Chrollo watched the scene with a calm gaze. What Uvogin was using, of course, was not Armament Haki.
In terms of both defensive power and the unique ability to strike the elemental bodies of Logia users, Armament Haki is a level above "Ko." However, to some extent, the technique of "Ko" can be considered a precursor to Haki. With continued cultivation, it could very well evolve into Armament Haki in the future.
Seeing Uvogin begin his wind-up, the members of the Troupe moved back in a silent understanding, retreating all the way to the edge of the ship.
On the main stage, Uvogin's thick arm began to rotate in a wide circle in mid-air.
One rotation... two... three...
With every turn, the amount of "Aura" gathering in his right arm increased exponentially. A terrifying, crushing pressure began to take shape. The golden glow grew brighter and more intense, as if he were holding a miniature sun in his hand!
By the time he reached fifteen rotations, the accumulated power hit a breaking point. A vast, violent, and domineering aura exploded outward with Uvogin at the center! The very space around him seemed to warp under the weight of such immense force.
Crr-ack! Crr-ack!
Tiny fractures appeared in the air like spreading spiderwebs. Uvogin's entire right arm was completely swallowed by a blinding golden light, with arcs of purple electricity dancing through the brilliance. From the heart of that destructive glow came Uvogin's manic, ecstatic roar:
"I am the strongest!"
"Ripper Cyclotron — Big Bang Impact!!!"
The right fist, loaded with world-ending power, finally swung forward!
Wherever the fist pointed, the air was first super-compressed and then violently detonated! The deck beneath Uvogin's feet shattered instantly, with massive fissures spreading all the way to the bow of the ship.
A terrifying, invisible shockwave blasted forward in a wide arc. Faced with this apocalyptic force, the Hanjisou—the Mad Monk's ship—was like a leaf in a storm. It began to tilt and rock uncontrollably, its hull screaming as the wood began to give way.
Urouge's pupils vibrated violently. The gale was so strong it made his hair stand on end. Faced with this overwhelming pressure, an indescribable premonition of death flooded his mind. His heart hammered against his ribs. The world around him seemed to vanish, leaving only that golden fist of destruction growing larger and larger in his vision.
His massive, nine-meter body—the size he was once so proud of—offered no comfort now. Instead, it only made him more aware of how fragile and small he was against this force. Every muscle and nerve in his body shrieked a primal warning:
You can't take this!
There's no way you can take this!
I'm going to die! I'm going to die! DIE!
"This is impossible... the South Blue... how can the South Blue have a monster like this?!"
Urouge's willpower crumbled. His vision blurred for a split second. I just set out to sea... my journey... is it really ending here?! Why—!!
His despair was swallowed whole by the golden tide that swept over him the next second.
BOOM—!!!
The world lost all sound. There was only pure light and the shockwave of the explosion. The vast energy rippled outward in visible, tidal-wave-like rings.
Under the disbelieving eyes of the monks, the dozens-of-meters-long Hanjisou was crushed from the bow inward, as if by a giant invisible hand. The keel, the planks, the mast, the sails... everything disintegrated instantly, turning into millions of splinters that were hammered into the surging sea by the air pressure.
A massive whirlpool was blasted into the surface of the ocean, the powerful suction pulling the unconscious monks and the wreckage of the ship down into the abyss.
One of the future "Worst Generation" Supernovas, the "Mad Monk" Urouge—whose bounty was destined to exceed 100 million—and his newly formed crew had their voyage brutally cut short before it had even truly begun.
---
The Spiders had already anticipated the destruction and returned to the Black Whale. Chrollo looked out over the floating debris and the shrinking whirlpool with a neutral expression.
Everything was as he had foreseen. The Karma-Karma Fruit's ability was indeed strange and powerful, allowing one to convert damage into size and strength. However, the current Urouge was far from reaching the fruit's true potential. His base defense had a limit, and Uvogin's strike—combining the winding force of the Ripper Cyclotron with the Big Bang Impact—dealt a level of instantaneous burst damage that far exceeded what Urouge's body could currently absorb and convert.
Uvogin, remembering Chrollo's order to "keep them alive," had tilted his fist slightly at the last moment. Urouge wasn't dead.
Uvogin grinned and leaped into the unsettled waters. Like a man scooping a fish from a pond, he easily hauled up the charred, broken Urouge—now back to his original size—and tossed him at Chrollo's feet.
Chrollo leaned down, his eyes examining Urouge like a rare museum piece. This was the moment that would determine if the Troupe could truly establish a foothold in this pirate world.
"Now then, the experiment begins."
He placed his hand on Urouge. A strange ripple of energy emanated from Chrollo's palm. Then, with a flash of light, a transparent, glowing blue book page materialized above Urouge's head.
On the page was a drawing of a strange, asymmetrical hourglass-shaped golden fruit. Below the drawing was a block of text:
> [Karma-Karma Fruit · Paramecia Type]
> [Ability: Stores received damage and converts it into physical size and strength. The more damage received, the greater the increase in size and power.]
> [Rating: Rarity: B / Potential: B / Utility: B+]
> [Appraisal: A Paramecia fruit that turns 'suffering' into 'power.' Every punch you take becomes capital for your growth—the ultimate 'tank' build. However, the buff is limited by the user's base defense; if you can't survive the initial hit, the potential is moot.]
> [Comprehensive Rating: B-Grade. Host receives 4 Free Attribute Points.]
> [Detection: Player-led team has defeated — 'Mad Monk' Urouge. Conditions met. Triggering 'Plunder' ability.]
> [Target: 'Mad Monk' Urouge, Captain of the Fallen Monk Pirates. Ranked 11th among the future Eleven Supernovas of the Worst Generation. Peak Achievement: Defeated one of Big Mom's 'Four Sweet Commanders,' Charlotte Snack. However, he has only recently set sail and is far from his peak.]
> [Current Bounty: 80,000,000 Berries. Prestige Gained: 8,000.]
---