"Go! Leave this place! When the boss comes, he'll definitely notice!"
Mr.9 opened the window, letting the drone fly out.
Footsteps behind made him whip his head around.
"So you were hiding here!"
Akainu spoke coldly, blasting the locked door wide open in an instant.
The reason he let Empress Hancock shield Nezuko wasn't only because she belonged to the Government and he didn't want to start conflict with her.
There was another important reason, there was still someone else on this ship.
He hadn't pried open Nezuko's mouth.
No problem. Next, he just needed to pry open this man's mouth instead.
Feeling the oppressive aura spilling from Akainu's body, Mr.9's whole body turned cold, as if his heart had been gripped in a fist, even breathing became difficult.
Panting heavily, staring at the approaching Akainu, even though his strength was worlds apart from the other, he did not lower his head.
This was something he had learned from Jotaro.
The spirit Mr.9 showed made a flicker of surprise flash in Akainu's eyes.
Of course, it wasn't respect, he only found Mr.9 laughable.
There was no doubt, Mr.9 was a true weakling.
And such a person dared to straighten his chest before him.
'Ridiculous pirate!'
Akainu looked down from above, asking with the posture of a superior, "I've heard there are some strange weapons aboard Kujo Jotaro's ship."
"These weapons seem to be your responsibility, don't they? The Government's science department is very interested in them."
"Hand over these weapons!"
Mr.9 snapped back, "Why should we hand over what's on our ship to you!"
Akainu didn't care about such an answer.
"So that means negotiations have failed. Then you can die!"
"The Navy will soon take over this ship anyway. Even if you don't hand them over, our people will crack the secrets of these weapons."
As he spoke, magma coated his arm, murderous intent overflowing.
Terror flashed in Mr.9's eyes that had been prepared for death.
No one knew better than him how powerful Jotaro's weapons were.
If the Navy mastered this technology, it would certainly bring great danger to Jotaro in the future.
He would never allow that to happen.
BOOM!
The magma arm mercilessly pierced through Mr.9's chest.
Mr.9's eyes froze, gradually turning gray.
"Hmph! Trash!"
Squelch!
Akainu pulled his arm out from Mr.9's chest, spat, and his cold eyes were without color, as if he had merely crushed a bug.
Not only was his attack devastating, the magma's heat carried burning effects.
Mr.9's pierced chest didn't even bleed, everything was charred black.
Akainu thought he was completely dead. Yet when the body collapsed to the floor, it still slowly moved.
"How is this possible!"
Even Akainu, hardened as he was, felt a shock in his heart.
He couldn't sense any life from Mr.9, yet the man was indeed moving.
With all his vast experience, he had never seen such a bizarre sight.
"He doesn't have a Devil Fruit! How can he do this?"
At this moment, he didn't even think about stopping the corpse, only wanted to see what it was trying to do.
Mr.9 crawled on the floor, his breathing had already stopped, and his ruined heart had long since ceased to beat.
Yet he still advanced.
His charred body scraped against the ground, leaving behind a long, horrifying trail.
He climbed up to the control panel, every movement incomparably strained, painful to watch.
"Boss! This is the last thing I can do for you!"
In his gray eyes burst the final glimmer of light. With his fist, he smashed the protective cover over the self-destruct program.
Rumble!
The next second, the Ark Maxim was swallowed in a sea of flames.
Akainu escaped from the inferno, staring at the blazing fire in silence, his trembling eyes showing the shock inside.
It was the first time he had ever seen a dead man, without the aid of a Devil Fruit, move purely through willpower.
"What kind of man is Kujo Jotaro! How can his subordinates go this far for him!"
"Damn it, he really is a dangerous one!!"
Empress Hancock had already left the Ark Maxim the moment before the explosion.
Nezuko, as if sensing something, was heartbroken. Added with the severe injuries she had suffered from Akainu earlier, all the emotions overwhelmed her, and she fainted on the spot.
"Really reckless."
Hancock muttered, feeling a slight coolness in her hand. Looking down, she saw it was the girl's tears.
———
Jotaro picked up the hard drive, inexplicably looking eastward. Golden clouds slowly gathered there, forming into the figure of a man.
At his ear, it was as if Mr.9's voice came.
"Boss, don't be sad for me. For me, this journey was truly joyful."
Jotaro, "…"
The brim of his hat cast his face in shadow. Jotaro walked toward the east, his steps growing heavier.
He stood near the shore, watching the wreckage of the Ark Maxim slowly sink into the sea.
"Tch!"
Jotaro's fists cracked as they clenched, even his bones creaked.
"Oh? My luck really is good." Akainu turned to face him. "I was just about to look for you, but I didn't expect you to come deliver yourself."
"To be honest, killing your two useless subordinates was a bit dull."
"That clown-like man, wriggling like a maggot even after death, really was laughable."
"But that just fits you despicable pirates. You really are the clowns of this sea…"
"Ora!"
Akainu's narrowed eyes suddenly widened. At some point, Jotaro had appeared right in front of him.
Star Platinum's golden fists were wrapped in terrifying Conqueror's Haki.
One heavy punch smashed squarely into Akainu's left cheek.
The overwhelming force sent Akainu flying at once.
"I know you're trying to provoke me, to make me lose my calm judgment!"
"I keep telling myself not to be impulsive, but, !"
"How could I possibly hold back!"
"No one can stay calm after seeing such a scene!"
Sending Akainu flying with one punch, Star Platinum clung close to Jotaro, his legs tensed explosively.
In the next instant, Jotaro leapt beside Akainu, Star Platinum's fists raining down like a storm.
"Ora ora ora ora ora!"
"Yare! I'll accept your provocation, and beat you completely into the ground!"
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