"Isn't this interesting?" John grinned, wearing a captain's hat and a loose great coat—the very picture of a classic sea pirate.
Having risen to the rank of Top Executive on Rocks' ship, he had a passion for money, but he also loved fighting strong opponents. Looking at Ashura Dōji and Galo, he was getting excited now.
John wasn't a Devil Fruit user, but his physical strength was even greater than Ashura Dōji in his Dragon Oni state.
He took a step forward with his right leg, and the ground immediately cracked beneath him.
Galo's pupils contracted, and his heart felt as if it were being gripped by some invisible force. he shouted, "Watch out, that guy's attacking—"
"Thump!"
Before he could finish, a black-red figure flashed past his side. John's tall shadow enveloped him as he kicked Galo in the waist, sending him flying.
Only then did the air current from John's high-speed movement rush past, flowing over Ashura Dōji.
Ashura Dōji spun around with wide eyes, but all he saw was the shattered ice surface and dust mixed with snow. John's figure had long since vanished.
"Where did he go?"
"Behind you, you fool!" John's voice came from behind him. He planted one foot on Ashura Dōji's tail and casually rested a hand on his head, gripping his horn.
"Your speed is just too slow, isn't it?"
Ashura Dōji's eyes shifted backward, seeing the grinning man mocking him. He was about to counter when an irresistible force crashed down on his head.
"Get lost!"
John roared, gripping the horn with all his strength and slamming Ashura Dōji's head into the ground. Then, his right leg lashed out like a whip, kicking Ashura Dōji and a portion of the ice plains into the air.
"Hahaha, this is so much fun!"
Though John seemed relaxed, it wasn't entirely true. At the very least, he was using most of his power now; otherwise, he wouldn't have been able to so effortlessly suppress both Ashura Dōji and Galo.
"BOOM!"
Ashura Dōji and Galo burst out of the snow and ice, seemingly not too badly injured. At that moment, thunder rumbled from the sky.
John looked up instinctively, seeing the gray clouds across the sky now tinged with purple light. Lightning zigzagged like cracks in the sky!
"Those two have finally lost their patience, huh?" he muttered, acknowledging Ren's strength. That level of power was indeed above his own. But that was an enemy for the Golden Lion to face.
He shook his head, his expression no longer as carefree as before.
"Well, before they settle their fight, let me have some fun with you all."
John had the ability to completely defeat Ashura Dōji and Galo in a short time and then go help Shiki, but he didn't. It wasn't in his interest.
'I hope that annoying old lion and that guy take each other out!'
That's what John thought. It would be the best outcome, the one he hoped for. Only then would his interests be maximized. Whether it was the production and sales chain for Wano's weapons or the Golden Lion's vast power and treasure, they were all things he wanted to obtain.
'And those robot weapons! If I could get that technology, I could make any amount of money!' His mind grew feverish, his attention wandering as his gaze drifted toward the distant battlefield, searching for the Ancient Ruins Mechs wrestling with the giants.
'Luffy would definitely love these things. She's always wanted giants!'
"What are you looking at, you bastard!"
Snow surged into the air like a splash as the ferocious Ashura Dōji roared loudly. John's attitude was completely dismissive of him!
The hands gripping the sword blade were thicker than the trunk of an ancient poplar. He swung his blade down at John with devastating force, the powerful sword energy passing through John's body and cleaving the ice plains hundreds of meters behind him in two!
"Genryū: Musō!"
"Clang—"
Sparks flew!
John slowly lifted his eyes. The incoming sword energy nearly knocked his captain's hat off. Not to mention the hundred-meter-long, half-meter-wide fissure in the ice plains.
"Not bad. You almost got me," John said, though it sounded more like sarcasm than praise.
Ashura Dōji nearly bit through his teeth as he quickly stepped back to clear the way.
Only then did Galo reveal himself behind Ashura Dōji. He held a white drill in his hands, the spinning force gathering wind and snow into a massive spear!
"Fūatsu: Senpō no Yari!"
Galo became the center of pressure for the entire island. From his origin point, a small cyclone formed. Strong air currents converged, creating an exaggerated near-surface high-pressure center. The howling wind cut through the ground like knives, even surprising Ren and the Golden Lion who were fighting in the sky.
This man had clearly developed his Spin-Spin Fruit's abilities to the point of affecting climate, with the center of the wind possessing immense destructive power!
If it weren't for the weather high in the sky having become a vast thundercloud due to Ren's abilities, a terrifying storm would have already swept across this winter island!
Ren even wondered if this fruit, when developed to its ultimate limit, could affect the rotation of the planet itself.
But he knew that possibility was zero. Devil Fruit powers had their limits.
Galo hurled this wind force with all his might. Ashura Dōji's expression changed slightly as he rolled aside, simultaneously driving his sword into the ground to stabilize himself and avoid being sucked into the vortex's center.
Even so, the tearing wind injured his left shoulder, the flesh there mangled as if put through a blender!
But faced with such an attack, John showed no fear.
He gripped his sword with both hands as his Armament Haki flowed through him like blood, surging from every pore!
He stood before the raging wind, looking small yet somehow imposing.
His Observation Haki locked onto the direction of the wind pressure's rotation, and his flowing Haki erupted, shooting out with his sword energy! His force spun in the complete opposite direction, rising up against the current in the center of the whirlwind Galo had unleashed!
"Hurry up, I can't hold it much longer!" Galo's voice cut through the howling wind and reached Ashura Dōji's ears.
Ashura Dōji had no time for anything else. Relying on his tough hide, he gripped his sword and charged into the center of the vortex.
"Genryū—"
His figure leaped from the eye of the storm, spurting blood that wrapped around him like flowing silk in the air.
"—Chikurin: Crimson Lotus!"
[
Hey everyone,
I need to tell you what's actually happening.
I just got hit with mass cancellations. On top of being buried in academics until the 9th. I'm in deep financial trouble right now—like, genuinely don't-know-how-I-cover-next-month trouble.
I want to do more for you. I have another Naruto fic ready to drop the moment this academic hell ends. But I can't keep creating if I can't survive.
I'm not powerless about the work—I know I can deliver for you. But I'm powerless to stop the bleeding alone.
If you've ever thought about supporting, this is the moment. Not "someday." Now.
If you're enjoying this story, consider supporting on Patreon. You'll get 30 advance chapters immediately, plus monthly updates and bonus content. Every subscription keeps the chapters coming.
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Every new member literally buys me another week of doing this. Every existing member staying is the reason I'm still here.
]