
They did not last long.
Saeko met them head-on, sword flashing. Her strikes were clean and controlled. A slash to the arm. A cut across the leg. A flat strike that knocked one Marine unconscious instead of killing him.
She kept moving.
When she reached the CP0 agents, they were still pinned under Mindy's fire.
One of them made a choice.
He dropped Iron Body.
A bullet slammed into his torso, blood spraying across the street, but he barely flinched. His finger snapped upward, aimed straight at Saeko's head.
"Shigan—"
Saeko moved before the word finished.
To the CP0, it looked impossible, as if she had seen the attack before it even happened. His finger fired through empty air.
His eyes widened.
"Observation…?" he thought.
He was wrong.
Saeko's blade flashed.
The slash cut cleanly across his neck.
He staggered, eyes wide, mouth opening as if to speak—but blood poured out instead.
He collapsed to the ground.
The last CP0 attacked in desperation.
And fell just as fast.
Silence returned to the street.
The Marines stood frozen, weapons trembling in their hands.
Gaius turned away from the fight. He didn't need to stay. He could already see how it would end.
His attention shifted to the Celestial Dragon.
He had watched the battle without moving, without interfering. His group didn't need him here, they were capable, strong, and handling themselves.
But the Celestial Dragon was different.
Gaius walked forward, each step measured and calm.
Gaius considered his options. Why hadn't he simply killed the Celestial Dragon? Looking at the CP0 and the Marines, he understood its value. He planned to use it to claim greater treasures, after all, what they'd taken from the auctions was just gold and the currency of this world, and the Devil Fruit was nothing special.
The Celestial Dragon saw him approaching and began to scramble backward. Silk robes dragged through the dust and blood-stained ground. His breathing came fast and uneven, panic clear in every movement.
The servant stepped forward, trembling.
"Don't you dare!" he shouted at Gaius. "Do you know who that is?! The World Government will hunt you to the ends of the world!"
The Celestial Dragon latched onto that.
"Yes!" he screeched. "That's right! Leave now! An Admiral will come! You'll all die!"
Gaius did not stop.
He did not speak.
He simply moved.
One moment, he was several steps away, walking as if nothing was happening.
The next, he was right in front of them. There was no wind, no blur, just the sudden presence of a man standing there, calm, controlled, and impossibly fast.
The servant froze, mouth open mid-word, eyes wide. His body wanted to react, but his mind hadn't caught up yet.
Gaius struck.
It wasn't a punch, not even a swing. Just a sideways slap, delivered with quiet precision.
The servant's upper body disappeared. His head, shoulders, and chest seemed to vanish, leaving only empty air where they had been. Blood spilled onto the street, some landing across the Celestial Dragon's face, staining his fine clothes.
For a moment, there was silence. The only sound was the soft patter of blood hitting stone.
Then the servant screamed. It was raw, terrified, the kind of scream that came from someone realizing in an instant that they had no control at all.
The Celestial Dragon crawled backward, sobbing, hands slipping in blood.
Gaius stepped forward again.
Then a flying slash screamed through the air.
It moved fast, very fast.
Gaius shifted his body just enough to avoid it.
"Stop!"
The shout rang out across the plaza.
Vice Admiral Gion stood at the edge of the street, sword drawn, eyes sharp and focused. Her breathing was steady, but tension ran through her stance.
She looked at the fallen CP0. The broken Marines. The blood-soaked Celestial Dragon.
~~~
If you're enjoying the story, want to read more, and want to support me in creating more, you can check out my Patreon here:
patreon.com/ZanderLee
Every bit of support means a lot and helps me keep writing!