"What… how is he that fast?!"
The masked agent barely had time to react before Rahu appeared right in front of him. To be attacked he, an elite agent of CP0, the secret fist of the World Government, second only to the Celestial Dragons themselves was unthinkable. Rage flared in his chest, but his training took over.
He spread his stance, muscles tightening like steel cables. His body darkened, a metallic sheen crawling across his skin as he activated his defensive technique.
"Iron Body Armed Steel!" he shouted.
"Die!"
Rahu's snarl cut through the air like thunder. His arm bulged with power, veins glowing faintly under the surface of his skin as he coated his fist in advanced Armament Haki. The air itself cracked as he swung, the force of his punch howling through the wind like a cannon blast aimed directly at the CP0 agent's skull.
BOOM!
A dull, crushing sound echoed across the deck.
Rahu's fist connected squarely with the man's forehead, and for a split second, the air trembled with raw impact.
Then came the shattering.
Crack!
The agent's head imploded under the pressure bone, flesh, and mask collapsing inward as if struck by a meteor. His body froze in place, the light in his eyes extinguished instantly. Blood and fragments sprayed across the deck, painting the wood with crimson.
And then, a soft digital chime echoed in Rahu's mind.
[Ding~ Host has absorbed 43 Strength points!]
[Ding~ Host has absorbed 12 Agility points!]
[Ding~ Host has absorbed 107 Vitality points!]
Rahu exhaled slowly, shaking the blood from his knuckles. Around him, silence fell.
On the Celestial Tribute transport, the remaining Cipher Pol agents could only stare in horror.
"Captain Negr… he was killed in one blow! How is that even possible?! That pirate who is he? Their flag isn't even from any known crew!"
Their shock was absolute. CP0 agents were legends among assassins invincible, untouchable. Yet their commander had died instantly, his body barely recognizable.
Panic rippled through the group. They knew what this meant. If even CP0's captain had fallen, what chance did the rest of them have?
"Run…?" one whispered. But no one moved.
On the pirate ship, Kaido burst into laughter, the sound booming like a storm. "Oro ro ro ro! Rahu, that punch of yours it looked just like my Thunderous Bagua! You've really got the hang of it, huh?"
He spoke half-jokingly, half in awe. He'd long accepted that Rahu possessed an unnatural ability to mimic not just techniques, but the essence of another's power.
Rahu chuckled. "You're not wrong. I borrowed your striking method for this one. The Thunderous Bagua is an effective technique."
"Ha! I knew it!" Kaido grinned wide, the excitement blazing in his eyes.
Rahu's tone shifted back to calm, predatory focus. "Come on. Let's see what treasures this Tribute ship is hiding."
He flicked the blood from his hand, then launched himself upward, landing with precision on the deck of the transport ship. Kaido followed instantly, his massive frame landing beside him with a heavy thud.
Together, they stood at the center of the deck, blocking every escape route.
"Now," Rahu said quietly, his gaze cold and steady, "you'll answer my questions. Lie to me, and you'll wish you hadn't."
The remaining Cipher Pol agents trembled, legs shaking violently.
"M-my lord," one stammered, voice cracking, "ask whatever you wish! I'll tell you everything I know. I'm done with this cursed organization!"
A few of them three, maybe four broke ranks and stepped forward, faces pale with fear but desperate to live.
"Good," Rahu said, a faint smirk touching his lips. "The brave ones get to live a little longer. The rest of you…"
He turned toward the others, his shadow falling across their terrified faces. "You made your choice. Now pay for it."
Before they could react, the remaining agents tried to escape. They stomped on the air, activating the Moon Step technique to leap skyward. But just as their feet left the deck
Rahu's eyes flashed crimson.
A wave of pressure exploded outward, tearing across the ship like a hurricane. Black lightning cracked and snapped through the air, shaking the very sky.
It was Conqueror's Haki.
The CP agents froze midair, their bodies stiffening as if the world itself had turned to stone around them. One by one, they dropped like marionettes with their strings cut, slamming onto the deck below.
"Damn it… that's… Conqueror's Haki…" one gasped, his voice fading. "Another king in the making…"
The others couldn't even speak. They just trembled, helpless under the crushing weight of Rahu's will.
Rahu exhaled, expression unreadable. "Justice, loyalty, obedience it's all the same when you're dead."
He stepped forward. His fists, once again cloaked in obsidian Haki, moved like blurs. Each punch landed with precise, devastating force, ending a life in a single hit.
The deck turned into a battlefield of blood and shattered bodies. The scent of iron filled the air, carried by the wind.
When it was done, silence returned.
Rahu flexed his fingers, absorbing the floating energy orbs that shimmered faintly where his victims had fallen. His body hummed with new power.
He turned his attention to the three surviving agents the ones who had chosen to talk. Their faces were ashen, their eyes empty.
"You're lucky," Rahu said. "I'm not a man who kills for pleasure. Tell me have any of the Celestial Dragons left their sanctuary recently? Where are they, and who's guarding them?"
The three exchanged nervous glances. They knew what revealing such information meant execution by their own government. But at this point, that fate seemed distant. Immediate death was standing right in front of them.
Finally, one of them broke. "Lord Rahu… we only know fragments. The Government is preparing for something big. Many of the Celestial Dragons have left the Holy Land for now."
"Most of them remain near Marine Headquarters, in protected territories," another added quickly. "But… there's one group close by, on Demon Island. They went there to capture pirates and add them to their slave collections. Marines are guarding them."
"The escort includes several Vice Admirals," the last whispered. "If there's an Admiral present, we wouldn't know. That level of information is beyond us."
Rahu nodded slowly, processing the details.
Then
CRACK!
Kaido's massive iron club swung through the air, smashing all three skulls in one brutal motion. Blood sprayed like rain.
"Useless," Kaido muttered, shaking the blood from his weapon.
Rahu sighed, unfolding a sea chart and tracing his finger toward the coordinates of Demon Island.
"It's not far," he murmured. "But if there's an Admiral nearby… things could get interesting."
He folded the map, eyes narrowing with anticipation. "Let's go see what kind of gods are waiting to die."
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