https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-101-The-Prolonged-Duel-The-Weak-Trio-s-Obstacles/12608642/
Chapter 100: Incomplete Battle at Baratie! Gin vs. Sanji!
Chapter 100: Incomplete Battle at Baratie! Gin vs. Sanji!
In another part of the city.
Sanji weaved through the streets, taking down both the Royal Army and rebel forces that had appeared.
"All subjects of Vivi, stop this senseless fighting."
He lifted his foot and, looking at the fallen, said, "Vivi, your knight is here, and I will help you put an end to this rebellion!"
With that, he began sprinting in the direction of the palace.
He was not far from the palace now; after crossing this street, he would be able to see the massive staircase leading up to it. However, just at that moment, several figures emerged from a nearby mansion.
One of them was carrying a treasure chest, covered in a layer of beri and gold coins, seemingly having reaped a bountiful harvest.
"Quite a haul."
The man laughed, "With this, Captain Sag will surely be pleased."
"It's better to be thorough; after all, the Captain didn't get anything in the palace, and look at Captain Palo, even stooping to take a lady's private funds, though it's just 500,000 beri," another said.
"True."
"Put it down!"
Just as they were about to leave, a black shadow suddenly darted out from the air and stamped on the face of the man holding the treasure chest, sending him spinning through the air before falling to the ground and sliding several meters.
"Who are you!"
The other pirates drew their weapons and shouted loudly.
"A lady's private funds."
Sanji's eyes blazed as if there were flames burning within, "Are you talking about Vivi's 500,000 beri? Not only have you taken advantage of the internal strife to commit robbery, but you even stole from Vivi!"
500,000 beri. During their voyage, he had heard Nami demand this amount from Vivi as payment.
For a princess of a country to have only 500,000 beri in private funds was already quite pitiful.
And these people had actually stolen from her?!
Of course, that wasn't the main point!
"What's wrong with pirates plundering? By the way, who exactly are you?"
"Shut up, I don't care about that!"
Sanji shouted, "You must have intruded into her private chambers! Damn, I wish I could have gone too!"
"Is that what you're concerned about!"
The pirates collectively rolled their eyes and, gripping their weapons, prepared to charge forward.
Sanji clicked his tongue and, bending his leg, was just about to kick when he suddenly paused and looked behind him.
"Stop."
A voice rang out, halting the pirates' actions.
"Captain Gin?!?"
At the exit of the street, a man with a pair of crutches appeared and began walking towards them.
"You are no match for him; continue on your way and leave this person to me."
Gin walked in front of the pirates and faced Sanji, his sinister and malicious face now wearing a smile, "Mr. Sanji, we meet again."
Sanji's eyes narrowed, "Gin of the Heavenly Disaster Pirate Crew? So, you have indeed collaborated with Crocodile, what are you scheming?"
"We are unclear on the Captain's plan; the orders we received were simply to plunder, Mr. Sanji. Logically, you should have been stopped by the agents outside, why are you here?" Gin asked.
"Agents? If you're talking about those oddly-shaped fellows, they had already been dealt with by the Navy when we arrived. Gin, step aside, I don't want to fight you, let me pass to the palace," Sanji called out.
"I see."
Gin nodded and tugged at the corner of his mouth, forcing a strained smile,
"Mr. Sanji, you are our benefactor, and so is your pirate crew, for treating our men. I, too, do not wish to fight you, and Captain Sag even mentioned holding a banquet to invite you all. However, if you insist on going to the palace, then I cannot allow that, Captain Sag's plan must not fail."
"As his subordinate, it is my duty to eliminate any unknown variables, so I ask that you leave this city, and once Captain Sag's plan is complete, you are free to do as you wish."
Sanji was slightly taken aback and took out a cigarette to light it, taking a deep drag before slowly exhaling the smoke, his voice low and serious, "It seems we cannot come to an agreement!"
Gin sighed and lowered the crutches in his hands, letting the side with the iron ball hang down, his gaze lowering as well, and with this expression, he looked like a malicious demon.
