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Chapter Header Serial ・ Lovesickness 24 ・ What Do You Plan to Do?
That day, Kuma wasn't around. Sander and Mari found Bonney and asked her cheerfully.
Dragon and Kuma stood atop the city wall, gazing out over the Calm Belt Sea. Kuma gently inquired.
On the palace balcony, Tulip, having just recovered from a serious illness, stretched lazily under the golden sun, fully displaying her mature and graceful figure. Behind her came the soft footsteps and question of Hancock...
Tulip didn't answer directly but instead posed the same question back to Hancock. Hancock walked up beside her, stunned by the question.
…
Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki)?
Isn't Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki) supposed to require the user to be calm and focused for it to work effectively?
In this chaotic situation, with the sky darkened and sand flying everywhere, how the hell was this bastard being "calm and focused"?!
A sandstorm dragon whipped around the sandified small island. The news coo birds couldn't get close. They could only circle the huge sandstorm dragon from above the sea, carrying the Den Den Mushi tied around their necks, filming from various angles...
It wasn't long before the sandstorm dragon began to die down. Mainly, the sand kept being dumped into the sea, only going out, not coming back in. The small sand island couldn't supply enough sand to sustain the storm.
As the sandstorm settled and the sky brightened, the news birds were shocked to discover: the two major news targets were gone!
"Caw!" "Caw!"... The news birds flapped and hovered in mid-air, looking at each other in dismay. What now?
Suddenly, the Den Den Mushi around their necks started calling, "blululu, blululu!", one after another, like a chain reaction. Within moments, every news bird had received the message. Understanding the beast language, they all let out a chorus of excited "Caw! Caw!" and flew off en masse in one direction.
Just now, B.I.B., floating mid-air, had twisted the Den Den Mushi on a news bird's neck, indicating the direction the "news" had escaped to. After that, B.I.B. shook its head and sped off toward its original body.
Robin's eyes widened in shock as she suddenly turned to look, only to see Shiryu of the Rain, teeth clenched, face twisted and menacing, bloodshot eyes blazing red, the veins on his neck bulging grotesquely.
Naturally, some spectators were also watching another "match" on the sidelines.
'Why didn't the event staff stop their unauthorized fight?'
'Are you stupid? Who'd dare interrupt that? You got a death wish?'
"The exploding heart… just an illusion… You shouldn't have made me experience it so many times…"
Shiryu of the Rain, eyes bloodshot, raised his long sword glowing with eerie light and said coldly, "Once you're used to it, this kind of pain… isn't a big deal!"
He swung the sword.
A flash of terrifying blade light streaked across Robin's deep green pupils, rapidly enlarging...
"Hey! Running away again?!"
Liam chased relentlessly behind, stepping on air with Geppo, while Crocodile had turned into yellow sand, flying high above the sea.
While the sandstorm dragon was still raging, Crocodile realized his sneak attack didn't work. Taking advantage of the darkness and flying sand, he quietly slipped away on a stream of yellow sand.
"Damn it!" Crocodile cursed while speeding through the sky. "Why can't I shake this damn brat?!"
He was using Kenbunshoku Haki to guard against sneak attacks in the storm, so how did he still notice me quietly slipping away?
Is Kenbunshoku Haki always this ridiculous?
For the first time, Crocodile felt that Haki really was kind of cheating.
In the past, he always thought developing Devil Fruit abilities was enough. Against Haki users? With his Logia powers, he could fight or retreat whenever he wanted. Easy.
And his signature dehydration finisher? One hit kills.
Why waste time on Haki when he had such an OP fruit? That would be putting the cart before the horse!
But this time…
Tch! If it weren't for this brat's even more absurd ability to steal others' Devil Fruits, would I be afraid of him?!
But the Giorno kid's all-around strength this time genuinely shocked Crocodile.
Martial arts skills? No words needed!
This Chopper na Giorno relied on a burst of Rankyaku alone to force the daughter of a Sea Emperor into a mess and easily eliminate her.
Haki prowess? Even more beyond Crocodile's expectations!
Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki), both left deep impressions on Mr. Sand Crocodile.
This kind of opponent, practically a psychological shadow, inevitably reminded Crocodile of that one person he once challenged in the New World. That Emperor of the Sea. That kingly figure who once rivaled Pirate King Roger in glory.
"...Damn it."
Crocodile remembered how, back then, when he challenged Whitebeard, he couldn't even tell whether that towering "old man" had actually used Haki or not…
Shaking his head, Crocodile clenched his teeth, banished all distracting thoughts, and desperately urged his Elementalization, speeding through the sky at full throttle.
Faster! Faster!
"It's them!"
At the edge of a resort island, Vice Admiral Onigumo suddenly spoke up.
The Marines looked confused. They hadn't seen anything.
Rear Admiral Kaji and Commodore Gion squinted toward the distant sea horizon, and soon, they too spotted two fast-moving figures, one chasing the other.
"They really came back…"
The marines gradually started to see them too, mainly because they'd raised their binoculars. Through them, they could clearly see the two people darting through the sky above the sea.
"The Shichibukai looks really beat up…" one marine muttered while holding the binoculars. "But that Giorno… he doesn't look much different from before…"
Vice Admiral Onigumo, Rear Admiral Kaji, and Commodore Gion remained silent. They didn't speak, just drew their swords with a steely clang.
Wrapped head to toe in bandages, Onigumo couldn't use his long hair to wield multiple swords like before. For now, he carried just one.
Whoosh, !
Above their heads, a gust of yellow sand roared past.
So fast!
Just how hard was Crocodile being pushed?
"Thump!"
Only the sound of Geppo hitting the air could be heard overhead, and before they could even look up again, Giorno had already dashed past, hot on Crocodile's tail, chasing him in the direction of the arena.
An aerial chase?!
How did the fight become like this...
Kaji and Gion couldn't help but feel stunned. In their understanding, battles were supposed to be fought on solid ground, two sides squaring off with all their techniques. But flying all over the place like this, what even was this?
"After them!" Vice Admiral Onigumo swung his sword and took the lead.
"Yes, sir!" The marines followed, but they didn't get far. As soon as they entered the main street, pirates suddenly jumped down from both rooftops flanking the road.
Onigumo's face changed drastically. Sweat soaked the bandages on his forehead. He stared dead ahead at the group blocking their path.
There they were, the vice-captain spinning a revolver while holding a cigarette between his lips, the fat guy gnawing on a chicken leg, the sniper adjusting his goggles...
Onigumo spoke grimly: "The Red Hair Pirates…"
At the front, Shanks held down his straw hat, sandals clapping against the pavement as he stepped forward, blocking the road with a cheerful smile.
"Gentlemen… isn't it nicer to just sit back and enjoy the sea?"
At the arena, Mihawk was still clashing blades with Amande on the platform. On the sidelines, Robin was battling Shiryu with a black iron staff. The audience was enthralled by the action when, suddenly, the sky darkened.
A cloud of yellow sand blanketed the arena. Just as the crowd gasped at Shichibukai Crocodile's return, they saw the sand swirl briefly, then dart straight toward his original VIP seat in the stands…
"Do it now!"
From the top of the sandstorm, Sand Crocodile's face emerged, disheveled and desperate. He roared in fury,
"Don't think I don't know what you did!"
Tesoro looked stunned.
(End Of The Chapter)