Shave!
Lucci's figure vanished from his original position, moving as fast as lightning as he closed the distance to Xiano in an instant!
His index finger bent, the knuckle carrying a sharp whistling sound as it aimed straight for Xiano's face—
"Finger Pistol: Yellow Lotus!"
In the blink of an eye, he unleashed hundreds—if not thousands—of attacks, leaving behind countless afterimages. It was as if a high-speed machine gun were mercilessly spewing Flames at point-blank range.
The crisscrossing trajectories, when viewed from afar, resembled a blooming lotus flower.
This was an enhanced version of Finger Pistol that Lucci had modified himself. With the added power of his Half-Beast Transformation, the technique's full potential was unleashed.
Mediocre fools could only imitate.
Only a true genius, a true powerhouse like him, could forge his own path!
Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!
An unending barrage of explosions shattered the silent night.
The impact, far surpassing that of bullets, instantly enveloped Xiano's entire upper body—from his head down to his chest. Yet, Xiano remained standing in place, unmoving.
Couldn't dodge?
Even a basic mastery of Paper Drawing should have allowed him to evade at least some of the attacks!
So the world-renowned Master Swordsman had a weakness in speed after all!
Lucci could already envision the future—the moment his barrage ended, his opponent's body would be riddled with countless bloody holes, like a sieve!
The corners of his lips had just begun to curl into a savage grin when—
Crack!
A crisp sound of bone breaking suddenly rang out.
His index finger—that lethal weapon capable of piercing steel—had been firmly caught between Xiano's two fingers.
Lucci's pupils constricted violently, his smile freezing instantly.
"When did you—?!"
He hadn't even seen Xiano move!
One moment, his Finger Pistol had been raining down like a storm.
The next, Xiano had somehow predicted every single trajectory of his attacks, seizing his index finger with pinpoint accuracy.
And then—
A gentle twist.
"Ah—!"
Excruciating pain shot through him. Lucci gritted his teeth, instinctively yanking back with all his might to free his finger.
But no matter how hard he pulled, Xiano's two fingers remained as immovable as iron pincers, not even trembling in response to his struggle.
Then, Xiano's thumb pressed down slightly—
Crack!
Lucci's index finger—that lethal weapon which had pierced countless chests—snapped like a brittle twig, cleanly broken by Xiano's grip.
But Xiano wasn't done.
Still gripping the severed finger, he suddenly yanked it outward!
Rip!
Blood sprayed. Tendons tore.
The entire index finger—flesh, bone, and all—was completely ripped from Lucci's hand!
"AAAAAAHHH—!"
Lucci finally let out a bloodcurdling scream, staggering back several steps.
His left hand clutched his right wrist desperately as blood gushed between his fingers, splattering onto the ground with wet slaps.
But he paid it no mind, his gaze locked onto Xiano in utter disbelief.
After that relentless assault, his opponent didn't have a single scratch on him!
"Don't embarrass yourself with these childish games."
Xiano seemed to see through his thoughts, casually tossing the severed finger to the ground before shaking his head and speaking:
"Just bring out your trump card already. Let me see what the so-called strongest CP9 agent in eight hundred years is really capable of."
Child's play techniques?
This was his painstakingly created ultimate Finger Pistol technique...
Yet he was being humiliated like this??
Lucci's face flushed red, veins bulging on his forehead, but his eyes grew increasingly savage, as if he wanted to tear Xiano's mouth apart.
"You... bastard...!"
He suddenly stepped forward, eyes bloodshot, a hoarse growl escaping his throat.
"Just cutting off one of my fingers—don't think this level of injury... can affect me in any way!"
Before the words even finished, his body abruptly began transforming again.
First, his muscles swelled and twisted wildly, leopard-like spots appearing on his skin as his nails elongated into sharp beast claws. After pushing his Half-Beast Transformation nearly to its limit...
His body suddenly began rapidly shrinking!
In just a breath's time, he returned to normal human height.
Oh?
Xiano raised an eyebrow slightly, his gaze sweeping over Lucci.
The current Lucci had muscle definition as sharp as if carved by a blade, but no longer displayed that terrifying, gnarled appearance like twisted tree roots.
His breathing was deep and steady, every movement carrying the bearing of a martial arts master, with explosive power seemingly coiled beneath every inch of his skin.
"This is the strongest form I've mastered after pushing Life Return to its absolute limit!"
In this state, Lucci's momentarily shaken confidence quickly restored itself.
