Pfft! Blood spurted!
Zoro and Wilbur brushed past each other in a flash. Wilbur crashed to the ground, covered in blood, while Zoro landed with a flourish, though he nearly buckled from exhaustion.
"That took about ten percent of my strength!" Zoro grunted.
"Alright! You got him! Well done, Zoro!" Chopper cheered.
"Fwahahaha! That old hag really exaggerated the strength of that big oaf!" Usopp guffawed.
"No way! I'd say Zoro, Sanji, and Law already have the power to contend with a Marine Admiral!" Chopper, Bepo, Little Three, and Zangief exclaimed, their initial relief making them believe the fight was practically over with that single blow.
However, Miss Bucking just cast a sidelong glance, sneered, and remained silent.
"Ow! Mom! These guys hit me like crazy!" Wilbur whined, quickly scrambling to his feet. They all watched as the bloody wound stopped flowing and even began to scab over.
This sight utterly shocked everyone.
Zoro's eyes widened behind his glasses. "How is that possible?! My full-power Three-Sword Style attack didn't even inflict a serious injury? What kind of monster is this?!" he stammered, his voice filled with disbelief.
Law frowned deeply. "It seems he really might have chopped off the arm of a former Marine Admiral. With a body this abnormal, even Kaido might not be able to defeat him easily. What we need to do now is stall for time... wait for Teacher Carl to return. Otherwise, we have no chance of winning at all!"
Sanji lit another cigarette, his expression grim and silent.
Miss Bucking shrieked at this point, "Wilbur, what are you doing?! Kill them quickly and grab the gold!"
Wilbur immediately scratched his head. "Okay, Mom!"
Suddenly agitated, Marie charged forward on Luffy, but Miss Bucking continued her previous tactic, primarily dodging without launching any attacks, as if waiting for Wilbur to finish them off.
"Color Splash! Hilarious Yellow!" Marie yelled, flicking her colored pen. A yellow pattern shot out, but Miss Bucking swiftly sidestepped it, the paint only splattering on the ground. Still, Miss Bucking couldn't avoid it entirely, stepping on the yellow mark with one foot and bursting into laughter.
Luffy seized the opportunity to lunge forward, swinging a paw towards Miss Bucking's head.
However, Miss Bucking suddenly flipped backward to evade, her crutch whipping around to stab at Marie.
Luffy reacted instantly, pulling Marie away from Miss Bucking's attack. But Miss Bucking was relentless, her speed astonishing as she leaped directly onto the lion's head, her crutch aiming rapidly at Marie.
Marie calmly nibbled on a biscuit, her body swaying constantly, successfully avoiding every strike from Miss Bucking.
Luffy used the moment to back away, putting considerable distance between them and Miss Bucking. And surprisingly, Miss Bucking didn't pursue, but instead stared at Marie with curiosity.
"You little girl, I didn't expect you to have such skills!" Miss Bucking couldn't help but praise.
"You old lady is pretty nimble too," Marie replied expressionlessly, taking another bite of her biscuit.
Miss Bucking perceived this behavior as a blatant provocation. Here I am, fighting with all my might, and you have the audacity to eat biscuits? Are you looking down on me?
Fueled by indignation, Miss Bucking rushed forward, agilely dodging Luffy's claw attacks and almost instantly reaching the top of Marie's head, her crutch poised to strike.
Marie continued to evade, her body incredibly flexible.
But after a prolonged series of dodges, Marie grew slightly annoyed. She wasn't fond of excessive movement, and these constant evasive maneuvers were becoming tiresome.
So, Marie simply flopped onto Luffy's back and delivered a kick towards Miss Bucking's head.
Miss Bucking's expression shifted drastically, and she immediately somersaulted backward to escape, but her crutch was caught by Marie's Tempest Kick and snapped cleanly in two.
Before Miss Bucking could land, Luffy exploded with speed, appearing beneath her in an instant. Marie swiftly drew dozens of strokes with her colored pen, painting several "Hilarious Yellows" onto Miss Bucking in rapid succession.
For a moment, Miss Bucking was overcome with uncontrollable laughter.
Bang! Luffy swiped Miss Bucking away with a powerful paw, sending her crashing into a nearby building, which promptly collapsed.
"Mother!" Wilbur bellowed, attempting to rush over to check on Miss Bucking, but Sanji's Thunderbolt Kick sent him flying.
Law and Zoro were about to re-engage, but Wilbur flipped in the air, landed heavily, and then stomped his feet, sprinting at incredible speed. He slammed into Law, sending him hurtling backward, and then snatched his massive naginata from the ground.
With a backhanded swing, the naginata's blade caught Sanji across the waist, knocking him away as well!
"Captain!" "Law!" "Terraman!"
"Zoro!"
"Sanji!"
Their crewmates cried out in alarm, but no one dared to act rashly. The current Wilbur radiated danger, and a reckless charge could easily result in a fatal blow, causing even more worry for their allies.
Wilbur dashed to the collapsed building and frantically dug Miss Bucking out from the rubble. However, even with blood streaming down her face, Miss Bucking was still laughing hysterically, leaving Wilbur completely bewildered.
His simple mind immediately fixated on Marie.
"You! You're the one who hurt my mother! I'll kill you!" Wilbur roared, leaping towards Marie with surprising speed.
"Marie, watch out!" Everyone shouted in unison, filled with dread.
Zoro, Sanji, and Law struggled to their feet, still reeling from their injuries, but the distance was too great, and even Law couldn't activate his Devil Fruit ability in time.
Just as panic gripped everyone, Wilbur suddenly froze mid-leap, standing stock-still.
Marie calmly took another bite of her biscuit. "Color Mix. The Blackness of Betrayal! Just stand on the black pattern, and you'll betray your mother. Dealing with simpletons like you is my specialty. I never faint."
The Straw Hat and Heart Pirates stared in stunned silence for a moment before a collective sigh of relief swept through them.
"That's right! I almost forgot! Marie is the best at handling stubborn guys like him!" Zoro couldn't help but grin.
Even Luffy, with his incredibly straightforward mind, despite his immense strength, had occasionally fallen victim to Marie's pigment-based superpower. And this Wilbur was even more naive, making him an easy target.
"Marie, you handled that perfectly! Great job!" Law praised, a rare smile gracing his lips.
"Perhaps Marie is simply the natural enemy of people like Wilbur!" Sanji remarked, lighting another cigarette and exhaling a puff of smoke.
It was true that Wilbur was a fool, but his strength was undeniable. The combined efforts of Zoro, Sanji, and Law had left them seriously injured. Yet, Marie's simple application of her abilities had resolved the situation instantly, as if it were meant to be this easy.
Meanwhile, Miss Bucking, still convulsing with laughter, rolled around on the ground a few times, successfully rubbing off the paint pattern. As she wiped the blood from her head, she noticed her son standing there in a daze, doing nothing. A surge of anger welled up within her. That useless trash! she thought furiously.
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