Chapter 200They might ignore Bonney's words, but they absolutely trusted Luffy's orders, especially his judgment in battle.If it really was an Admiral-level battle, staying behind would not only be unhelpful but would make them a burden to Luffy, or they might even be severely injured by the shockwaves.However, just as the thousand sunny started moving to distance itself from Bonney's leaking pirate ship, Zephyr raised his massive mechanical arm, its barrel faintly aimed toward the thousand sunny.Clearly, in this former Admiral's dictionary, there was no such thing as a "one-on-one" or "only capturing the leader."He believed in the complete eradication of evil; since he had encountered them, he naturally intended to capture them all!"I want them all!""Hey!"Luffy's eyes sharpened as he suddenly exerted force with his feet.Bang!His rubberized sole slammed down like a giant hammer onto Zephyr's newly raised mechanical arm, forcing it back onto the deck with a loud metallic crash.Luffy grinned at Zephyr, whose body had sunk slightly from the sudden massive force. "Old man, I'm your opponent. Don't go attacking my friends so casually."Zephyr rotated the pinned mechanical arm, the immense force slightly shaking off Luffy's foot. A smirk played on his lips. "That protective nature of yours is exactly like that old geezer Garp!"Chapter 285: Zephyr vs. LuffyZephyr shouted, "On this cruel sea, having the heart to protect your friends isn't enough; you must have sufficient strength! Can you truly protect everything you want to protect in the face of the strong?""Then let's find out!"Luffy didn't back down an inch, even provoking him in return. "Old man, looking at your age, you should be at home like my grandpa, drinking tea and sunbathing. With those old bones, don't push yourself too hard later and throw out your back!"He had faced off head-on against the current Marine Admiral, Aokiji; why would he fear a former Admiral who was on the verge of retirement?How could that be possible!If he couldn't even win this, how could he talk about saving Ace or becoming the Pirate King!Just a retired former Admiral."Retired? Hmph! I am a Marine who is still active on the front lines of exterminating pirates! I am the Commander-in-Chief of the Marine Commando Unit!"Agitated by Luffy's words, Zephyr's intact left hand clenched into a fist. Pitch-black Armament Hakiinstantly swirled around it like a tide. With a terrifying aura capable of crushing anything, he smashed it toward Luffy's face. "Show some respect, you arrogant brat!"Bang!Another fist, also coated in pitch-black Armament Haki, collided violently with Zephyr's weathered yet still peerlessly fierce iron fist!The two fists were vastly different in size, yet at the moment of impact, they erupted with a roar like steel beasts. A violent shockwave radiated from the center of the collision, once again shaking the deck beneath them into spiderweb-like cracks."Hmm? Such strong Haki?!"Zephyr was clearly stunned for a moment.The hardness and density of the Armament Hakion Luffy's fist completely exceeded his understanding of a pirate his age.It was as if it had been tempered through decades of refinement.Just how did that guy Garp train him?Taking advantage of his momentary surprise, Luffylet out a low growl:"Gear Second Plus!"Buzz!His skin transformed instantly. Unlike the normal Gear Second, bluish-black Armament Hakipatterns resembling circuit boards quickly surfaced on his red skin. His aura surged once more, and his speed became so fast that he left an afterimage, his leg striking like red lightning toward Zephyr's temple!"Quite fast, kid!"Zephyr though surprised, didn't panic; his combat experience was incredibly vast.He exerted sudden force with his arm, relying on his superior absolute strength to violently push back Luffy's colliding fist. The fierce momentum sent Luffy stumbling back, naturally forcing him off the mechanical arm he was stepping on."Smash Gatling!"The moment Luffy stepped back, Zephyr lifted his mechanical arm. Multiple gun barrels hidden within the limb instantly deployed, aiming at Luffy and unleashing a storm of bullets as dense as rain.Rat-tat-tat-tat!A massive barrage of rapid bullets covered Luffyfrom head to toe. Against an attack of this scale, an ordinary person would have nowhere to hide.However, facing this metal storm, Luffy only grinned, neither dodging nor evading."Old man, your intel is too shallow. I'm a Rubber Human!"Puh-puh!The bullets hit his rubberized body like raindrops but couldn't penetrate. Instead, they acted as if they had hit highly elastic Rubber, bouncing off and even reflecting in all directions!"Hmph!"Zephyr snorted coldly, swinging his massive mechanical arm like a shield to block and deflect all the returning stray bullets, creating a series of metallic clinks.He had indeed momentarily overlooked that the kid's Devil Fruit ability was Rubber.However, to develop the Gum-Gum Fruit to such an extent that even the kinetic energy of bullets could be bounced off so easily—this kid's application of his fruit ability was truly monster-level.And is this so-called Gear Second state really just a Paramecia?No matter how you look at it, it carries changes reminiscent of a Zoan Awakening.The moment Zephyr blocked the stray bullets, Luffy found an opening. He kicked off the deck, his body leaping up like a cannonball, his arms instantly turning into countless afterimages:"Gum-Gum Plus Gatling!"Countless fists covered in Armament Haki,Like a raging storm,It was like a barrage of heavy artillery fire.,Poured down towards Zefa.Every punch contained enough terrifying power to shatter giant boulders!"Iron Body: Steel!"Facing this unavoidable rain of fists, Zephyractually moved forward instead of retreating. He crossed his arms in front of his chest, his feet rooted firmly to the deck like they had grown there. His muscles tensed as he used the ultimate defensive technique of the Marine Six Powers: Iron Body.Thud, thud, thud!Heavy fists landed on Zephyr's crossed arms and chest in rapid succession like a pile driver, producing muffled thuds.That powerful defense actually managed to block all of Luffy's violent punches!However, Zephyr's expression shifted slightly as he endured the assault.Regarding the training and understanding of Iron Body, he