G-5 Branch Training Field Noon
The sun was high in the sky, the air felt like iron, and dust and smoke were swirling in the center of the training ground.
All seven members of CP9—Rob Lucci, Kaku, Kalifa, Jabra, Blueno, Fukurou, and Kudori—spread out and formed a battle formation, the atmosphere heavy with emotion.
——(Nero is a noob and a newcomer who joined after the Enies Lobby incident, so I'm too lazy to write about him. I'll find a chance to kill that idiot Spandam later. CP9 will only have seven members in the future.)
Across from them were Leiter and Enel, standing side by side, utterly fearless.
"Advantage in numbers."
"...but the murderous aura can't suppress them at all." Fukurou whispered through gritted teeth.
Kaku clenched his swords tightly, veins popping out on his forehead. "This doesn't feel like training, it feels like execution..."
And the next second, Rhett grinned and tiptoed!
"—Get started, weaklings!"
He turned into a black shadow and charged forward, causing the stone slabs on the ground to explode inch by inch!
"Thunder Explosion!"
Enel turned into lightning and soared into the air. His magic wand drew a lightning arc of dozens of meters in the air, sweeping down like an overwhelming force!
"dispersion!!!"
At Lucci's command, the seven members of CP9 immediately dispersed and evaded. Fukurou and Kugetsu took off to detect, Blueno opened the door space to jump to support, Kalifa and Kaku counterattacked to suppress Rhett's flank, and Jabra attacked instantly!
"Finger Pistol·Broken Wind Rift!!"
"Tempest Kick Alba Blade!!"
"Shave - Six-style continuous thrust!!"
The three of them attacked Rhett from three directions at the same time!
--boom!!!
Rhett crushed the ground with one foot, his armed color surged, and his fists hit the three-line killing moves!
The air vibrated like thunder!
"Hahahhhh!!!" Rhett roared, turned his body suddenly, and swept his elbows across!
"Shattered Sky: Double Collapse!!"
Kalifa and Kaku were directly thrown more than ten meters away, rolled on the ground, and blood oozed from their mouths!
Jabra gritted his teeth: "Iron Body!"
The next moment.
"Bang!!!"
Rhett hit Jabra's chest with both fists!
"You really dare to use Iron Body to block my moves?!"
——Click!
The sound of bones breaking shook the whole audience. Jabra flew backwards and broke the wall of the training ground, his breastplate shattered and blood vomited!
"If you block it again, you will die!!!" Rhett shouted loudly.
——In the air.
Enel turned into lightning and attacked suddenly, catching up with Blueno in an instant!
"Do you think space jump is effective against Thunder Speed?"
"Thunderstorms: Spiral Fall!"
"Iron Body!!"
Blueno subconsciously sealed himself——
boom!!!
Thunder and lightning filled Blueno's body like a dragon, and his whole body shook violently. He flew backwards and fell to the ground. After rolling several times, he collapsed on the ground, spewing black smoke from his mouth!
Fukurou and Kugetori suddenly attacked from the air, and Enel's lightning explosion suddenly blew them away!
Enel landed slowly and glanced at the others coldly:
"Who's next going to Iron Body block my Divine Judgment?"
The air was silent for three seconds.
"...these two lunatics."
"... Two people, pressing down seven people... pressing them hard." Kaku's face was covered in cold sweat.
"It's impossible to predict...they completely control our attack rhythm." Kalifa whispered between breaths.
"Calm down." Lucci took a deep breath and Hadley growled.
He finally moved.
"Six Kings Spear: Lion Bite!"
Lucci suddenly transformed into a leopard and rushed forward, his punches as powerful as a mountain!
Just as Leiter was about to attack, he was blocked by Enel's staff covered with lightning patterns!
The two stood side by side in tacit understanding, their steps in unison, their auras overlapping and intertwined!
"God-Slaying Thunder - Break!"
"Sky-breaking Style: Collapse!"
Both fists were thrown out, lightning and fist wind burst out at the same time!
Lucci's attack was forcibly blocked, thunder rumbled in the air, and he was knocked down by the double attack, raising a cloud of dust!
Enel sneered:
"I know you're the top of CP9, but don't talk about you..."
Lei Te sneered and continued:
"—Seven of you wouldn't be enough for us to practice boxing with!"
The outcome of the battle is no longer in doubt.
All members of CP9 were injured instantly, but although Rhett and Enel had traces of sweat, their breath was not disordered and their fighting spirit was undiminished.
Enel's eyes were stern. "I'll give you one day to recover. From tomorrow on, anyone who uses Iron Body to block my thunder again..."
