Chapter 259: A New Generation Replaces the Old (Two-in-One)
"Boundman Form?"
Seeing the Haki patterns coiled around Luffy's body, Z quickly guessed the function of this move.
"Using the hardening of Armament Haki to increase the tension of the rubber, thereby achieving greater explosive power? A good idea, but..."
Watching Luffy bounce up and down in his Boundman form, Z's mechanical arm swung up a gust of wind, and he couldn't help but sneer,
"You can't even stand steadily. Are you here to fight or to be funny?"
"You'll know in a minute."
A fanatical smile appeared on Luffy's face. The next moment.
Bang!!
The extreme elasticity blasted the ground, sending rubble flying. Luffy's figure charged up with the force of a thunderbolt, at the same time clenching his right fist, his wrist compressing inwards layer by layer!
So fast!
Z's pupils constricted, secretly shocked. To think he could achieve this level of explosive power!
Although the mechanical arm, fitted with a large amount of Seastone, was hard, it was indeed too cumbersome.
Caught off guard, Z had no time to swing the Smasher, but he timely raised his blackened left wrist to block in front of him.
"Gomu Gomu no... Kong Gun!!"
Veins popped on Luffy's forehead, and the fist, containing terrifying elasticity, instantly erupted!
Bang!!
The moment the fist and wrist collided, a streak of dark red, wild lightning suddenly exploded!
Z's left arm was directly twisted by this thousand-ton force, driving the fist viciously into his chest!
"Puwaah!"
Conqueror's Coating!!?
Bang!!
Z, his eyes looking as if they would split, spat out a mouthful of blood. His entire body shot backward like a cannonball for a hundred meters, crashing hard into a red mountain!
The small mountain was even directly shattered by the impact, rubble flying everywhere, kicking up a rolling cloud of dust and smoke!
"Cough! Cough, cough!!"
A few coughs came from the thick smoke. A current of air blew the dust and smoke away, and Z's face was a little pale as he slammed his mechanical arm on the ground to support his body.
To have this kind of potential, and to have mastered this kind of technique...
A cracking sound came from his left arm. Using Life Return to forcefully reset the dislocated bone, Z looked up at Luffy and murmured in a low voice:
"The young people these days really can't be underestimated."
"It's not over yet!"
Luffy's eyes hardened. He retracted his two legs and, with another violent push off the ground, charged out. He drew back both arms, his wrists stacked layer by layer like a spring.
"Gomu Gomu no... Kong Organ!!"
His two fists, like grenades under the wings of a plane, erupted with extreme speed. Fists combining both power and speed exploded in a dense barrage!
"Kami-e!" (Paper Art)
Faced with the stormy attack, Z decisively chose the most suitable technique to deal with it, Kami-e.
Gusts of violent airflow brushed past. His body swayed like a leaf in the wind, continuously dodging.
However, while his body could dodge, the cumbersome mechanical arm could not. The weapon, specifically developed to counter ability users, had now become Z's burden.
Bang!
When a fist struck the Smasher, Z's body was also thrown off balance. What followed was a series of heavy punches!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
"Tekkai: Gō!" (Iron Body: Steel)
At the critical moment, Z timely changed his move and gritted his teeth to endure. His feet plowed two trenches in the red earth, his body being pushed back continuously by the blows.
Until Luffy's strength was spent, Z endured the intense pain all over his body and swung his leg, sweeping out a dense array of wind scythes.
"Rankyaku: Ran!" (Storm Leg: Chaos)
A large number of sharp, green flashes flew straight up, forcing Luffy to dodge and stop his pursuit. Only then did Z's body sink, and he took a few hurried breaths.
Then his feet continuously tapped, using Moonwalk to ascend into the air. The gun barrel of his right arm gathered energy and shot out several laser cannons.
"An aerial battle?"
Luffy dodged the lasers several times, his eyes burning as he looked at Z in the air. He grinned. "A flying move... I've specially developed one."
With that, he retracted his feet into his body, leaving only his thighs. A jet of impact shot out from below, pushing Luffy's body towards the sky like a jet plane.
