"Bastard!"
Rob Lucci was instantly enraged. Just how much did this guy look down on him to dare bypass him and attack Spandam?!
Although Spandam was nothing but a useless fool in his eyes—only good for relaying orders from above—he was still the commanding officer of Cipher Pol 9.
Hitting him was equivalent to slapping the entire Cipher Pol 9 in the face. How could Rob Lucci not be furious?
"Shave!"
In the blink of an eye, Rob Lucci rushed in front of Spandam, blocking Meiser's line of sight and firmly shielding Spandam behind him.
Kaku and Jabra also moved, using Shave to appear behind Meiser before launching whip kicks aimed at his head.
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"Heh."
Meiser chuckled lightly, leaning back effortlessly to dodge the two kicks.
"Thud!"
The two men, having missed Meiser, ended up kicking each other instead, absorbing the force of each other's blows. Their expressions darkened.
"Don't get in my way, bastard!"
"That's my line!"
They glared at each other, each convinced the other had interfered with their attack.
"Now, now, no arguing during a fight~"
"Shut up, bastard!" Jabra snarled at Meiser. "Just die already—Finger Pistol!"
"Thwip!"
The sharp Finger Pistol easily pierced through the desk, but unfortunately, it didn't hit Meiser.
The moment Jabra attacked, Meiser had already moved away, returning to his original position.
"Slippery as an eel," Jabra grumbled.
Just how was the guy so fast? And that strange ability to turn into a wooden stump—his Finger Pistol couldn't land a hit at all.
"Everyone—"
"You didn't actually think we'd chat with you, did you?" Kalifa spat before darting toward Meiser and lashing out with a whip kick.
"Thud~"
"Such a weak attack shouldn't even be part of this mess," Meiser remarked.
"Bastard, are you looking down on me?"
"Not at all." Meiser shook his head before teasing, "But this lady's outfit is quite daring."
"I thought you'd be the serious type."
"Chapapa~ Kalifa got exposed~"
Kalifa: "..."
Was this really the time for such comments, you damn owl?!
Under Kalifa's murderous glare, Fukuro wisely shut his beak.
Even he sensed the danger—if he kept running his mouth, who knew if Kalifa would turn on him next?
Turning her attention back to Meiser, Kalifa tried to pull her leg free, but Meiser's grip was too strong.
"Bastard, let go!"
"Sure~"
With a flick of his wrist, Meiser sent Kalifa flying.
"Whoosh~"
"Crash!"
"Boom!!"
Mid-flight, she collided with Fukuro, who had rushed to catch her. The force sent both of them hurtling into the side wall before they finally stopped.
Thanks to Fukuro cushioning the impact, Kalifa wasn't badly hurt—but the poor giant behind her wasn't so lucky.
"Crunch... gulp..."
"Thanks, Fukuro..." Kalifa said with a grim expression.
This man showed no mercy at all, striking without restraint. Had it not been for Fukuro's intervention, she might have been severely injured by now.
Plop
A Devil Fruit fell from Kalifa's body and landed on the ground, instantly drawing everyone's attention.
This was the Devil Fruit Spandam had given them earlier to boost their combat power. They hadn't even had time to retreat to the lounge to eat it before Meiser suddenly stormed in.
"So this is the so-called Devil Fruit," Meiser remarked curiously, eyeing the fruit on the ground without any intention of snatching it.
Eating this thing would make him unable to swim—a pure disadvantage for him—so he had no interest in it whatsoever.
But where had this woman been hiding the Devil Fruit earlier?
Kalifa quickly picked up the Devil Fruit and, after a moment's hesitation, took a big bite.
The next instant, her face twisted in disgust, as if she'd just eaten something vile beyond description.
Watching Kalifa force herself to keep eating despite the revolting taste, Meiser said, "You really don't need to do this. I have no interest in your Devil Fruit."
Unfortunately, Kalifa paid him no heed, continuing to take bite after bite of the horrendous fruit.
Seeing this, Kaku wasted no time either, pulling out his own Devil Fruit and eating it, clearly aiming for a temporary power boost.
Meiser glanced at them briefly before looking away. If they wanted to eat it, so be it.
Then he turned to Spandam and said, "I think you've seen my strength by now. Do you still believe these guys can defeat us?"
Spandam's vacant eyes regained focus at Meiser's words, and his expression darkened.
"Don't get too cocky," Rob Lucci interjected. "If we were to fight seriously, you'd stand no chance against us."
Though he said this, Rob Lucci knew full well that the man before them was a formidable opponent.
"What do you think the Buster Call is?" Spandam pushed Rob Lucci aside, drew his sword, and slammed it onto the table. "You think you can just use it whenever you want?!"
"We'll see once you manage to defeat them."
"Heh, you'll find out soon enough."
Spandam was already under his control. Under the power of these eyes, such a weakling had no ability to resist.
If Meiser willed it, he could take over Spandam's body at any moment and initiate the Buster Call.
"Do you really think the Straw Hat Boy and his crew can defeat us?" Kalifa panted, having just consumed the Devil Fruit.
They had endured over a decade of grueling training, surviving the hellish training camp and mastering the Navy Six Styles—techniques only superhumans could learn!
How could a bunch of rookies who'd just set sail possibly defeat them?!
"Absolutely!" Meiser declared firmly. "Not only will the Straw Hat Pirates defeat you, but we'll also prove that the Buster Call means nothing to us!"
"What makes you so confident?"
"Because I'm strong enough!"
After giving the group one last glance, Meiser decided to leave first.
He couldn't possibly take out all the enemies himself—his companions needed the tempering. Having witnessed the growth of the Straw Hat Pirates, Meiser understood this well.
Most importantly, his opponents weren't these Cipher Pol 9 agents, but the Buster Call that would follow!!
Five Navy Vice Admirals... Just the thought of it made him a little excited.
"Trying to leave?"
"Shave!"
Jabra roared, transforming into his wolf-man form and closing the distance to Meiser in the blink of an eye, throwing a heavy punch straight at him!
"Heavy Step Wolf!"
"Bam!"
The crushing fist struck Meiser's raised arm, sending him flying backward.
"Ahahaha! Now you know my power!"
"Awooo!"
Jabra was utterly pleased—his punch had landed perfectly!
"Idiot," Kaku snapped.
"Bastard, what did you say?!"
"I said you're an idiot!"
Judging by the other's expression, Meiser hadn't been sent flying in a panic by Jabra's attack!
Indeed, Meiser hadn't been smashed into the wall by Jabra's strike. Instead, he landed steadily in the corridor.
Seeing this, Jabra's face darkened immediately. Had he... been played for a fool again?
"Little pup, your strength still needs work."