The sudden turn of events left Lucci and Spandam speechless. Luffy, however, was the first to break the silence, his voice calm and indifferent:
"Koby, deal with him!"
"Understood, Luffy!"
At Koby's swift reply, a pink streak flashed across the room, and in the next instant, he had vanished from sight.
Step!
A crisp sound echoed.
In the blink of an eye, the stylish Koby in his boots appeared between Spandam and Rob Lucci.
"Let's have a proper fight!"
Koby's eyes narrowed slightly, glinting with a mix of determination and excitement.
He knew full well that Luffy's command to "deal with him" wasn't referring to the useless man behind him.
So, in an instant, his combat focus locked onto Rob Lucci.
Rip!
Lucci's suit shredded, pieces scattering across the floor.
In his Cat-Cat Fruit, Leopard Model form, yellow fur marked with black spots sprouted over his body. His limbs thickened, muscles bulging with raw strength.
Sharp claws gleamed, undeniably lethal.
Lucci had transformed into a massive, powerful spotted leopard.
"Finger Gun!"
Everything happened too suddenly.
Even now, Lucci hadn't fully processed why his allies had suddenly fallen unconscious.
But his body's instincts immediately kicked in, producing the correct reaction.
The cheetah-like limbs whipped forward!
His extended index fingers sliced through the air, producing sharp sonic booms.
Steel-hard fingers moved faster than bullets, leaving streams of light in their wake, aiming straight for the smiling Koby.
Under the assault of Lucci's Finger Guns, Koby's figure shimmered with afterimages, leaving multiple snapshots of the confident, smiling boy frozen in motion.
Gradually, the mouths of Koby's afterimages moved, forming a comic-strip style narration:
"So this is the Finger Gun, one of the Rokushiki techniques like Moonwalk… such speed!"
Thanks to Luffy's previous explanations, the crew was already familiar with the Marine Rokushiki techniques.
But seeing them firsthand? That was a first for Koby.
Though he remarked on the incredible speed, his uniform remained flawless, not a single wrinkle appearing.
After thousands of Finger Gun strikes, Lucci's eyes widened in disbelief. He suddenly stopped his attack, bent his legs, and leapt backward, creating a string of sonic blasts as he retreated to the hall where they had just rested.
His eyes reflected confusion and fear as he glanced at his fallen allies and the unflinching, confident Koby.
This is too strange… too strange!
He could see clearly that this boy had dodged his attacks purely by speed and reflexes—nothing to do with Rokushiki's Paper Art technique.
A bitter expression crept across Lucci's face.
Thinking of Kaku's earlier warnings, he understood perfectly…
This iteration of CP9 was completely overmatched.
Though only a brief instant had passed, he realized:
His ability to remain conscious wasn't because of his strength.
It was because his opponent chose not to knock him out.
For what reason? Perhaps to extract something from him.
Lucci had no doubt that no matter what harsh interrogation awaited, he and his allies could resist and reveal nothing.
But…
A flicker of realization shone in Lucci's eyes before disappearing instantly.
The rumors… were true.
No. They were even stronger than the rumors suggested!
"Who… are you?!"
Understanding why he had been spared, an unfamiliar fire surged within Lucci.
He, who had always scorned the weak and trusted fully in his own power, was now being underestimated!
And worse… he couldn't even counter it.
"Me?!"
Koby straightened, his smile fading, replaced with a serious expression.
A white light surged between his hands.
His weapon of choice, the Hero Mop, materialized before him.
"I am Koby, the janitor of the Starry Sky Pirates!"
Swish!
Koby twirled the mop in a practiced flourish, finally planting it proudly in front of him.
This was a pose he had trained for tirelessly, rehearsing in secret for months, designed by him and Usopp to be the perfect combination of style and strength.
Even Luffy and Zoro had no idea he had been preparing this behind the scenes.
Pfft!
Watching Koby strike the ridiculous pose, Lucci internally spat a mouthful of blood in disbelief.
Had he heard correctly?!
A janitor?!
With that speed and power, there was no way this boy could be a mere janitor!
Surely he was mocking him…
Yet, staring at the mop in Koby's hands, Lucci realized he had no choice but to accept this painful truth.
