White waves surged like a blooming trumpet flower, first rushing skyward, then crashing back down with a thunderous roar, kicking up immense sprays of water.
The lake seemed to boil, and the compressed water exploded outward in a sweeping surge, driving a long, foamy white line all the way toward the distant shoreline.
But soon, the churning waters calmed. The massive meatball hovered silently above the lake, completely still.
A thin mist lingered above the water's surface, and the Voids that had been beneath the meatball were nowhere to be seen.
Without time to think about how the huge ball of meat floated up, Law's eyes fell on the Scale Lizard flying in the air and his eyes turned cold.
He didn't care much about the meatball itself, nor did it matter if the Voids had been destroyed. Since most of theartificial creatures were now dead, there was only one real enemy left… the man in the white lab coat.
"Chairman, the strength of my Aura membrane isn't that high. Unless it's absolutely necessary, please don't use Ren too forcefully near me. I'm afraid the membrane won't hold."
Law raised his head, staring at the Scale Lizard flying towards the shore, bent his knees and half-crouched on the ground.
The Scale Lizard was flying at roughly 150 to 200 meters in altitude. If he timed everything just right, with perfect trajectory and speed, he might have a shot at bringing it down.
Seeing Law crouching down and staring at the flying monster in the sky, Netero had a vague idea of what Law was planning. He was surprised, but still asked, "Are you planning to shoot down that little lizard?"
Despite the Scale Lizard being fairly big by human standards, Netero saw it as nothing more than a 'little lizard'.
To him, it's just another artificial creature and an ant that can be crushed to death with ease. However, if it stayed airborne, even he wouldn't be able to deal with it effectively.
"I'm not sure I can hit it, but it's worth a try."
He raised his right hand, and Shin appeared from the flame-shaped tattoo on his arm, resting in his palm.
The Aura on the surface of his body surged to the soles of his feet, condensing rapidly. Without waiting for a reply from Netero, Law launched himself like a needlefish slicing the surface, shooting diagonally toward the sky in a sudden, explosive burst.
Netero had intended to offer a suggestion, but Law's swift, decisive action gave him no room to speak.
However, he was quite interested about what Law would do next. As for the dangers still lurking in the lake… he'd deal with them as they came.
Up in the sky, Dove was holding the Surprise Box tightly, his expression so gloomy that it seemed as if water was about to drip out.
It was a complete failure.
His remaining artificial creatures and teammates had all been wiped out by that freakish thing that appeared from nowhere.
No matter how strong their attacks were, they had no effect on that strange thing. Not only that, that thing could actually use the biochemical weapons and manipulate them at will.
If he hadn't had this last flying artificial creature, he would probably have become one of the many corpses on the shore.
Dove glanced down at the motionless meatball in the lake. It was a monstrosity he'd conjured using the Surprise Box, formed from the bodies of all the inmates and guards in the prison, even the corpses they hadn't processed yet.
He wanted to use the monster he created to deal with Voids, and then leave Demon Island before making other plans.
After all, as long as he had the Surprise Box, he believed there'd always be a way forward.
"Hmm?"
While flying towards the shore, Dove suddenly noticed Law and Netero below, and his expression immediately turned cold.
"Netero!"
He glared fiercely at Netero and growled with gritted teeth. But in the very next second, his face changed slightly, and he saw Law was soaring straight toward him like a launched rocket.
He was shocked at first, and then filled with killing intent.
"Courting death!"
If they were on the ground, Dove might have been wary of Law, but up here in the air, with the Scale Lizard under him, he had absolute superiority.
As Law's upward momentum began to slow, he formed a ball of Aura beneath his feet and used the rebound from the air resistance to step off it repeatedly, shooting straight toward the airborne Scale Lizard.
'My mobility in the air is not as good as that flying creature. I only get one shot. As long as I get close enough, I can bring it down!"
In Law's mind, it was impossible to accurately hit the flying Scale Lizard, since his trajectory in the air was straight and predictable, while the Scale Lizard could freely shift direction and evade.
Therefore, if he wanted to shoot down the Scale Lizard, he can only shorten the distance between the two sides as much as possible, and then swing the sword to release flying slash to attack the Scale Lizard.
As Law continued to move higher, the distance between the two sides quickly narrowed.
Dove forced the Scale Lizard under his feet to stop. It stopped flapping its wings and dropped vertically downward.
Seeing how the enemy responded, Law frowned. If the Scale Lizard dropped while he continued upward at an angle, the gap between them would only increase.
The two sides, with one falling vertically and the other going straight up diagonally, formed the shape of a right triangle.
Dove held the advantage, as he hovered on a flying creature. But he didn't go on the offensive. Instead, he planned to wait for Law's momentum to burn out and then pick him off from above.
Dove's response was correct. By widening the distance first, he'd forced Law to miss the best possible chance for a hit.
Originally, Dove had the high ground, with Law below him. But now their positions had reversed.
After passing the Scale Lizard, Law stopped stepping through the air. His body straightened, and he let himself plummet freely toward the ground.
Dove, who had been waiting for just this moment, looked up at Law falling toward him, with cold killing intent in his eyes. He controlled the Scale Lizard backwards, first avoiding Law's falling trajectory, and then looked for an opportunity to attack from the air.
The point where the two sides intersect changes again as the Scale Lizard moves.
Looking down at the retreating Scale Lizard, Law's face showed a calm and composed expression as his eyelids opened and closed.
Suddenly, a faint smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.
He gripped his sword tightly, leaning his upper body forward, with his spine curved like a bowstring. His gaze was as sharp as a blade, locked onto the Scale Lizard below.
'Only one chance!'
The roaring wind tore past his ears. Law was calm and silently calculated the timing.
"Kuro."
Law murmured softly, and in an instant, he moved the sword in his right hand to his left hand.
Then, he waved his left hand and swung the back of his hand downward, then Kuro appeared from the flame tattoo on the back of his hand and stood below Law.
Before Kuro could figure out what was going on, he looked up and saw a pair of feet reflected in his silver eyes!
"Oh crap!"
Kuro cursed and was then immediately stomped down by Law, launching him toward the ground like a cannonball.
Using Kuro as a springboard, Law's coiled posture snapped upright. He shot forward like an arrow loosed from its bow, and appeared in front of Dove in an instant.
Dove never expected Law to alter his trajectory like that. He tried to steer the Scale Lizard away, but it was already too late.
Law closed in, raised his sword and slashed it down. The sword light slanted down from Dove's shoulder, carving straight through him and continuing down into the Scale Lizard's back.
Dove's eyes widened in horror as his upper body slipped away, caught in the wind and spiraling backward through the air.
Immediately afterwards, the Scale Lizard's body was also split into two, and along with Dove's lower body, it fell to the ground while struggling frantically.
Law put away his sword, gathered Aura under his feet to slow down his descent, and looked down coldly at Dove and Scale Lizard falling to the ground.
With that single strike, Dove's fate was sealed. As for the huge meatball and Void, those things had nothing to do with Law anymore.