"Did we succeed?!"
Looking at the fallen Pacifista, Usopp exclaimed excitedly, "Did we defeat this guy?"
"It seems so."
"Great!!"
The group cheered—this bear-like opponent had finally been defeated!
"What exactly is this thing?"
Zoro frowned at the Pacifista and asked, "A Cyborg?"
"Pretty much."
Franky replied, "And a Cyborg that looks exactly like Bartholomew Kuma."
He pondered whether this guy was either Kuma's twin or just someone who resembled him closely.
After all... cloning technology couldn't possibly exist in this world!!
"There's a serial number on him."
Meiser, who had just returned using the Body Flicker Technique, pointed at the fallen Pacifista nearby. "It says PX-4."
"I think... there are probably several more like this."
"4?"
"So this isn't Kuma's twin, then." Franky frowned. "How did the World Government find so many lookalikes?"
"Maybe cloning technology?"
"Impossible!" Franky said firmly. "Cloning technology can't exist in this world!"
He'd rather believe the World Government simply found people who resembled Kuma.
"Well, who knows."
Meiser shrugged—he had no idea how this bleeding Cyborg came to be.
"So it's not the real Kuma..."
Luffy adjusted his hat as he stood up, glancing at the Pacifista. "Does that mean we fought the wrong person?"
"Not exactly," Zoro said. "Even if he's not Kuma himself, he's still an enemy."
After all... this guy came here to kill them, so there was no need to hold back!
"Hmm... fair point."
"Whatever this thing is, we should get out of here first." Sanji looked at his crewmates. "With all this commotion, the Marines might notice."
"Yeah, that's true." Meiser agreed. "The Marines might already know we're here."
If there were more of these things... did these special Cyborgs have the ability to communicate with each other?
If so, their location had definitely been reported to the Marines!
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go!" Nami urged anxiously.
Just thinking about more of these terrifying things lurking around made her shudder.
If they got cornered here... it would be a nightmare.
And if a Marine Admiral showed up too, they'd be finished.
"Let's head to—"
Before Meiser could finish, he suddenly sensed something and immediately looked up.
"Tch... Of course it wouldn't be that easy."
"What's wrong?"
Upon hearing Meiser's words, everyone followed his gaze upward and immediately spotted two towering figures standing on the trunk of a large tree!
"This...!"
"Dammit, they're here again...!"
"Damn it all, not even a moment's respite."
Seeing the massive Pacifista, the members of the Straw Hat Pirates tensed up instantly, their eyes locked intently on the figures above.
"Hmph, so we've been spotted," Sentomaru remarked as he looked down at the Straw Hat Pirates. "As expected of the Blood-Eyed Ninja."
After speaking, Sentomaru glanced at the fallen PX-4 lying on the ground and added, "You bastards really pulled one off, huh."
"PX-4 was actually taken down by you..."
As he spoke, Sentomaru leaped down from above with the Pacifista, landing precisely beside PX-4.
"What a massive loss," Sentomaru muttered, frowning. "The military funds required to build one Pacifista are equivalent to constructing a battleship. Now that one's been destroyed... How am I supposed to explain this to the old man?"
This was the Pacifista's first battle since leaving the factory, and yet... the Straw Hat Pirates had already destroyed one.
How infuriating.
With that thought, Sentomaru turned his sharpening gaze toward the Straw Hat Pirates.
"Did he just say... Pacifista?"
"So that's what this cyborg is called?"
"If that's the case..." Meiser frowned. "Does that mean these things are mass-produced?"
According to this man, the cost of building one Pacifista equaled that of a battleship, which meant...
There were no limits to their production!!
As long as there was enough money, these biological weapons could be manufactured endlessly!
And for an entity like the World Government... money was just a number!!
"You don't think he brought a whole army of Pacifistas to hunt us down, do you?!" Chopper cried in panic.
"None spotted so far."
"None...? That's a relief."
Hearing Meiser's words, Chopper let out a sigh.
At least they wouldn't have to face an entire swarm of Pacifistas—that left them some room to fight.
"A whole army to hunt you down?" Sentomaru scoffed, looking mockingly at Chopper. "Don't flatter yourselves too much."
He admitted the Blood-Eyed Ninja was formidable, but... that didn't mean they warranted an entire fleet of Pacifistas to deal with!!
Besides, with him personally here, why would he need to bring so many?
Not to mention... Kizaru would be arriving soon!
"Bastard, who the hell do you think you're looking down on?!"
"Just stating facts."
"And who are you?"
"Big Axe!"