"Mr. Sanji, let me be clear, I am not the same as before, so if we are to fight, please try not to die!"
"Is that so? I've grown stronger too, during our last battle at Baratie, we didn't get a chance to fight seriously, so let's do it now!" Sanji laughed.
"Then."
Gin bent his knees slightly and breathed out, "Here I come! Shave!"
Whoosh!
In an instant, Gin appeared before Sanji, and in his astonished gaze, the crutch with the iron ball viciously smashed into Sanji's waist, causing him to bend to the side and spit out a few mouthfuls of blood.
However, the iron ball did not successfully send Sanji flying, as his hands firmly gripped the crutch, and he kicked out with a leg, his foot turning into numerous afterimages as he struck towards Gin's body.
"Paper Drawing."
Gin's body softened and twisted along with the wind generated by the kicks, dodging the continuous strikes, and when one kick thrust forward, he shifted his body to the side, thoroughly evading, and the other crutch with the iron ball viciously smashed towards Sanji's body.
Whoosh!
The iron ball missed, and in that gap, Sanji seized the opportunity, using the crutch he was holding to exert force and leap upwards, his body spinning in the air before a leg chopped down like an axe towards Gin's head.
This strike was difficult to evade.
If it landed on his skull, it would not feel pleasant.
However...
"Iron Block."
Bang!
Sanji's heel pressed down on Gin's head, and the powerful force generated a wave of air, but Gin's body did not move at all, as if he had not received any impact.
"So hard, you..." Sanji exclaimed in surprise.
"I already told you, Mr. Sanji, that I am not the same as before."
Boom!
Gin swung the crutch in his left hand in a circle, and the iron ball heavily smashed into Sanji's abdomen, causing him to reflexively curl up and spit out several mouthfuls of blood as he gaped.
"You..."
He clenched his jaw and grabbed the crutch with one hand, and taking advantage of Gin's continuous attacks, he lashed out with his leg, viciously striking his neck.
"Meat Tenderizer!"
Just then, Gin's movements stalled, and he indifferently spoke, "Iron Block."
Bang!
A hollow clang, like the striking of iron, reverberated as Gin remained unmoved. His sinister eyes fixed on Sanji, a sinister grin tugging at his lips. With a forceful heave, he used the iron ball at the end of his crutch to press down on Sanji's abdomen and viciously slammed him to the ground.
The powerful force caused a slight fissure in the ground, and Gin, without hesitation, swung his other crutch, aiming to smash it into Sanji's head as he fell.
"Tch!"
Sanji abruptly spat out the cigarette in his mouth, flicking it towards Gin's eye, causing him to blink involuntarily. Seizing this moment, Sanji swiftly sidestepped and, with a nimble move, lashed out with his leg, kicking Gin in the abdomen.
As he attacked, he naturally refrained from using his Iron Block technique. The forceful kick sent Gin stumbling back a few steps, causing the iron ball he had swung to lose its intended target.
Boom!!
A loud blast echoed through the area as the iron ball smashed into the ground, creating a deep pit and sending shards of stone flying in all directions.
"Opportunity!"
Sanji braced himself against the ground and, with a powerful spin of his entire body, transformed into a pitch-black whirlwind. His legs, amidst the continuous spinning, delivered a heavy kick towards Gin's waist.
"Rough Crush!"
"Iron Block!!"
Gin's eyes widened as he planted himself firmly, shouting loudly.
Bang!!
The kick viciously connected with his waist, and the immense force caused Gin's eyes to roll upwards as his body shifted slightly to the side.
A fierce glint appeared in his eyes, and he swung the crutch in his hand, the iron ball striking Sanji's face and sending him flying into the air before crashing back down to the ground. Sanji skidded forward a short distance.
"Raging Gale!"
As Sanji fell, Gin leaped forward, his leg slicing through the air and creating a vertical, pale blue slash that rushed towards his opponent.
Sanji felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. In a swift move, he rolled to the side, causing the slash to connect with the ground, leaving a gash as if sliced by a sharp blade.
