"It's you..."
When the three clearly saw the newcomer, their reactions varied.
For instance, Matthew's eyes held only pure, abject terror.
He immediately recognized the person as the direct superior of the monstrous Gin, the Naval Governor-General of the East Blue, Rear Admiral Lancelot.
"Gulp..."
'This was an existence even more fearsome than Gin.'
He couldn't help but swallow hard.
Simultaneously, a cold chill ran from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head.
He then quickly scanned his surroundings.
Upon confirming there were no other Marines present, he deeply sighed in relief, though his heart still hammered against his ribs.
Nevertheless, he remained extremely wary of Lancelot, subtly retreating several steps, as if only this distance could grant him some small peace of mind.
"A Marine?" Buggy had never seen Lancelot before, but he instantly recognized the high-quality "Justice" cloak Lancelot wore.
After regaining his composure, his gaze fell upon Lancelot's shoulders.
Generally speaking, a Marine's rank was, to some extent, a reflection of their strength.
Thus, when he saw the Rear Admiral rank insignia on Lancelot's shoulders, his pupils involuntarily contracted sharply.
As for Alvida, her reaction was entirely different.
Her eyes were filled with utter disbelief.
After all, ever since she had eaten the Paramecia-type Slippery Fruit, she had forgotten what pain felt like.
Because no attack, blunt or sharp, could harm her in the slightest.
If not for the constant, throbbing pain in her breasts reminding her that what just happened was real, she might have thought it was all an illusion.
"You... you..." Alvida pointed a trembling, furious finger at Lancelot, her face a mask of humiliation and rage.
Was this really a Marine? Was this how a "good person supposed to act"?
Would a Marine immediately attack her breasts like that?
Would a good person slap them right away? Look, they were even a bit swollen...
Was this something a decent person would do?
Meanwhile, Lancelot smirked devilishly while rubbing his fingers together.
"As expected of a Devil Fruit user who ate the Slippery Fruit. So smooth! And... so tender."
Matthew: "..." Buggy: "..." Alvida: "..."
"Go to hell...!"
Flames seemed to shoot from Alvida's eyes as she roared.
Ignoring the fact that she no longer held a weapon, she clenched her fist without hesitation and swung with all her might.
Her fist shot straight toward Lancelot's face like a cannonball.
Yet, facing the ferocious attack, Lancelot merely extended a hand casually and effortlessly caught Alvida's fist.
In that instant, time seemed to freeze.
Alvida's face instantly turned deathly pale.
Her eyes widened even further, filled with disbelief and a new, dawning panic.
Because this punch felt as if she had struck solid steel, or slammed into an unmovable mountain—she was utterly unable to budge her opponent.
Driven by instinct, she desperately tried to pull her captured fist back.
But no matter how she struggled or exerted herself, her fist remained immovable, as if clamped in iron tongs, completely unable to break free from Lancelot's seemingly effortless, yet overwhelmingly powerful grip.
At this moment, the look in Alvida's eyes toward Lancelot had completely transformed.
The previous anger and arrogance had vanished, replaced by deep fear and despair.
She knew very well that aside from the passive, defensive abilities granted by her Slippery Fruit, her only other reliance was her own superhuman physical strength.
But now, her once-invincible Slippery Fruit ability seemed ineffective against this man's Haki- imbued touch.
And the strength she had always prided herself on appeared so insignificant and fragile in the face of his absolute power.
Lancelot smirked devilishly again, leaning close to Alvida's ear, his voice a low whisper.
"I'm curious—is your entire body this smooth?"
"You..." Alvida never expected this man to ask such a question.
He was supposed to be a Marine, after all.
Couldn't he act like one? He was worse than a pirate.
While Lancelot was teasing Alvida, Buggy and Matthew's expressions kept shifting.
Especially Buggy, who had sailed with the Pirate King himself.
His strength might be average, but his experience surpassed all pirates in the East Blue.
'If he could neutralize Alvida's ability,' Buggy thought, his mind racing, 'it means he has mastered Armament Haki, which can counter Devil Fruits. And anyone who's awakened Armament Haki is no weakling.'
'This is trouble...' Buggy inwardly cursed his luck and swiftly shot a meaningful glance at his first mate, Mohji, who was nearby with Richie.
Mohji understood immediately and gave an imperceptible nod.
"Wheel Special Move Acrobatics: Summer Fireworks!"
However, to everyone's surprise, someone moved even faster than Buggy or Mohji.
It was none other than Buggy's other capable subordinate—Cabaji the Acrobat.
It turned out Cabaji had been watching from not far away.
When he saw Lancelot suddenly appear, he was momentarily stunned, but after only a brief hesitation, he immediately sprang into action to defend his captain.
Cabaji pedaled his unicycle like an arrow shot from a bow, soaring high into the air in the blink of an eye.
Then, twisting his body like a nimble eagle diving for prey, he thrust his razor-sharp sword straight at Lancelot's back with blinding speed.
Facing such a fierce assault, Lancelot remained unfazed.
He didn't even bother to look up, merely raising his free arm casually as if the gleaming blade meant nothing to him, effortlessly deflecting the sword aside with a Haki-coated forearm.
Not only that, Lancelot moved like lightning, his hand accurately seizing Cabaji by the throat with an iron grip.
The once aggressive Cabaji now dangled helplessly in mid-air, held aloft by Lancelot's single hand.
No matter how desperately he struggled, Lancelot's grip burned like a red-hot poker around his neck, leaving him utterly powerless to break free.
'Perfect opportunity!' Buggy and Mohji seized the chance.
Because at this moment, one of Lancelot's hands tightly restrained Alvida, while the other firmly controlled Cabaji.
To Buggy and Mohji, this situation presented a glaring, unmissable opening.
A sly, cunning smile crept across Buggy's face as his eyes glinted.
Without hesitation, he activated his Chop-Chop Fruit's unique ability.
"Chop-Chop Flying Dagger!"
Instantly, the arm holding his flying dagger shot forward like a released arrow, detaching from his body and moving at astonishing speed.
The sharp dagger gleamed coldly as it hurtled toward Lancelot's exposed back, seemingly intent on piercing right through him.
Simultaneously, Mohji, on the other side, keenly grasped this fleeting combat opportunity.
He took a deep breath, commanded Richie to attack, and swung his arm forcefully, unleashing a tremendous burst of power.
In an instant, a terrifying wind blade (from his whip) materialized out of thin air, roaring toward Lancelot.
This massive blade carried a fierce momentum, as if capable of slicing Lancelot clean in half.