Chapter 282 - 140

Chapter 140Someone was watching from somewhere behind them.The field fell into silence."Heh, I might fail once, but I won't fail every time."Lucci reached out and grabbed his chest, tearing off the outer layer of his clothes. He began to walk, eyeing Luffy and asking, "What was that I saw on the train earlier?""Do you want to know?""Cut the nonsense."Sizzle.Luffy's skin and hair turned white, and a steam-like white cloud of Haki swirled around his body. Red and black lightning crackled, bursting outward with him as the center. The ground beneath his feet seemed to turn into Rubber, undulating slightly.A complete awakening?According to Nika's words, not quite.But Luffy had already mastered the method to enter this state.That aura, liberated and free yet filled with overwhelming pressure, made everyone who felt it tremble in their souls.At the same time, red and black lightning erupted, striking directly beside Lucci.The smile on Lucci's face gradually turned ferocious. "I knew it; you weren't using your full strength. In that case, I can finally enjoy myself."Lucci took a handful of pills from his pocket and stuffed them directly into his mouth.Having taken the Energy Steroids, his strength skyrocketed. He craved a hearty battle to prove himself and wash away his past defeat.The atmosphere in the field instantly became tense and volatile.The moment the words fell, Lucci moved. He was like a bolt of black lightning, displaying speed far beyond before, appearing in front of Luffy as if teleporting and swinging a kick violently toward him."Violent Tempest Kick!"That leg strength, many times stronger than an ordinary person's, kicked out a massive flying slash.However, Luffy dodged and charged forward.In Lucci's pupils, the person before him looked like a white demon, with blood-red eyes.In an instant, Luffy slammed a punch into Lucci, sending him flying.Simultaneously, the battle between CP9 and the Straw Hat crew erupted.The ground turned to Rubber. The Marines nearby who just approached were knocked unconscious instantly by the blasts of black and red lightning."Hey, Pigeon Guy, if it's like this, it's no different from before. I can't enjoy this."Chapter 203: Gear 5 vs. Energy Steroid LucciLucci emerged from the ruins. His pitch-black hair had also turned white, and his pupils had turned red—changes caused by taking those Energy Steroids.But they were worthy of being called forbidden drugs; he could feel a continuous surge of power welling up."Your attitude is still so arrogant; it's really annoying!"Lucci's body expanded rapidly, instantly becoming much taller than Luffy. His massive frame bulged with muscles, his skin was covered in leopard patterns, and his fingers transformed into leopard claws.Zoan Cat-Cat Fruit, Model: Leopard!Compared to countless messy Devil Fruits, the Leopard form was one of the top Zoan fruits, second only to Mythical Zoan and Ancient Types.And now that Lucci had taken the Energy Steroids, his strength had increased several times over.Lucci entered his Zoan state, but it seemed somewhat different. His originally black hair had turned an ominous pale white, a blood-red light glowed deep in his pupils, and the aura radiating from him was even more dangerous and violent than on the train.This made Luffy feel as if he were looking at himself."Did you change like this to copy me?""For the sake of the mission, I will pay any price," Lucci said, his ferocity peaking.Whoosh!Whoosh!"Violent Tempest Kick: Victory Bird!"A blue vacuum slash, larger and more solid than before, descended toward Luffy like a literal giant bird, carrying an aura of total destruction!"You've gotten stronger. Is it because of those drugs?"Luffy grinned. Facing the slash that could split mountains, he didn't retreat but advanced. His Rubber arm, coated in Armament Haki, eerily elongated and grew larger, and he actually caught the massive slash with his bare hands!"I'm giving this back to you!"Luffy's arm exerted sudden force, throwing the solid slash back the way it came like a javelin!BOOM!!!The pale leopard reacted extremely quickly, using Soru to dodge. The spot where he had been standing was blasted into a deep crater by his own slash.Lucci began to use the surrounding broken ruins, moving at speeds difficult for the naked eye to track, searching for a flaw in Luffy's defense.Luffy instead closed his eyes, spreading out his powerful Observation Haki. Lucci's drug-crazed, violent aura was as clear as a bright lamp in the dark night to his perception.The moment Lucci launched another attack from a tricky angle, Luffy's eyes snapped open. "Gum-Gum Mole Pistol!"His fist, like a cannonball, shot up from the ground at an incredible angle and speed, accurately slamming into Lucci's chest!Lucci's pupils shrank. In haste, he crossed his arms in front of his chest while activating Rokushiki."Iron Body!"BAM!!!A dull impact sounded. Lucci felt an indescribable surge of massive force; his arms screamed in pain, and he felt as if he'd been hit by a high-speed Sea Train. He spat out a mouthful of blood, his body flying backward out of control."I'm not done yet!"Luffy pursued his advantage, his feet slamming against the ground. The elasticity of the Rubbergave him terrifying explosive power, launching him like a rocket, his head coated in pitch-black Armament Haki."Gum-Gum Rocket Headbutt!"THUD!!Another loud crash as Luffy's forehead slammed hard into the abdomen of the still-airborne Lucci."Puh-ugh!"Lucci suffered another heavy blow, spraying blood. His body was like a broken kite, crashing into a distant clock tower