"Gomu Gomu no... Leo Bazooka!!"
"Smasher Heavy Strike!!"
Bang!!
Bang!!
The two of them traded blows in the air, going back and forth, but Luffy was clearly suppressing Z.
These two years, Luffy has grown much stronger than in the original story.
Reiner thought with satisfaction. The current Luffy should be able to defeat Cracker with ease.
Everyone knew Z was the head instructor of the Marines, but how many still remembered that he was also a powerhouse who had fought his way to the rank of Admiral with his physical skills?
Reiner would not underestimate this man.
Perhaps his tragic experiences had worn down his will, making his Haki not as strong as before, but...
...how far could an Admiral regress?
By borrowing a bit of his peak physical condition with Ain's ability, he was still suppressed by Gear Fourth Luffy. It could only be said that Luffy's growth in these two years was far greater than in the original story.
"Maybe we can really start the plan and go for the throne of a Sea Emperor."
A corner of Reiner's mouth lifted. He couldn't help but feel a little bit of anticipation. The scene of him cutting Arlong's waist in the East Blue was still vivid in his mind.
Now, they had finally reached this step.
To be so strong just after entering the New World, besides the Sea Emperors, other pirate forces would have a hard time threatening them.
In the field, the fierce battle between Luffy and Z was still ongoing.
"Gomu Gomu no... Rhino Schneider!!"
Luffy, from high above, tightly retracted his foot into his leg and then suddenly kicked out!
Bang!!
Another black thunderclap flashed. The heavy foot, carrying the force of a thousand jun, viciously struck the thick mechanical arm.
Z's entire person shot down like an arrow from a bow. The ground cracked like a spiderweb, kicking up a sky full of dust and smoke.
Rat-a-tat-tat!!
A large number of bullets coated in Armament Haki shot out from the thick smoke. Luffy did not choose to take them head-on, but relied on the continuous jets from under his feet to fly rapidly and evade.
Z on the ground turned into a turret, his moving right arm continuously pouring out bullets, chasing the human jet plane streaking across the sky.
"You can't maintain this for long by consuming Haki so unrestrainedly, can you, Straw Hat?" Z said with a sinister smile.
He had already guessed the weakness of Gear Fourth and was trying to wear Luffy down until he exited the mode by using long-range moves.
"You saw through it, huh?"
Luffy nodded without hesitation.
To maintain this state, he needed to cover his body with Haki at all times.
The powerful burst of power was exchanged for a greater consumption. Rayleigh had reminded him of this when he learned about his development of Gear Fourth. Luffy's solution was also very simple and crude.
"Then I'll just use a stronger move and defeat you before I run out."
Luffy's eyes focused. He concentrated all his strength in his clenched right fist, compressing his arm bit by bit to build up power.
"Gomu Gomu no... Culverin!!"
Swish!!
With an explosive roar from him, the swift fist shot out, tearing through space!
"Soru!"
In an extremely short instant, Z took a rapid step, disappearing from his spot just before the fist arrived.
However, just as he appeared on the other side, Luffy, as if having a premonition, glanced over.
The fist that had just missed its mark, with a bizarre right-angle turn, continued its pursuit without pausing!
"Hmm?"
Z was surprised by this unscientific move. His feet didn't stop for a moment as he used [Soru] again to disappear.
However, no matter where he ran, Luffy could always accurately capture his figure, and the extending fist's speed increased with acceleration.
Like a deadly red great serpent, it followed him like a shadow, weaving a dense net in the entire space, continuously closing in on the prey within.
After continuous use of Soru, when he finally ran out of breath, Z's figure paused.
Bang!!
Before he could take another breath, the explosive fist instantly struck his chest, viciously piercing his flesh!
"Puwaah!!"
Blood shot from between Z's gritted teeth, dyeing his pale teeth a ferocious scarlet. His figure shot backward, tumbling on the ground until it crashed heavily against the volcano wall!
Dust flew, and collapsing rocks buried his body.
Luffy fell to the ground, panting heavily, his gaze fixed on the thick smoke where there had been no movement for a long time.
