Squeak, Squeak, Squeak...
Mr. 1's body was covered with sharp blades. Under his control, they began to spin rapidly.
With no chance to dodge, he braced himself to receive Hyaku's slash head-on!
In the blink of an eye, the slash arrived — a blue-green crescent that emanated chilling sword intent — striking Mr. 1's body directly.
Clang, Clang, Clang!
The slash collided with the spinning blades, producing a cacophony of metallic sounds.
Clatter, Clatter!
But the stalemate Mr. 1 had hoped for never came.
Though seemingly ordinary, Hyaku's slash carried devastating sword intent that made it unstoppable. The blades covering Mr. 1's body shattered instantly.
Slash!
The remaining force tore through flesh and blood. The blade flashed, and crimson sprayed.
Hyaku's slash slowly dissipated.
A diagonal wound carved across Mr. 1's chest, running from his left shoulder to his right waist. The gash was so deep that internal organs and bone were visible through the torn flesh.
Thud!
Mr. 1 collapsed, instantly losing consciousness from the severe blood loss and pain.
With a flourish, Hyaku flicked his Tachi and sheathed it.
"..."
The onlookers stood in stunned silence, shocked by how quickly Mr. 1 had fallen.
Hyaku turned to find his men frozen in place.
"What are you standing there for?" He said with irritation, "Two of you — put kairōseki handcuffs on him and take him back to the ship."
"Ah... Yes! Yes!"
His words snapped them back to attention.
Two marines rushed forward to secure Mr. 1 with kairōseki handcuffs — restraints specially designed to neutralize Akuma no Mi powers. They lifted the unconscious man and carried him back along their original route.
〘 Ding! Host Successfully Accumulated 10,000 Sword Swings! Reward: Azure Dragon Sword Intent Proficiency +10% | Constitution Grade Upgraded to B-Grade 〙
〘 Ding! Host Successfully Accumulated 10,000 Sword Swings! Additional Reward: Three Colors of Haki Awakened 〙
A series of system reward notifications echoed in Hyaku's mind.
Total accumulated sword swings: 10,000 times! Blue Dragon Sword Qi proficiency +10! Constitution level upgraded to B-Grade!
Most importantly, it triggered an additional reward. The standard configuration for late-stage powerhouses in the One Piece world — Three Colors of Haki awakened!
Hyaku closed his eyes as the system transmitted information and his constitution grew stronger with each reward.
When he opened his eyes moments later, a satisfied smile spread across his face. In this brief time, his constitution had grown far beyond its previous limits, and he had gained mastery over the initial stages of the Three Colors of Haki.
'Perfect timing! Busōshoku no Haki (Armament Haki) is exactly what I need to counter Logia Akuma no Mi users!' He rejoiced inwardly.
The timing couldn't have been better. With the Three Colors of Haki now at his command, Hyaku felt much more confident about facing Crocodile, a Logia user.
"Commander... are you alright? Your body was... smoking!"
The Master Chief Petty Officer, noticing Hyaku's eyes open, approached with concern.
After the battle had ended, Hyaku had stood motionless with closed eyes. Not understanding what was happening, the Marine soldiers had maintained a quiet guard around him.
Now they could see wisps of white smoke mysteriously rising from Hyaku's body — a visible sign of his constitution upgrade.
"I'm fine, I just had an epiphany."
Having a cheat system wasn't something Hyaku could reveal to others, so he dismissed their concerns with a casual excuse.
"Let's hurry on our way." He said quickly, hoping to prevent further questions.
"Yes!"
The Marine soldiers snapped to attention, their expressions turning serious.
Under Hyaku's lead, they continued their advance toward Alubarna Palace.
✣✣✣✣✣✣✣✣✣✣
Meanwhile, inside Alubarna Palace, Crocodile and his subordinates had already seized control.
"Guhahahaha... Only I am qualified to be king of this country! Vivi, your father is in my hands — do you still wish to resist?" Crocodile's mocking laugh echoed as he swept his gaze over the remaining royal guards.
His words confirmed the worst — King Nefertari Cobra had been captured!
"No! Even if I die, I will never hand the country over to a demon like you!" Vivi declared through gritted teeth.
"Hmph! I don't need your consent. Die with your foolishness!" Crocodile's face darkened as he spoke.
With a wave of his hand, his arm transformed into its elemental form.
Swish, Swish, Swish!
His elementalized arm slashed through the air, creating a crescent-shaped blade of sand that whistled as it cut through the wind, racing toward Vivi.
"Protect the princess!"
The remaining dozen royal guards immediately rushed to form a human shield before their princess.
Slash, Slash, Slash—
But mere flesh could never hope to stop Crocodile's attack.
The sound of slashing filled the air as the sand blade tore through the guards' bodies.
In an instant, their bodies were drained of all moisture, leaving behind nothing but horrifically desiccated corpses!
The sand blade continued toward Vivi, unimpeded by the fallen guards. As it drew closer, her hands trembled uncontrollably around her weapon.
At the moment the blade was about to strike, she squeezed her eyes shut in fear.
Bang!!
A muffled explosion thundered through the air.
Feeling no pain, Vivi's eyes flew open. The sand blade that had been bearing down on her had vanished, leaving only scattered grains across the floor.
She turned to Crocodile in surprise, only to find his gaze fixed on something behind her.
"Crocodile! If you want to touch Princess Vivi, you'll have to get past my sword first!" A cheerful voice rang out from behind her.
At the sound, Vivi spun around.
Tap, Tap, Tap—
Dozens of Marine soldiers poured in from outside the palace, forming neat ranks before her.
Then, Hyaku strode past her to take his place at the center of the formation.
✣✣✣
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