Chapter 258: Gear Fourth
The setting sun cast an oblique glow, and red clouds burned across the sky.
The red earth was indented with shoe prints, as if a prehistoric beast had walked by.
"Monkey D. Luffy, Black Snake Reiner."
Z took off his sunglasses and tossed them aside. He placed his giant mechanical arm heavily on the ground and said with a cold, light laugh, "You guys are really persistent. Why?"
"Of course, it's because you destroyed our ship!"
Luffy stood firm and said righteously, "You ran away without even apologizing! And, Chopper saved you, but you still haven't thanked him!"
"A boring reason," Z said sarcastically. "Is that all?"
"That's all," Luffy nodded firmly.
"Hahaha!" Z suddenly laughed. "Chasing me for such a reason... an interesting kid."
"That tanuki doctor... thank him. As for your ship..."
The smile on Z's face suddenly vanished. He dragged his heavy mechanical arm and charged straight up, roaring ferociously, "A Marine doesn't need to apologize for destroying a pirate ship, you idiot!"
At this moment, his short purple hair was flowing, and his revitalized face had lost some of its weathered look.
His steps were like the wind, his aura majestic and devastating, completely incomparable to his aged state from the daytime!
"So there's no room for discussion!"
"Suits me just fine."
"Let's go!" Reiner and Luffy grinned, their eyes burning, and they stepped forward to meet Z's charge.
"Gear Second!"
Luffy decisively activated Gear Second. The aura erupting from the man before him was much stronger than it had been during the day.
"Gomu Gomu no...!"
"Soru!"
Swish!
Just as Luffy, who was emitting wisps of white steam, assumed an attack stance, Z flashed and appeared in front of him!
"Jet Pistol!"
Unexpectedly, Luffy keenly captured his figure. The moment Z disappeared, his fist, held at his side, quickly predicted his position and shot out!
"Tekkai: Utsugi!"
Thud!!
The fist struck Z's body, but strangely, it produced a crisp sound like striking a hollow wooden board, and his arm was instantly sent flying back!
"This is...!"
Luffy's expression was surprised. He had seen this move before. "This is that pigeon bastard's move! It seems to be able to reflect physical damage!"
"But unfortunately,"
Luffy lifted his mouth proudly, "I'm a rubber man. The reflected impact has no effect on me."
At the same time.
"Shadow Grudge Spirit!"
Reiner's left palm swung up from below, and several dark shadows, which had transformed into a viscous substance, suddenly emerged from the shadow under Luffy's feet.
Shaped like ferocious, roaring ghosts, they coiled up Z's legs and bound his body tightly, while at the same time, two sharp claws rose up and tore down fiercely!
"Tekkai: Gō!"
The sudden, bizarre move left Z no time to think of a counter. He subconsciously surged the blood throughout his body to harden his muscles.
Ding!
The sharp claws left several deep marks on his skin but did not pierce through.
Then his left hand formed a claw and grabbed the black shadow grudge spirit, violently tearing it off, pressing it to the ground, and smashing it to pieces with the Smasher.
Before Z could relax, the scattered dark shadow re-condensed into countless slender, swimming snakes, which swarmed up and coiled around his feet like a tide.
Successfully restricting Z's movement, Luffy did not miss this fleeting opportunity.
His arm that had just been sent flying was pulled straight back. Haki as black as flowing fire imbued it, and scorching hot flames gushed out!
"Gomu Gomu no... Hawk Pistol!!"
Luffy gritted his teeth and let out an explosive roar, bringing down this fiery fist with all his might!
At the same time, his pupils constricted. As he threw the punch, he hurriedly dodged his head to the side!
As expected, the next moment.
"Smasher Heavy Strike!!"
Z's eyes were fierce. He had actually released the Tekkai that restricted his movements but greatly enhanced his defense.
He swung his mechanical right arm and hammered it towards his head, attempting to trade injury for injury!
Bang!!
A dull, short impact sounded. Luffy's fist steadily pierced the opponent's chest, and flames violently erupted from behind his body!
Z gritted his teeth and let out a muffled grunt. His legs plowed two trenches in the ground, and his entire person couldn't stop retreating several dozen meters.
"How could..."
After steadying himself, Z looked up at Luffy, secretly shocked.
The punch he had just thrown with the intention of trading injuries was actually predicted and dodged in advance!?
My Observation Haki... was actually suppressed...
"Could it be that..."
Suddenly, an even more shocking possibility occurred to Z, and he couldn't help but frown.
The opponent's Observation Haki had probably already been trained to a higher level.
"—Phew, that was close."
Luffy let out a breath, his heart still pounding. "Getting hit by that arm with Seastone would be very dangerous."
"You saw that just now, didn't you?"
Z caught his breath and spoke slowly, a playful smile even appearing on his face. "As expected, the young people cannot be underestimated."
"Unfortunately, a tickling punch like that is still far from enough!"
