Chapter 331 - 140-152

Chapter 140 First Encounter with a Celestial Dragon, Lake's RevengeSabaody Archipelago—

Areas 1-29: Primarily human trafficking shops, human auctions, and lawless zones.

Areas 30-39: Primarily a soap bubble park.

Areas 40-49: Primarily tourist areas and souvenir shops.

Areas 50-59: Primarily shipyards and coating craftsmen.

Areas 60-69: Primarily naval bases and government entrances.

Areas 70-79: Primarily a hotel district.

Led by Xiao Ba, the Sunny sailed to area 41 and finally stopped. Now it was time to explore, focusing on the main objective.

Their main purpose here was to have the ship coated. Xiao Ba said he knew a very skilled and trustworthy coating master; they just needed to ask him for help.

Afterwards, some of the crew left, leaving a group behind. Franky and Usopp were replenishing the Sunny's energy with cola, while Sanji was compiling a food shopping list.

Zoro… Zoro had just woken up and was about to go for a stroll when the famous scene unfolded.

Usopp: "Hey! Zoro~"

Sanji: "Moshi moshi! Zoro~"

"Where are you going all by yourself?"

Zoro turned around, looking puzzled, and said, "Just taking a walk, what's wrong?"

Upon receiving the answer, the two instantly bristled and shouted excitedly.

Usopp: "No way!"

Sanji: "Don't go! You have no sense of direction! This is an archipelago; if you get lost, only Lake will be able to find you!"

An angry Zoro immediately retorted, shouting, "Who gets lost! How could I get lost in such simple terrain! Aren't there numbers written on the trees? If I can't find my way, I'll just ask someone!"

The two calmed down instantly.

Usopp: "Oh~ you actually have this kind of intelligence."

Sanji: "I underestimated you. Sorry, go ahead, be careful on the road."

Usopp: "Remember to ask for directions!"

Sanji: "Never trust yourself!"

An angry Zoro turned around, memorized the obscured number, and left muttering to himself.

"Seriously! Who would get lost in such a simple place... Number 1, right? Humph! Making me sound like I have no sense of direction!"

Unsurprisingly, Zoro didn't recognize a single road in the world. After Zoro left, the three on the ship continued with their own business, while Lake and the others were already on their way.

Along the way, Hachi continued to educate his companions about the World Nobles and the situation on this island, because it was the only way for anyone wanting to go to the New World (except for the Marines).

Therefore, it was a melting pot of all sorts of people: pirates, bounty hunters, kidnapping groups, World Nobles... all kinds of shady characters.

Being too conspicuous here would likely attract a lot of attention, so they were told to keep a low profile. However, it was clear that Lake and his group weren't listening to any of this advice.

After arriving on the island, Hachi and Camie also disguised themselves. Being discovered as fish-men here would cause serious trouble, so they kept giving various instructions.

Lake was getting a headache from all this, let alone Luffy, who had long since stopped listening. Afterwards, the group rented a bubble car.

Chopper and his crew bought some local specialties: "Great Buns," "Great Chocolate," "Great Ice Cream Cones"... basically anything with "Great" in the name became a local specialty.

This was enough to drive Luffy and Chopper's group into a shopping spree. They strolled along, sightseeing, until they finally bumped into the legendary World Nobles.

A burly man with a collar around his neck caused a commotion in the crowd. Lake and his crew, naturally curious, didn't miss it and saw the arrogant and domineering Celestial Dragon.

His idiotic appearance, his haughty attitude, his repulsive looks—yes, it was a Celestial Dragon.

After witnessing the Celestial Dragon's appalling behavior, Luffy almost couldn't resist rushing out. Hachi desperately stopped him, but an unexpected incident occurred.

Lake, standing still, was targeted by the Celestial Dragon because he didn't kneel. Who was Lake? Kneeling to such an idiot was worse than death.

Upon seeing Lake, who hadn't knelt, the Celestial Dragon immediately raised his gun and pointed it at him, saying, "Another lowly commoner who doesn't know his own limitations! How dare you not kneel before me!"

Seeing Lake's grim face, Hachi knew he was doomed. He had witnessed Lake's terror before, and it had been frequently reported in the newspapers.

It seemed there was no way to end things peacefully. Hachi was sweating profusely, frantically trying to figure out what to do, when unexpectedly, someone came up with a solution.

The white-clad CP0 officers who had been beside the Celestial Dragon recognized Lake and immediately stepped forward to protect him, then commanded,

"Take your men and leave immediately! It's extremely dangerous here!"

The Celestial Dragon, still confused and about to erupt in anger, was then dragged away by two black-clad guards. Completely bewildered, he was taken away.

The CP0 officers waited until the Celestial Dragon was completely gone before leaving themselves, their eyes fixed on Lake the entire time. Lake stood there silently, without any reaction.

After the crowd dispersed, Nami quickly went up to ask about Lake's condition. Lake's eyes flashed with lightning before he turned and said,

"I'm fine, let's go."

His companions followed without a word. In the distance, the Celestial Dragon, already taken away, was furious, killing one of the guards who had restrained him without a word.

The other could only stand there, enduring the beating without daring to speak. CP0, standing to the side, remained indifferent. Although he had given the order, the blame would never fall on him.

This was the difference in status. CP0, pondering how to report to his superiors, suddenly sensed something was wrong and looked up sharply.

*Zzzzt!*

A bolt of lightning suddenly struck from the clear sky, engulfing them all. The powerful CP0 was unharmed, but everyone else perished.

The Celestial Dragon lay on the ground, charred black, his eyes rolling back. The others were instantly reduced to charcoal. This scene caused CP0 to frown deeply and immediately dial a Den Den Mushi.

"This is CP0."

"Report."

"The Straw Hat crew has arrived at Sabaody Archipelago. Sin has attacked the Celestial Dragons."

"What's the situation?"

"Charlos Saint is seriously injured and unconscious. All his guards are dead."

"Should we attack directly?"

"Lightning suddenly appeared in the sky."

"Yes, it was his doing. But since Saint Charlos is still alive, it proves he still has reservations about the World Government."

"What should we do?"

"Don't provoke him for now. Have the Navy keep a close eye on him. If they spot him, take immediate action."

"Roger that."

The call ended. CP0 coldly picked up the half-dead Celestial Dragon from the ground and then vanished with him.

Chapter 141 The Level Gap Between the Supernovas and the Straw Hat CrewPapago's Little Classroom Begins—

"If a Celestial Dragon is harmed, Marine Headquarters will immediately dispatch an Admiral with troops to the scene, and all those involved will be implicated.

Because they inherited the bloodline of the Creator. 800 years ago, 20 kings from 20 countries jointly established the World Government.

As the creators, these kings brought their families to live in the Holy Land of Mary Geoise. They control the World Government, possess all privileges, and consider themselves 'descendants of the Creator'—they are the Celestial Dragons!"

Originally, Vivi's family was also one of the World Nobles, but the Nefertari royal family, residing in the Alabasta Kingdom at the time, refused to move to the Holy Land of Mary Geoise, so they were excluded.

While everyone was chatting, a group of people had already set their sights on them—suicidal bounty hunters. However, these people coming out at this time was simply walking into the line of fire.

With a single glance from Lake, the area was cleared. A layer of lightning spread along the ground, and in the blink of an eye, everyone started dancing. This scene amused Camie greatly.

The oppressive atmosphere from the Celestial Dragons had made her feel very uncomfortable, but she was much better now. The group continued their journey, with Nami and Robin leaving midway to shop in the shopping district.

The rest of the group continued on, and led by Hachi, they quickly arrived at area 13, where the person they were looking for was located.

Even before entering, Papagu sensed something was off about the place. Who would name a shop like that? "Shakky's Rip-off Bar"!

And indeed, it was. As soon as they pushed open the door, they saw a woman with a cigarette dangling from her lips, carrying a man with a bloodied face. Several other people lay around, seemingly having just been beaten up.

Hachi greeted them from the front, and the woman quickly recognized him.

"Ara~ You're Hachi?"

Hachi scratched his head and smiled as he stepped forward, saying, "Hey~ Long time no see, Shakky."

This woman named Shakky was someone Rayleigh could tell was no ordinary person from the moment she entered. She was Rayleigh's old flame, the great pirate who had escaped from Garp's clutches.

It was obvious this wasn't simple. After greeting Hachi, Shakky told them to sit down first, and she'd greet the rude kids after dealing with them.

The crew wasn't surprised by the scene; after all, it was a lawless place. They all found seats, and Shakky quickly finished.

After catching up with Hachi for a while, she immediately turned her attention to Lake. Lake, feeling uneasy under Shakky's gaze, could only speak up.

"Um... is it alright to call you Aunt Shakky? Just say what's on your mind, it's making me really uncomfortable."

Shakky smiled and returned to the counter, getting everyone food and drinks before speaking.

"It's nothing, I'm just very interested in you. Because I'm an informant, I know quite a bit about your group."

Kaimi wasn't very familiar with this, and only after hearing Shakky's words did she realize that Luffy and his crew were famous. Shakky also knew why Hachi had brought them here.

Unfortunately, the person they were looking for was not there, and this coating master named Rayleigh would go out for anywhere from a few days to several years each time. Xia Qi had no idea when he would return or where he was.

So, if they wanted Rayleigh's help, they'd have to find him themselves. This was a piece of cake for Lake. He closed his eyes for a second, then opened them and spoke.

"Mr. Rayleigh is currently at the auction house in Zone One."

Shakky was also shocked by Lake's actions and looked at him with interest, saying, "Little Lake seems quite capable; he can even do something like this."

For some reason, Lake always felt like he was being questioned by an elder when talking to Shakky, so he instinctively shrank back and said,

"Some little tricks, little tricks..."

