The ground cracked beneath Liam Ross as he steadied himself, the shock of Chinjao's last strike still humming through his arms. He exhaled sharply, forcing the violent energy out of his body before it could tear his muscles apart.
His gaze lifted toward the approaching figure. Chinjao's aura burned like fire, every step thundering across the battlefield. So this is the might of a pirate worth over five hundred million, Liam thought. No wonder he once stood shoulder to shoulder with legends. Taking him down quickly won't be easy.
"Liam Ross! Kneel before me!"
Chinjao roared, his body flashing forward. His iron-coated fist tore through the air. Liam met the blow head-on, their Haki-clad fists colliding with a sound like thunder. Ripples of force burst outward, distorting the very air as shockwaves rolled through the clearing.
At that instant, Liam's eyes gleamed.
"Rise."
A dragon of earth erupted from the ground behind Chinjao, scales of stone glinting under the sunlight. With a deafening roar, it lunged straight for the pirate's back.
"Hmph!"
Chinjao's Observation Haki flared like lightning. His pupils shrank; his fist lashed out, striking Liam in the chest and forcing him backward. But before he could turn, the earth dragon's jaws closed around him. He cursed and quickly coated his upper body in Armament Haki.
"Boom!"
The dragon exploded on impact, slamming into Chinjao's chest. The blow dented his ribcage, sending tremors through his massive frame but the old pirate refused to fall.
Before he could recover, the air whistled.
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"
Dozens of earthen spears ripped through the smoke, raining down on him like a storm.
"Boom! Boom!"
The island shook with every hit, dust billowing high into the sky.
"Father!" cried the massive warrior among the Eight Treasures Navy.
"Chief!" his men shouted in panic, faces turning pale.
Liam, however, remained calm. He knew better than anyone that such attacks would barely scratch Chinjao's iron body. And sure enough
A massive arm, blackened by Haki, tore through the smoke. It shot out like a viper, fast and merciless, aiming straight for Liam.
"Earth Iron Wall!"
The ground surged upward, forming a thick wall of stone before him. Chinjao's fist smashed into it, shattering the barrier in an instant.
Liam's eyes narrowed. He sprang backward, landing lightly on his feet as he summoned two more walls in quick succession.
"Boom! Boom!"
The second and third barriers absorbed the blow, crumbling under the impact but halting Chinjao's advance.
From the smoke, the pirate chief emerged towering, furious, his veins pulsing like cords of steel. His glare locked on Liam, burning with hatred.
"Liam Ross! You dare challenge me? I'll grind you into dust!"
Liam straightened, his voice clear and commanding. "Chinjao, your time has passed. This is a new era, and the West Blue's underworld belongs to the future. You and your Eight Treasures Navy should return to the Flower Kingdom while you still can."
"Brat!" Chinjao bellowed. "You dare look down on me?!"
He leapt high into the sky, his hands pressed together as his body inverted. His head slammed into the ground with a booming crack, and then he spun.
"Eight Impact Fist Drill Head Revolve!"
He became a human drill, his spinning form generating a gale so fierce that trees were uprooted and boulders shattered under the pressure. The sheer destructive force of his rotation tore through the air like a tornado.
Liam's eyes flashed. The soil beneath his feet softened and twisted as he activated his Fruit ability. Just as Chinjao's spinning form shot toward him, Liam vanished from sight.
A split second later, he reappeared several meters away.
The onlookers gasped.
"What was that?!"
"He disappeared!"
That was Earth Shift a movement technique born from the Earth-Earth Fruit. By merging partially with the ground, Liam could slip through the soil and reemerge nearby in an instant. It wasn't true teleportation, but it was fast enough to evade even deadly attacks.
Still, it had limits. The range was short barely two meters and against someone with advanced Observation Haki, it could be tracked.
"Boom!"
The ground exploded as Chinjao's spinning form crashed down again. Liam reappeared and dodged once more, his figure flickering from spot to spot.
The two began a deadly dance one chasing, the other vanishing, the earth erupting beneath their feet with every exchange.
After a minute, Chinjao halted his spin, panting heavily. His fury reignited as he charged forward, fist cocked back.
Liam met him with a calm expression. Their fists collided again.
"Bang!"
The shockwave cracked the ground beneath them.
Then, suddenly, both vanished disappearing and reappearing across the battlefield, trading blows too fast for the naked eye to follow.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Each impact sent shockwaves roaring through the island. The earth quaked, trees snapped, and waves crashed violently against the shore. The soldiers watching could only gape in awe.
"Th-they're monsters…"
"Is this what pirates with over a hundred million bounty look like?"
"They're not human! Someone save me!"
Another two minutes passed.
"Step. Step."
Both men finally stopped, breathing heavily. Dust and smoke curled around them as they stared each other down.
"Leave, Chinjao," Liam said quietly, his voice cutting through the wind. "Take your Eight Treasures Navy and go back. If you don't, I won't hold back next time and none of you will leave this island alive."
By now, Liam had fully gauged his opponent's strength. Chinjao was on par with a lower-ranked admiral powerful, but beatable. Defeating him outright would take time, and Liam had other enemies to deal with.
He didn't need to kill the old man just make him retreat.
"Leave? You dare give me orders?!" Chinjao barked, rage twisting his face. "I am Chinjao the Drill! You think a brat like you can make me kneel?!"
He lunged forward again, his Haki-coated fist colliding with Liam's.
"Boom!"
The ground cracked beneath them.
Then Chinjao suddenly turned his gaze toward Liam's clone standing beside Capone Bege. His voice dripped venom. "Garp's bloodline… I'll never forgive you!"
Liam exhaled sharply through his nose, annoyed. Even now, the old pirate's grudge against Garp clouded his judgment.
Still holding onto the past, huh?
Liam's eyes went cold. "Fine. Since you won't back down, then stay here forever."
His voice echoed across the island, deep and commanding.
"Rumble…"
The ground began to tremble violently. Mountains of soil rose in waves, trees and boulders swirling into the air as if pulled by a living force.
Five meters. Ten. Twenty. Thirty.
Within seconds, a colossal wall of earth towered above the battlefield, curling like a tsunami ready to swallow the world.
The sky darkened under its shadow.
Soldiers froze where they stood, faces pale. Some dropped their weapons, legs shaking uncontrollably. Even Chinjao's eyes flickered in alarm as he stared at the oncoming tide.
"Damn natural-type user…" he growled.
Then, just as the earth began to fall, a metallic ding echoed in Liam's mind.
System Notification:
New Mission Triggered – "Teach the Pirate Worth Over Five Hundred Million a Lesson."
Objective: Defeat Chinjao and make him live up to his title as the Drill Fist.
Reward: Mysterious Treasure Chest.
Liam's smile widened beneath his mask.
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