I… am weaker than a janitor?!
Rage surged through him, his eyes turning blood-red.
"Kami-e"
With a roar, Lucci's body shrank, his once-massive arms and chest muscles vanishing.
If he had been a bulky leopard moments ago, now he was a lean, sinewy feline—tight and compact.
Kamie allows complete control over body size, muscle, and reflexes, trading raw power for speed and agility.
This was the only way Lucci could hope to match Koby's speed.
"Oh? So there's a technique like that!?"
Koby murmured, observing Lucci's sudden transformation.
Though he had heard of the Rokushiki techniques, this was the first time Koby had seen someone combine Life Return with Rokushiki in action.
Lucci, known as the "strongest agent," had earned the title for a reason.
Hoo…
Lucci exhaled deeply, calming his mind.
All panic and confusion vanished as he reopened his eyes.
In battle, there was only one focus: fighting… and executing his plan.
"Soru!"
Lucci no longer wasted words, his feet hammering the ground, forming a black streak of light as he darted across the small room like a lightning bolt.
BOOM!
A massive shockwave erupted.
The beast-like snarl on Lucci's face widened, his mouth opening as if to bite Koby clean off.
But just as Koby braced for the attack…
The force opposing him suddenly relaxed.
Lucci became a streak of blazing lightning, hurtling toward Spandam, who was still weak from the earlier shockwave on the balcony.
"For the World Government!"
"Finger Gun!"
Determined to protect the government's secrets, Lucci immediately targeted his own incompetent superior.
Sharp fingers slashed through the void.
But…
"Hey!"
Koby smiled disdainfully.
Though Lucci had boosted his speed using Life Return, Koby, trained tirelessly against Zoro and Sanji, was still…
Too fast!
Whoosh!
In an instant, Koby reappeared in Lucci's peripheral vision.
Pink sparks crackled around him.
Lucci's attack was about to strike Spandam's head—
BANG!
A wooden stick appeared directly in front of Lucci's chest!
He had no time to react.
Focused on protecting government intelligence, he made a choice…
Take it head-on!
"Tekkai!!!"
Instinctively, Lucci unleashed his Rokushiki Tekkai.
But, as fans of One Piece would know, Tekkai is destined to be broken.
BOOM!
The impact sent Lucci flying, faster than he had moved, attacking Koby moments ago.
Yet…
Koby's speed was still faster.
"Luffy was right…"
Using pure explosive speed, Koby caught up to Lucci mid-air, lifting the mop high.
The mop's head aimed squarely at Lucci's head.
"I've really grown stronger!"
BOOM!
A yellow shockwave ripped through the entire Tower of Justice.
Cough! …Cough!
Lucci spat blood violently at the base of the tower, his tail slamming into the ground for support.
He staggered to his feet, blood streaming from his head—a clear testament to Koby's strike.
Whoosh!
Koby instantly appeared beside him.
Looking at Lucci, he said something uncharacteristically dramatic:
"The darkness… it's intoxicating!"
A pure sentiment.
In just a few months, Koby had grown from a powerless boy to a formidable fighter, drawing strength from defeating pirates and absorbing their dark energy.
Cough!
Lucci spat another mouthful of blood, glaring at Koby without a hint of surrender.
"Soru!"
"Tekkai!"
Lucci lunged at Koby.
However—
"It's already useless!"
Koby extended the mop's wooden handle, bracing for Lucci's charge.
BANG!
The shockwave stopped Lucci in mid-air.
His beast instincts screamed: one more step and he would die.
High above, Lucci spun around, delivering a kick:
A blue slash in the shape of a bird cut toward Koby.
But Koby refused to give him any chance.
He wasn't going to make Luffy wait.
Quick victory had always been his master's teaching.
Koby stomped, unleashing a move he had just learned.
"Soru!"
BOOM!
A shadowy strike slammed Lucci's head.
Overwhelmed by sheer strength, the World Government's strongest agent lost consciousness instantly.
Koby then placed the mop's head atop Lucci's head.
"Your darkness… I will bear it!!!!"
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Completed version available on P@treon(.)com/Veltoria