Seeing Lake's reaction, Shakky stopped teasing him and explained, "If I'm not mistaken, my man has probably lost all his money gambling and is planning to get some money at the auction. If you want to find him, just go there."

The impatient Luffy immediately prepared to leave, but Shakky then said something that had everyone's attention.

"From now on, wherever you go, you need to be careful of your surroundings. According to my intelligence network, you're already being watched by many people.

I don't know if you've heard of the term 'Supernovas,' but there are seven routes to the Grand Line. No matter which route you choose,

they'll all eventually be blocked by the Red Line and converge here. This means that others on the other routes have also overcome numerous obstacles to reach this point, just like you.

Although these people aren't as famous as your crew, they're still pirates who frequently appear in the newspapers, and nine of them have bounties over 100 million."

Chopper was immediately startled. Merry, though not understanding, mimicked Chopper's startled expression. Only Luffy remained calm and continued...

"I don't read the newspapers, but it's only over 100 million. It seems like most of my crew have around 100 million... or maybe some haven't."

Shakky smiled and continued, "Information is a weapon, you know. After I tell you, you'll understand why we're being targeted.

Right now, people outside are saying this era is the 'Worst Era,' not just because the Supernovas are all gathered together, but because of the emergence of another group.

That's you, the Straw Hat crew, the most ferocious pirate crew in a century, hailed as the leaders of the new era by pirates, with Little Lake even being called the new era's Sea Emperor."

"Wow! So Luffy and his crew are this powerful?" Camie exclaimed in surprise after hearing Shakky's explanation.

Lake scratched his head helplessly and muttered to himself, "What's going on? So, Aunt Shakky, you're saying we're being targeted because we're too famous, right?"

Shakky smiled and nodded, saying, "That's right. Little Lake truly lives up to his reputation as a new era's king. So smart."

Lake felt a chill run down his spine again, not daring to interrupt, and silently went to the sofa to eat dessert. Shakky always smiled happily whenever she saw Lake like this.

Afterwards, Shakky talked about some information regarding the Supernovas and some people worth paying attention to. Familiar names finally appeared.

Bounty 315 million Berries, Eustass Kid, title "Captain."

Bounty 200 million Berries, Trafalgar Law, title "Surgeon of Death."

Bounty: 249 million Berries, Basil Hawkins, nicknamed "The Magician".

Bounty: 222 million Berries, X Drake, nicknamed "The Red Flag".

Besides them, here are a few other characters briefly mentioned:

The Gangster, Capone Bege; The Glutton, Jewelry Bonney; The Seagull, Scyllachus Apoo; The Mighty Monk, Urouge; The Killer, Kira.

Chapter 142 The Suicidal Human Trafficker, Navy Six Paths Raik"Let's go then, thank you!" Luffy said goodbye to Shakky after getting into the bubble car.

The group set off to find the Coating Uncle, but passed by an amusement park along the way. Camie looked incredibly eager to go, as did Luffy and Chopper.

Lek had no choice but to go along with them, so the group experienced the amusement park in Sabaody Archipelago. The various thrilling rides were a bit too much for Brook's old bones.

After experiencing almost all the rides, Lake and Brook sat on a bench to rest, chatting leisurely. Suddenly, Lake's expression changed.

Camie was resting, watching Luffy and the others play, when a person dressed in a mascot costume walked by, seemingly selling balloons.

Completely unaware that the person was coming for her, Camie didn't move away as the person got closer, until the person suddenly pulled out a black sack. Only then did Camie realize what was happening.

But it was too late to scream. Of course, Lake wouldn't allow this to happen. Kemi didn't sense anything strange.

Slowly opening her tightly closed eyes, she saw Lake coldly gripping the doll's wrist, increasing the pressure until the doll screamed in pain.

"Knowing I'm here, you still dare to attack the people around me. Should I say you're brave, or brainless, huh?"

The last sentence, accompanied by a change in tone, revealed the sound of bones cracking. The doll-like figure collapsed to its knees in agony, unable to even beg for mercy.

Kemi quickly rushed to Lake's side. The commotion soon attracted a crowd, and her friends, realizing something was wrong, rushed over.

Luffy: "What's wrong? Lake, why are you holding this guy?"

Cami: "Luffy, this guy tried to kidnap me, but thankfully Lake saved me."

Everyone: "What?!"

Papago: "I knew we couldn't come here! It must be human traffickers, Cami, we have to get out of here!"

Hachi: "Damn it! How dare he try to take Cami!"

Lake: "Alright, quiet down. You guys were having so much fun, you had no sense of caution at all. Keep an eye on Cami, I'm going to take a look."

With that, Lake pulled Cami to his crewmates, then took off with him. Even the oblivious Luffy knew he couldn't cause any more trouble after this.

So they decided to stop playing around and head to Area 1 to find the Coated Man. The crewmates all agreed and set off immediately.

Lake didn't even need to use torture; he arrived at their hideout directly. Then...

Boom!

With a loud bang, Lake made a grand entrance, carrying a half-dead doll-like figure. Anyone with a brain would easily see that this was a troublemaker.

There was no point in wasting words. None of the people present were pushovers; without a single word, they all charged at Lake. Lake chuckled and casually tossed them aside.

The mascot in the costume was tossed aside by Lake like a cannonball. Those in that direction tried to catch it, but before they could even touch it, the powerful impact sent them flying like bowling pins.

The remaining people didn't back down. One by one, they swung their knives at Lake, but Lake's body suddenly became as fluid as water.

None of the dense attacks could touch him. Lake suddenly assumed a horse stance, crossed his arms, and chanted.

"Six Paths - Finger Pistol Chaos!"

*Sizzle! Sizzle! Sizzle...*

In an instant, Lake unleashed a 360-degree attack with no blind spots. The finger pistol's attack, carrying immense force, instantly pierced through the surrounding crowd.

Instantly, corpses began to pile up around Lake. The human trafficking group immediately retaliated. A burly man, who seemed to appear out of nowhere,

threw a huge iron ball at Lake. Lake sneered and lightly raised his hand, chanting.

"Six Paths - Iron Body Fist!"

Bang!

Without even a punch, the giant iron ball shattered instantly upon impact with Lake's fist, interrupting Lake's previous killing spree.

Suddenly, Lake performed a backflip, dodging a rat that was about to ambush him from behind. In mid-air, without even seeing who it was, he swung his leg.

"Six Paths - Three Thousand Storms Kick!"

Sizzle!

The attacking rat didn't even have time to scream before it was instantly split in two. Just then, a voice rang out.

Clap~ Clap~ Clap…

Lake hovered in the air, silently watching in that direction. A gaunt man clapped his hands and walked out, saying as he went.

"As expected of the new era's Sea Emperor, your strength is not to be underestimated."

Lake had no memory of this person, but it didn't matter now. Lake said coldly.

"You're the boss here, aren't you? Tell me how you want to die."

"Your attitude is really bad. Actually, we could cooperate..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lake suddenly raised his hand as if to make a gun. Water droplets appeared out of thin air and shot towards him, instantly piercing the ground beside the man.

Lake slowly aimed at the man's head and said, "There's no need for this nonsense. If you won't choose, I'll choose for you."

The man was clearly angered by Lake's actions. He suddenly grabbed his subordinate and said in a slightly manic tone,

"You're courting death! You think I'm afraid of you just because I give you face? I was already in this business before you were even born, kid!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the man in his hand changed. His limbs twisted and blood began to gush out, until finally, flesh and blood swapped, creating a blood-soaked figure.

Lake frowned, not out of worry, but simply because he was disgusted by the scene before him. The man, however, laughed heartily, completely unconcerned.

"Well, see my masterpiece! Remember my name, for it will accompany you to hell, Blood Puppet Master, Spencer Fiji!"

With a command from Fiji, the blood-soaked figure charged towards Lake. Lake remained indifferent throughout, merely raising a fist as the blood-soaked figure rushed towards him.

Thump!

The blood-soaked figure exploded on the spot, just like water, and in the blink of an eye, it began to reform. But before Fiji could even launch into his arrogant introduction, Lake raised his hand and chanted:

"Windstorm - Large Tornado!"

Whoosh!

A gust of wind suddenly appeared beside Lake, and with a wave of his hand, the wind quickly transformed into a massive tornado, ravaging the human trafficking hideout.

This level of attack was beyond Fiji's ability to withstand; the moment he saw it, despair filled him.

Chapter 143 Everyone Assembles, Ready to Cause TroubleThe Sabaody Archipelago, the human trafficking hideout, was now nothing but ruins. People blown away by tornadoes lay scattered on the ground, their eyes rolling back, their fates unknown.

Lake stood silently in place. A moment later, Fiji crawled out of the collapsed building, looking around at the scene. His despairing gaze instantly transformed into a vicious, hateful rage as he looked at Lake.

"It's all your fault! It's all your doing! You destroyed everything I had! Die! Die!"

Completely deranged, Fiji screamed as he unleashed his power. The bodies of those lying on the ground around him began to contort, forming blood-soaked figures.

Finally, these blood-soaked figures converged before Fiji. He clasped his hands together and shouted,

"Descend! Blood Puppet Control - Blood Giant!"

As the name suggested, the blood-soaked figures began to merge, and gradually, a gigantic blood-soaked figure appeared before Lake. Lake remained unfazed, for he had seen this scene before.

The Ice Giant and Lava Giant were far more imposing than this so-called Blood Giant; they were on completely different levels. Lake didn't need to take it seriously at all.

With a casual flick of his wrist, Tensa Zangetsu appeared in his hand. Gusts of wind gathered and fused onto the blade as the Blood Giant threw a punch at Lake.

