Chapter 134: Ship Arrival
Chapter 134: Ship Arrival
A swordsman needs his blade to unleash his true strength—what kind of swordsman could he be without one?
But wresting Kuro’s sword away wasn’t easy. His Haki mastery ran deep. Luckily, every one of his opponents was a Devil Fruit ability user.
Eustass Kid’s power allowed him to control all metal, especially in his “Magnet Man” state, where his control became even stronger.
Yet even with this, Eustass Kid had to touch Kuro’s blade twice in succession just to budge it.
But this still required Kuro to hesitate, even slightly.
And that was where Law’s other ability came in—the “Electric Shock Technique.”
While Kuro’s Haki remained constantly active, his face and chest were vulnerable spots. A single instant was all Law needed to execute a Weapon Swap.
Originally, Law had planned to wait until Kuro’s Haki was nearly depleted for a more secure strike. But time was running out—
If he waited longer, he might no longer have the physical strength to pull off the plan.
“You thought I was on the third layer? Nah, I’m actually on the fourth!”
“Haha, this annoying thing—let’s get it as far away as possible!” Urouge grabbed [Huazhou], clenched his muscles, and hurled it into the distance. The artifact shot forward like a meteor, vanishing into the horizon.
“Oh? He actually managed this much?”
Kuro exclaimed in surprise before punching X Drake downward.
As X Drake plummeted, he called out to Kuro, “Sorry about this!”
Then, he pulled a stone from his coat and flung it at Kuro.
“This is exactly what I was waiting for—High-Frequency Scalpel!”
The stone swapped with Law, who now held Ghost Cry. Gripping it tightly, he stabbed straight toward Kuro’s unprotected chest—targeting the gap in his Haki coverage.
Moonstep’s rhythm had a pattern!
Law had already discerned Kuro’s Moonstep cadence. He was waiting for the perfect attack window. X Drake’s role was to lock Kuro into this rhythm with Moonstep, absorbing his attacks while forcing Kuro’s footwork into an extremely brief pause between hops.
That was the window Law needed.
X Drake hurled the stone at the critical moment, swapping positions with Law. In that instant, Ghost Cry’s blade pierced Kuro.
This single strike would decide victory!
This was Law’s Plan E!
“You thought I was on the fourth layer? No, I’m on the fifth!”
“Now!” Jewelry Bonney shouted, punching the air in excitement from below.
Capone Bege smirked, patting his coat pocket—only to realize his cigar had been taken by Kuro earlier.
“Hmph. When you die, I’ll reclaim that cigar. A bloody one might taste even better.” He smirked with confidence.
Whoosh!
Law, brimming with anticipation, stabbed forward—only to pierce empty air.
“What… how is this possible?” Law gasped, dazed.
He’d missed?
Impossible!
This plan had been meticulously crafted: Jewelry Bonney’s Observation Haki, Eustass Kid’s magnetic pull, X Drake’s entanglement, and his own abilities—everything should’ve aligned perfectly!
Kuro halted his hopping, shifting his body slightly. Ghost Cry’s long blade grazed his side as he stood.
Kuro smiled faintly. The leaf in his hand, hardened by Armored Haki, transformed into a rigid, blackened spike. With a flick, he drove it through Law’s shoulder.
Law gritted his teeth in pain, clutching his wound as he fell. He crashed onto the ground, blood seeping through his fingers.
“Hey, how could this happen?! You said everything was calculated!” Jewelry Bonney screamed, disbelief in her voice. “Why did it fail?!”
Law wrenched the leaf from his shoulder and pulled it away from Kuro’s grip. The weapon softened as it left his hand.
Clutching his bleeding shoulder, he glared up at Kuro. “Why don’t you ask him? Did that look like Moonstep to you, X Drake?”
“That wasn’t Moonstep,” X Drake said plainly. “Moonstep can’t stay still.”
“Could it be…” Urouge stared at Kuro.
“No way…” Capone Bege stammered.
“It’s a Devil Fruit ability,” Hawkins said, calm as ever.
This man was a Devil Fruit user too?!
Alongside his swordsmanship and Haki, he had another power!
Kuro closed his eyes, his Observation Haki spreading across the entire Shabondy Archipelago.
After a moment, he opened them again. His Armored Haki dissipated.
Law’s heart leapt. “His Haki’s exhausted! We can escape—and maybe even turn the tide!”
“Hey, Klah, what are you planning?”
Lida sensed the shift. Kuro had ceased his Haki—suggesting he didn’t intend to descend. If he wasn’t coming down, there was only one option left…
“A moment ago, I checked—my sword’s surrounded by Gramps’ aura. No retrieving it.”
“But Gramps is far away, and everyone here has already retreated. No Marines. No pirates.”
“Perfect. It’s been ages since I’ve had a real battle. The [Worst Generation]’s Super Novas are more than qualified.”
“Wait—get back!” Lida finished his food, grabbed his bag, and bolted.
Klah seemed to understand. He followed Lida, retreating to a safe distance to watch.
“What’s he planning? What strange ability does he have?” Scratchmen Apoo shivered, dread creeping into his voice.
“Law, don’t tell me you have no backup plans?” Jewelry Bonney asked hopefully. “Like… Plan F? A sixth level?”
“Nope.” Law shook his head. “Nothing left.”
“You thought I was on the fifth level? You’re right—this is level five.”
“But it doesn’t matter. Without his blade and Haki, his power’s plummeted.”
Law nodded firmly. “We can escape.”
Kuro’s lips twitched as he listened.
He’d already let them run before. But now, they’d insisted on saving their comrades.
At this critical moment, escape was impossible.
You think you’re on level five?
Let me show you the atmosphere!
Kuro raised his hand toward the sky, fingers splayed wide.
He looked down at the group. “Without my blade, my power’s halved.”
“Stop bluffing!” Eustass Kid scoffed. “A swordsman’s strength is nothing without his sword. Without it, he’s got only a tenth of his power!”
A Devil Fruit user? So what?
Every one of them was a Devil Fruit user too!
Matching ability with ability, they had nothing to fear!
“That’s not quite right,” Kuro shook his head. “A weapon’s power lies in its damage—not its form. Fists can be swords. Cannonballs can be swords. Haki can be swords. Today, I’ll teach you one of my core tenets.”
“Blades aren’t meant to be inconvenient!”
His hand clenched suddenly.
“Ship Arrival!”
A dark speck appeared in the sky.
Moving at explosive speed, it descended rapidly. To the Super Novas, it grew larger—until its shape became unmistakable.
“What the hell is that?!” Capone Bege gaped, his jaw dropping.
“Gulp—” X Drake’s Dragon Human Form faltered as he swallowed hard, staring upward.
Law stared at the approaching behemoth. “This can’t be serious.”
“A ship! It’s a freaking ship!” Scratchmen Apoo wailed, clutching his head.
The object barreling down at explosive speed was indeed a ship!
They could clearly see its structure—its pirate flag fluttering from the mast.
“That night Kuro left… I knew it was no good.” Lida looked up, lips curling.
He recognized it now—the ship they’d failed to pursue in the East Blue. The one Kuro had secretly flown to retrieve that night.
(End of Chapter)
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