Takero appeared in a flash, materializing directly beneath Robin as she fell. He stretched out his arms and gently caught her trembling body, cradling her as she shook from the pain. He didn't spare a glance for the woman in his arms, however. In the next instant, his figure flickered again.
He reappeared beside Rob Lucci. The human-leopard had just injured Monet and was moving in to finish the fight.
BOOM!
A terrifying, muffled explosion ripped through the air. Takero's leg, wreathed in dark red energy and moving like a battle-axe, slammed into the side of Lucci's head before the CP9 agent could even register what was happening. His proudest defensive technique, the Iron Body, was as useless as paper against such absolute, overwhelming power.
Lucci didn't even have time to scream. He felt as if a meteorite had struck him from the side. His vision went black, and his consciousness—along with all his pride and his twisted sense of justice—was instantly erased. His body shot backward like a cannonball, crashing through dozens of complex experimental machines before finally landing in a sparking heap of metal wreckage, completely unconscious.
Only then did Takero gently lower Robin to the ground. He glanced at the cuts and bruises on her body, then at Monet, who was clutching a torn wing with blood at the corner of her mouth. His brow furrowed. He pulled two small, emerald-green beans from his pocket and placed one in each of their mouths.
"Eat these."
Instantly, all of Monet's injuries vanished, and her strength returned. The exhaustion and lingering fear from the battle melted away. She rushed to Takero's side, her voice filled with joy. "Master! You're finally back!"
Robin felt the bones in her body, which had been on the verge of being crushed, snap back into place. She let out a quiet sigh of relief as the despair that had nearly consumed her finally disappeared.
"Yeah... I'm here," Takero said, patting both of them reassuringly on the head.
He then slowly turned around. His deep, black eyes, now filled with a cold killing intent, locked onto the strange, horned spider-creature who had been watching everything with an indifferent expression.
"I was wondering what kind of clueless bugs would dare to cause trouble at my place," he said, a grin spreading across his face. It was a smile of pure, unfiltered arrogance. "I didn't expect it to be such a big one."
For the first time, Saint Saturn's eyes, which always held a look of divine indifference, showed a flicker of something else. After witnessing Takero's impossible speed and the casual way he had dispatched the strongest CP9 agent, he felt a subtle emotion he hadn't experienced in centuries: caution.
"'Strange Tail' Takero..." he began to say, his voice carrying its usual supreme authority. But before he could finish, Takero cut him off with even greater arrogance.
"Yeah, that's me," Takero said, picking at his ear as if he were talking to a stray dog. "So who the hell are you?"
Saint Saturn was silent. How long had it been? In the eight hundred years since the founding of the World Government, how long had it been since anyone had dared to speak to him—one of the world's highest authorities—with the tone of a common street thug?
A cold anger flashed in his abyss-like eyes. "Arrogant child," he said softly. "You don't know your place."
"Heh," Takero smirked, crossing his arms. Saturn, meanwhile, studied him, confused as to how he was completely unharmed.
"Where is Aokiji?" Saturn demanded.
"You mean the ice cube? Oh, he's taking a nap on the beach. Must be nice to be young," Takero replied flippantly.
Deciding not to waste any more words on this noisy pest, Saturn slowly announced his identity, his voice booming with an authority that could make the entire world tremble. "I am Jaygarcia Saturn. One of the Five Elders of the World Government, the Warrior God of Science and Defense."
"Oh?" Takero said, putting on an exaggerated look of surprise. "The Five Elders, huh? Never heard of 'em. Where'd a wild dog like you get off calling himself a 'God' in front of me?"
"You...!"
This time, even Saturn's ancient, unshakable composure finally cracked. He was completely enraged by Takero's blatant and total disrespect. In his eyes, mortals were nothing more than insects to be crushed at his whim, but this little bug's insults were truly infuriating.
Behind Takero, Robin leaned in and whispered, "Master... he is one of the Five Elders. They are the highest rulers of the World Government. Even the Fleet Admiral and all of Cipher Pol must obey their commands without question."
"Ohhh!" Takero exclaimed as if he finally understood. Then, he said something that made everyone freeze. "I get it. So, to put it simply, they're just Celestial Dragon pigs with a slightly better job title, right?"
He clicked his tongue, looking Saturn up and down. "I thought the last Celestial Dragon I beat up looked pretty weird, but I guess you, as their 'leader,' had to be even uglier." Takero's face took on a look of pure, innocent curiosity. "Hey, old man, can you tell me something? Did your mother have a thing for cows? Or maybe it was spiders? How else do you end up with a freak show like you?"
"Pfft—!"
Hearing this, Robin and Monet couldn't hold it in any longer and burst out laughing. They knew their master's words were vulgar, but they were also unbelievably funny.
Across from them, Saturn's ancient face, once a mask of divine indifference, had turned completely black with rage.
"Enough, you peasant!" he roared. A terrifying aura, powerful enough to distort the space around him, erupted from his body. "Do you want to die?!"
In response, Takero's arrogant grin only widened. He slowly raised his fist.
"Want to try?"
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