However, it was too slow. Lake easily dodged the attack and appeared directly in front of the Blood Giant, Tensa Zangetsu now covered in an invisible layer of wind blades.

"Lightning Whirlwind Slash!"

Boom!

With a single slash, the massive Blood Giant exploded as if it had never existed. The lightning energy, fused with its blood, surged towards Fiji under Lake's control.

As someone with a puppeteer-like profession, Fiji was completely dumbfounded by this attack. He didn't know what to do.

"Ah!"

Finally, after a scream, he was engulfed by lightning-infused blood, turning into a pool of blood and vanishing from the world.

After doing all this, Lake casually waved his hand, creating a gust of wind that cleared the area instantly, leaving it spotless as if nothing had happened.

However, the bubbles in this area inexplicably turned red. Meanwhile, some things happened to Zoro's companions. First, there was Zoro, who had gone out for a walk.

Having no idea about World Nobles, he bumped into Saint Charlos, who was wrapped in bandages, assuming he was asking for directions.

Feeling insulted, Saint Charlos immediately went berserk, raising his gun and firing at Zoro. Zoro, however, wasn't about to tolerate it; in his eyes, the one who attacked first was the enemy.

The murderous intent that flashed was felt by everyone around, but at the crucial moment, a little girl rushed out to cover Zoro, saving him from being hit.

The Supernovas, who had been secretly observing from the shadows, breathed a sigh of relief and began to complain about Zoro.

"That man is Roronoa Zoro from the Straw Hat Pirates, the guy with a bounty of 300 million Berries. He's really despicable."

"I'd heard they were always causing trouble, but I never imagined they'd be so bold as to attack a Celestial Dragon directly. Aren't they even afraid of an Admiral?"

"That guy's a madman! The murderous aura he unleashed in that instant was chilling; he was like a wild beast."

"Just one of those combatants and he gets such a high bounty? I really want to see what that Straw Hat kid and that Sin are all like."

...

Zoro was still completely bewildered. The person who had helped him was also one of the Supernovas. Bonney had already reverted to her original form and was scolding Zoro.

However, their conversation didn't connect at all. Zoro wasn't listening to a word Bonney said. The farce on this side was over, but now Luffy was facing another problem.

The group, having just arrived at the auction venue, suddenly encountered a supernatural phenomenon: a group of people appeared out of nowhere, and they all appeared to be ordinary people.

The crew was instantly buried in the sea of ​​people. Luffy, remembering his previous lesson, held onto Camie tightly to prevent her from getting hurt. But to everyone's surprise,

after the crowd disappeared, Camie was still there, but Hachi was gone! These successive events enraged Luffy, and his Conqueror's Haki erupted.

Papago quickly explained the situation, learning that Hachi might be auctioned off as a slave. Enraged, Luffy immediately prepared to lead his men in and cause a scene.

Nami and Robin, arriving late, initially tried to persuade Luffy to reconsider, but Luffy immediately retorted.

"Me! If I can't even protect my own friends, I don't deserve to be captain! Lake would be so disappointed if he knew. Once is enough!"

This was the first time Luffy's crew had seen such a reaction. Everyone fell silent, ultimately supporting Luffy's actions and beginning to move.

Chopper immediately contacted Sanji via Den Den Mushi. Since the auction house owner had a Celestial Dragon, any action would inevitably attract the attention of an Admiral; it was time to assemble.

The Sabaody Archipelago was a large and scattered area. Fortunately, the crew members all carried Den Den Mushi, and they also contacted Duval, whom Sanji had previously altered.

He and his Flying Fish Knights rushed over to help, assisting everyone in regrouping. Lake witnessed all of this, and sensing Luffy's emotions, he smiled with relief.

"Looks like Luffy's finally showing some leadership qualities. Our captain's finally starting to get his brain working! Great! Since we're going to cause trouble, let's make it big. I need to get ready."

Shortly afterward, everyone except Lake's crew had assembled. Luffy led the way, kicking down the auction house door and making a grand entrance with his crew.

Most of those present were royalty, a few Celestial Dragons, and Kid and Law's group. All eyes were on Luffy and his crew. Luffy shouted arrogantly,

"Hand them over!"

The auctioneer, too nervous to recognize Luffy and his crew, only knowing there was trouble, immediately called for guards.

The result, of course, was that before the guards could even get close, Usopp instantly killed them all with a single shot. Seeing the dead bodies, the crowd finally panicked, screaming and shouting as they scattered and fled.

"Causing such a commotion right from their entrance, tsk~ I guess that's what the Straw Hat crew is all about; their reputation isn't just for show."

"Eustras, I thought you'd be a bit of a jerk and fight the Straw Hat leader."

"Don't be ridiculous, Trafalgar Law. The most terrifying one in that crew hasn't even appeared yet. If you want to die, you can try."

Chapter 144 The curtain rises, and the King of the Underworld's evaluation.The auction hall was in complete chaos. The Celestial Dragon was still shouting for the commoners to stop; he hadn't bought the slave he wanted yet.

The next second, a fist the size of a sandbag slammed into his face. Luffy had long disliked this guy, and this punch nearly killed the Celestial Dragon.

If causing a ruckus at the auction was a minor offense, then attacking a Celestial Dragon was a grave one. Everyone present broke out in a cold sweat.

Kid cursed under his breath and prepared to leave with his men. If they stayed any longer, a Marine Admiral would arrive, and he wasn't sure if the Straw Hat crew could hold him off.

He knew his crew's capabilities; even in their arrogance, they knew to restrain themselves in the face of the Marines' strongest force. Just as they were about to leave, Law suddenly spoke up.

"Don't be in such a hurry, Eustace! The real show's just about to begin. Are you leaving already?"

Kikus, looking annoyed, shouted at Law, "Didn't you see that madman beat up a Celestial Dragon? The Admirals are coming soon; now's not the time to clash with them."

Law didn't respond, sitting quietly in his chair with a smile. Kid, furious, really wanted to teach this guy a lesson right then and there, but the current situation wouldn't allow it.

Boom!

Another loud crash! The walls inside the auction house suddenly collapsed, revealing two figures. Hachi was one of them, and the other, a silver-haired, homeless man, was the target Luffy and his crew were looking for.

It was Rayleigh, the coated-coating man. Kid and Law were startled when they saw him, while Luffy and the others remained oblivious.

All their attention was on Hachi, and they quickly asked him what had happened. Hachi, seeing the commotion Luffy and his crew had caused to save him and even beat up a Celestial Dragon...

Moved to tears, he immediately asked Rayleigh for help. Rayleigh smiled and nodded, then his expression changed.

*Whoosh*

An invisible aura of Haki instantly enveloped the entire auction hall, clearing out all the bystanders who collapsed, their eyes rolling back in their heads.

Seeing this, his companions' expressions changed. Luffy looked at the white-haired man next to Hachi and said, "Conqueror's Haki? Uncle, who are you?"

Before Rayleigh could respond, Kid spoke first, "I never expected to see such a big shot here. Dark King, Silvers Rayleigh, there's no mistake."

However, Rayleigh just smiled and said, "On this island, people call me Coating Craftsman Rayleigh. Don't call me by my name casually. I'm old and just want a peaceful life... Hmm? It seems someone important has arrived."

As he spoke, Rayleigh suddenly looked up at the entrance. Law, who was closest to the entrance, asked in confusion.

"The outside is already surrounded by the Navy. For a legendary figure like you to say something like that, must you be an Admiral?"

Rayleigh didn't respond to Law's words, just watched quietly. Everyone else was also watching the doorway nervously until a familiar figure appeared, at which point Luffy and the others relaxed.

"Sorry, sorry~ I had some small business to take care of and was a little late. Is everything alright?"

"Lake!" the crewmates called out in unison with surprise.

Yes, it was Lake. Finally seeing Lake in person, Kid and Law felt a mix of emotions, because they had already sensed something was wrong from Rayleigh's earlier assessment.

Lake casually glanced at Law and Kid, then immediately fixed his gaze on Rayleigh and spoke.

"This must be Uncle Rayleigh, right? I was a little unsure at first, but now it seems I'm right. It's quite hard to believe that someone as important as you is here giving people a makeover."

Rayleigh smiled and replied, "Old people naturally need to find things to do. You're one of their partners, aren't you? These young people these days are truly formidable; even Roger couldn't compare."

"What?!" Kid and Law, who hadn't dared to interrupt until now, exclaimed in surprise simultaneously.

Lake was a bit taken aback by this comment and quickly waved his hand, saying, "Don't joke around, Uncle Rayleigh. It's going to get lively here soon. Do you want to stay and watch?"

"Oh? I don't know what you're planning to do, but you've already taken down all those Marines outside, haven't you? Isn't that exciting enough?"

"What?!" The same exclamation as before.

At this moment, Kid and Law felt like they were just as clueless as that guy. But shouldn't a normal person be surprised by these words?

They didn't understand why the Straw Hat crew was so calm. The reason was actually very simple: they didn't understand!

Those who understood were relatively calm, while those who didn't, like Luffy, pretended to be deep in thought, but were actually wondering what to eat later.

Suddenly, Lake turned to Kid and Law and said, "You can stay if you want~ No need to pay for tickets. The show is about to start."

Law hadn't left his seat from beginning to end. Although he had been surprised several times in the middle, he still tried to appear calm and spoke up.

"I'll stay. I'm really interested to see what Lake's leader will do when he falls. It looks like it'll be quite a spectacle."

Kid hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth and led his men to sit down at the nearest seats, saying, "I hope you're not playing us. Let me see what the new era's emperor is really up to."

Lake then told his companions to find seats wherever they liked. After waiting a while, the auction house was once again surrounded by a large number of Marines, this time in both quantity and quality.

