Shiranami Hakusei possessed the Observation Haki of the Pirate King, Gol D. Roger, just how terrifyingly powerful was his Haki?
Right now, every single thought in Lucci's mind was completely exposed under his Haki's perception.
So when he heard Lucci say he would quickly take him down, and then go on to defeat his companions one by one, Hakusei couldn't help it, he burst out laughing.
"Hah… you're seriously overestimating yourself."
He raised an eyebrow and spoke directly to Lucci.
"What did you say? A fugitive like you dares to act arrogant in front of CP9? You'd better surrender now!"
"Surrender? With just you? Stop talking nonsense. Let's fight."
With that, the lines were drawn. The tension was sky-high, one spark away from igniting into full-blown battle.
The cold sea breeze howled past.
Waves crashed furiously against the docks, sending spray soaring over ten meters high,
It was as if the sea itself was detonating the first signal of war.
In the very next second, the standoff between the eight combatants erupted into action.
"Attack!" Lucci shouted, charging toward Hakusei head-on!
The other three CP9 members also sprang into motion at the same time, following the plan they had just discussed, each targeting their designated opponent.
Compared to CP9's high-strung alertness, Hakusei's group was far more relaxed.
After all, aside from Hakusei himself, the other three, Crocodile, Redfield, and Waldo, were all battle-hardened monsters.
They had long since stopped fearing death. Their outlook was simple: if you want to fight, then fight.
To them, these so-called CP9 members were nothing but kids playing in shallow water.
All three had mischievous grins on their faces, clearly thinking of how to toy with their opponents for fun.
Hakusei, though, didn't have their patience. Now that he had power, he longed to test himself against every notable name in the world.
So, ignoring the other three, he stepped forward first, charging straight ahead.
If you don't make a move, then I'll just handle everything myself!
But what happened next was absurd,
The CP9 agents completely ignored him.
They ran straight past Hakusei as if he didn't exist, going directly for his three companions.
Only Lucci remained to face Hakusei head-on.
"What the hell? You guys looking down on me?" Hakusei's face darkened.
Even worse, Lucci didn't even speak, he just leapt forward, instantly using a powerful Rankyaku (Tempest Kick) aimed directly at Hakusei's face, as if it would be enough to drop him in one blow.
Hakusei didn't move. He didn't even bother to use Haki or summon his lightning shield.
Relying solely on the raw physical toughness of the Third Raikage's template, he took the kick head-on.
Bang!
"…Impossible!" Lucci's eyes went wide.
Everyone on the sidelines, Marines, World Government officials, were dumbfounded.
They knew exactly how strong Lucci was.
But this punk? This young fugitive had just stood there and tanked a full-power kick from Lucci,
Using nothing but his body?!
It was genuinely shocking.
Hakusei furrowed his brow, rubbed his forehead, and casually twisted his neck.
"…That's it?"
You've got to be kidding.
The crowd watching all rolled their eyes at once.
"Officer Lucci is a master of the Six Powers! And that's all he did?"
"But judging by the kid's expression… he's not faking it."
"Don't tell me… he's actually fine?!"
When you start thinking too hard about something, fear kicks in. At first, everyone was just surprised, but now? Their faces had turned pale with terror.
Lucci was absolutely furious.
He'd always considered himself one of the most gifted prodigies in CP9.
And now? He was getting humiliated in public.
"A damn fugitive dares to show off in front of me?! DIE, Shigan: Razor Fang!"
Oh?
Hakusei's eyes sparkled. This technique packed even more power than Shigan or Rankyaku alone.
Lucci's kick came screaming in, the air itself splitting apart with its force.
This time, Hakusei activated his [Lightning Shield].
Crackle, !
The attack was blocked with ease, but that wasn't all,
The lightning arced up Lucci's leg, coursing through his whole body.
Boom!
Lucci hit the ground hard, dazed, twitching uncontrollably.
What just happened!?
A Devil Fruit user?!
The Marine Headquarters had only just released Hakusei's preliminary bounty. No detailed intel was included. Even CP9 didn't know what he was capable of.
And that's where Lucci fell short.
He thought Hakusei was just a fugitive with a big bounty.
But the strength Hakusei just displayed, it was far beyond anything Lucci could have imagined.
And as for the others…?
Lucci looked over.
His three teammates were being played with like monkeys.
Completely outmatched.
Lucci still had techniques left in reserve, but if this kept up, they'd fail the mission entirely.
He turned to the distance, eyes locking on the Sea Train… already pulling away from the dock.
His heart wavered.
"Blueno!" Lucci shouted, using Soru (Shave) to create distance between him and Hakusei.
Their long years of teamwork had made them incredibly coordinated, Blueno understood immediately.
He gritted his teeth, activated [Tekkai (Iron Body)] to withstand Waldo's bombardment, and then vanished into thin air.
The other two CP9 agents also unleashed desperate moves to buy a few seconds, barely escaping toward Blueno's location.
When Blueno reappeared, he had already opened a [Door-Door Fruit portal] behind them.
The four of them quickly retreated through the gate, beaten and humiliated.
"Eh…" Hakusei blinked.
"Right… I forgot Blueno had that fruit." He shrugged.
That guy had so little screen time, looked unimpressive, and was barely strong enough to be considered a threat, Hakusei had almost forgotten he had such a useful Devil Fruit.
Still, it didn't matter.
Their next destination was Enies Lobby anyway.
He'd clean them all up there.
"You three useless bums. You really let them escape?" Hakusei rolled his eyes. Of course, he knew they weren't being serious.
Redfield sneered, not bothering to respond.
Crocodile acted like he hadn't heard anything at all.
Only Waldo gave a helpless shrug.
"Boss, what can I say? These guys are way too weak. No Devil Fruit powers, no Haki. If I actually tried, I could drown 'em in a puddle of piss."
Hakusei thought about it… and honestly, he couldn't argue.
"Alright, whatever. We'll hit Enies Lobby later and wipe them out. At least they'll be slightly stronger by then, it'll be a little more interesting."
He crossed his arms with a calm expression.
Anyone who dared to attack him would not be spared.
He wasn't the type to let weeds grow back.
And besides, he already planned to check-in at Enies Lobby anyway.
The other three looked at him, surprised, but Hakusei didn't bother explaining.
"…Let's go find Iceburg. Time to talk about shipbuilding."
No one had any objections to that.
Water 7 was world-renowned for its shipbuilding craft. Coming here to build a ship made perfect sense.
Of course, none of them knew that Hakusei already had top-tier materials on hand. They just assumed he was about to go shake someone down for cash.
And to be fair… how else could they get a ship?
They might've been strong as hell…
But they were dead broke!
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200 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter