Doflamingo deftly dodged Kuma's repeated laser attacks, his fingers twitching as they moved through the air.
He then muttered, "What a terrifying man."
To control the powerful Kuma with just a glance... How fearsome was that power?!
After giving Meiser, who stood beside Kuma, a deep look, Doflamingo decisively left the area, choosing not to oppose Meiser any further.
"Hmph, you made the smart choice," Meiser sneered.
If that guy had continued to cause trouble here, he wouldn't have minded taking him out along the way!
Meanwhile, Marines who witnessed this from a distance exclaimed in shock, "Hey, did you see that? Bartholomew Kuma was attacking Doflamingo!"
"We saw it... Why would one of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea attack another?"
"Maybe Bartholomew Kuma has betrayed us?"
"Dammit, pirates are so unreliable after all!"
The Marines glared at Bartholomew Kuma, their eyes filled with intense anger—they despised traitors the most.
Meiser let out a long sigh and said, "Alright, now let's—"
Before he could finish, he sensed a figure charging toward him at incredible speed, roaring, "You bastard, Blood-Eyed Ninja!"
"Huh?"
Hearing the grating shout, Meiser instinctively turned to look and recognized the familiar figure.
It was... that old smoker, Smoker?!
As Smoker closed in, Meiser subconsciously infused Haki into his arm.
The next moment...
"Clang!"
A jitte embedded with Sea Stone struck Meiser's arm, producing a sharp, metallic ring!
"Bastard, what did you do to Vice Admiral Ekas?!" Smoker demanded furiously. "Why is he continuously attacking his own men?"
Smoker had originally intended to intercept the Straw Hat Boy but noticed Vice Admiral Ekas behaving strangely along the way.
Ekas had been frantically pursuing and attacking his comrades, as if he had turned traitor.
Only after they subdued Vice Admiral Ekas did they suspect the Blood-Eyed Ninja might be behind it.
That's why Smoker had rushed here.
"Heh, interesting," Meiser said, stroking his chin. "It seems your Fleet Admiral Sengoku really didn't share my intel with you."
"Intel?"
Smoker was visibly taken aback, then frowned. "What intel?"
"Go ask Sengoku yourself. I have no interest in explaining it to you."
Smoker fell silent for a moment, then his expression darkened. "Forget it, it doesn't matter."
"As long as I defeat you, that should settle it, right?"
Hearing this, Meiser, who had been about to leave, paused and frowned at Smoker. "Can't you see who's standing beside me?"
"Are you asking to die?"
Although Smoker was considered a decent man within the Marines, if he insisted on blocking his path, Meiser wouldn't hold back.
"Kuma, huh?"
Glancing at Kuma who was silently staring at him, Smoker visibly broke out in a cold sweat.
Judging by Kuma's demeanor... he must have sided with the Blood-Eyed Ninja too, Smoker thought to himself.
Had the Blood-Eyed Ninja mastered some kind of mind-control ability, or had he persuaded Kuma through words?
Recalling Major Ekas's condition, Smoker suspected it was the former.
But when he considered Kuma's strength, it seemed almost impossible.
After all... this was one of the Royal Seven Warlords of the Sea!
Noticing the cold sweat on Smoker's face, Meiser said, "If you're scared, just step aside."
"Scared?"
Snapping back to reality, Smoker's expression turned cold. "As a Marine, how could I possibly fear pirates?"
"Blood-Eyed Ninja!"
"Today, I'll be the one to take you down!"
"Boom!!"
As his words fell, his lower body transformed into white smoke, enveloping the entire area and obscuring all vision.
"Similar to the Hidden Mist Technique, I see."
Meiser examined the smoke with interest before remarking, "Interesting."
Admittedly, this vision-obstructing ability was quite effective against the Sharingan.
But... he didn't rely solely on the Sharingan to fight!
"Prepare to die!"
A voice came from beside Meiser, followed by a jitte swinging toward his head.
"Clang!"
Blocking the weapon with his raised arm, Meiser looked at Smoker with exasperation. "Is this how you ambush someone?"