Most importantly, Admiral Kizaru had arrived in the crowd. Sensing him, Lake simply waved his hand, blowing off the walls and roof of the auction house.

A sudden gust of wind startled everyone. They were now putting on a public show. Before Lake could even speak, a Marine officer ordered his men to open fire.

This brainless action made even Kizaru frown. Lake, of course, wouldn't tolerate it. He raised his hand and gently grabbed, causing violent lightning to begin to gather in the air.

Kizaru immediately rushed to the front. Seeing that Kizaru still showed no sign of stopping, Lake sneered.

"The host hasn't even started speaking, and the audience is already rushing to speak. I'll teach them a lesson for such rude behavior, Kizaru."

"This is terrifying~ It's only natural for the Navy to take action against pirates, stop talking nonsense, Lake."

"Then let's try it... Purple Lightning: Thunder Grip!"

"Yasakani no Magatama!"

Boom! Boom! Boom...

"Hmm... Not good, I can't block it, sigh~ I'll have to exert myself again this time."

Sizzle!

Chapter 145 The Truth of a Decaying World, The Noble AuctionAfter a single exchange, Lake stood unharmed, while Kizaru emerged from the smoke, looking slightly disheveled, dusting himself off. Behind him, numerous Marines lay dead, their eyes rolling back in their heads.

Some looked almost cooked, and the Marine officer who had given the order was reduced to a charred mess. An Admiral defeated in their first encounter!

"My god! What was that just now?"

"The Admiral actually..."

"Shh! Shut up! How could an Admiral be defeated? That was just a test. Justice will prevail!"

"Rear Admiral Lance has died in the line of duty..."

"This is the original sin, Lake, the new Pirate King! Such a villain must face justice!"

...

It must be said that the Marines are quite adept at self-brainwashing. A group of people, after a while, would conclude with "Justice will prevail," and then reunite.

Kizaru sighed, his gaze turning dangerous as he looked at Lake. "What exactly do you want, Lake? You know the Marine Headquarters is nearby."

Lake smiled slightly and replied, "Of course I know. I just suddenly remembered this is a government-sanctioned human auction venue, and the auction isn't over yet."

Hearing Lake's words, Kizaru's expression turned quite grim. "If you really do this, you'll be slapping the World Government in the face. You won't have it so easy from now on!"

"Are you threatening me, Kizaru? Sorry, I just like to go against the grain. So, everyone, watch closely!"

With that, Lake waved his hand, and all the royals who had been sitting in the auction hall were now imprisoned in his specially made lightning cages. The meaning was clear.

Lake deliberately woke these guys up, then said in front of everyone, "Welcome, everyone, to the auction. Note that you only have one chance.

Some of you might not know what this place was originally for, so let me give you a brief introduction..."

While Lake was speaking, the footage was secretly broadcast throughout the Sabaody Archipelago by an unknown individual. Sengoku, upon learning of this, turned green with rage.

He immediately dialed Kizaru's Den Den Mushi, but Kizaru couldn't stop him now, as Lake held a very important hostage—a Celestial Dragon.

This was why Lake dared to do what he did today. The furious Sengoku could only vent his anger on the table in front of him. A moment later, Sengoku dialed the Den Den Mushi again.

"Garp, your grandson's in trouble again. This time it's very serious. The Celestial Dragons are in trouble. Lake has openly humiliated the government and the Navy. You need to go there."

"Hahaha! As expected of my grandson! That brat Lake has actually done something this serious? Hmm… I understand. I'll be there right now."

Back on Sabaody Archipelago, after hearing Lake's account, not only the civilians but even some newly joined Navy members couldn't accept it.

Who would have thought that a government-sanctioned human auction house existed in this place? In this land rife with human traffickers, many of their friends and family members had encountered them to varying degrees.

After Lake's explanation, they understood that the people kidnapped by traffickers were brought here for human auctions, becoming slaves from that day forward!

Those who bought them were these so-called royalty and world nobles. They didn't treat ordinary people as human beings at all. Most importantly, all of this was done with the government's permission, meaning the Navy knew everything.

After feeling empathy, the nearby crowd began to shout, their eyes red with emotion.

"Are the lives of nobles precious, but our lives aren't?!"

"The government actually allows this to happen. So the Navy knew about this too, didn't they?!"

"I just want these high and mighty nobles to experience what those people feel!"

"Yes, yes! If I could, I'd sell everything I own to buy them, royal slaves!"

...

That's human nature. Some of these people genuinely had friends and family kidnapped, some just wanted to join in the fun, and some even wanted to experience what it's like to be a slave owner like those royalty.

But none of this mattered to Lake. His focus now was the auction. Lake clapped his hands to quiet everyone, then cleared his throat and said,

"That's enough. Let's begin. Let's see… I'll start with you."

Lake smiled and grabbed a fat man with a large head and ears. The man immediately reacted violently, screaming.

"Ah! Please let me go! I'm rich! I'll give you all my money! I'm not a slave!"

Lake patted the man's head like he was soothing a puppy, saying, "Alright, alright~ Don't be nervous. This isn't the first time you've seen something like this, just in a different position, right? What's your name?"

The fat man stopped struggling. He had felt the two pats Lake had given him; the back of his head had been throbbing inexplicably, and resisting had brought excruciating pain.

"My name is Gil, Lofus Gil."

"Alright, our first item today is Gil. Hmm, obviously, buying him like this is useless. But to start the business on auspicious terms, let's make it 1 Berry. Bidding begins now, everyone can participate!"

After Lake finished speaking, everyone present was dumbfounded, including Gil himself. He was only worth 1 Berry? It was unclear whether it was out of shame or resentment.

Gil actually raised the price for himself. Lake didn't stop him, quietly watching the show. Sure enough, as he spoke, Gil began to reveal some of the darker side of the nobility.

These were things only known among royalty and nobility, the very essence of this corrupt world. Lake's actions today inadvertently did the Revolutionary Army a huge favor.

Finally, it was Kizaru who made the bid and gave Gil a threatening look, ending Gil's revelations. When a Marine Admiral intervenes, ordinary people dare not compete.

But how could Lake let Kizaru take the person back so easily? The role of the spectators he had arranged earlier was now becoming apparent.

Seeing Lake's gaze, Kid and Law understood what was going on. Their instinct was to avoid getting involved, but Lake had other ideas.

Not responding now would be disrespectful to him. Getting involved in this incident would undoubtedly boost their reputation several notches, but it would also greatly increase their chances of being targeted.

The two captains sighed, then, abandoning any thought of the consequences, displayed the typical pirate spirit and began negotiating with Kizaru. Although it was just the two of them, it was enough.

As long as someone challenged the Navy, it was a victory for Lake. His goal was to reveal part of the truth and annoy the World Government, and now he had succeeded.

Chapter 146 A dashing exit, the trash is just a freebie.Afterwards, Lake, finding it troublesome, simply auctioned off the entire group of royalty as a package. Although Kizaru eventually bought them all, Lake still reaped several hundred million Berries.

This was largely thanks to Kid and Law constantly raising the price. Kizaru had clearly remembered the two, and the auction of all the royalty was quickly completed.

Next came the main event. Everyone was watching Lake. According to the schedule, Lake should be auctioning off the Celestial Dragons next, but would he really dare to do so?

Auctioning royalty and auctioning off world nobles are completely different concepts. World nobles are people who can kill at will if they're unhappy; being auctioned off as slaves? Don't be ridiculous.

"I never joke. Next up is the grand finale of today's auction: a useless, ugly, and idiotic world noble—a Celestial Dragon—is now up for auction! Starting price: 4444 Berries!"

!!

In an instant, everyone watching this scene erupted in excitement. In other parts of Sabaody Archipelago, the hidden Supernovas were all dumbfounded.

"Does this man even know what he's doing?!"

"What a madman! A madman! We can't stay here anymore, quickly tell everyone to prepare to leave!"

"A Celestial Dragon being auctioned off as a slave... It's unbelievable, I can't believe I actually witnessed it."

"The new generation's Pirate King, you damn bastard, for what you did today, I'll admit defeat!"

...

Kizaru finally couldn't hold back any longer and shouted at Lake, "Stop it, Lake, if this continues, there won't be a way to end this today."

Lake, however, still looked at Kizaru nonchalantly and said, "Oh~ Admiral Kizaru isn't going to continue bidding? That's perfect, with you involved, I've lost a lot of customers. I feel like they've been itching to get involved for a long time."

Lake naturally wouldn't speak carelessly; the crowd that hadn't participated yet was now on the verge of losing control. Once they dared to participate, they would inevitably spend a huge sum to buy a Celestial Dragon.

The thought of buying a once-high and mighty Celestial Dragon as a slave was something he wouldn't even dare to dream of. Kizaru, exasperated, could only rub his forehead and retreat.

As the situation escalated, the unreliable Garp finally arrived with his men, immediately addressing Lake:

"Lake brat! Release those scumbags right now, or don't blame me for being impolite!"

His first officer quickly reminded Garp that he'd misspoke, and Garp, realizing his mistake, scratched his head and said:

"What I said before doesn't count, Lake brat, release the hostages right now! This is your last warning!"

Luffy, who had been watching the whole thing from below, jumped in fright upon seeing Garp, while Lake responded with a helpless expression.

"Hey, old man, you said I'm a hostage, you understand? Threatening me won't work, I should be the one threatening you."

After hearing Lake's words, Garp laughed and scratched his head, saying, "Hahaha! Is that so? Alright then, what are you going to do?"

Lake was speechless at this old man, but it was indeed time to wrap things up. Continuing the auction was pointless; it would end up in Kizaru's hands anyway.

So, Lake discreetly gestured to his companions, signaling a retreat. Understanding, they all stood up, including Kid and Law with their men.