His expression cold, he spoke indifferently:
"I've named this form—Paper Drawing Martial Body!"
"You've probably never seen anything like it before. I wonder if you'll still be as composed as you were earlier."
"Is that so?"
Xiano chuckled.
Never seen it before?
That didn't seem quite right.
He was actually... extremely familiar with this form.
"Seems like things might finally get interesting."
Xiano glanced back at Iceberg on the ground. "Old man, you should back up a bit. While you're at it, help evacuate the people in this villa estate. Looks like this guy's finally going all out—the collateral damage might accidentally hurt someone."
"I've been wanting to back up for a while now..."
Iceberg pointed at his knees, looking like he wanted to cry but had no tears left. "Sir, but I really can't move!"
Is that so?
Xiano scratched his head in frustration before turning back to Lucci. "Guess we'll have to change locations then."
"Are you consulting me about this?"
Lucci sneered. "A Pirate actually caring about the lives of ants? You've got no sense of a true warrior's dignity. Why should I agree to—"
Before he could finish the word "agree,"
Xiano suddenly grabbed him by the collar and yanked him upward, sending them both crashing through the broken window to land atop the villa's highest rooftop.
Xiano scanned the surroundings before his gaze settled on the empty grounds of Galley-La Company's Dock 1, several hundred meters away.
With no ships under construction and all the shipwrights off work, the massive dock was deserted except for scattered timber—a perfect place for a fight.
With effortless ease, he casually tossed Lucci away.
Whoosh—!
Lucci's body shot through the air like a javelin, crashing straight toward the dock's open space!
Xiano's figure flashed as he landed steadily on Lucci's chest, standing with his hands behind his back against the wind.
In the blink of an eye, this series of continuous movements was completed with lightning speed.
"..."
Lucci froze for a moment, then reacted with furious humiliation—only to find his body already plummeting downward before crashing heavily onto the open ground!
Dust swirled as Xiano leisurely stepped down, turning to look down at Lucci.
"You—?!"
Lucci jerked his head up, his features twisted with rage, eyes burning as if flames might erupt at any moment!
He had actually been stepped on, treated like a mere stepping stone, like a surfboard?!
"You're dead!!"
With a furious roar, Lucci's muscles tensed abruptly. His figure blurred as he vanished from the spot.
This time, his speed surpassed even his previous limits—so fast that not even an afterimage could be caught. In the next instant, he appeared high above Xiano's head.
"Storm Leg: Winged Bird!"
Suspended upside-down in midair, Lucci swung his legs apart like the wings of a giant bird.
Whoosh—!!!
Two intersecting blue vacuum slashes howled downward, shaped like a soaring bird with outstretched wings, tearing through the night wind straight toward the crown of Xiano's head!
This was a killing move that perfectly combined Storm Leg with the Paper Drawing Martial Body form. Its destructive power was so immense it could slice even the largest warship in half instantly.
Yet Xiano merely yawned, not even bothering to lift an eyelid.
Not dodging?
Compared to the Finger Pistol, which prioritized attack efficiency, this move—though even he couldn't chain it rapidly—was purely focused on sheer destructive force!
A glint of triumph flashed in Lucci's eyes—success was within reach!
Clang!
The blue vacuum slash struck Xiano's skull, producing a metallic clang, yet not even a scratch was left behind... No! Not a single strand of his hair had been severed!
How... is this possible???
Just what is this guy's body made of?!
Lucci's throat went dry as genuine terror finally surged in his eyes.
...
At the heart of Water 7, atop the towering central fountain.
Bruno held his breath, lying flat against the fountain's edge, his body completely concealed as he cautiously peeked out with just half his head.
Lucci! Hang in there!
Bruno clenched his fists, silently cheering for his comrade in a voice only he could hear.
Only if you win will this painstaking undercover mission not be in vain—only then will we have a chance to save Kaku and Kalifa later!
But...
When Bruno caught sight of the scene unfolding in the shipyard below, a cold sweat instantly trickled down his temple.
Lucci... does he really stand a chance?
...
On the open ground of the distant shipyard.
Driven by panic and terror, Lucci had descended into madness, his figure flickering like a ghost as he unleashed Storm Leg, Finger Pistol... exhausting every Martial Arts technique in a frenzied assault against Xiano!
Every strike was delivered with full force, each blow sending violent shockwaves through the air.
Yet the black-haired youth remained rooted in place, not moving an inch the entire time.
From start to finish, Bruno witnessed it all.