"Using a weapon as a name?" Sentomaru glanced at Franky disdainfully. "How rude..."
After a cold snort, he continued, "Trying to get intel out of me?"
"Give up on that!"
"I'm the man with the strongest defense in the world, and at the same time... the tightest lips!"
"So... I won't tell you a single thing!"
Looking at Sentomaru's serious expression, Franky was genuinely intimidated.
"You're not even going to introduce yourself?!" Usopp asked.
"I have no interest in answering your questions," Sentomaru said coldly. "I already told you, I'm the man with the tightest lips in the world—Sentomaru!"
"Oh, I see," Usopp said, suddenly enlightened. "So your name is Sentomaru."
Sentomaru: ???
Sentomaru froze for a moment. Had he accidentally revealed his own name?
Damn pirates!
Thinking this, Sentomaru's expression darkened. "Let me tell you, I only said that because I wanted to! It wasn't me answering your question!"
Meiser: ....
He couldn't help but feel this guy was another idiot with a few screws loose.
Claiming to be the man with the tightest lips, yet immediately blurting out his own name.
What... what kind of logic was that?
"Hmm... if we ask more questions, maybe we can fish out some more useful information?"
With that in mind, Meiser said, "So, Sentomaru, huh?"
"Huh?"
Sentomaru, who was about to order PX-1 to attack, paused and turned to Meiser. "Blood-Eyed Ninja, what do you want to say?"
"What exactly is this Pacifista of yours, and who invented it?"
"I told you, I'm the man with the tightest lips in the world! I won't tell you this is a biological weapon developed by Vegapunk!"
"Oh, so it was invented by Vegapunk," Nico Robin said, suddenly understanding.
If it was that man, he really could create something this terrifying.
After all... he was a genius scientist 500 years ahead of human intelligence!
"Uh—" Realizing he had once again said something he shouldn't have, Sentomaru's face immediately darkened.
"Damn pirates, that was—"
"That was just you wanting to say it, right?" Merry giggled. "We get it."
Sentomaru: ....
Was this little girl deliberately trying to provoke him?
At this thought, veins bulged on Sentomaru's forehead!
"Who is Vegapunk?"
"He's the world's top scientist," Nico Robin explained. "He possesses incredibly advanced scientific technology."
"He—"
"Damn pirates, are you ignoring me?!" Sentomaru angrily interrupted. "PX-1, eliminate them!"
"Roger!"
Following the command, the Pacifista PX-1 slowly raised its hand and launched an attack at the Straw Hat Pirates in the distance.
"BOOM!!"
The terrifying laser blast instantly scorched the surroundings, nearly taking out Chopper.
"Ahhh!!"
"My clothes!"
Chopper's clothes had a hole burned through them, his eyes bulging in shock.
"What do we do? We don't have time to waste here..." Nami said anxiously.
After dealing with that Pacifista called PX-4, now Sentomaru and PX-1 showed up. Who knew what else would come next?
Hearing Nami's words, Meiser fell silent for a moment before saying, "Nami, help me create a cumulonimbus cloud."
Upon hearing Meiser's words, Nami froze for a moment before immediately pulling out her Clima-Tact and beginning to create cumulonimbus clouds. After their previous collaboration in the Devil's Triangle, she knew exactly what Meiser intended to do.
Meanwhile, the Pacifista launched several more attacks, reducing the surrounding area to rubble. Nami had no choice but to dodge while continuing to generate the storm clouds.
"What the hell is that thing?" Sentomaru glanced at the Clima-Tact in Nami's hands, then looked up at the dark clouds gradually forming overhead. "This feels somewhat similar to Egghead Island's full-island air conditioning system..."
Egghead Island's weather was controlled by Dr. Vegapunk's island-wide climate system, but that was built upon an immense scientific foundation. Yet this woman could create cumulonimbus clouds by herself? Was she a Devil Fruit Ability User?
Soon, through Nami's efforts, a dark cloud appeared in the sky, occasional rumbles of thunder echoing from within. Seeing this, Meiser said, "Luffy, take Nami and the others away first. I'll handle things here."
"Huh?" Luffy, who had just punched the Pacifista, turned to look at Meiser. "What kind of nonsense are you spouting? There's no way I'd let you stay behind as a sacrifice!"
The idea of Meiser sacrificing himself to buy them time to escape was unacceptable—he'd rather die first!
"You idiot, have you forgotten what Merry can do again?!" Meiser roared, baring his shark-like teeth. "Use your damn brain!"
Luffy: "???"
Seeing Luffy's utterly clueless "what's a brain?" expression, Meiser was rendered speechless.