First shouting to reveal his position, then launching an attack?
How absurd.
Smoker didn't respond, instead focusing on Meiser's arm, which was coated in Haki.
He had blocked the sea stone-infused jitte twice now, meaning this guy wasn't a Devil Fruit ability user.
If he wasn't a Devil Fruit user... then how did he manage to control Major Ekas?
"What, curious about whether I'm a Devil Fruit ability user?" Meiser said.
As he spoke, Meiser glanced at the jitte in Smoker's hand.
If he remembered correctly, that thing contained sea stone. It was how Smoker had subdued Luffy in Loguetown.
But unfortunately, it was useless against him!
"If sea stone has no effect on you, that means you're not a Devil Fruit ability user," Smoker stared at Meiser. "Doesn't that mean... you used some ninja-specific method?!"
Meiser offered no explanation, merely smiling faintly at Smoker.
Smoker frowned at this, thinking: Even if I don't know what his ability is... with the jitte ineffective, taking him down won't be easy.
As this thought crossed his mind, Smoker's peripheral vision caught the long sword on the ground, giving him new ideas.
Then, the man activated his Devil Fruit ability again, covering the area in smoke.
"Boom!!"
"Using the same move again?"
Surveying the surrounding smoke, Meiser shook his head. "What a waste of a perfectly good Devil Fruit ability."
"What do you mean?"
Smoker's voice echoed from all directions, constantly shifting positions.
"It means your development is trash."
"Bullshit!" Smoker cursed. "My Devil Fruit ability has been developed quite powerfully!"
"Oh really? Can you manipulate temperature then?" Meiser said calmly.
Smoke is a mixture of gaseous molecules and solid particles. Theoretically, it should be possible to develop temperature manipulation abilities. With more advanced development, one might even create flame-like abilities.
Of course, the prerequisite would be mastering physics and chemistry.
But judging from Smoker's situation, this guy was probably an academic failure.
Smoker: ???
Manipulate temperature?
His Devil Fruit ability could manipulate temperature?
Wait, was it even reasonable for the Smoke-Smoke Fruit to control temperature?
In that moment of distraction, Meiser rushed before him and grabbed his arm.
Smoker: !!!
"How did you find me?!" Smoker stared at Meiser in shock.
Had this guy mastered Haki?
Glancing at the hand gripping his arm, Smoker thought: 'This guy might really have mastered both types of Haki!'
"You think I can't see that long sword in your hand?" Meiser sneered. "That weapon is practically in my face!"
Knowing the Jitte was ineffective against me, so you planned to stab me to death with a long sword?
Heh, not a bad plan, but unfortunately... this thing can't kill me either!
With a cold laugh, Meiser infused Haki into his other hand and slammed it hard into Smoker's abdomen.
"Armament - Super Strength Fist!"
"BAM!!"
"Urk!"
The punch to his abdomen made Smoker's eyes bulge out, and he vomited a large mouthful of blood!
Then the man shot out like a cannonball, crashing directly into the distant plaza of Marine Headquarters!
"BOOM!!"
With a tremendous impact, the man created a large crater in the ground!
"Hey, Commodore Smoker!"
"Dammit, that damned Blood-Eyed Ninja!"
The Marines' eyes turned red as they stared at Meiser standing on the ice.
Ignoring their gazes, Meiser turned his attention to Sengoku on the execution platform.
'It seems he hasn't disclosed my Undying Body to everyone,' Meiser thought to himself.
Otherwise, this Smoker definitely wouldn't have come seeking death.
Just then, Sengoku picked up a Den Den Mushi.
"Everyone, attention!" Sengoku said with a serious expression. "The Blood-Eyed Ninja possesses an ability similar to an Undying Body! Ordinary means cannot kill him!"
"Those below the rank of Rear Admiral, do not approach him lightly!"
"Wha?!!"
Both Marines and pirates showed shocked expressions upon hearing Sengoku's words.
"An... Undying Body?!" the Marines said in disbelief. "How is that possible?!"
"Though it's hard to believe, if Fleet Admiral Sengoku says so, it must be true..."