The Marines immediately tensed. Seeing this, Lake unleashed a killing intent wave-like version of Conqueror's Haki without hesitation, instantly engulfing everyone around him with terrifying killing intent.

Kizaru and Garp's expressions changed, their faces turning serious as they watched Lake. Lake then ruthlessly bound the three Celestial Dragons together with lightning nets.

Finally, he tossed them aside like trash towards Kizaru. The instant they left his grasp, Lake waved his hands, and a massive door appeared on the ground.

In the blink of an eye, everyone passed through the door and vanished from their spot, leaving only Lake's words hanging in the air.

"Fine, consider these trash a freebie. It cost you a lot of money anyway, so this will save you some expenses, hahaha!"

Garp looked at the Celestial Dragons flying towards him with disdain. Kizaru, left with no other choice, caught them and used his ability to dispel Lake's lightning net.

The intense pain had already knocked them unconscious, which saved them a lot of trouble. If they were awake, they would definitely be making a scene again.

Kizaru looked at Garp and asked, "That was probably the Door-Door Fruit ability from CP9."

Garp smiled and said, "I've seen that ability before, but it's nothing like this kid's. Looks like he's awakened another incredible ability."

*Burp burp burp~*

*Clap~*

"Grandpa! I've brought the Pacifistas. Where to now?"

"Oh~ Sentomaru, huh~ You've come just in time~ Go find Eustass Kid and Terfalgar Law. The rest, you handle them. Arrest them all if you have time."

"Understood, but Grandpa, shouldn't the main target be the Straw Hat crew?"

"Ah~ Vice Admiral Garp and I will take care of them. You don't need to interfere. If you encounter Rayleigh, don't fight him head-on, contact me immediately."

"What?! Okay, I understand. PX-1, begin searching!"

*Clatter*

After hanging up the Den Den Mushi, Kizaru asked Garp, "You're not going to stand idly by, are you? There's a rather troublesome guy here. You probably saw him earlier."

"Tch! Rayleigh, huh? I know. I'll go find him, don't worry." Garp said with a displeased expression.

Seeing this, Kizaru didn't say anything more. He used Yata Mirror to leave first, while Kakashi, looking displeased, wasn't actually upset about Rayleigh.

He was genuinely worried about his grandson Luffy. This incident had escalated so much that not only the Navy but also the government had deployed significant forces.

They were all likely gathered on this island. His other grandson, Ace, was already in trouble, and now Luffy was causing him even more worry. The old man was truly heartbroken.

Lake, using the Door-Door Fruit, directly transported everyone to Shakky's shop. Kid and Law were still reeling from their surprise when Rayleigh praised them, saying,

"Impressive, impressive! Truly remarkable. To think you have such a method! I've learned something new."

The two captains, regaining their composure, were filled with mixed emotions, their thoughts a jumbled mess. They bid farewell to Lake and his group and left.

Lake and his companions followed Rayleigh into Shakky's shop. After the commotion, this was only a temporary refuge.

Lake took the opportunity to discuss their upcoming plans with his crew. They were about to participate in a massive war

Chapter 147 The War Participation Plan: A Series of Shocks"Sorry, Uncle Rayleigh, Aunt Shakky, I dragged you into this." Back at the hotel, Lake scratched his head and apologized.

The two important figures naturally wouldn't be angry with Lake over such a small matter. On the contrary, Rayleigh seemed unusually happy today, laughing heartily.

"You really put on a good show, didn't you? Auctioning off nobles, you might just appear in history someday."

Shakky, standing to the side, said with a wry smile, "Looks like I underestimated you. Little Lake's actions today seem like the future is about to change."

Lake grinned foolishly, showing no remorse whatsoever. Don't ask, he learned it from Luffy. Skipping that topic, Shakky asked Lake what he planned to do next.

Having caused such a big commotion, it was impossible for them to leave peacefully now. Lake had already planned his next route, and he hadn't mentioned Ace the entire way.

Now it was time to tell Luffy everything. With Shakky, the informant, here, it saved Lake a lot of explanation work. After Shakky recounted everything about Ace...

"!!!"

"Ace's been captured?! He's about to be publicly executed!" Not only Luffy's remaining crew members, but everyone else was shocked.

Back in Alabasta, besides Lake, everyone who joined later had met Ace. He was a very capable person, both in strength and personality.

When they left Thriller Bark, Luffy had been worried about Ace's situation, but now, knowing the truth, he hadn't expected it to be this serious.

However, Luffy only saw the surface. The Navy's public execution of Ace was just the trigger, because everyone on this sea knew the Whitebeard Pirates' ways.

No one dared to touch a member of Whitebeard's crew, so the Navy's public execution meant declaring war on the Whitebeard Pirates; war was imminent.

Otherwise, given Lake's actions today, it wouldn't just be Garp coming; the three admirals would definitely have arrived immediately to punish Lake, precisely because the Navy was currently on high alert.

Not daring to relax, Lake deployed all his top-tier combat forces, which is why he dared to be so audacious today. Lake would definitely do everything in his power to rescue Ace, but his main objective wasn't just rescuing him.

"Now, everyone listen carefully, Luffy, you too. We're changing our course. Our target is Marineford!"

They had all listened attentively to Shakky's words, and they naturally understood what targeting Marineford meant. Only Luffy looked hesitant.

Because in Luffy's heart, rescuing Ace was something he had to do, but he was well aware of the danger of that place, and he didn't want his crewmates to be in danger with him.

Lake, of course, saw through Luffy's thoughts at a glance. He patted Luffy on the shoulder and said, "Spare your brain. Let me handle the planning. I'm the first mate, after all!"

Luffy and Lake locked eyes for a moment, then Luffy nodded, listening seriously to Lake's words. Seeing this, Lake continued his speech.

"The battle at Marineford was inevitable. Both the Navy and the Whitebeard Pirates are behemoths to us."

If we appear directly, it will be difficult to rescue Ace. Therefore, we need to take them by surprise; protagonists often appear at crucial moments.

So, to avoid being noticed and to keep our whereabouts a secret, Luffy, your grandfather, and Kizaru will likely be coming to us soon.

But don't worry, we have someone to help us. You've all seen this person before: the Shichibukai, Bartholomew Kuma.

He's actually on our side, but due to his status, he won't openly help us. He'll have to follow my lead and cooperate with our actions."

Lake then explained some precautions, which everyone listened to very attentively. After he finished, Lake looked at Rayleigh.

Feeling Rayleigh's gaze, Rayleigh quickly waved his hand and said, "Don't even think about dragging an old man like me into this, or my peaceful days will be over."

Rayleigh, of course, knew Rayleigh would say that. He smiled and said, "Don't be so sure, Uncle Rayleigh. I have some information that I think will change your mind once you know it."

"Oh? Tell me about it." Hearing there was information she didn't know, Shakky immediately leaned closer.

Rayleigh didn't keep them in suspense and said directly, "Ace's full name is Portgas D. Ace. Due to certain special reasons, he shares his mother's surname, and his real name should be Gol D. Ace!"

"What?!" Everyone present exclaimed in surprise at this news.

Only Luffy looked at Rayleigh with a puzzled expression and said, "I do know that Ace's father is the Pirate King, but so Ace took his mother's surname? I see."

"Roger's…" Rayleigh's pupils dilated in astonishment at the news, and he lowered his head in deep thought.

At this moment, Usopp suddenly realized something, repeatedly muttering, "Rayleigh…Rayleigh…a big shot…could it be!"

Usopp, still in shock, pointed at the pensive Rayleigh and shouted, "Dark King Rayleigh?"

Shakky smiled and replied, "Oh, he hasn't revealed his identity to you yet? Our guy is the one you're thinking of."

Robin suddenly explained, "Dark King Rayleigh, the first mate of the Pirate King Roger."

The crew gasped again. The continuous shocks had left them exhausted, but the news was simply too astonishing, especially for a simple-minded person like Luffy.

Knowing Rayleigh's identity was enough to keep him astonished for a whole day. The first mate of the Pirate King! The legendary figure had appeared before his eyes.

After a moment of contemplation, Rayleigh came to a conclusion, but his first glance was at Shakky, and he said earnestly,

"Sorry~ it looks like we'll have to move to a different place from now on."

Shakky, being a smart person, naturally understood Rayleigh's meaning. She simply smiled and took his hand, saying,

"It's been boring here anyway, a change of scenery would be nice."

After a deep exchange of glances, Rayleigh looked at Lake and said, "Count me in. The captain's son, can I just stand by and watch him get hurt?"

"That's exactly what I was waiting for," Lake clapped his hands happily.

Now everything was ready. Lake, who had been observing the situation, had sensed Kizaru and Garp's presence. It was time to set off.

Chapter 148 Rematch with Kizaru, Light and Space"Target detected, Straw Hat crew. Attack?" The mechanical voice echoed in the air.

Sentomaru looked in the direction PX-1 was pointing and said, "So that's where they were hiding. Hmph! Looks like I found them before Grandpa. Now that I've found them, I can't let them get away. PX-1! Attack and force them out!"

*Zzz!*

*Boom!*

Having received the command, PX-1 raised its hand and released a laser beam towards the small house. A loud explosion followed, and smoke billowed everywhere.

When the smoke cleared, the house was unharmed. A silver-haired man appeared before Sentomaru, wielding a sword in one hand.

"Young man, attacking someone's house without a word isn't a good idea."

Seeing the man before him, Sentomaru was astonished and retreated, shouting, "Dark King Rayleigh! Why are you here?"

Rayleigh chuckled and said, "I'm old and just wanted a place to retire peacefully, and now the Navy has come knocking."

Sentomaru was about to say something when he suddenly remembered that PX-1 had reported finding the Straw Hat crew, so he immediately shouted at Rayleigh.

