Sun long set, Salamander spied Partia's silhouette afar.
Waves unnaturally calm; lone hull sliced solitude—no rivals trailed.
Gasperde, deck-gazing goal: Bored sigh.
Full throttle? Earlier arrival. Deliberate throttle: Sharp pirates might tail.
None did. Fightless end? Disappointing.
Grand race, one finisher? Dull, sloppy.
Gasperde's scowl screamed dissatisfaction.
"No tails worth a damn. Pirate race? Overhyped."
Muttered ennui; stair-slump, then to nearby man:
"Needles—bored? Spar me? Might kill now."
Needles: Tall specter. Black-clad, claw-weapon hip-hung, muscled arms bared. Rigid stance ghostly, presence faint. Pallid skin, dead eyes—assassin incarnate.
Gasperde's right hand, yet gaze lacked fealty—smoldered murder, barely veiled.
Gasperde took it in stride. No bond, plain.
Fight-aura thickened; Gasperde smirked.
Needles reached for claws.
Mast-top shout halted: Needles froze; Gasperde up-glanced.
"Captain! Ship ahead!"
"What—ship?"
"From sea!"
Gasperde rose, peered: Blocker hull surfaced—submarine, Jolly Roger flank. Pirate clear.
Grin cracked—finally.
Race? Mere game. His win? Given. Thrill lay in the run.
Leaned in: Hatch yawned.
One man emerged.
Familiar mug from dossiers—hype-worthy. Heart Pirates captain, "Death Surgeon" Trafalgar Law.
Blade shouldered, head low, prow-strode. Brazen nonchalance—bounty lower, unfazed.
Prime prey.
Crew's gasps: Gasperde beamed. Chance at last—pass? Absurd.
Quiet command: Crew scrambled.
"All hands—battle. Entertain."
Crew roared prep; gaze refixed forward.
Law's deck: Others arrayed.
But: Slow left-raise—mundane, magnetic. Gasperde's smile faded, watched.
"ROOM"
Palm birthed anomaly: Vast semicircle, blue-tinged veil.
Law-centered, hundred-meter radius.
Enveloped Heart sub Polar Tang, Salamander—unseen realm bloomed.
Devil Fruit, likely.
Gasperde scanned cool—unhurried watch. Ease incarnate.
Uncomprehending yet.
Circle set: Law drew deliberate—massive meitou, "Kikoku."
Blade oozed menace—cursed edge, peril palpable.
Drawn, but range gap: No reach.
Knowing: Swung.
Gasperde gawked.
Impossible distance—yet snap: Hull bisected.
Salamander cleaved stem-stern; sea split vertical. Ruptured halves thundered under, swallowed.
Left flank—Polar-view—lingered afloat.
But circle-bound.
Swing-frozen: Law sheathed post-ruin-check.
Straightened, iced stare on wreck. Beside: Kir. Rear: Heart crew lined.
"Weird power. Flashy work."
"You're one to talk."
Kir's leer met Law's flat.
Kir rear-glanced: "Shachi, Penguin—that?"
"Got it—flour."
"Think this'll stick?"
"Intel says. Test run."
Hatted youths—Shachi, Penguin—hauled sacks, prepped. Kir nodded pleased.
Aboard sinking Salamander: Gasperde's rage boomed.
Barely afloat, but hull-doomed—no sail. Suddenness choked; most crew sea-dumped. Grip-clingers slipped as tilt worsened.
Unprecedented peril.
Crew panicked; Gasperde sweated pale—flustered.
Blink-finish: Unfathomable.
Race? Ended. No advance.
Dazed scan; clambered tilted deck for footing—pre-calm: Presence prickled. Wheeled.
Loomed: Law, Kir—cold overlooks.
"You bastards...!"
"Ready?"
"Anytime."
Snarl ignored; eye-swap.
Sync: Powers flared.
"ROOM"
"Again?!"
Circle reborn—engulfed wreck.
Sub-second snare: Gasperde trapped, ungrasped peril.
Circle bloom: Kir fanned paper skyward.
Sheets tangled mid-air—origami cranes, myriad.
Swarm spectacle: Terrifying flock.
"Hundred Forms Armament: Thousand Cranes"
Law snorted faint at encirclement.
Gasperde: Disbelief—wild-eyed whirl. Rattled raw.
"What the—? Starting what?"
"Guessed already."
Kir's smile: Finger-wag—cranes stirred.
Wings wide: Birds true.
Three accelerated: Gasperde dive.
Mere paper? Dodge unneeded.