Thump!
"Urk!"
Luffy raised his hand and clutched his heart, gritting his teeth, a pained expression on his face.
The Haki patterns covering his body slowly faded, and the gas filling his body also began to dissipate.
The skin that had been stretched to its limit by hardening now began to become slack.
"I can't do it anymore. I can't use Haki for five minutes," Luffy's eyelids drooped with fatigue, his entire face becoming dejected.
This was the side effect of Gear Fourth. When he had first developed it, he would have a ten-minute period of weakness after each use.
Now, his Haki strength had improved a bit, but he still hadn't completely overcome it.
"—Phew."
Luffy let out a long sigh and sat down on the ground with a plop.
"An Admiral..."
Z didn't give him the same sense of overwhelming pressure as Kizaru and Aokiji had two years ago, but...
...the Admiral who could chase him around two years ago, if he met him now, he would probably be able to put up a fight...
Thinking of this.
Luffy's lips curled up slightly. He spread his limbs and lay back in a starfish position.
"Not bad, Luffy."
Reiner chuckled and walked over, stopping beside Luffy. "By the way, have you trained your Observation Haki to the point of seeing the future?"
"You mean this? I just learned it not long ago."
Luffy bared a mouthful of large white teeth and said with a smile, "I'm not proficient enough yet. I have to concentrate with all my might to do it."
"As long as you've learned Haki, you'll gradually become more proficient with battle."
Reiner glanced at Luffy and paused for a few seconds. "Are you going to challenge your brother and his crew? In a couple of days..."
"Ace..."
Luffy quietly gazed at the sky. A crescent moon had already hung at some point, its silver, gentle light shining on his face.
"Of course, I have to challenge them."
"In Alabasta, Ace said that the next time we meet, we would be enemies..."
Luffy said with a faint smile, "He must be getting impatient."
To face a pirate crew with a total bounty of over ten billion just after entering the New World...
"You're right."
Reiner smiled knowingly. His gaze shifted back to the gradually dissipating smoke in the distance. "But before that, let's defeat the one in front of us first."
"Cough, cough, cough..."
In the ruins, Z leaned against a giant rock. A hint of desolation flashed in his eyes, and his weathered face looked even more dejected.
At this moment, his head of purple hair had lost its luster, and a few conspicuous silver strands were mixed in.
The effect of Ain's ability had completely dissipated under the repeated bombardment of Haki.
He pressed his hand on the ground, struggling to prop up his tired body.
Z took out the inhaler from his pocket again, put it in his mouth, sprayed twice, and then took a deep breath.
After calming down...
...he slowly looked up at Reiner in the distance.
Under the cold, quiet moonlight, his lonely back looked somewhat tragic.
"I've finally gotten old..."
Z tried to straighten his stooped body. The faces of Sengoku, Garp, and Tsuru flashed through his mind one after another.
Once upon a time, they were also like the young people before him.
Full of vigor, they roamed the seas, fighting side by side for the justice in their hearts...
The Hero of Justice, Z...
When did that little hero, wearing a helmet and holding a tree branch, who upheld justice, start to disappear?
Blood overflowed from the corner of his mouth, dripped down his somewhat dry and wrinkled skin, and fell to the ground, sinking into the fine sand, leaving only a few dried, dark red spots.
With a gust of cold wind, even that trace disappeared completely.
Like him, a candle in the wind.
Like Z.
"Heh heh..."
Z let out a self-deprecating, light laugh. "When a person gets old, they really do like to reminisce about the past."
"It's probably the same for everyone. A certain old lion who has already been eaten by wild beasts was also like that."
Reiner said lightly to Z, "So, can you still fight?"
"You impolite brat. I'm not so pitiful as to need a pirate to go easy on me."
Z's smile was cold. He tore off the black cloak behind him. "Do I have to teach you how to be a pirate?"
"That's just fine. I don't like to play the 'respect the old and cherish the young' game."
Reiner grinned, a savage light in his eyes, and charged straight up, clenching his fists!