Sanji wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and, clutching his abdomen, stood up.
Those two attacks were indeed quite unpleasant.
"As expected of Mr. Sanji," Gin said, the whites of his eyes tinged with bloodshot veins. A sinister grin stretched across his face as he continued, "Your strength is truly formidable, nearly breaking through my Iron Block."
"What are those techniques?" Sanji asked, his expression turning solemn as he glanced at the gash that had been cut into the ground.
The unusual hardness of Gin's body and that slash... What kind of strange techniques were these?
"They are called the Six Styles, techniques honed by Captain Sag," Gin replied in a low voice.
"Indeed, they are powerful techniques," Sanji acknowledged. "It seems you've found a good match with this pirate crew, Gin. You must be a high-ranking officer now." He offered a consoling smile.
Compared to when he was with Kreig, Gin's condition had improved significantly.
"No," Gin shook his head. "Although Captain Sag gives me a share of the spoils befitting such a status, I don't feel that I can live up to it."
Even with the Six Styles, his mastery of them was rather crude.
Aside from 'Paper Drawing', which he was most adept at, he had only managed to learn four of the other techniques, and he still couldn't perform the 'Moonwalk'.
However, even with these four techniques, his grasp of them was rudimentary at best.
According to Captain Sag, Gin's physical qualities were quite decent, allowing him to train in all aspects of the Six Styles. To live up to the captain's expectations, Gin not only supervised the training of his subordinates but also doubled his own efforts in cultivation.
In terms of talent, though, he didn't feel that he was as 'decent' as Captain Sag had claimed. Compared to the other high-ranking officers he recognized, he still had a long way to go.
"You still feel inadequate? When did you become so modest?" Sanji chuckled.
"Mr. Sanji, you must have seen the three women by Captain Sag's side in ROHARA. They are not ordinary people but our pirate crew's true top officers," Gin explained.
"Lily is an incredibly skilled swordswoman. I know you have Roronoa Zoro on your crew, but I don't think he could defeat her. Lily possesses the strength to slice through steel, and her mastery of the Six Styles surpasses my own."
Lily's 'Shave' and 'Moonwalk' were already highly refined, and while she could learn the others, she saw no need to, so she abandoned further training in them.
"Marycar is unfathomable and possesses the same 'Life Return' ability as Captain Sag. Her physical strength is astonishing, capable of lifting an entire building with ease, and her unarmed throws of cannonballs surpass the power of those fired from cannons."
"Although Renitia is still young, she is the soul of the Grim Reaper and a capable user, just like your Straw Hat Luffy. She, too, is extraordinary."
Moreover, Lily was a navigator with profound theoretical knowledge and exceptional leadership skills.
Marycar was an excellent chef, an indispensable member of the crew.
And Renitia was adept at mechanics and shipbuilding.
"Compared to them, I am useless aside from combat. All I know is fighting. But even so, I don't want to disappoint Captain Sag, so I will redouble my training efforts and strive to keep up with his pace. I believe that Captain Sag will definitely become the Pirate King!" Gin declared, his voice resolute.
"Mr. Sanji, if you can't even defeat me, I advise you not to approach the royal palace. You will truly die," Gin warned.
Sanji shook his head and smiled as he lit another cigarette, exhaling a puff of smoke. His eyes narrowed as he watched the curling smoke, and he murmured, "Pirate King, huh..."
"Gin," Sanji said, his expression turning solemn. "I, too, believe in our captain. Luffy will definitely become the Pirate King!"
"It's not just you who has a mission. Our captain has entrusted me with the task of helping Vivi stop this rebellion. I must go to the royal palace, even if it costs me my life!"
"Is that so?"
Gin tightened his grip on his crutch. "Then I have no choice but to defeat you, Mr. Sanji."
[I originally intended to include the battles of all the officers in this chapter, but since there's only one chapter today, it doesn't feel right, so I've separated them.]
[Striving to update diligently.]
(End of Chapter)
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