Whew~
This puff of smoke hadn't yet dissipated when he already spotted Kuina flashing past overhead, her sword gleaming brightly, pointing straight at Dalmatia.
"Hey, hey, hey…"
Dalmatia raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised, "Coming straight at me the moment you show up? Isn't this a bit…"
"Too arrogant, Pirate!"
Kuina's blade was about to reach his throat when he suddenly dodged aside, his eyes flashing red. His half-beastified canine claw, already coated in dense Armament Haki, swung back to grab her wrist—
Clang!
With the explosive clash of metal, Kuina parried with her sword, using the momentum to flip back, her blade tip dragging sparks on the ground as she briskly landed.
Dalmatia was also shaken back two steps.
He glanced down at his paw, where the area as hard as steel now had a broad white mark running across all five fingers.
"Interesting…" He licked his sharp canine teeth, "Little girl, your swordsmanship is not bad, but unfortunately, the power is lacking a bit."
Kuina did not reply, only slowly adjusted her breathing. Her tiger's mouth tingled slightly, but her grip on the sword remained as steady as a rock.
"So…" Dalmatia suddenly crouched slightly, the muscles in his legs tensing like springs, "Just this is not enough to watch!"
Swish!
His figure suddenly vanished, leaving only an afterimage.
Kuina's pupils contracted sharply. Although she hadn't mastered Observation, the keen intuition of a Sword Master still allowed her to make a judgment instantly—
Left side!
Clang!
The blade of Wado Ichimonji narrowly blocked the incoming claw, the immense impact pushing her several meters back.
Dalmatia reappeared, his attack undiminished, claws raining down like a storm.
Ding! Ding! Ding!
The sounds of metal clashing were unending, sparks flying, Kuina's swordsmanship was as fluid as water, each strike precisely blocked, yet the shock forced her to retreat step by step.
"Hey! What's wrong?!"
Dalmatia's mouth held a mocking smile, "Only passive defense? Where did the momentum from earlier go?"
Whap! His tail suddenly lashed out like a whip, fast and fierce.
Kuina's focus was on his claws, evading hurriedly, still grazed at the waist, a fiery pain flaring up, causing her to stumble and nearly fall.
At this moment.
Nojiko finally broke through the joint blockade of several Navy Captains and reached the vicinity.
"I'll assist you!"
The blue light on her Secret Silver Gloves burst with intensity, her right fist launching like a cannonball towards Dalmatia's flank!
"—Ripple Fist Technique: Extreme Collapse!"
"Hmm?"
Dalmatia's canine ear twitched, his assault pausing slightly, his left claw moving to defend.
At the instant the punch met claw, Kuina seized the gap, her blade slashing upwards diagonally: "Windward Cut!"
Rip!
Dalmatia's olive green suit was slashed open, a bloody line stretching from his abdomen to his chest.
In pain, he let out an enraged roar, his right claw clenching into a fist and smashing towards Nojiko's face!
Nojiko instantly retracted her fist, crossing her arms to block in front of her, hum! The Armament Haki, black as ink, instantly covered her entire arm.
Thud!
A muffled sound as she was blasted backward by the punch, rolling several times on the ground before flipping upright in an instant.
She shook her slightly numb, but unharmed arms, a trace of excitement curling her lips.
"Not bad power, big dog." She flexed her wrist, knuckles cracking, "But—this is just right!"
A year ago, in Cocoyashi Village, during a crucial progression of fist techniques training, Shano had been her sparring partner for a period of time.
The enemy's strength seemed to be about the same as her brother's back then, maybe even a bit weaker?
Completely manageable!
"...?"
Dalmatia looked down at the wound on his chest, the blood slowly seeping out, an intolerable sight that instantly made his eyes flash with ferocity.
"Two kids who don't know their place!"
His figure began to swell, fur growing wildly, transforming him entirely into a massive black and white spotted dog form, over five meters long, much larger than Ah Yin.
"In that case, I'll show you the true strength of a seasoned Vice Admiral from headquarters!"
Kuina and Nojiko stood back to back, turning their heads to exchange a determined glance.
"As we discussed, I'll take the lead."
The black-haired ponytailed girl whispered.
"Understood."
The blue-haired girl collided her fists heavily, "I'll create openings for you from the flank."
"Roar—!"
Dalmatia kicked the ground fiercely with his hind legs, the solid surface of the dock instantly cracking.
Despite his massive size, his speed was astonishingly fast, closing in on them in an instant.
His fangs and claws glistened mirror-like in the sunlight, reflecting the resolute gaze of the two girls as they looked up simultaneously.
At the same time, it reflected the battlefield on the other side—
...
"White Fist!"
"Shoulder Meat Shoot!"
Thud!
Smoker and Zeff simultaneously repelled the surrounding Navy attackers, landing on the ground side by side.
Their eyes simultaneously locked onto not far ahead, where a seductive figure donned in a Cloak of Justice stood.
Vice Admiral Bumaya was licking the tip of a syringe with her tongue, her eyes shining with a sickly excitement.
"Hey, old man."
Smoker muttered around his cigar, "This woman seems off, her Fruit Ability is strange too, be careful."
"Lived this long, haven't I seen all kinds of crazies?"
Zeff grinned, his right leg lifting slightly, the joints of his steel prosthetic limb emitted a soft cracking sound, "But you, Smoker kid, don't be dragging me down."