How... how can this be?!
Bruno broke out in cold sweat, his pupils trembling violently.
He had never seen Lucci so utterly defeated.
Lucci—CP9's strongest genius in eight centuries, the ever-calm and invincible Lucci who always had everything under control...
Now, he looked like a helpless child, desperately flailing in the night, unable to inflict even the slightest harm on his opponent.
The mist from the fountain soaked his back, icy and biting.
Bruno glanced at the greatsword in his hand, finally realizing a terrifying yet undeniable truth.
They were wrong. All of them were wrong.
This man named Xiano was no ordinary Master Swordsman whose strength would drastically diminish without his blade.
Even without that legendary greatsword—the very weapon that had earned him his infamous moniker—he remained a monstrously formidable presence with terrifying physical prowess!
Wasn't this very battle proof enough?
No, wait—this wasn't even a battle. It was a one-sided slaughter!
That black-haired youth wasn't even taking it seriously, toying with Lucci's life as casually as a cat playing with a mouse!
...
Inside the shipyard.
Lucci continued his frenzied assault—elbows, legs, feet, forehead, tail—every part of his body transformed into a lethal weapon, yet none could breach Xiano's defenses.
At first, Xiano had watched with mild interest.
After all, the techniques Lucci had created were indeed varied and dazzling. He had genuinely wondered if he could learn something from them, perhaps even refine his own skills.
But unfortunately…
There was nothing.
Flashy moves with no substance. No value whatsoever.
Gradually, his patience wore thin.
"Enough."
With a casual flick of his right hand—
BOOM!!!
A terrifying shockwave erupted without warning, sending Lucci flying like a ragdoll. He skidded across the ground, carving a trench over a hundred meters long before barely managing to stop himself with every ounce of strength he had left.
"I told you, didn't I? I have no interest in these childish games."
Xiano frowned slightly, his voice laced with displeasure as he watched Lucci gasp for breath.
"One last chance. Show me your strongest move. Otherwise, this ends here."
Lucci's expression darkened, his face twisting with fury.
The same words again?
How arrogant!
But after everything that had happened, he had to admit—Xiano had every right to be. The sheer physical dominance he displayed was enough to instill fear even in Lucci's heart.
It seemed…
There really was no choice but to use that technique!
Lucci's eyes burned crimson, veins bulging as his muscles tensed to their limit. He drew both fists to his waist, gathering every ounce of power he had left, before unleashing them in a devastating, earth-shattering strike!
"Six Styles Ultimate: Six King Gun!!!"
THUD!
The air compressed to its absolute limit, forming a visible shockwave that roared forth like a tidal wave, crashing squarely into Xiano's body!
This was the pinnacle of his Martial Arts—his ultimate killing technique!
The shockwave it unleashed could penetrate even the toughest defenses, bypassing the skin to pulverize organs from within!
There was no way Xiano could just stand there and take this head-on!
BOOOOM—!!!
The Six King Gun's shockwave struck Xiano's chest with full force, erupting in a deafening explosion that pierced the heavens and rippled outward in all directions!
"What was that?!"
"Such a huge explosion… What's going on?!"
"It's coming from Galley-La's Dock 1! Let's check it out!"
In an instant, nearly half of Water 7 was shaken by the commotion.
On many nearby waterways, citizens unable to suppress their curiosity were steering their Blues from all directions, rushing toward the scene.
Meanwhile, in the open space of the shipyard.
Lucci's breathing was as heavy as bellows. This strike had nearly drained all his remaining strength, and only by bracing his hands on his knees did he manage to stay upright.
His gaze was fixed intently on the dust cloud before him.
After what felt like an eternity, the dust finally began to settle, revealing Xiano's figure.
This time.
Under the full-force strike of his Six Styles ultimate technique, Xiano had indeed been unable to remain completely motionless—he had taken half a step back.
But only half a step.
Not a single scratch marred his body, and his breathing remained as calm and steady as ever, without the slightest hint of disturbance.
"..."
Lucci st
ared blankly at the scene before him.
His strongest attack... had only forced the other to retreat half a step?
Even after giving it his all, he still couldn't inflict the slightest harm?!
Lucci trembled all over, sinking into utter despair.
His proud Martial Arts, his proud physical prowess—in front of this man, they were nothing more than a joke, utterly insignificant...
"Can't even hit properly?"
Xiano sighed as well, grabbing Lucci by the hair and glancing down at him with disappointment. "So this... is really all you're capable of..."