"I see, trying to cover for the Straw Hat crew! I won't let you succeed, PX-1! Lock onto the Straw Hat crew's location."

However, this time the mechanical voice didn't reply. Sentomaru turned his head in confusion, and what he saw almost made him fall to the ground in fright.

PX-1 had already split up. The mechanical body was exposed, and its head was being tossed around by a handsome but roguish young man. Sentomaru recognized this person immediately.

Lake's face had appeared in the newspapers far too many times, and Sentomaru was now truly panicked. First there was Lake, the Sinister, and now Rayleigh, the Dark King. He finally understood why the old man had told him to hide.

But just then, Sentomaru's savior arrived—a slightly lewd voice rang out.

"How terrifying~ Lake, could you spare my subordinate? He's been terrified by you all."

Sentomaru immediately cried for help upon seeing Kizaru appear. At the same time, Lake and Rayleigh sensed a dangerous aura and immediately created distance. The next second…

BOOM!

With a deafening roar, Garp descended from the sky, his merciless attack shattering the ground and PX-1's body.

Hovering in the air amidst the smoke, Lake waved his hand to clear it, then said with a sheepish expression, "At your age, what's the point of this kind of entrance, Garp?"

"Hahahaha! This is the entrance I've been thinking about for a long time! How about it, pretty cool, right!" Garp's voice echoed from the center of the smoke.

As the smoke cleared, Garp looked at Rayleigh and said, "You bastard Rayleigh, you really have been hiding on this island all along!"

Rayleigh replied with a smile, "I thought I'd live a peaceful life like this forever, but I didn't expect you Marines to find me. Long time no see, Garp."

Garp looked at Rayleigh with disdain, picking his nose with a Luffy-esque expression, and said, "What do you mean 'long time no see'? Today I'm taking you to Impel Down so you can enjoy your retirement!"

The moment he finished speaking, Garp charged towards Rayleigh like he'd been injected with adrenaline, startling Rayleigh who quickly drew his sword to meet him.

The two suddenly clashed, leaving Lake in mid-air completely bewildered. Before he could ask, Kizaru also suddenly attacked, but his target wasn't Lake.

In a flash, a golden light streaked across the sky, and Sentomaru was brought back to the Marines. Having done this, Kizaru, without a word, drew his Ame-no-Murakumo sword and addressed Lake.

"Why are only you and Pluton here? The rest of the people are gone. Are you plotting something?"

Lake chuckled lightly, casually flicking his wrist to summon Tensa Zangetsu. The next second, accompanied by a bolt of lightning, it collided with Kizaru's Ame-no-Murakumo sword.

Clang!

After the exchange, Lake finally spoke, "Guess~"

Kizaru was already well aware of Lake's cunning; further conversation was pointless at this point. Therefore, Kizaru chose to attack directly.

"Ama-no-Murakumo-no-Tsurugi: Hengyu-giri!"

"Tensa Zangetsu: Rift Heaven!"

Boom!

The ground cracked instantly upon the collision of the terrifying attacks. Lake's attack only utilized the power of the Chop-Chop Fruit, greatly amplifying its power.

Kizaru also felt the terror of this attack, his body transforming into flashes of light as he moved rapidly. Even so, when Kizaru finally reappeared, he was still in a sorry state.

His Admiral's cloak was completely torn, riddled with tears. Feeling deeply troubled, Kizaru said with a troubled expression.

"Why do I always have to do these troublesome things when fighting a monster like you? It's such a waste of energy~"

Although his tone was lazy, Lake couldn't pretend not to notice the constantly growing aura emanating from him. Lake knew this meant the lazy Admiral was about to get serious.

"Eight-Foot Aurora Flash!"

Kizaru's body completely transformed into elemental form, turning into golden light that scattered around him. In an instant, the light became exceptionally dazzling, then turned pure white.

The near-dusk sky seemed to be illuminated, and Lake was blinded by the sudden burst of light.

*Whoosh!*

Lake jerked his eyes open, instinctively trying to dodge, but a sharp pain shot through his stomach, causing him to kneel on the ground.

The light faded, and Kizaru reappeared in front of Lake, looking at the pained Lake with a smug tone.

"That's the speed of light, kid."

However, before he could finish his boast, Lake, who had been clutching his stomach on the ground, suddenly vanished—yes, vanished, not by high speed, but simply disappeared.

Kizaru had no time to react; the sense of danger made him realize he was in trouble.

*Sizzle!*

"Space Jump ~ Lightning Extreme: Chidori!"

"Ugh..." Kizaru let out a muffled groan as he was hit squarely by the attack.

Lake mimicked Kizaru's expression, saying, "This is the power of space, old man."

Kizaru knelt on the ground, blood trickling from his mouth, a large area on his back charred black—clearly, his injuries were severe.

Meanwhile, right before Kizaru's eyes, Lake's previous injuries were healing at a visible speed. Kizaru, increasingly distressed, slowly rose and said...

"I wonder how many trump cards you still have up your sleeve when you're down here. I've really suffered a huge loss this time."

The battle on the other side also came to an end. The two old men seemed to be fighting fiercely, but after the battle, their clothes weren't even dirty.

This contrast made Kizaru even more upset. He was supposed to be the one slacking off, but now he was the most miserable one.

Chapter 149 The Bear That Suddenly Appeared, Everyone Was Swatted Away"Grandpa! Something terrible has happened! All the Pacifistas on the island have been destroyed!" Sentomaru shouted in a panic.

At this moment, Kizaru finally understood the answer to his earlier question: the remaining Straw Hat crew had all scattered to attack the Pacifistas.

This was a huge loss. All the Pacifistas were destroyed, he was injured, and he hadn't captured a single Supernova, leaving him with no way to explain himself.

Just as Kizaru was pondering what to do, Kuma himself appeared with a book, which puzzled him greatly, as his orders hadn't mentioned Kuma coming.

At this time, the Seven Warlords should be at Marineford preparing for battle and not allowed to leave. If it weren't for his sudden teleportation ability, Kizaru would have thought it was a Pacifista.

Sentomaru was also very puzzled by Kuma's appearance and asked, "Kuma-kun? What brings you here?"

Kuma didn't answer Sentomaru's question but instead locked his gaze on Lake, teleported directly in front of him without a word, and slapped him across the face.

The sudden turn of events caught everyone off guard. Lake narrowly dodged the attack, but before he could speak, Kuma was already upon him again.

Although they didn't know Kuma's intentions, Kizaru roughly understood and immediately joined Kuma in attacking Lake, as if everything had happened in an instant.

Even the usually composed Lake showed a rare look of panic. Kizaru seized the opportunity, delivering a lightning-fast kick, followed immediately by a slap from Kuma.

*Pop!*

With the sound of a bubble exploding, Lake's presence vanished completely. Kizaru, knowing Kuma's abilities, breathed a sigh of relief, finally having gotten rid of him.

The remaining crew members were much easier to deal with, but it was clear Kuma didn't intend to let him fight. After Lake disappeared, his crew members all looked surprised and resentful.

Kuma remained silent, continuing his attack, forcefully sending the entire Straw Hat crew flying one after another. Finally, after everyone had disappeared, Kuma stopped.

After a period of silence, Kizaru spoke, "You should know what you've done, Bartholomew Kuma."

Kuma looked at Kizaru and replied calmly, "I will undergo complete modification upon returning."

Hearing this, Kizaru said nothing more. As the head of the Navy's research department, he understood all too well what complete modification meant; undergoing complete modification was tantamount to giving up the ability to remain human.

Thus, the farce at Sabaody Archipelago came to an end. As for Rayleigh, Kizaru was injured, and Garp was slacking off, showing no intention of keeping him and letting Rayleigh leave.

"Vice Admiral Garp, it's time to go back. Fleet Admiral Sengoku is urging us again," a soldier said to Garp, holding a Den Den Mushi.

Garp replied impatiently, "I know!"

Garp's agitation wasn't due to Rek and the others, but rather because of Ace. His expression clearly showed his displeasure as he returned to Navy Headquarters.

Afterwards, he suggested to Sengoku that he wanted to see Ace one last time. Sengoku, seeing Garp's expression, sighed helplessly and agreed to his request.

Carrying a dim lamp, Garp arrived at Ace's imprisonment. The imprisoned Ace naturally noticed Garp, and the two exchanged glances without speaking first.

After a while, Garp slowly spoke.

"I was hoping you and Luffy would become excellent Marines, but now, forget Marines, both brothers have become big bad guys. You've probably heard about Luffy's situation, haven't you?

He declared war on the World Government at Enies Lobby, that bastard! I rushed over immediately and gave him a taste of my lovingly given punch, but he still shows no remorse.

And now he's committed a heinous crime at Sabaody Archipelago. Truly worthy of being my grandson, hahaha! Oh, by the way,

I also told Luffy about his father. He was quite shocked to learn he had a father, hahaha."

After Garp's long speech, Ace finally responded with a single sentence.

"Whether I know about that or not is just trouble. Luffy and I both inherited the blood of world-renowned criminals; how could we possibly become Marines?

Even though I inherited the name of my mother, Portgas, who was so kind to me, the other half of that bastard father's blood still makes me feel ashamed!"

Garp was silent for a moment before speaking, "That brat next to Luffy will probably try to get involved in this war too.

Luffy set sail because he met this bastard and was corrupted into this evil state. Next time we meet, I definitely won't let that brat off easily!"

"Luffy's crew…"

"That's right, it's that Sin Lake, his bounty is incredibly high, 1.5 billion!"

"I see. With a partner like that, I don't need to worry about Luffy anymore. But old man, what did you mean by what you just said?"