Z's face showed a savage grin. He endured the intense burning pain in his chest and charged up again, dragging his thick, giant arm.
He had just taken a direct hit from a Hawk Pistol, and in the blink of an eye, he was like a new man.
Luffy's face gradually grew grave. "This guy seems much stronger than this morning."
"Didn't you notice he's gotten younger, Luffy?" Reiner spoke up from the side.
Although his appearance hadn't changed much, a careful observation could still reveal subtle differences.
Reiner had also noticed the scene just now when Ain used her ability on Z.
The Modo Modo no Mi, one of the few abilities that had left a deeper impression on Reiner, could revert anything it touched to its state from twelve years ago.
This ability could also be used on people. In the story, Robin was reverted to her charming eighteen-year-old self. And among them...
The reason this fruit had left such a deep impression on Reiner was that Nami had been reverted to her childhood by Ain, turning into a legal, twin-tailed loli form.
There were quite a few other fruits that could change a person's state, like the Hobby-Hobby Fruit, the Sick-Sick Fruit, etc.
Among them, the Hobby-Hobby Fruit's ability could not be maintained once Sugar was completely knocked out. Ain's Modo Modo no Mi probably had similar limitations.
Otherwise, it would be a group eternal life fruit, comparable to the Op-Op Fruit.
Returning to the present, Z had charged before the two of them in the blink of an eye, the Smasher swinging with a whistling sound.
Bang!!
Luffy raised his arms, struggling to block the heavy blow from above.
The thousand-jun force made his body sink, and his two feet plunged directly into the shattered ground, a spiderweb of cracks spreading out.
Reiner took the opportunity to lash out with a whip kick towards Z's abdomen, but it was swept aside by the other's kick, and then, using the reactive force, he kicked towards Luffy.
Bang!
Luffy was sent flying backward. Z then turned his mechanical arm towards Reiner. A clanking mechanical sound was heard, and a violent explosion instantly erupted from the front of the Smasher!
"Smasher Short Hit!!"
Boom!!
A pillar of fire shot up into the sky. Reiner's figure broke free from the black smoke and was sent flying backward. He landed on the ground, his feet scraping and sliding back a dozen meters.
His clothes were scorched black in various places, but Reiner paid it no mind.
He clenched his fists at his waist, bent his knees to stop his momentum, and with a heavy step that shattered the ground, he shot out!
The forty-something-year-old Z's strength was definitely worthy of the title of Admiral.
Even with his renowned 'Black Arm' severed, with the threat of his Seastone weapon to ability users, combined with his superb taijutsu, his trickiness was no less than Fujitora's.
Bang!
Reiner and Z's fists collided. The spreading pressure wave swept away the rubble on the ground.
Just as Luffy charged up again, Z supported himself on the ground with his mechanical arm and went into a handstand. He twisted his waist and spun his legs, and a giant wind scythe was immediately kicked out!
"Rankyaku: Shudan!" (Storm Leg: Circuit Sever)
Clang!
A green, ring-shaped slash swept across the land, forcing the two back while at the same time cutting the surrounding hills and giant rocks smoothly and cleanly.
"Those moves again," Luffy couldn't help but think of CP9 on Enies Lobby and said to himself in a low voice, "He's much harder to deal with than that pigeon bastard and his group."
Rat-a-tat-tat!!
Dense light bullets poured out from the mechanical arm, shooting towards Reiner like a torrential downpour.
"Rush Fist: Crush!!"
The impact from Reiner's punch directly hit the air in front of him. The formless space seemed to freeze. The next moment.
The chaotic wind pressure immediately broke down, and all the bullets were instantly knocked off their trajectories by the vibration.
Bang!
A figure was sent flying backward, its body scraping along the ground and plowing a trench. It rolled a couple of times on the ground and landed beside Reiner.
"The old man's strength is pretty strong. This can't go on."
Luffy stood up and said lightly, patting the dust off his body. He kicked his two sandals to the side and grinned.
"I'm going all out, Reiner. Let me show you the results of my two years of training."
With that, he held his Armament Haki-wrapped arm horizontally in front of him, opened his mouth, took a deep breath, and bit down hard on his wrist, blowing forcefully!
"Muscle Balloon!"
The inflating muscles rapidly expanded. Due to the hardening of the Armament Haki, Luffy's expression looked strained as he blew.
The inflation started from his arm and extended to his body. A purplish-black Armament Haki formed a web of patterns on his chest.
A large amount of steam-like white mist continuously erupted from his body, soon enveloping his figure!
Thump—Thump—Thump!
A rhythmic sound came from within the thick smoke. A dark shadow bounced up and down inside.
The thick smoke gradually dissipated, revealing Luffy within, his eyes wide with anger, his raven hair standing on end without any wind, flying wildly!
"Gear Fourth!"
"Boundman Form!!"
(End of chapter)
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