The sight of Killer and Kid lying unconscious on the ground nearby was the clearest example.
At this thought, Urouge's pupils contracted to pinpoints, and his body began to tremble.
Even so, the idea of submitting to Lancelot so easily filled Urouge with reluctance. After all, as a pirate, freedom and dignity were of utmost importance to him.
Thud...
Just as Urouge was wrestling with his thoughts, a dull thud echoed.
Before he could react, Lancelot lifted his leg and delivered a swift, brutal kick to Urouge's abdomen.
The kick was fast and forceful, leaving Urouge no time to dodge.
In an instant, excruciating pain erupted from his abdomen and spread throughout his body.
Urouge felt as if he'd been struck by a high-speed train.
His body lost control, bending backward sharply like a drawn bow.
At the same time, his mouth gaped wide in agony.
He tried to cry out, but his throat felt as if an invisible hand were choking him, allowing only muffled whimpers to escape.
In that moment, Urouge experienced firsthand the terrifying power of Lancelot. The vast gap in strength made him realize how outmatched he was.
With no other choice, Urouge gave up resisting.
His body shot backward like an arrow released from a bow, crashing heavily onto the distant ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Soru!"
With a low shout, Lancelot's figure blurred and vanished from sight. In the next instant, he reappeared, standing firmly beside Urouge.
In the blink of an eye, Lancelot raised his right foot and brought it down toward Urouge.
Against the backdrop of Urouge's terrified face, the foot landed squarely on his abdomen.
In an instant, Urouge felt as if a colossal mountain had crashed down upon him, pressing heavily against his body.
No matter how desperately he struggled and writhed, he couldn't move an inch.
The pressure left him nearly suffocating.
Yet, facing Urouge in such a pitiful state, Lancelot showed no trace of pity. Instead, the corners of his lips curled into a faint, mocking smile.
"Heh, it seems you're still unwilling to accept this. Very well... let me see for myself what miraculous power your so-called Karma-Karma Fruit truly possesses!"
Hearing this, Urouge's pupils contracted, and his heart trembled.
The reason was simple: Lancelot had seen right through the plan he'd been secretly devising.
After all, the Paramecia-type Karma-Karma Fruit he possessed was a powerful and unique ability.
This power allowed him to transform the damage he received into an increase in size and strength.
In other words, the more severe the injuries his body endured, the more his gigantification and the boost to his power would grow.
In past battles, whenever he found himself at a disadvantage, employing this ability had often allowed him to stage a dramatic comeback, snatching victory from the jaws of defeat.
But facing this man before him, he had no confidence. The recent confrontation had shattered his belief in his own strength.
The gap in power between them was too vast. It wasn't something a single Devil Fruit ability could overturn.
"Hah..." Urouge exhaled laboriously, then looked at Lancelot and said, "I'll join you, but on one condition. If you agree, I, Urouge, will pledge my loyalty to you from this day forward, without a shred of deceit."
"Oh?" Lancelot's interest was piqued. "Tell me, what's this condition?"
"My homeland is the legendary Skypiea, and there's a man who calls himself a god who has forcibly taken over the entire island. If you can drive this man out of my homeland, then I, Urouge, will obey your every command from then on."
"Skypiea? A man who calls himself a god?" Lancelot was momentarily stunned.
It took him a moment to regain his composure.
Then, he felt both immense delight and a tinge of frustration. "How could I've forgotten about that guy?"
Enel!
He was the ruler of Skypiea, a Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit Ability User who proclaimed himself "God," with four priests serving under him.
His Observation Haki—Mantra—was highly refined.
It allowed him to sense the presence of those around him, detect enemies beyond his line of sight, and even predict his opponents' movements.
In Skypiea, it was known as "Mantra," a form of mind-reading, or what could be called "the power of listening."
Enel had further combined this with his Rumble-Rumble Fruit abilities, enabling him to intercept electromagnetic waves and vastly enhance the power and range of his Mantra, allowing him to hear the voices of everyone across Skypiea.
His only weakness was his poor physical combat skills and lack of bodily strength.
This guy was quite similar to Ace in that both had developed their Devil Fruit abilities to a high level. But neither possessed Armament Haki...
However, Enel's strength undoubtedly surpassed Ace's. If nothing else, the Rumble-Rumble Fruit was widely regarded as the most destructive among the Logia types.
When developed to its peak, which other Logia could rival its sheer power?
Moreover, this guy, though he hasn't awakened Armament Haki like Ace, possesses world-class Observation Haki.
Therefore, overall, his strength surpasses Ace's.
He might not even lose in a direct confrontation with an Admiral. After all, he has another advantage—speed comparable to Kizaru's.
His divine body could accommodate three Devil Fruits. Currently, he'd only consumed two, so if he ate one more...
Why couldn't it be this Logia-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit? By then, he wouldn't just gain an elemental trump card, but also speed akin to Kizaru's, along with an immense attack range and terrifying lightning techniques.
Tsk tsk... The temptation of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit was simply too great.
Even without Urouge's involvement, he'd eventually go up and take down Enel to seize his ability.
So, Urouge's condition meant nothing to him.
Thus, he nodded and said, "Fine, I agree to this condition."
As he spoke, he withdrew his foot from Urouge's body and glanced at Basil Hawkins in the distance, signaling Urouge to go over.
After all, he still needed to pursue Trafalgar Law and Jewelry Bonney.
Urouge, having some discernment, struggled to his feet and headed toward Basil Hawkins.
Meanwhile, Lancelot's gaze locked onto Trafalgar Law and Jewelry Bonney, who were sprinting away at high speed.
But at that very moment, he sensed an unprecedented feeling of crisis.