"Ah, what else could it mean? Before this, I was quite upset, but after seeing that kid, I had a feeling he was going to do something, so for some reason, I'm not so agitated anymore."

"Huh? What's this? Explain yourself, old man!"

"You bastard Ace! You won't even call me 'Grandpa'! Don't think I can't teach you a lesson just because you're tied up!"

"Try it if you dare, old man! You can't even speak properly, you should have retired long ago!"

...

Their pleasant conversation inexplicably turned into an argument, the atmosphere seemingly becoming much more pleasant. This scene reminded both Garp and Ace of the past.

After arguing for a while, they both fell silent again. Garp got up, picked up the lamp from the ground, turned and left, leaving behind a final piece of advice before he left.

"Ace, whatever the outcome, it's your own choice. If you give up hope of living, no one can save you."

It's hard to imagine these words coming from Garp. Ace stared wide-eyed as Garp left, then fell into deep thought about what he had just said.

Above the clouds, a pure gold spaceship hovered, surrounded by layers of electricity, looking from a distance like a thundercloud.

This was the Straw Hat Pirates' second ship, the Ark Maxim. The entire Straw Hat crew, along with Rayleigh and Shakky, were aboard. Their earlier being swatted away by Kuma was, of course, part of the plan.

Because no one would suspect their connection to the bear, and only the bear himself knows the specifics of its abilities. Ordinary people only know that someone swatted away will fly for three days and three nights before landing at a designated location.

But in reality, under the bear's precise control, it can even help people teleport. Of course, Lake's Door-Door Fruit can also do this now, but it would seem more realistic if done through an enemy.

Chapter 150 Impel Down's Helpers, Problem ChildrenNow they have a solid alibi, perfectly setting the stage for their surprise attack. However, they can't afford to be idle during this time.

Such a large-scale operation naturally requires more help. Lake believes these helpers will be very willing to assist, though their locations might be a bit tricky, but that's a piece of cake for Lake.

This time, Lake decides to personally go and call for help. Thanks to the convenience of the Door-Door Fruit, he now essentially possesses an Anywhere Door.

He can go to Impel Down just as easily. Lake simply creates a door on the spot, and when he emerges on the other side, he's dumbfounded. The scene before him almost blinds him.

At first glance, it looks like a nightclub, but upon closer inspection, it's filled with bizarrely dressed transvestites in fishnet stockings!

That's right, this is Impel Down's 5.5th basement level, the Newtype Paradise. Lake's sudden appearance instantly silences the atmosphere.

"Ah!"

What followed was a collective scream from all the transvestites. The combined visual and auditory torment nearly overwhelmed Lake, leaving him half-dead and leaning against the wall.

His gaze swept around, finally finding the person in the center of the stage—the Revolutionary Army cadre, the transvestite king, Ivankov.

Perhaps because he had seen Ivankov's appearance before, Lake felt as if he were seeing a normal person.

Ivankov recognized Lake immediately, exclaiming in shock, "It's you! Why are you here? Could it be! Could it be! You're here to pursue me?! Eh-ha~"

Lake quickly interrupted Ivankov's antics and directly asked for his help. As for payment, his actions in the Sabaody Archipelago had already helped them a great deal.

Ivankov, having been in Impel Down, was somewhat out of the loop. After contacting the Revolutionary Army via a secret Den Den Mushi to confirm the situation, he immediately decided to help Lake.

Lake didn't need their help with anything important, as he was heading to the lowest level of Impel Down, and those problem children would require some interaction to get them to obey.

In short, he needed time, which is why he wanted Ivan to help create some chaos in Impel Down. The method was up to Ivan.

The point was to stall for time, the longer the better. Lake would give him a signal when he left. Once Ivan understood, he immediately convened a meeting with all the Newtypes.

To protect his eyesight, Lake quickly opened the door again and left. Previously, the distance was too great for the Door-Door Fruit to pinpoint the location precisely.

But now it worked. Opening the door again, Lake appeared directly on the sixth level of Impel Down, the Infinite Hell, where the problem children were imprisoned.

To briefly explain, Impel Down is a massive, tower-like structure submerged in the sea, its foundation on the ocean floor.

Because it was built in the Calm Belt, the entire Impel Down is surrounded by giant sea monsters. Unless you can fly, it's virtually impossible to leave, not to mention there are warships guarding the outside, and the control lever for the Gate of Justice is still on the Impel Down side.

Within the prison's darker areas lie various cells and torture chambers for prisoners. These cells are constructed of Seastone to prevent escape by prisoners possessing Devil Fruit abilities.

Monitoring Den Den Mushi (snail-shaped electric telephones) are strategically placed throughout Impel Down; whatever they see is transmitted to a larger monitoring Den Den Mushi.

This Den Den Mushi sends video feeds to monitors connected to it, allowing guards to conduct surveillance. Each smaller Den Den Mushi has an alarm buzzer attached to its casing.

Prisoner tiers are typically assigned based on their bounty, and in addition to the various cells used to house prisoners, each tier features a unique form of torture.

Therefore, each level was given the title of Hell, and with each level descended, the torture inflicted on the prisoners intensified.

The first floor above sea level was not used to imprison prisoners. After entering through the main gate, there was an iron gate, behind which led to the place where criminals were "baptized" and tortured before imprisonment. The so-called baptism involved throwing prisoners into 100-degree water for sterilization.

The underground level was the Crimson Lotus Hell. The prisoners imprisoned here had committed less serious crimes; none of them could defeat the blue gorillas.

Outside the cells was a large area resembling a forest. The trees were sword trees with leaves as sharp as blades, and the grass was needle-like needles that could pierce the human body.

Prisoners would run back and forth, chased by poisonous spiders and jailers, ultimately being cut by these leaves and grass, bleeding profusely, suffering endless torment.

The second underground level is the Beast Hell. This level houses various ferocious beasts and monsters, including chicken-snakes, lion-faced creatures, and poisonous scorpions. The leader is the Sphinx. The prisoners here know they will eventually become food for these beasts, and they don't even have the strength to be afraid.

The third underground level is the Hunger Hell. This level primarily holds the most heinous criminals with bounties exceeding 50 million. However, the heat rising from the lower level's scorching hell makes this level unbearably hot. Combined with the torture of being deprived of food and water, the prisoners are already half-dead.

The fourth underground level is the Scorching Hell. The warden of the Great Prison, Magellan, has his office on this level. The entire level is extremely hot, like a giant iron cauldron.

Everywhere are boiling pools of blood and seas of fire. One can jump directly from the third to the fourth level through the central exhaust vent, but if you land in the wrong spot, it's not just a matter of being burned.

The fifth underground level, the Extreme Cold Hell, imprisons pirates with bounties exceeding 100 million. The prisoners here are kept in an environment colder than a giant icehouse, suffering severe frostbite until death.

The forests of Extreme Cold Hell also harbor a large number of military wolves, even more ferocious than the enormous beasts on the second level. It's worth noting that due to the extremely low temperatures, no Den Den Mushi (snail phone) are installed on this level.

The 5.5 underground level… skip this one.

The sixth underground level, the Infinite Hell, is for extraordinary individuals, those on death row or serving life sentences, according to Ivan.

The criminals here are monster pirates erased from history due to their extreme cruelty, near-legendary figures, facing either death or life imprisonment.

Because the prisoners on this level have committed numerous heinous acts, including acts exceeding the bounds of cruelty, the government has covered them up, even the newspapers deliberately conceal the truth.

Lake wouldn't consider the men Blackbeard had chosen; he wanted the rest, entirely voluntary, and getting them to obey would require considerable effort.

After the light faded, Lake appeared in Infinite Hell. His Observation Haki couldn't locate Ace; sure enough, Ace was being held separately in another location.

Chapter 151 With allies assembled, we'll deal with any dissent."Huh? Who's here again?"

"It was so bright just now! How could I see light in this godforsaken place?"

"Looks like a kid! Hey! Kid, come here so I can see!"

"I didn't see who brought him here. I'm really curious what this kid did to deserve being locked up here."

...

Like heard all sorts of teasing voices as soon as he arrived, all as expected. Lake calmly strolled around, like he was shopping.

Soon he saw an old acquaintance and immediately went up to greet him with a grin.

"Yo~ Long time no see, Crocodile! How have you been? You look thinner!"

Crocodile, hearing this voice, immediately looked over in surprise. He froze when he saw the grinning man in front of him.

Several possibilities flashed through his mind, but he rejected them all after seeing Lake's expression. He turned away angrily and said...

"Why are you here, you bastard!"

Like, completely unfazed, leaned closer as if they were old friends. "Hey, don't be so cold~ We used to be enemies, but that's all in the past. How about a deal? I'll let you out in exchange for a favor."

Hearing Lake's words, not only Crocodile, but everyone in the previously noisy cell fell silent. A moment later, the first mocking voice rang out.

"Hahaha! Kid, do you know what you're saying? This is Impel Down. Who do you think you are? Shiki? Even Shiki would have crippled his legs if he escaped from here."

The first laugh was followed by a second and a third. Soon, the cell was filled with merciless jeers. Lake ignored them, simply watching Crocodile quietly.

Crocodile didn't laugh at Lake. Instead, he frowned in thought, finally looking Lake in the eyes seriously and saying...

"What do you want me to do?"

Lake, having gotten the answer he wanted, smiled and said, "I knew you were different from those idiots. We'll talk about what you need later. First, clean up the trash."

Lake's words undoubtedly provoked anger, but unfortunately, it was all just impotent rage. Lake snapped his fingers and, with a smile, read aloud:

"Have you ever felt like you're being strangled by the wind, you trash? Experience your final moments! Remember to be grateful when you go to hell~

Space - Wind Strangulation!"

