"You lot must have a death wish!"
The cold voice came from the leader of the PH (Punk Hazard) unit.
"Eliminate them! Retrieve the child!"
With that sharp order, the soldiers behind him moved.
Click! Click! Click!
In a synchronized motion, every member of the PH unit raised their rifles.
On Bai Yu's side, the navy soldiers immediately tensed, their bodies shifting into defensive stances.
Pssshhh!
All at once, the PH unit pulled their triggers.
But what fired wasn't bullets—
It was a thick, dark green gas.
These weren't ordinary firearms, but chemically enhanced weapons from Caesar Clown's arsenal. The PH unit specialized in two gas-based ammunition types: one—a powerful hypnotic gas for subduing runaway test subjects, particularly giant children; the other—a lethal poisonous gas used to eliminate threats without a trace.
Since the giant child was still needed for further experiments, the unit had chosen the non-lethal option—planning to knock Bai Yu's group unconscious with hypnotic gas.
Another deadly ploy.
Bai Yu's eyes turned sharp with killing intent, and his right hand inched toward the cherry wood scabbard at his waist.
Fwshhh!
Just then, a figure dashed forward.
Smoker.
He moved with lightning speed, planting himself in front of Bai Yu's group.
"You don't need to dirty your blade on these grunts."
With a calm confidence, Smoker extended both arms.
Whoooosh!
Activating his Devil Fruit powers, Smoker released dense clouds of white smoke from his limbs—Logia-class mastery in full display.
"White Vine!"
Two thick tendrils of smoke coiled out, twining into a swirling, vertical tornado that towered above them.
In moments, the green gas hit the smoke spiral.
Rather than penetrate, the hypnotic vapor was lifted and carried upward by the rotating column.
Eventually, it was dispersed into the open air—completely neutralized.
Huff, huff!
Smoker's resistance had saved the team.
But action had only just begun.
On the other side, three silhouettes surged forward from Bai Yu's group.
Koby, Helmeppo, and Tashigi.
Roar!
As he charged, Helmeppo morphed midair into his Zoan form—an ancient pterosaur. His massive wings flapped with wild force as he dove headlong into the PH ranks with primal ferocity.
"Shave!"
Using Rokushiki's high-speed movement technique, both Koby and Tashigi vanished from their spots and flanked the enemy from left and right.
Boom! Bam! Crack!
"Agh!" "Gahh!"
Chaos erupted among the PH troops.
Despite being comprised of hardened criminals and death-row prisoners enhanced with drugs, their combat ability still fell short.
Against Koby's martial precision, Tashigi's blade, and Helmeppo's feral power, the PH soldiers stood no chance.
They were utterly overpowered.
Within minutes, over thirty men were left unconscious or groaning on the snow-covered ground.
The battle was over.
Koby and Tashigi halted their motion as Helmeppo returned to his human form.
"Move out," Bai Yu commanded.
Without hesitation, the group continued toward Caesar's research facility.
Along the path, they encountered five additional PH squads. The numbers varied, but the results did not—each wave was swiftly dealt with.
"These kinds of enemies aren't worth your blade," Koby muttered, cleaning blood from his fists.
Finally, they arrived at the massive gates of the Punk Hazard research institute.
They were close.
But then—
"Hmm?"
Bai Yu suddenly stopped.
A chill crept across his skin as his highly trained senses picked up something unnatural.
Kenbunshoku Haki—activated.
Hum!
Bai Yu's Observation Haki flared, expanding like an invisible pulse in a wide semicircle.
Buzz… Buzz…
Immediately, he sensed it.
Two projectiles—bullets—flying in from the left.
They were aimed precisely at him and the giant child behind him.
Bai Yu's gaze narrowed coldly.
His right hand gripped Sakuragi's scabbard, while his left shoved Tashigi away instinctively.
Tashigi stumbled back, confused.
"Bai Yu, wha—"
Fwoosh!
Smoker blinked at the sudden tension, but before he could speak—
CRACK!
Bai Yu stepped forward with explosive force, kicking up a burst of snow.
He landed in front of the giant child just in time.
Clang!
BOOM!
A flash of light erupted as the metal scabbard clashed with something in midair.
The snow behind exploded from the second bullet's impact.
Tashigi's original position had just been grazed by a fatal shot.
"There's a sniper!" someone shouted.
The team immediately drew weapons and scanned their surroundings.
"Maya!"
"Nine o'clock direction—1500 meters. Two enemies."
Bai Yu's voice was calm, but iron-hard.
He had pinpointed the assassins through Haki.
"Understood," Maya responded.
Hum!
Her right hand lit up with glowing golden spirit energy.
Smack!
She dropped into a crouch and slammed her palm onto the snow.
Buzz… Buzz…
The energy surged into the ground, tunneling like a living current toward the marked coordinates.
Elsewhere, 1500 meters away—
Two figures lay camouflaged in the snow, massive rifles in hand.
Locke and Scorch.
Caesar Clown's personal snipers.
Twin assassins from the underworld's legend.
Smoke still rose from their rifle muzzles.
"Tch. He sensed us. Blocked our gas rounds."
Locke clicked his tongue in frustration.
To be able to detect their specially modified silent projectiles—wasn't normal.
"These people aren't ordinary," Scorch said, voice low. "We've been made. Relocate."
They slung their rifles to move—but then—
Buzz!
A strange vibration came from beneath their feet.
Then, the golden spiritual energy split in two and surged upward—
Crack!
It pierced through the soles of their boots and into their bodies.
Their eyes widened in agony as their nerves were bombarded by spiritual force.
Blood leaked from the corners of their eyes, their mouths, their ears—
The elite assassins never even had time to scream.
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