"Nani?!"
Locke's eyes widened as he stared at the surge of violet lightning barreling toward him. A chill ran down his spine. Trusting his instincts, he leapt to the side just in time to evade Wayne's Thunder Grasp.
Wayne raised an eyebrow, then smirked as realization dawned. "So that's the power of your Devil Fruit. Combined with Observation Haki and reflex speed strong enough to dodge lightning impressive."
Locke's gaze turned cold with fury. "Don't talk to me like you're above everyone else! I don't care if you're a Warlord don't look down on me! I'm Captain Locke, dammit!"
In a blur, Locke vanished and reappeared above Wayne, slashing down with his extended claws direct hit.
"Hmph. So much for being a Warlord—"
Before he could finish, a look of confusion twisted across his face. His arm had passed right through Wayne's body.
Wayne smiled faintly. "Thirty Million Volts: Electromagnetic Field."
Crackling arcs of electricity exploded around Wayne's body. This was one of his new techniques a powerful electromagnetic barrier that surrounded him, designed to shock enemies who came too close. Even if it didn't knock them out, it would at least paralyze or disrupt their movements.
"ARGH!"
Locke cried out in pain as electricity surged through his body. Gritting his teeth, he stumbled back, eyes locked onto Wayne with a newfound wariness.
"A Logia-type..."
Wayne kept his expression calm. He'd already noticed that Locke's previous attack hadn't been imbued with Armament Haki. If it had, Wayne would've dodged instead of risking it. But this was the perfect opportunity to test out his new technique.
Locke's expression twisted into something wild. "Logias aren't invincible! I'm Captain Locke!"
He jumped again, black Haki coating his clawed hands.
"Cat Claw: Cross Slash!"
With arms crossed in front of his chest, Locke's claws stretched even longer. He was clearly going all in now.
Wayne narrowed his eyes. A Zoan-type user with strong Haki on both fronts he couldn't afford to underestimate this.
"Alright. Guess I'll get a little serious too."
He drew Raksasha from his waist, the blade quickly coated in dense Armament Haki, turning pitch black. Wayne exhaled lightly.
"Flying Heaven Sword Style: Whirling Dragon Flash!"
A spiraling blast of sword energy shot forth, clashing head-on with Locke's extended claws. Armament Haki met Haki in midair, sparking violently.
The power of the impact pushed Locke back dozens of paces until he stood at the very edge of his ship, behind him the endless sea.
He looked down at the wounds now forming across his body. A flicker of despair crossed his face. Under his breath, he muttered, "Then I'll stake it all!"
Locke let out a bloodcurdling roar as his body underwent another transformation. His fur thickened, his form grew even larger, and the feline features sharpened grotesquely. His jet-black fur shimmered like steel no, it was Armament Haki, completely covering his body.
His slitted pupils turned red, and an overwhelming aura poured from his body.
Wayne frowned. Conqueror's Haki?
No… not quite.
It felt more like a violent fusion of killing intent and sheer terror. Still, it was a power worth noting.
"In that case," Wayne muttered, tightening his grip on Raksasha, "I'll give you a warrior's death."
His Armament Haki surged to full intensity, and his blade let out a low hum. Wayne lowered his stance and whispered:
"Flying Heaven Sword Style: Nine-Headed Dragon Slash."
"Fear Fang!"
Wayne launched into a blur of motion, nine sharp sword waves flying forward like dragons made of light. Locke, in his awakened form, poured all his energy into his claws, channeling it into his most devastating technique.
They clashed midair.
Silence fell.
Wayne stood still.
Across from him, Locke staggered forward, unaware of the change in his body. "So that's all the mighty Warlord has to offer..."
Wayne gave a calm smile and slid Raksasha back into its sheath. "Haven't you realized it yet? You're already dead."
Using his Observation Haki, Wayne could clearly feel Locke's life force ebbing away at a rapid pace.
The moment he finished speaking, nine deep gashes ripped open across Locke's body. His blackened fur couldn't withstand the overwhelming force of Wayne's slashes. His expression froze in disbelief as he collapsed, lifeless.
Wayne exhaled and looked around.
"Clean up the battlefield. We set sail again once everything's in order."
To Wayne, Locke had simply been a slightly above-average obstacle. Nothing more. Just another minor event on the journey.
. . .
Aboard the Apocalypse, Wayne bit into an apple as he looked over his crew.
Nearly everyone, from Kuro to Buffalo, had sustained injuries some minor, others more severe. Kuro's chest bore a particularly deep claw mark, one that might never fully heal.
"You see now? This is what happens when you slack off in training. The Grand Line doesn't forgive arrogance. One day, it'll cost you everything..."
The crew stood silently. Though they'd won, the battle was anything but clean. It was far from the kind of overwhelming victory Wayne expected from them.
"When we get back to the island, every one of you is doing extra drills. Got it? Especially you, Kuro."
He finished the last bite of his apple and tossed the core into a nearby bin. "I had high hopes for you, Kuro. Don't make me regret it."
Kuro remained silent. He knew Wayne had placed a lot of faith in him had even granted him a codename. And yet, ever since he'd joined, he'd lost nearly every fight he'd been in.
Now the crew had even given him a nickname behind his back "Hundred-Defeats Kuro."
"But then again..."
Wayne casually reached for another apple, about to take a bite when he paused.
His eyes narrowed.
"Nani?"
Everyone turned as Wayne stared at the fruit in his hand.
It wasn't just an apple.
Strange black markings shaped like cat claws covered its skin.
One by one, the crewmates gathered around. They, too, saw it now this was no ordinary fruit.
Wayne scratched his head, inspecting the strange patterns on the surface. "Don't tell me..."
The truth quickly became apparent.
It was the Devil Fruit. Locke's fruit.
Somehow, during the battle or in its aftermath it had ended up aboard the Apocalypse.
Wayne sighed, looking at the fruit in his hand, then at his crew.
"So... anyone want it?"
He wasn't joking.
But deep down, he wasn't sure who among them was truly ready for such power.
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