"Gah..."
Luffy slowly dragged himself out from the rubble. The moment his gaze locked onto Lucci, his pupils constricted violently.
"It's you! The pigeon guy!"
Naturally, he recognized Lucci. Two years ago, this man had given the Straw Hat Pirates a brutal, agonizing run for their money. The mere sight of him made the veins on Luffy's forehead bulge with rage.
"Are you... are you here to take Robin away again?!"
Lucci glanced at Luffy, noting the fresh blood trickling down the young pirate's forehead. His face remained completely expressionless. "Yes."
"Damn it..." Luffy's eyes instantly filled with bloodshot veins. These bastards had intentionally chosen this exact moment to strike.
The eyes of the entire Straw Hat crew locked onto Lucci in unison. Every single one of them wore an incredibly grim expression.
In contrast, the surrounding alliance fighters looked on in absolute confusion. None of them knew who these white-cloaked interlopers were. However, the enemy's objective had been made crystal clear: they were here to seize Nico Robin of the Straw Hat Pirates!
Anyone operating in the pirate world understood the sheer weight of Nico Robin's value. It was no exaggeration to say that she was the absolute key to reaching Laugh Tale. Throughout the entire world, she was the only living soul capable of deciphering the Poneglyphs that served as roadmaps to the final island.
Yet, there was one person present who recognized the identity of these white-clad agents.
X Drake of the Tobi Roppo!
Though Drake had been beaten to the ground earlier, he had not lost consciousness. The moment he spotted Lucci, he dragged himself back up onto his feet.
He had long since discovered that CP0 agents were operating within Wano, engaged in shady, under-the-table dealings with Shogun Orochi. What could the World Government possibly covet from an isolated country like this? It was obvious: the massive quantities of weapons manufactured within Wano!
"This is bad! Luffy! Robin is in danger!"
A frantic shout suddenly echoed from the distance. Brook was running as fast as his skeletal legs could carry him, cradling Robin tightly in his arms as he screamed at the top of his lungs.
"Zoro! Sanji! Everyone!"
Sprinting closely behind Brook were two white-cloaked agents, pursuing him at a terrifying velocity. Their figures flickered continuously through the air—the specialized movement technique of the Rokushiki, Shave!
Before long, the two agents had closed the distance, trapping Brook in a pincer movement.
"Go! Secure them in one fell swoop!" one of the agents barked.
The pair struck simultaneously. Having mastered the martial arts of the Rokushiki, their movements far surpassed ordinary human limits. Had Brook not possessed an incredibly fast running speed, they would have apprehended him long ago.
"Robin! Brook!" Luffy's pupils shrank. He bolted forward to intercept them, but a silhouette instantly blocked his path.
It was Lucci!
"Luffy! I'll hold him off!"
A white flash blur crossed the battlefield as Yamato charged forward. Clutching her iron club, she channeled Advanced Conqueror's Haki and swung it fiercely at Lucci's head.
BOOM!
Yet, Lucci merely raised an arm, effortlessly parrying the crushing blow.
Yamato's brow furrowed. Granted, after enduring such a prolonged, high-intensity battle against Kaido, her physical strength was far from peak condition. Even so, she had never expected someone to block her Haki-infused strike so casually. Did this man possess the combat power of a Yonko?
Before Yamato could recover from her shock, Lucci moved. He materialized behind her in a fraction of a second, driving a heavy punch directly into her back.
BANG!
The devastating impact launched Yamato through the air. She coughed up a violent spray of blood as she flew.
"Yamato!" Ace cried out in alarm. He dissolved into a raging torrent of fire, rocketing forward to intercept her descent. Extending his arms, he safely caught the airborne Yamato against his chest.
Simultaneously, Ace thrust his spear out with furious momentum.
Lucci's body expanded as he entered his Hybrid form. He met the incoming weapon head-on with a coated fist.
KABOOM!
Spear and fist collided, unleashing a concussive shockwave that shattered the stone floor layer by layer, blowing back the surrounding fighters.