was confident that no one in the Marines could surpass him.But even so, the heavy force from each of Luffy's punches made his arms feel numb and his blood churn slightly.He was certain that if it were any other Vice Admiral, or even some Admirals who relied on fruit abilities, they would likely have been knocked unconscious instantly by this terrifying force if they dared to take Luffy's move head-on!Therefore, on top of the Iron Body, Zephyrreinforced it once more with Armament Haki!"Smash Blaster!"After enduring dozens of punches, Zephyr caught a tiny gap in the transition of Luffy's offensive. He quickly adjusted the angle of his mechanical arm, and a cluster of blinding energy light condensed at the front barrel.Bang!This time, it wasn't bullets, but a more powerful energy blast.A thick beam of light shot straight toward Luffy in mid-air."Old man, you've got quite a variety of attacks."While in mid-air, Luffy used the flexibility of his Gum-Gum Fruit and his strong core strength to forcefully twist his body. Like a man without bones, he grazed the edge of the energy blast to dodge it, while simultaneously using the momentum of the twist to flash into Zephyr's side blind spot."Gum-Gum Plus Bullet!"His arm retracted sharply and then shot out like a sniper bullet, aiming straight for Zephyr's ribs."Likewise, your ability is quite troublesome too!"Zephyr reacted extremely fast, relying on combat instinct the moment Luffy disappeared.He twisted his waist violently, and that heavy mechanical arm swung with a whistling wind like a massive battering ram. With an agility that belied its size, it swept horizontally toward Luffy, who had appeared at his side.Thud!!Luffy's Bullet punch and Zephyr's mechanical arm sweep hit each other almost simultaneously!Struck in the side by the mechanical arm's immense force, Luffy let out a muffled groan and was sent flying backward, barely landing on his feet after a mid-air somersault.Chapter 286: Do You Think I Don't Exist?His Rubber body dispersed and absorbed the terrifying impact, but the area hit still felt like it was burning with pain.Meanwhile, Zephyr's ribs shuddered from Luffy's concentrated Bullet punch. The Armament Hakicoating it rippled, forcing him back half a step as a flash of pain crossed his face.This kid's attacks have incredible penetrating power!Rat-tat-tat!Zephyr stabilized himself and, without stopping, raised his mechanical arm again to fire a dense barrage of bullets, blocking all of Luffy's possible escape routes.This time, however, Luffy did not choose to take it head-on.His Observation Haki keenly sensed that among the dense ordinary bullets, there were a few with slightly different colors, giving him an instinctive feeling of disgust and danger.His body began to drift like willow catkins, weaving through the split-second gaps. He let the lethal metal torrent graze his clothes and hair, but not a single round hit him.Seeing this, Zephyr stopped firing. Looking at Luffy, who was moving as nimbly as a ghost, he grinned and said, "What sharp Observation Haki. Did you notice the Sea Stone Bullets mixed in?"He revealed his trump card without hesitation.Luffy naturally knew what Sea Stone was; for ability users, it was like a deadly poison.Staring at Zephyr's complex mechanical arm, he said with certainty, "Besides the Sea Stone Bullets, that entire arm's frame is made of Sea Stone, isn't it?"During the close contact and when he stepped on it earlier, he had faintly felt a sensation from the mechanical arm that made his strength slightly sluggish."Oh? Good eye. What, are you scared?" Zephyrflexed the mechanical arm, shouting in a provocative tone.To notice this so quickly during combat, his insight was quite extraordinary."Scared?"Luffy acted as if he had heard something hilarious and picked his ear. "I wasn't even scared when I faced Admiral Aokiji. Why would I be scared of a toy arm belonging to a retired old man?""That kid Kuzan?"Zephyr sneered. "Hmph, he must have held back when he fought you, didn't he? That kid is sometimes too sentimental and indecisive! I don't believe that with his abilities, he wouldn't have the means to arrest you!"In his view, Aokiji's Lazy Justice was sometimes a form of indulgence.Hearing this, Luffy immediately became dissatisfied, feeling his strength was being underestimated."Hey! What do you mean, old man?! I had a fair and square fight with that Ice-face, and he was being serious!"Although a true winner wasn't decided due to Garp's intervention and Aokiji's own considerations, Luffy would never allow anyone to question the intensity of that battle or his full effort."That's exactly what I mean!"Looking at Luffy's defiant expression, Zephyrseemed to see the shadow of an old friend in his youth. His tone softened slightly."How about this, kid? For Garp's sake, and since it seems you haven't committed any unforgivable crimes yet, come back and become a Marine!""I can use all my connections to clear your status as a pirate, and I can even personally train you to become a top-tier force for justice! I can forgive your previous mischief."The Straw Hat Crew hadn't actually done anything too outrageous.If there was anything serious, it was defeating the Shichibukai.To Zephyr, defeating a Shichibukai was actually a point in your favor.Weren't the Shichibukai still pirates?"Impossible! I'm going to be the Pirate King! Who would want to be a restricted Marine!"Luffy rejected him flatly without even thinking."Pirate King? With such talent and potential, you're willing to willingly degrade yourself to become the most wicked kind of pirate? How disappointing! You're tarnishing your own power!" Zephyr barked angrily."I don't think so, old man!"Luffy stomped hard, the deck cracking beneath him. He rushed in front of Zephyr in an instant, his fist already coated in pitch-black Armament Haki, striking toward Zephyr's chest like a launched cannonball.Bang!!Zephyr reacted instantly, flicking his mechanical arm upward to block Luffy's fist with that incredibly hard Sea Stone frame, resulting in a heavy metallic crash.Luffy could see it now; this man in front of him was just like his grandpa Garp—someone who had honed their physical techniques and Armament Haki to the limit, believing in a fighting style of fist-to-flesh, head-on combat.
