He was terrified!
Truly terrified, regretting every second he'd wasted strolling along instead of running. Why didn't he just move faster? Why did he dawdle?
He wanted to slap himself twice across the face, but at this moment, he couldn't even lift a finger.
Because Shiranami Hakusei had released his Conqueror's Haki, locking onto him.
Spandam's thoughts completely stopped. He couldn't comprehend it. Just one glance, just one, nearly gave him a heart attack. The sheer aura, the pressure, the suffocating presence... it felt like he'd die from fear alone.
Thud!
Spandam mustered every ounce of strength in his body to drop to his knees, wailing in despair.
"Spare me! You can take Robin, take Franky, I don't care! Just please, don't kill me!"
At that moment, he had no dignity left. No pride. He was sobbing, kneeling in his own fear. Anyone watching might've mistaken him for the victim.
But his pitiful begging was met with nothing but Hakusei's cold shake of the head.
"You must die."
Hakusei's eyes snapped open. His aura erupted.
With one step forward, he launched himself into the air. The very bridge beneath his foot shattered, exploding into chunks of stone. Yet those chunks froze mid-air, his will suppressing gravity itself.
Spandam watched the scene unfold in complete despair.
He had no chance. No time to fight back. No hope of survival.
He stared, wide-eyed, as Hakusei's foot descended like divine punishment.
Is this where I die? Spandam thought, closing his eyes and accepting his fate. In front of this man, he was less than an ant. Killing him would be as easy as squashing a bug.
The lethal kick closed in, Spandam could feel the wind slicing across his cheeks,
When suddenly, Rob Lucci, beaten and broken, returned with a final charge!
"Life Return: Paper Drawing - Martial Body!"
One of Lucci's self-created techniques. In his hybrid beast form, he condensed his body mass, contracting his muscles, fur, and even internal organs to abandon strength in exchange for extreme speed.
"Iron Body: Hollow Tree!"
BOOM!
CRACK!
"Gah!"
"Ugh!"
Just in time, barely.
The Hollow Tree was a defensive technique that normally reflected an enemy's force. But Hakusei's kick was too overwhelming. The sheer power behind it far exceeded what Lucci could rebound.
Still, he managed to absorb a portion of it.
The kick slammed into Lucci's body and hurled him into Spandam, blasting both of them through the air. Fortunately, the impact was no longer fatal, just enough to leave both of them bloodied and injured.
Hakusei hadn't expected that. Caught off guard, the rebounded force forced him back several steps.
"Interesting," he muttered, grinning coldly.
This was the first time he had been forced back since acquiring his abilities.
And the technique came from Lucci's own original style.
It was a testament to Lucci's extraordinary talent in close combat.
But Hakusei wasn't about to let him live past today.
Without hesitation, he launched forward again, delivering another devastating kick.
"Hmph! You think I'll fall for it again? Last time I caught your attack on short notice, this time, I'm ready!" Lucci growled, having just gotten back to his feet.
"Take the prisoner and go! Leave this man to me! Iron Body: Hollow Tree!"
He roared as he assumed his stance again, preparing to meet Hakusei's next strike.
Hakusei sneered. "What an idiot."
He reached Lucci in an instant, but instead of attacking, he suddenly stopped short.
He withdrew his leg mid-swing and smirked.
"Ever played King of Fighters '97?"
"…What?"
Lucci's mind short-circuited. What the hell was that supposed to mean?
And in that instant of confusion,
ZAP!
Hakusei's hands snapped forward, grabbing Lucci's leopard head between his palms.
"Nice haircut. Let me wash it for you."
Lucci's heart sank. He could see the twisted amusement on Hakusei's face.
But it was too late to react.
BZZZZZTTT!!
"AAAAAARGH!!"
A horrifying current of high-voltage lightning surged into Lucci's skull through his temples. His brain felt like it was about to explode.
His massive leopard head went black with soot, smoke billowing out. The scent of sizzling meat filled the air.
Someone watching might've thought a barbecue was starting.
Hakusei finally let go, and Lucci collapsed with a crash. Blood poured from his ears, nose, and mouth. His body spasmed violently, half-dead.
"Waste of medicine even if he survives," Hakusei scoffed, clearly unimpressed.
Satisfied that Lucci had lost consciousness, Hakusei calmly turned toward Spandam again.
"Watch out!"
Suddenly, Robin cried out in warning.
"Hm?"
Hakusei frowned, his Observation Haki picked up danger from behind!
In a flash, he spun around, activated full-body Armament Haki, and threw a punch without hesitation!
"Maximum Wheel: Six King Gun!!"
Lucci's voice screamed through the air.
Despite his entire body being crushed, despite his consciousness fraying at the edges, he still wasn't done!
He had gambled everything on this last, strongest attack.
BOOM!!
Their fists collided.
The shockwave distorted the surrounding air. The thick stone bridge beneath them cracked open, on the verge of collapse.
But Lucci… was spent.
A dying ember. A candle flickering in a storm.
How could he possibly match a fully-powered Shiranami Hakusei?
The result was inevitable.
Lucci's body was blasted high into the sky, so far he didn't stop until he crashed down…
BOOM!!
…onto a distant Marine warship!
That's right.
At some point, nearly twenty Marine warships had arrived through the Gate of Justice.
Even Hakusei, busy handling Lucci, hadn't noticed until now.
"Hahahaha! They're here! Reinforcements are finally here!!" Spandam screamed, almost dancing with joy.
He'd been through hell.
These people were scarier than any devil. They'd scared him to death ten times over.
If the Marines hadn't come, he might've died of fright even before Hakusei touched him.
"This brat… he's just too monstrous. I've never seen anything like him," Spandam trembled. "Not in the Grand Line, not anywhere…"
To think someone like this could exist in the first half of the Grand Line?
Even Rob Lucci, the pride of CP9, couldn't even touch him!
But Spandam, in his excitement, forgot something crucial.
Between him and those warships…
…stood a god of death.
He celebrated for a few moments, then slowly turned, and met Hakusei's mocking gaze.
His heart skipped a beat.
Oh no.
He forgot about this demon standing right in front of him.
There's no getting past him.
"You seem… pretty happy," Hakusei said coldly.
/////////////////////////
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