Chapter 102: Gambi vs. Pica
On the coast of Dressrosa, just as Portgas D. Ace and his crew landed, a group of soldiers loyal to Donquixote Doflamingo stood in their path.
"You're not going any further, filthy pirates!" one of them shouted, though his body trembled.
Ace narrowed his eyes at the stubborn soldiers. He was about to unleash his Conqueror's Haki to knock them out, when a new group rushed in.
King Riku, leading the reformed Royal Army that had turned against Doflamingo, stepped forward and placed himself between Ace's crew and the loyalists.
"Soldiers!" King Riku's voice boomed. "The evil that Doflamingo brought to this kingdom will soon be exposed! Don't let yourselves be deceived any longer!"
"You're spouting lies, King Riku!" one soldier retorted. "Under His Majesty Doflamingo, pirates haven't dared attack this land in years! That didn't happen under your rule! He protected this country!"
Indeed, Doflamingo had operated Dressrosa like a fortress, his ties to the Shichibukai and the underworld discouraging outside aggression. To many citizens, that peace was all that mattered—despite the atrocities hidden behind it.
King Riku clenched his fists. The soldier's words held some truth, but they didn't excuse the monstrous acts Doflamingo had committed.
"In that case," Riku said grimly, "we have no choice but to stop you here."
He turned toward Ace and nodded.
"Fire Fist, leave these soldiers to us. Go. End Doflamingo."
Ace smirked. "Got it."
With Trafalgar Law and others at his side, Ace pressed forward, heading toward King's Plateau.
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Northern Dressrosa.
Gambi and his twin brothers, Seba and Barry, were en route to the SMILE Factory.
Suddenly, the ground trembled.
With a grinding rumble, a huge outcropping of stone twisted and morphed into a massive armored head—like a giant stone soldier—blocking their path.
The figure looming before them was none other than Pica, top executive of the Donquixote Family and user of the Ishi Ishi no Mi—the Stone-Stone Fruit.
"Pica!" Gambi growled, gripping the hilt of the broadsword strapped across his back.
"Spade Pirates!" Pica's signature shrill voice echoed from the towering stone giant. "This is as far as you go."
"If you think you can stop us," Gambi sneered, unsheathing his weapon, "you're welcome to try."
He turned to Seba and Barry. "I'll handle this stone freak. You two keep moving toward the factory."
"O-Okay! Be careful!" Seba stammered, while Barry nodded with concern.
They split off, attempting to flank the massive stone form. But just as they did—
BOOM!
Two enormous rocky hands erupted from the ground, grabbing Seba and Barry mid-run.
"I said…" Pica's sharp voice rang out, "you're not going anywhere."
"Twin-Flow Slash!"
Shing—!!
Gambi launched two powerful sword slashes, slicing through the rocky arms with precision and freeing his brothers.
"Your opponent is me, high-pitched freak," Gambi taunted, blade at the ready. "Still sensitive about that girly voice?"
Over the past year, Gambi had faced off against Pica many times. Early on, without using his berserker state, he had been soundly beaten. But Gambi learned. He adapted. And now, even without using his full power, he could fight Pica evenly.
He also knew exactly how to provoke him.
Sure enough, Pica's real body emerged atop the stone giant, eyes glowing red with fury.
"Who are you calling a sissy, you arrogant bastard? I'LL CRUSH YOU!"
"Stonebite!!"
Pica stomped the stone beneath his feet. The massive stone giant's head suddenly lunged forward, jaw wide open, attempting to crush Gambi.
Gambi raised his broadsword, bracing it horizontally with one hand. The stone maw bit down, shoving Gambi back several meters.
"You're finished!!"
Pica roared from above as the stone head's mouth expanded, ready to swallow Gambi whole.
"Not today," Gambi grinned.
His sword arm flexed—muscles bulging, Haki flaring—and he thrust forward with all his might.
"Rebound Slash!!"
CRACK—!!
A heavy, hammer-like wave of sword energy blasted out from Gambi's broadsword, shattering the enormous stone head into rubble.
Pica's real body was launched into the air, but he used the momentum to dive downward, drawing a massive blade of his own. It clashed with Gambi's in a thunderous collision.
CLANG!!
Steel screamed as sparks flew. Each blow gouged the earth around them, carving trenches into the battlefield.
Clang! Clang! CLANG!!
The two warriors traded powerful, earth-shaking blows before leaping back to gain distance.
Pica glared down at Gambi. He wouldn't win this fight in close combat—not against Gambi.
He began to sink into the rocky terrain, merging back with the mountain-like stone beneath them.
Gambi narrowed his eyes. "Coward."
Then—
"Crucifix Stone!!"
Eight jagged stone tentacles erupted around Gambi in a perfect circle, their razor-sharp tips lunging inward all at once.
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To be continued…
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