"Not good!" Lancelot's expression changed abruptly.
...
In the next instant, Lancelot detected a fierce gust of wind rushing toward him like a storm.
Yet, faced with such a perilous assault, Lancelot didn't even turn his head, relying entirely on his body's instinctive reflexes to swiftly counter with a hand chop, meeting the attacker head-on with thunderous force.
Boom!
A deafening explosion echoed as their clashes collided like two meteors, releasing shockwaves of staggering energy.
However, in that brief moment of initial contact, Lancelot immediately felt the opponent's immense power.
It was so overwhelming that his arm trembled, and his palm throbbed with pain—a level of force he hadn't even encountered against Kaido.
Lancelot's hand chop was repelled as if struck by a heavy blow.
Unfazed, he adeptly used the recoil to pivot, his toes lightly tapping the ground as he transformed into a bolt of lightning, retreating backward at breakneck speed.
Only after putting over ten meters between himself and his original position did he finally steady himself. Lancelot's reaction was undeniably swift.
At that moment, he focused his gaze and saw standing before him an elderly man of exceptionally tall and imposing stature, with a chest as broad and thick as a wall, and muscles that were clearly defined and highly developed all over his body.
The old man was glaring at him with a face full of fury, his eyes blazing with raging flames.
Seeing this, Lancelot's eyes twitched slightly, and he inwardly groaned, 'Good grief, this guy is really overprotective!'
However, in the blink of an eye, his expression darkened like a stormy sky.
With the formidable strength and esteemed status he now possessed, no one could easily look down on him!
Not even the highly respected Marine hero, Vice Admiral Garp, could act in such a manner.
Thinking this, he could no longer suppress his anger.
He abruptly took a step forward and raised his voice to demand, "Vice Admiral Garp, what is the meaning of this? If you don't give me a reasonable explanation today, I'm afraid this won't end well."
His sharp gaze pierced straight toward Garp like a drawn sword, as if trying to see right through him.
The atmosphere around them grew heavy due to his sudden questioning.
Everyone held their breath, not daring to make a sound, afraid that the slightest misstep might provoke this powerful and enraged individual.
Don't be fooled by Garp's usual leisurely demeanor—sipping fragrant tea and enjoying delicate pastries, appearing carefree and "idle." One must not be deceived by this surface impression!
This celebrated figure, honored as a hero, is in fact a peerless talent who combines wisdom and courage.
His gaze is as sharp and profound as an eagle's, capable of penetrating the complexities of the world and grasping the trends of global developments with remarkable precision.
Even Fleet Admiral Sengoku often consults and discusses intricate situations with him.
Then there's his son, Dragon, who is no ordinary man either.
As a revolutionary, he openly opposes the World Government and has been branded the "World's Worst Criminal."
The Revolutionary Army he leads continues to grow in strength, posing a significant threat to the World Government.
And let's not forget Ace, the grandson Garp took in!
This guy's background is far from simple!
He's the son of the late Pirate King, Roger, and was so favored by Whitebeard that he was seen as the future successor to the Whitebeard Pirates.
To rescue Ace, Whitebeard resolutely led his powerful fleet in an all-out assault on Marine Headquarters, triggering the monumental Summit War.
As for Garp's biological grandson, Luffy—he's even more extraordinary!
He earned the admiration of Red-Haired Shanks.
Look at his actions: first, he fearlessly took in Robin, known as the "Devil Child," then boldly stormed Enies Lobby, tearing straight through the entire island.
Moreover, Luffy, relying on his own strength, successively defeated three renowned Warlords: Gecko Moria, Crocodile, and Doflamingo.
It can be said that Luffy's numerous heroic deeds were nothing less than slapping the World Government and the Marines across the face, time and time again, with resounding force.
What was most baffling was that during the world-shattering Summit War, Luffy's strength at the time was insignificant.
Yet, incredibly, he managed to capture the attention and focus of everyone present.
Bear in mind, he was facing the renowned World's Greatest Swordsman, Dracule Mihawk, and the three formidable Marine Admirals who shook the seas!
Surrounded by such powerful adversaries, Luffy miraculously survived—an outcome so absurd it defied belief.
First, let's talk about Mihawk.
To this unparalleled master of the sword, Luffy was likely nothing more than an inexperienced, brash rookie who didn't know his limits.
Couldn't kill Luffy?
Fine!
In the Summit War, Mihawk was essentially just going through the motions.
It made sense that he didn't go for the kill.
But the three Marine Admirals were no ordinary opponents!
Each stood at the pinnacle of power in this world.
Especially Akainu, whose name was synonymous with ruthless brutality across the entire ocean.
And as for the other two Admirals, didn't they also want Luffy dead?
They merely held back out of respect for Garp's esteemed reputation.
If not for that, how could Luffy, with his meager strength, have escaped that life-or-death battle unscathed?
After all, Luffy had crossed too many lines.
Anyone else—whether it was the neutral Kizaru or Aokiji—wouldn't have let it slide. To the World Government, Luffy's significance was no less than Ace's.
In fact, the scale of the trouble he caused far exceeded Ace's.
Had he dared show his face before them, they'd have eliminated him on the spot.
What was even more staggering was that in the days that followed, Luffy didn't fade into obscurity.
Instead, he surged forward relentlessly, eventually defeating one of the Four Emperors, Kaido, known as the "King of Beasts," and rising to become a new Emperor of the Sea, joining the ranks of the Four Emperors!
With such social connections, after the heavily lenient Summit War, Garp not only emerged unharmed but also peacefully stepped back from the front lines, continuing to serve as a Marine recruit trainer.
Can you believe it?
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