The most glorious way for a man to die is, of course, on the battlefield!
"Who do you think I am! Before you were even born, this old man was already killing enemies on the sea!"
Z dragged his tired legs and his giant mechanical arm, roaring as he charged!
"I am Z!!"
Bang!!
The Smasher and a fist of flesh and blood clashed fiercely!
A powerful impact churned the surrounding airflow, transforming into a blast of wind that spread out from the two of them as the center!
A clanking sound was heard. Two iron discs in the middle of the mechanical arm pressed together, and the explosive powder immediately ignited!
"Smasher Heavy Strike!!"
The impact turned into power, pushing Z's heavy iron fist down with the momentum of splitting bamboo!
Reiner's arm veins bulged, his fist meeting the iron arm head-on!
Parry?
Parry my ass!
"Annihilating Rush Fist: Crush!!"
A powerful impact erupted from Reiner's fist, directly shattering the heavy iron arm.
Z staggered back a step. Reiner immediately took a step forward and pressed in close!
Dark red lightning exploded. His pitch-black left fist mercilessly struck the opponent's abdomen!
Bang!
"Ugh..!"
Z let out a muffled grunt, the piercing force causing his body to bend like a shrimp.
Reiner twisted his waist, sunk his shoulder to exert force, and his right fist, also wreathed in dark lightning, followed closely behind, smashing into the opponent's face!
Bang!
Then, Reiner's arms rested at his waist. He flashed and stuck close to the retreating Z. The Conqueror's Coating, pushed to its limit, once again viciously pierced the latter's body with his fists!
Bang!!
"Puwaah!"
Z spat out an arrow of blood, his body like a cannonball, smashing straight into the ruins and being embedded in a giant rock!
"Fourth shot!"
His aura erupted like surging waves. Reiner's movements didn't stop for a moment. He charged at Z, his Conqueror's Haki becoming more and more violent.
His swift fist didn't give the opponent a moment's respite, and with an explosive roar from Reiner, it smashed out again!
Bang!!
The force passed through Z's body, shattering even the giant rock behind him!
Before the airborne, flipping body could land, Reiner bent his knees, pushed off with force, and shot up like an arrow loosed from a bow!
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The dark red, wild lightning seemed to fill the entire heaven and earth. The force of his punches grew stronger with each one!
Reiner's eyes grew more and more fanatical. His Haki also grew more and more violent, even seeming to be on the verge of breaking free from his control and dispersing.
Boom!!
Like a clap of thunder on a clear day, it pierced through the entire land!
A dense web of dark red, wild lightning exploded from Reiner's body. His majestic aura climbed, seeming to want to pierce through the sky!
"Another one with Conqueror's Haki?"
Scarlet blood covered his body, making Z look even more ferocious. Facing the charging Reiner, the Smasher was imbued with Haki as black as flowing fire.
"This kind of thing... this sea will always produce them in endless succession!"
Z steadied himself and sank down, baring his large white teeth. He roared as he focused all his Haki into the Smasher!
"Destruction Strike!!"
"Annihilating Rush Fist!!"
Bang!!
A dull collision echoed through the sky. With the impact spreading, the earth shattered in circles!
Crack...
A crack appeared on the Smasher, and then...
Crack—Crack—Crack!
A dense web of cracks, with Reiner's fist as the starting point, spread out over the mechanical arm.
Although its surface was embedded with a large amount of Seastone, the Smasher was not entirely made of Seastone.
The violent force spreading from the inside out was destroying the structure of this mechanical arm bit by bit.
Internal destruction. It worked.
A corner of Reiner's mouth lifted slightly. The aura on his body instantly vanished.
Bang!
The mechanical arm shattered from Z's hand and exploded. His motionless body slowly fell backward to the ground.
The endless sea will always have an endless succession of rising new stars.
Generation after generation.
Never stopping.
"Is this the end..."
Z lay on the ground, his face tired. He looked up at the night sky. The bright, clear crescent moon was reflected in his colorless eyes. A piece of quiet.
The world was quiet.
(End of chapter)
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