"Does that mean he ate some kind of Devil Fruit similar to the Phoenix Fruit?!"
The concept of "undying" had shocked them beyond measure.
This means conventional methods simply cannot kill him!
"That doesn't make sense though," a Marine commented. "If he possesses an undying body, then why... why hasn't he demonstrated it until now?"
After glancing at the man who stood with crossed arms staring at Admiral Sengoku, the Marine fell silent.
Perhaps... they weren't worthy of forcing this man to reveal his undying body?!
"I never expected the Blood-Eyed Ninja to have abilities similar to Commander Marco's!" a pirate gulped and said. "This is truly astonishing."
"What kind of fruit did he eat?"
"Not sure..."
"No wonder he dared to challenge the three Marine Admirals earlier," Vista laughed. "With this undying ability combined with his Water Release Technique... he might actually be able to hold off an Admiral!"
Even if he could only stall one, it would still be incredibly advantageous for them, wouldn't it!
"Undying, huh," Marco grinned. "Interesting~"
If that's the case, the two of them could use their respective abilities to each hold off a Marine Admiral!
It's feasible!
Meanwhile, in the New World.
On Whole Cake Island in Totto Land, BIG MOM was staring excitedly at the live broadcast of Meiser and laughing heartily.
"Mamamamama~"
"An undying body?!" BIG MOM exclaimed excitedly. "Could this also be an ability inherent to his bloodline?"
Watching Meiser's eyes that had transformed into the Mangekyō Sharingan, BIG MOM trembled with excitement.
At this moment, she desperately wanted this young man to marry into Totto Land and have many children with Galette!
That way, Totto Land could obtain the ninja bloodline!
Thinking this, BIG MOM burst into laughter.
"Mamamamama~"
While laughing, BIG MOM stuffed a piece of cake into her mouth, feeling exceptionally pleased.
"Mom, it seems you really like this person," Zeus remarked.
"To be precise, it's his bloodline."
After swallowing the cake, BIG MOM slowly said, "As long as we can obtain his bloodline, Totto Land's power will grow even stronger!"
Moreover... it would fill the gap of not having any ninjas in Totto Land!
Mamamamama~ Zeus and Prometheus exchanged glances upon hearing this, then laughed and said, "That's true."
"The question is whether he'd be willing to come to Totto Land."
At these words, BIG MOM's expression immediately darkened.
Then she declared, "If he dares refuse, I'll kill every last member of the Straw Hat Pirates!"
In that instant, BIG MOM unleashed the aura befitting one of the Four Emperors!
Her terrifying Conqueror's Haki exploded outward from the castle in an instant!
"BOOM!!"
"Thud~"
"Thud~"
"Thud~"
Those struck by this fearsome Conqueror's Haki collapsed one after another, clearly unable to withstand the overwhelming pressure.
Those who could endure it looked toward the castle in horror.
"That's Mom's Conqueror's Haki, right? What's happening over there?" Mont-d'Or exclaimed in shock.
"Has Mom gotten angry?"
"Not sure..."
"Brother Katakuri, what's going on?" Charlotte Brûlée exclaimed in shock while looking toward the castle.
At this time when the tea party was about to begin... could someone really be causing trouble on their Whole Cake Island?
Impossible!
"Not sure," Katakuri said. "But it probably isn't someone causing trouble."
Otherwise, the commotion Mama would make would definitely be much more exaggerated than this.
"Perhaps Mama is just particularly emotional right now," Smoothie suggested.
"Maybe."
Katakuri fell silent for a moment before standing up and walking outside, saying, "I'll go check on Mama. You two keep watching the broadcast."
With that, the man strode away.
"Brother Katakuri is..."
"Brother Katakuri must have his own considerations," Smoothie said.
But Mama probably isn't having a craving fit—otherwise the disturbance would definitely be much more extreme!
Shaking her head, Smoothie turned her attention back to the broadcast screen, thinking to herself: 'An Undying Body...
Ninjas actually possess the ability of an Undying Body?
This is truly... astonishing!'
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