and instantly collapsing half of it.The shockwave generated by the collision of these two terrifying powers spread outward like a physical force, shaking the entire Courthouse Plaza. Nearby Marine soldiers and World Government personnel fighting the Franky Familyturned pale with fear at the terrifying commotion and fled the area."Is—is it an earthquake?!""It's Master Lucci fighting that Straw Hat monster!""Terrifying! Just the aftershocks are this scary."From the dust-filled ruins of the clock tower, Luccistruggled to crawl out.The Energy Steroids had not only boosted his strength and speed but also greatly enhanced his endurance and pain tolerance.He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked at Luffy, who was floating in mid-air like a white demon, his eyes burning with an even more intense fighting spirit."Truly a monster."He chuckled low. With a thought, his bulging muscles contracted slightly, his lines becoming more fluid.He activated Life Return, sacrificing a portion of his strength in exchange for ultimate speed. Without hesitation, Lucci turned back into an afterimage and charged at Luffy.Meanwhile, fierce battles had already erupted on the other battlefields.While Luffy and Lucci confronted each other, Kakuand Jabra traded one more insult before charging toward their respective opponents.On the other side, Sanji and Zoro also had a spat. The two unyielding rivals on their side each sought out their own opponent.Kaku drew his twin swords, which he hadn't used until now. Against Zoro, he couldn't afford to be careless anymore. Having just gained a Devil Fruitability, he also wanted to test it out."Pirate Hunter, let this old man be your opponent!"Kaku's long nose turned into a giraffe's neck. He looked a bit comical, but the speed and power with which he swung his twin blades were not to be underestimated."A swordsman? Just what I wanted!"Zoro drew all three swords, his eyes full of excitement.He loved fighting swordsmen the most.Sanji's opponent had entered his werewolf form."Gahahaha! Except for the Straw Hat kid, you lot are nothing to fear!" Jabra laughed maniacally."Then let's see about that. I'll kick the teeth right out of your wild wolf mouth!"Sanji's figure blurred, his black leather shoes carrying a sharp whistling wind.Robin faced off against Kalifa, who could turn into bubbles. Nami, Usopp, and Chopper teamed up to deal with Blueno, Fukuro, and Wedge.The entire front island of Enies Lobby had completely transformed into a fierce battlefield.On the other side of the battlefield."Straw Hat kid!"Lucci coughed up a mouthful of blood and forced himself to steady his stance. "Don't you dare look down on me!""Oh? Your body is already near its limit, isn't it? Do you still have the energy to talk tough?"Luffy laughed softly. "I don't want to waste my stamina on you."The two stared at each other.Lucci could see that he wasn't even in Luffy's eyes.How much of an insult was this to him, the strongest member of CP9 in eight hundred years? To him, a so-called genius?If Lucci were to put it into words: we are already a level apart; if you want to catch up, go train for another two years.This was the truth.Lucci could feel the power from the Energy Steroids burning wildly in his body, yet he could also clearly sense that his physical limit was approaching.The two heavy blows had brought not just pain, but a crushing blow to his will.The pressure radiating from that white figure opposite him was like a physical mountain, weighing heavily on his heart.Chapter 204: Still Can't Do It?"Speed, power, technique..."Lucci's brain worked rapidly, his cold logic analyzing the battle.The Rokushiki he was so proud of seemed so pale and powerless against the opponent's martial arts, which combined the eeriness of Rubber with the dominance of Haki.The boost from the drugs only delayed the time of his defeat for a moment; it couldn't bridge the fundamental gap that was like a vast chasm."Dragging this out is meaningless; it will only increase my disgrace."A look of determined ruthlessness rose in Lucci's eyes.He was the strongest in CP9 for eight hundred years, a cold weapon for whom the mission was everything. Even if he were to lose, he would lose completely, burning all his strength, along with this borrowed drug power, in this one final strike!"It must be so!"Luffy noticed Lucci's gaze and grinned. "A final desperate gamble. Not a bad idea."The words had just left his mouth when Lucci let out a low roar.Luffy's eyes flickered. The leopard before him vanished instantly. Every muscle in his body bulged and contracted violently in a way that exceeded its load; Life Return was pushed to its absolute limit.Thud.Lucci used his entire body as a weapon. His leopard tail coiled around Luffy, and his twin fists sought to press against Luffy's chest. However, Luffy's fist struck Lucci's chest first. The massive impact sent Lucci flying. Luffy followed immediately, his fist retracting before smashing downward.Lucci's body sank. He slapped the air behind him with his hands. Facing Luffy's attack, he didn't retreat but advanced, abandoning defense and evasion to bet everything on this one strike!"Six Powers Ultimate: Greatest Ring - Six King Gun!!!"Accompanied by this hoarse, lung-bursting roar, Lucci thrust out both fists.Two shockwaves condensed to the extreme transformed into a pillar of dark red, violent energy, blasting outward.Wherever the energy pillar passed, the air was completely vacuumed out, and the ground was plowed into deep furrows. Carrying a tragic aura of total destruction, it slammed fiercely toward Luffy.