*Crack!*

The moment Lake finished speaking, all the noise stopped abruptly. Looking over, the group had all "split up and started doing their own thing."

Old Sha glared, gritting his teeth, and said, "He's gotten even stronger! That damn bastard is deliberately trying to intimidate me!"

Lake smiled but didn't respond. Instead, he coughed twice and said loudly, "Ahem~ Those still alive, listen to me. I can get you out, but you must do one thing for me."

At this moment, a burly man emerged from the depths of the cell, his eyes fierce, a smile on his face, and shouted at Lake.

"Kid! I'm very interested in you. Let me out and fight me. I can guarantee I won't kill you!"

If it were just ordinary trash, Lake wouldn't even bother talking to him; he'd just kill him. But this man wasn't a nobody. Lake smiled at the man and said,

"Douglas Barrett, if you just want to fight, come with me. A war that will go down in history is about to begin. You can fight whoever you want."

"Hmph! I didn't expect this brat to even know my name. I hope you're not joking, or I'll show you what cruelty is."

After saying that, Barrett silently leaned against the cell door, no longer speaking, seemingly agreeing to go with Lake. Lake then questioned several other people in the same way.

However, he didn't take everyone. He left some behind and told them that a guy calling himself Blackbeard would come to rescue them.

Those people were dissatisfied, but as prisoners, they had no right to object. For the rest, Lake simply opened a door beneath each person's feet.

When they reappeared, they were on an unknown island. The sudden regaining of their freedom filled even the troubled children with mixed emotions.

Lake glanced around at the group. First, there was the strongest, Douglas Barrett, known as the Descendant of the Devil.

Then came the living legend, the Lone Red, Baroric Redfield, and the World Destroyer, Bondi Waldo. There was also the old acquaintance Crocodile, and his future partner, the blue chubby Jinbe.

These were the helpers he had recruited. However, it was clear that some of them were now trying to cheat. Barrett, now free, stared intently at Lake.

He seemed impatient, eager to fight a powerful opponent. Bondi Waldo, on the other hand, wore a sinister smile.

Lake had anticipated this, so to make these guys obedient, he had to use some force. Without a word, Lake began to read aloud.

"Spatial Cage, Freeze!"

In an instant, everyone felt completely immobilized. No matter what they tried, it was useless; it felt as if the space around them had locked them in.

Sorry, spatial power is just that domineering. However, this move also has its drawbacks. Lake used almost all of his spatial power to barely achieve this.

Furthermore, he couldn't attack those firmly bound by the space, because that entire area was locked, making it impossible to reach them.

After finishing, Lake clapped his hands and said, "I know you all have a lot of ideas, but don't forget, I can rescue you and I can also take you back. So from now until this matter where I need your help is over, everyone listen to me, understand?"

Barrett's voice immediately responded, "Tch! You really think this kind of method can control me, kid? I can feel that if I forcefully break free of these restraints, I might die, but you certainly won't fare any better! If you want me to obey your orders, then beat me!"

Lake sighed helplessly, then waved his hand to release Barrett's cage, saying, "As you wish, the rest of you are just for the audience."

Barrett, surprised that Lake actually dared to accept the challenge, became excited. After stretching his body, Barrett walked straight towards Lake.

"Since you know my name, there's no need for introductions. Give me your name, kid, so even if you die later, I'll still erect a monument for you."

"Your opponent is, the Straw Hat Pirates' vice-captain, the leader of the new era's pirates, the new era's sea emperor, with a bounty of 1.5 billion Berries, Original Sin Lake!"

Chapter 152 Battle against Barrett, Peak LakeBarrett was puzzled by Lake's various titles. Had he been in prison too long? Was this kid really that famous?

Putting everything else aside, the 1.5 billion bounty alone was enough to prove Lake was no ordinary person. Remember, the Great Pirate World Destroyer, Bondi Waldo, only had a 500 million bounty.

Of course, 500 million back then and 1.5 billion now weren't that different. Barrett paused for a moment, then clenched his fist and said,

"Such a big reputation, don't be a paper tiger, kid!"

"You'll find out if you try." Lake's response was neither humble nor arrogant.

The next second, Barrett's body charged towards Lake like a tiger, his speed and strength increasing several levels in an instant.

Facing such a monster, Lake dared not be careless. His eyes instantly transformed into red six-pointed stars, and he assumed a fighting stance in a state of divine vision.

Bang!

The two exchanged blows, a shockwave causing the surrounding sea to churn. Then, they smiled knowingly, and the battle of wits began.

Lake spun in mid-air, using the momentum to kick Barrett in the chin. Barrett blocked with one hand, then grabbed Lake's foot and flung him away.

He immediately followed up, throwing a punch at Lake in mid-air. Lake's eyes flashed a faint red light, and his body spun in mid-air.

He dodged the attack smoothly, grabbed Barrett's wrist, and with a sharp flick, sent Barrett flying in the same manner, but not towards the air.

Boom!

With a deafening crash, Barrett was slammed to the ground by Lake, but he landed firmly on his feet, looking up at Lake with a smile.

The next second, he leaped, the ground collapsing under the immense force, and Barrett's body shot towards Lake in mid-air like a missile.

Boom!

The instant they met, another deafening roar erupted, as if the air itself had exploded. Barrett was about to launch another attack when he suddenly felt something amiss.

Lake preempted him, striking with the very motion Barrett was about to execute. Lake kicked Barrett in mid-air, and Barrett barely managed to block the kick before Lake clasped his hands in a fist salute.

Boom!

Barrett was knocked down from mid-air again, this time landing right after him. As the smoke cleared, Barrett slowly emerged.

*Rip!*

Barett ripped open his shirt, grinning at Lake, "That was satisfying! It's been a long time since I've fought a fighter like this. Whatever methods you used, I'm very satisfied!"

As he spoke, Barrett's body began to change. A powerful aura of Haki gradually enveloped his entire body. Seeing this, Lake knew Barrett was about to get serious.

Barett fused his Haki, greatly increasing his speed and strength, making him appear like a demon from hell—one of the reasons he was called "Demon's Heir."

Lake let out a long breath and casually swung his hand, Tensa Zangetsu appearing in his hand. The previous battle had been largely due to his Hollow Vision giving him the upper hand.

Now that Barrett was getting serious and starting to fight with Haki, Lake's Haki level couldn't keep up if he relied on Hollow Vision. So he drew Tensa Zangetsu.

After all, he was a swordsman who had created his own style; the level of a Great Swordsman was his current strongest state. Both remained silent, but the oppressive atmosphere in the air was already at its peak.

*Whoosh*

Suddenly, Barrett unleashed his Conqueror's Haki. Seeing this, Lake immediately activated his Killing Intent Wave as well, the powerful killing intent startling even Barrett.

However, his foundation was too weak. Even with his mutated Killing Intent Wave, Lake's Conqueror's Haki was still no match for a top-tier monster like Barrett. But pride wouldn't allow Lake to retreat even half a step.

Thus, the power of wind and thunder appeared. The energy of his awakened Logia-type Devil Fruit was fully released and integrated into Lake's body, resulting in another peak state.

"Wind and Thunder Dual Extremes - War God Stance!"

Feeling the terrifying aura emanating from Lake, Barrett excitedly licked his lips and activated his Devil Fruit ability with a wave of his hands.

Barrett's Devil Fruit is called the Fusion Fruit, which allows him to rearrange and combine any object. It allows him to fuse inorganic matter with his body.

Moreover, it can not only fuse with the body but also rearrange inorganic matter to create new weapons. For example, he can create submarines or weapons from scrap metal and rubble.

A moment later, a gigantic earth giant appeared before Lake, its entire body enveloped by a powerful aura.

This hardened the previously fragile earth, making it incredibly solid. Lake calmly observed the scene before him, and the instant the giant transformed, he charged forward.

*Zzzzt!*

In that instant, Lake's speed surpassed the speed of light; even the lightning bolt he left behind was almost imperceptible. In the control room, Barrett clasped his hands together and shouted,

"Earth Collapse!"

Instantly, the ground around the earth robot began to crumble, then a constantly flowing protective barrier formed around the earth giant.

"Heavenly Thunder - Meteor Shower!"

Lake softly uttered the name of the technique in the air, and the next second, the gigantic earth giant split open, instantly dissipating with a gust of wind as sharp as a sword.

Barrett stood bewildered on the ground in the control room, not even realizing how things had changed. When Lake was fighting seriously, he wouldn't give his enemy a single chance.

"It's over."

Lake's voice, filled with terrifying killing intent, reached Barrett's ears. Without him noticing, Lake's blade was already pressed against Barrett's neck.

Feeling the long-awaited threat of death, Barrett laughed excitedly: "Hahaha! Hahahaha! This is the happiest moment I've had in a long time!"

Lake thought it was over, but Barrett suddenly gripped the Tensa Zangetsu, now fully infused with the power of wind and thunder, and laughed.

"I never stop fighting. Let me see just how far you can go."

The moment the words left his mouth, Barrett suddenly sprang into action, controlling the Tensa Zangetsu and lunging at Lake like a beast. The explosive force left Lake no time to dodge.

Bang!

"Ugh..."

At that moment, Lake felt like he'd been hit by a train. Despite his best efforts to defend himself, he was still in excruciating pain, as if his internal organs had been shattered.

Barrett didn't give Lake a chance to catch his breath, immediately charging towards him again. Seeing this, Lake didn't hold back either, intending to deliver a devastating blow to Barrett.

Lake once again channeled his Devil Fruit powers, this time the awakened Chop-Chop Fruit and the Door-Door Fruit, pouring them all into Tensa Zangetsu. With these two powerful forces amplified,

Even with insufficient Haki, Lake still unleashed a move with power comparable to the original.

"God's Evasion!"