It's one thing to be weak, you can always train, but having a broken brain? That's hopeless.
For Shiranami Hakusei to break through CP9's elite blockade and arrive first at the Gate of Justice, while Lucci still hadn't figured out how, given there was only one secret passage, was proof enough of his terrifying strength and extraordinary methods.
And yet Spandam thought he could handle someone like this easily? If that's not brain-dead, what is?
Hakusei didn't even spare him a glance. He knew Spandam was just a noisy clown. Instead, he turned his attention to Lucci.
"Go ahead. Show me your leopard-human form."
Lucci's body stiffened. That amused smile on Hakusei's face sent waves of dread through his heart.
"How does he know about that?! I've never revealed my powers in front of him… did the Straw Hats tell him?"
He quickly shook his head, forcing himself to focus. So what if he knew? A fight was inevitable either way.
"So be it. Let me show you what I'm capable of!"
ROAR!!
With a beastly howl, Lucci's body rapidly bulked up. His once-lean frame ballooned into a towering 3-meter-tall beastman. Thick, explosive muscles rippled across his form, and yellow fur with black spots sprouted from his skin. His face transformed completely, now resembling a standing leopard more than a man.
He stepped up to Hakusei and looked down on him, hoping to glimpse some fear, some shock in his eyes.
But all he saw was calm.
Utter, effortless calm.
Hakusei looked like he wasn't facing a monstrous Zoan user, but just another ant underfoot.
The contempt was maddening.
Veins bulged on Lucci's arms as he clenched his fists. If this brat was so confident, he'd just have to make him regret it, with pain.
"Tempest Kick: Bird of Prey!"
Whoosh!
Lucci vanished, his speed almost warping the air. He reappeared at Hakusei's flank, launching a savage Tempest Kick from above.
"Lightning Shield!"
BZZZT!
Crackling lightning exploded around Hakusei, forming an impenetrable electric barrier.
Lucci's kick slammed into the shield, warping its surface, but it held.
Even with his Zoan-enhanced power, he couldn't break through.
Still, Lucci didn't falter. He activated Soru, darting around Hakusei like a phantom, searching for an opening.
As CP9's top agent, Lucci had honed the Rokushiki to the pinnacle. His Soru was so fast, he seemed to vanish completely, only the air cutting sound betrayed his motion.
From an outside perspective, it almost looked like Hakusei was standing there alone.
But Lucci was growing desperate.
Hakusei looked so vulnerable, standing still like that… but there wasn't a single opening to exploit. Every angle felt like a trap.
"This won't do," Lucci thought, grinding his teeth. "I have to go on the offensive before I start doubting myself."
He reappeared behind Hakusei, unleashing a deadly strike:
"Tempest Kick: Leopard Tail!"
A more advanced, high-speed version of Tempest Kick. But once again, it failed.
The lightning shield flared and neutralized the blow.
Enraged, Lucci flashed forward with a roar, closing the distance,
"Rokushiki Secret Art: Six King Gun!"
Clenching both fists together, Lucci launched his strongest technique, a compressed shockwave blast strong enough to distort the air itself.
Hakusei's reply was just as fast:
"Spear of Lightning: Four-Finger Piercer!"
BOOM!!
Their blows collided, shockwaves blasted outward, sending waves crashing violently on both sides.
Lucci's Six King Gun, the culmination of all Rokushiki techniques, was devastating.
But the Spear of Lightning, born from the might of the Third Raikage, was on another level.
Even without Haki, Lucci couldn't match it.
The moment their strikes met, the outcome was clear.
The Spear of Lightning shattered the Six King Gun, and the electric backlash paralyzed Lucci's arms. Despite his enhanced Zoan durability, he couldn't take it.
He was sent flying, both shoulders dislocated from the impact.
One blow. That's all it took.
Watching from the side, Spandam's smug grin finally collapsed.
This monster… he's way too strong!
To him, Lucci had always been a terrifying powerhouse. But now, Lucci looked helpless, crushed by some twenty-year-old punk.
No wonder Lucci had been so uneasy all this time.
This level of strength, this was the kind of man who could compete with the monsters of the New World!
What hope did they have of stopping him?
Spandam clutched his Den Den Mushi tightly. Thankfully, he had already activated the Buster Call. Now all he could do was pray that Marine reinforcements would arrive in time.
Robin and Franky, watching from afar, were just as shocked.
But unlike Spandam, their hearts were filled with joy.
Hope.
That pitch-black Bridge of Justice, once a symbol of despair, now glowed with a sliver of light. All because of one man.
And now that faint glimmer… was blazing like a star.
The eternal night… was finally nearing dawn.
As Hakusei walked toward them step by step, his body sparking with thunder, Spandam's feelings were the complete opposite.
His dreams of promotion, wealth, fame… all shattered.
This demon had crushed his golden future underfoot.
And Spandam hated it.
He clenched his teeth in fury, trembling uncontrollably. He hated how strong this man was. He hated how useless his subordinates were. He hated Marine HQ for delaying reinforcements.
But not once did he blame himself.
Not once did he regret his actions.
Not once did he feel guilt.
A man like this… doesn't deserve to live.
Hakusei could already see the rot in his soul. A worm like this had no place in his world.
He wasn't the merciful type.
Scum should be erased.
As he advanced, the crackling lightning coiled tighter around him, surging in dazzling arcs.
The blinding light forced everyone to avert their gaze.
In that moment, Hakusei wasn't just a warrior.
He was a god descending, radiating divine wrath.
And Spandam… finally felt it.
True fear.
His heart skipped a beat, cold sweat drenched his back.
He had never, not once in his life, felt a presence like this.
This… was death.
A suffocating, all-consuming sense of death.
And there were no words to describe how terrifying that felt.
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