Lei Te grinned and said, "I'll show you what 'Purgatory Day Enhanced Edition' means."
The sideline recorder was so scared that he didn't dare to blink.
——This is not training.
This is the declaration of the Suzheng Army: Don't use the old tactics to face the New World anymore.
All "killers" who do not evolve will eventually die under the blade of the times.
G-5 Branch Head's Office
Rogge had just returned to his seat and was about to look through the desert route information when he suddenly raised his eyebrows.
The next second, the air trembled slightly.
——In the direction of the training ground in the distance, the fighting aura released by both Rhett and Enel was like thunder and lightning, directly penetrating the martial arts barrier and entering the perception of observation Haki.
"...It's over so soon?" Rogge whispered to himself.
He leaned lazily against the back of his chair, tapped the armrest twice with his fingertips, but there was helplessness on his face.
"Those idiots...really used Iron Body to block it again?"
He shook his head and smiled, as if he could have expected that several members of CP9 would be beaten until their mouths were bleeding but still refuse to accept it.
"It's a good thing I pulled you guys over here, otherwise you'd really get beaten up by a bunch of brats in Enies Lobby one day. That would be really unpleasant."
He stood up and walked to the window, looking at the sea line in the direction of New World. The image of the Straw Hat Pirates' fearless smiling faces under their tattered hats appeared in his mind.
"...Calculating the time, we should be almost at Alabasta."
After pondering for a few seconds, he reached out and pressed a red copper button on the corner of the table.
An exclusive Den Den Mushi with a white cape pattern crawled online with a "click".
Rogge said lightly:
"CP0, have your informant in the desert connect the Den Den Mushi to... Crocodile."
The other party was stunned: "Yes, Rogge Vice Admiral, complete the tangent in three minutes."
[Alabasta·Rainland·Mirage Casino·President's Office]
Amidst the thick cigar smoke, Crocodile sat alone on a heavy leather sofa, a cigar with a golden snake pattern between his fingers, and with his other hand he was flipping through the dispatch information from Baroque Works.
"The unrest in Alabasta should move on to the second phase... but something doesn't feel right."
"Beep—beep—beep—"
The Den Den Mushi rang.
He frowned and pressed the answer button.
"Hello, this is—"
"Sand crocodile." A very familiar voice that made his hair stand on end slowly rang out from the insect shell.
"I'm Rogge."
--Bang!!
Crocodile dropped the cigar in his hand and sat up straight in an instant. His whole body was tense, and even the scars on his body were aching slightly!
"Rogge Vice Admiral... What are the instructions for this call?"
He tried to sound calm, but his voice was trembling slightly.
On the other end of the phone, Rogge spoke slowly and calmly, with an unquestionable calmness and oppression:
"nothing."
"Just a reminder."
"Next, be serious."
"If you, the great Shichibukai, were defeated by a bunch of unknown little pirates—"
"I'll come over here myself and screw your head off."
"By then, you won't even be able to blow out smoke from that mouth of yours."
As soon as the words fell, the Den Den Mushi was hung up with a click.
The air seemed to stagnate for two seconds.
Crocodile's face turned pale, veins on his forehead throbbing, he slowly lowered his head and stared at the hung-up Den Den Mushi, the corners of his mouth twitching violently.
"A group of...unknown little Pirates?"
"???"
He slammed the tabletop with his palm, smashing it, and yelled, "How disrespectful of me!!!"
Right at this moment.
"Beep——" the Den Den Mushi rang again.
He picked up the Den Den Mushi on the ground and answered it with gritted teeth: "What's up?"
A trembling voice of an intelligence member came from the Den Den Mushi:
"Boss... I just received news that Mr. 3 failed his mission at 'Little Garden'... He was... defeated by a group of Pirates..."
——Bang!
The entire Den Den Mushi was almost crushed on the spot by Crocodile!
His face was as black as charcoal, and he gritted his teeth and roared:
"Here it comes...the damn prophetic taunt is coming!!!"
"Hurry up and find out where those bugs came from—"
"I'm going to strangle them all myself!!"
————
There was a slight sound of wind.
Rogge gently closed the window, his eyes calm, as if he had seen through the bloody storm that was about to break out in the sea of sand.
"...Alabasta, I can only say that we should prepare for both situations..."
He slowly sat back at the table and flipped open a file page. The title on the top was clear:
[Straw Hat Pirates: Initial Ability Profiles of All Members]
Glance passed by.
"Luffy,Zoro,Nami,Usopp,Sanji..."
His tone was calm, but with a hint of sarcasm:
"The freest beginning is also the easiest point to end."
"Look at how far this f***ed up world can help you."