Face, neck, chest: Cranes slammed.
No groan—stood firm. Collision morphed flesh: Green, viscous slime.
Slime-sheen; papers crumpled harmless, fluttered down. Gasperde grinned triumphant.
Impacts absorbed—body trait.
Gasperde: Ame Ame no Mi—syrup man. Flesh all syrup: Blunt, slash? Deflected painless.
Trait-weapon: Baited hits.
Initial fluster? Reset: Invincible. Calm surged; smirk eased.
Hull wrecked, footing foul, duo foes? So?
Stance reset: Crushed stray crane underfoot.
Odd paper—fearless.
"Hn—waste. Useless on me."
"Think so?"
Defiant leer; Kir flicked anew.
Cranes rushed; Gasperde eyed cold.
Arms, legs, back: Hits morphed syrup—gouged, reformed seamless.
Next flock? Unmoved, smug.
But variance.
Law raised right: Three fingers—mutter.
"Shambles"
Blind-spot crane: Brain-dive.
Oddity: Inches shy—vanished. Swap: Kir's sack appeared.
Position-swap; Kir's feet: Unbidden crane.
Gasperde clocked, up-gawked: Late.
Other crane pierced sack—flour exploded.
Direct overhead: Bath inevitable.
Massive dump: Head-to-toe white.
Powder-choked coughs. Change? Nil. Damage? Zero. Irked glare pinned duo.
"Boring shit... Your powers? This the play?"
Silent advance: Kir.
Unused flock; fresh paper forged—plain baton. No spear, no edge: Blunt club.
Twirled dexterous; crane-stepped—perch platform.
Grin eased: Strode casual.
"Blades slice less than flats. 'Specially flour-stuck spots."
"Hah?"
"Attacks bounce, right? Mind testing?"
"Idiot. Still clueless? Swing if you dare."
Crane-kick launch: Light leap, Gasperde charge.
Paper club? Iron-hard. Unknowing Gasperde: No dodge, smug brace.
Left cheek: Cracked fierce.
High-velocity smack: Body airborne.
Unforeseen: Skidded deck, pain lanced—stunned freeze. Near-plunge.
Mast-crash halted.
Afloat spared—irrelevant; up-gaze: Kir's poised grin chilled spine.
Unfathomed: Flesh invincible—post-Fruit, pain-free. Swim-weak? Sole flaw. Combat? Ironclad.
Yet: He did.
Fresh face Kir: Pain-inflicted swift.
Years-absent ache: Mind roiled.
Underrated foe? Terror crept.
Lifelong unchallenged: Defeat-unknown. Now? Face-to-face.
Static Kir: Monstrous.
"Devil Fruits vary—flaws beyond drowning. Ame Ame? Flour. Sets solid—no flow."
"What...?!"
"Intel's gold. Don't flaunt powers."
Hubris? Gasperde bared none—fronted hits, savored shock.
Gloat, flaunt, crush: Habit.
No self-shield; victory-games galore.
"General" fame: Surrender swells. Rumors raced—power, freak, might broadcast.
Bliss unchecked: Rampage rolled.
Known Fruit? Counters easy.
No gloat-gap: Kir's chill pinned.
"Sorry—no threat. Wrap quick."
"One hit—victory? Mock me!"
Rage-roar: Charge.
Ame power: Right arm syrup-spiked, hardened spear.
Swift stab: Routine win. Reassessed: No loss. Frontal bull-rush.
Kir: Leisure stroll—tension-free.
Arm-reach: Gasperde tensed—Kir left-flung baton right-grip. Fingers splayed: Command.
Sky-cranes: Foot-target slam.
Then shoulder, hip, temple: Side-hits buckled.
Stumbled; club swung.
Stagger-spot: Jaw uppercut.
Scoop trajectory: Brain-jolted.
Gasperde ragdolled—no tuck—prone crawl.
"Groaah...!?"
"Sleeping fine?"
Curt; follow-up barrage.
Felled form: Chest, gut, hip, jaw redux—agony lanced.
Broke: Rolled flee, distanced frantic.
Fresh torment: Body quaked. Hits landed; no flow.
Sweat-slick: Unwieldy limbs—squat-locked. Syrup-shift? Fumbled.
Kir closed on knelt prey.
"Power-reliant? Hence this. Train self harder."
"Guh...! Brat—smart mouth—"
Fury vain; Kir impassive.
Snap-yell: "Needles! Silent how long? Waste 'em—now!"
Simul-snarl: Hidden Needles lunged Kir—claws bared, throat-aim. Instant kill.
Power unrealized.
Mid-leap: Bisected—Salamander-echo.
"What?!"
Gasperde's gasp: Torso split.
Glance: Law drawn—slasher sure. Eerie: Bloodless. Stump? Void-black.
Deck-thud: Needles lived—shocked self.
Freakish power.
Law sheathed; spectator stance.
But Gasperde spied win.
Law's strike: Kir back-turned—unguarded, unbraced.
Grin reborn.
Jaw-ache throbbed; arm morphed viable—spike-hardened, stab-tool.
Charged full: No escape—backstab.
"Die!"
Blink: Kir vanished—crane swapped.
Behind: Baton poised.
Wheel: Cheek-crack. Impact: Tooth-spit, nose-gush—deck-down.
No halt: Rose instant, lunged static Kir—arm-out.
Sure-kill vow; prior sight.
Outstretched: Pierced lone crane—Kir gone.
No stun: Right-flank gut-smash—club aftermath.
Endured not: Back-sprawl. Legs quaked—balance hell. Desperate: Rose, rushed.
Pride now. Life, win? Secondary—hate-loss.
Arm-swing: Cleave attempt.
Hit? End. Yet: Kir blinked—crane sole.
Reverse: Crown-club drop.
Lightning-shock body-wide. Death-near instant.
Limp: Knee-buckled, face-planted.
Vital strikes: Motion-sealed.
Prone glare: Kir's frost—insult-fueled blaze.
"You... Fuckin' joke..."
Feeble; ignored. Kir's chill held.
Despair-force: Rigid arm—rose shaky.
Herculean stand; unyield. Hull sunk, crew drowned, right-hand halved. Denial gripped.
Final surge: Skin syrup-spiked—porcupine full.
"Brats don't beat me! Swing if ya can!"
Body-ram weaponized.
Club ditched: Papers scattered free.
Front flock blinded—irrelevant.
Gasperde barreled straight.
"Raaagh!!"
Hardened all: Club-proof? Deluded faith—untouchable now.
Plowed paper-wall: Emerged.
Clear: Figure. Not Kir.
Law ahead; Kir Law's old spot.
Shock-swap: Dynamics flipped.
Law drew swift—ground-kick lunge. Fluster froze dodge.
"Radio Knife!"
"Groooaaah?!"
Rapid slashes: Spiked form segmented.
Green syrup stumps: Bloodless, no ooze. But: Fluid? Jammed—will-blocked.
Scattered inert: Painless paralysis.
Alive. Senseless.
Defeat dawned—regret raw.
Gasperde's front: Law's showy up-swing.
"Waste. Radio Knife's cut differs from amputation. Ability or not—minutes? No rejoin."
"Insane...!"
"This it? Pirate general?"
Vertical drop: Blade shy—circle-bound. Motion: Face cleaved twin.
No death, no pain—but mouth, tongue, throat halved: Speech silenced.
Corpse-mimic: Dismembered sprawl.
Law sheathed final.
No thrill. No threat.
Kir's intel, flaw-known: Factor.
Plus sync: Affinity gold.
Law's Room: Manip realm—swap mere trick. True edge? Elsewhere. But Kir's paper-swarm, teleport-aug: Amped potency.
Dreadful: Lounge-chat—win glimpsed instant.
Distrust held: Cards close. Traits hid deeper. Kir? No pry—content.
Swaps: Dodge, ambush—peak? No.
Paired with Perapera: Dead-angle constant. Intel-grasp alone? Sharp.
Aid? Synergy soared.
Face lax; mind whirred.
Kir's image: Shifted slight.
Eyes off Gasperde: Law to old spot—up to Kir.
Gaze-quest: Mild shock.
Kir pointed sinking Salamander base.
"Hey Law—that."
"Hm?"
Sea-swimmer: Elder. Not pirate-clutter—distinct. Lifelines clutched, desperate grimace.
Hull-breach eject: Biera.
Age, look: Non-threat. Obvious.
Oddity-noted: Kir proposed.
"No pirate vibe. Save him?"
"Serious? Stranger."
"Opportunity—debt's smart. Repay? Unknown when."
"Hn..."
Papers recalled; sub-descended.
Crew fled frantic—ignored.
Sea-hater supreme: Fearless dive to Biera.
Law sighed.
No good-evil. Unpinnable yet.
Caution warranted. Enough now.
Foe-turn? Peak alert.
Hat-pressed, downcast: Pierced sinking deck—hawk-eyed Kir's back.
--------------------------
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