Ace's expression turned dark. This man's physical power was astonishingly high. Through that single exchange, Ace could roughly gauge Lucci's capabilities—he was only a fraction weaker than Kaido in his absolute prime.
But given Ace's current condition, he lacked absolute confidence. The stamina he had expended earlier was simply too immense; he could no longer access his ultimate Flame Emperor form. Overcoming Lucci right now would be an uphill battle.
"'Flame Emperor' Ace... today, you and your brother will die right here." Lucci showed absolutely no intention of holding back. Dark Armament Haki completely enveloped both of his arms.
Furthermore, he had developed his own refined understanding of the Rokushiki techniques, elevating his martial arts to a completely unparalleled level. Every punch he threw and every kick he snapped carried enough force to uproot mountains.
CRASH!
Ace swung his spear to deflect the incoming strikes.
With every single collision, a violent vibration rippled up the shaft of his spear. Lucci's raw physical strength was immense. Ace realized that if they restricted themselves to pure Armament Haki and physical prowess, he would be outmatched even if he were at full strength.
How on earth had this man forged such overwhelming physical might?
The display inevitably reminded Ace of old man Garp. When it came to flashy, superficial techniques, the old man knew absolutely nothing. Or rather, he disdained to learn them. A massive fist was the ultimate truth—a philosophy the old man embodied to perfection.
The man standing before him now was clearly walking a very similar path. Faced with such oppressive physical force, Ace found himself temporarily at a loss, as his own physical power was being systematically suppressed.
Seeing that Ace had successfully engaged Lucci, Luffy didn't waste a single second. He sprinted directly toward Robin and Brook.
"Robin! Brook!"
Luffy triggered Gear 2, channeling Advanced Conqueror's Haki into his fists as his aura surged violently. He wove through the battlefield like a streak of lightning, suddenly appearing directly in front of one of the masked agents.
Just as the agent extended a hand to grab Brook's arm, Luffy delivered a ferocious kick.
BOOM!
The agent was sent flying by the impact. Without losing momentum, Luffy spun on his heel and lunged toward the second masked assassin.
"Hah!" Luffy roared, arcs of dark red lightning crackling and extending wildly around his frame as he brought his fist down.
POW!
The second agent managed to cross his arms to guard at the very last second. The sheer force of the blow blasted him hundreds of meters through the air before he could finally stabilize his footing on the stone.
Luffy's explosive, enraged intervention instantly rattled the two CP0 agents. This level of power firmly solidified him among the ranks of the world's elite!
The two masked men locked eyes. With a synchronized nod, they executed Shave simultaneously, vanishing from sight and reappearing right in front of Luffy. Just as Luffy prepared to strike them down, they vanished once more.
This is bad!
Luffy's mind raced. By the time he registered their trajectory, the pair had already bypassed him, closing in on Brook.
Had his mind been perfectly calm, Luffy would have easily foreseen this outcome using his Future Sight. However, his blinding fury had caused him to completely forget to utilize it.
"Hahaha... she's ours!" one of the masked agents shouted in triumph.
Yet, someone else was even faster. Bael transformed into a blur of motion, instantly driving his blade forward to block the lead agent's path.
At the exact same time, a massive object came hurtling through the air. The remaining agent's pupils constricted in sheer terror. Before he could even formulate a defensive posture, a colossal iron rod slammed squarely into his face.
While Luffy had failed to utilize his Future Sight, Bael had sensed the impending danger through his own Observation Haki and had acted without a moment's hesitation. Meanwhile, Locke's staff possessed the unique property to extend and contract at will; though his physical speed wasn't enough to cover the distance, his weapon certainly was.
Seeing the two masked assassins successfully intercepted, relief washed over Luffy. He stepped forward, planting himself firmly in front of Brook.
"I don't know who you guys are... but thanks!"
The corners of Luffy's lips curled into a cold, lethal smile. A dangerous crimson light flashed violently within his eyes.