"Oh! I get it now!" Luffy suddenly exclaimed. "You mean Merry's—"
"Idiot, don't say it out loud!" Usopp immediately clamped a hand over Luffy's mouth before dragging him away. "We're counting on you, Meiser!" he called back.
"Right!" The others quickly grasped Meiser's plan and retreated without hesitation—though Nami continued generating storm clouds as she ran.
Just then, the Pacifista Luffy had knocked away charged forward, attempting to intercept the fleeing crew. But halfway there, Meiser appeared before it.
"Can't let you chase after them~"
BOOM!!
A devastating kick slammed into the Pacifista's abdomen, sending it flying backward with tremendous force.
WHOOSH—
CRASH!!
"Haki...?" Sentomaru's expression darkened as he watched Meiser repel the Pacifista. "So that's how you defeated PX-4—one of you has mastered Haki!"
This was... completely unexpected. Someone who'd awakened Haki before even reaching the New World? This guy's potential must be extraordinary.
No matter. He'd make sure this bastard died here today.
"Actually, even without Haki, your Pacifista still wouldn't be my match," Meiser remarked.
Using Lightning Release Technique could easily short-circuit the machine. In a way, he was the Pacifista's natural counter.
Sentomaru merely responded with a cold sneer, offering no retort.
Then, he looked in the direction where Luffy and the others had fled and said, "You don't actually think they can escape, do you?"
Even though the group was gradually moving away, Sentomaru showed no intention of pursuing them.
After all... there were still two Marine Admirals on this island!
"Are you trying to say that Marine Admiral Kizaru will come here?"
"You actually knew that?"
Sentomaru looked at Meiser with surprise. How had the other party obtained this information?
Hadn't he not encountered his uncle yet?
"Obtaining such information isn't difficult for me."
"Hmph, so what if you know?" Sentomaru retorted. "You have no idea how powerful my uncle truly is."
"Moreover... more than one Marine Admiral has come to this island!"
Hearing Sentomaru's words, Meiser's pupils instantly contracted. "More than... one?"
What did that mean? Had the World Government really dispatched two Marine Admirals just to kill them?
Was that really necessary?
"Ah—" Sentomaru's expression suddenly changed. He had accidentally let slip another piece of information.
"Damn pirates, this was my own—"
"Who is the other Admiral?" Meiser interrupted.
"I won't tell you that the other one is Akainu!"
"So... it's Akainu, huh..."
Meiser frowned. It was another unfamiliar Admiral.
What was this guy's Devil Fruit Ability?
"That Akainu's ability is—"
"Don't even think about asking me anything else!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Sentomaru charged at Meiser and swung his palm toward him!
"Foot Sky Sole Travel!"
"Clang!"
The two exchanged a single blow, after which Meiser used the momentum to distance himself from Sentomaru.
"Haki... I see. So you've mastered Haki as well."
That made sense. If this guy hadn't mastered Haki, he wouldn't have immediately recognized that Meiser was using Armament Haki.
"In the New World, if you haven't mastered Haki, you won't even know how you died," Sentomaru said.
His uncle was a Logia-type user, so he knew all too well how troublesome such opponents could be.
Unless one mastered Haki, defeating them was impossible.
"Hmm, fair enough."
As he spoke, Meiser glanced at the Pacifista that had gotten back up and narrowed his eyes. "Fine, I'll take care of all of you at once."
With that, Meiser raised his hand, and arcs of electricity crackled in his palm.
"Boom!"
Under the influence of Lightning Release Chakra, the cumulonimbus clouds in the sky suddenly let out a terrifying roar, as if some monstrous beast lurked within.
The dreadful sound sent shivers down Sentomaru's spine.
"Lightning Release Technique, huh..."
That was indeed a hard counter to the Pacifista.
In that case, to defeat this guy, he'd have to do it himself.
With that thought, Sentomaru rushed toward Meiser.
"Whatever you're planning, I'll take you out first!" Sentomaru shouted. "Foot Sky Sole Travel!!"
"Bam!!"
The heavy strike landed on Meiser, sending him flying.
But this time, Sentomaru didn't look pleased—because he noticed... Meiser was smiling as he was sent flying!!
Watching Meiser protect himself with Haki, Sentomaru's expression turned grim as he muttered, "Damn it, is he using my own power to create distance?"
At that moment, the sky roared with terrifying thunder once more, and a colossal figure emerged from the dark clouds!
"BOOOOM!!"
The massive Thunder Beast gazed down at Sentomaru below, its overwhelming presence suffocating the air.
"Feel the true power of lightning, Sentomaru!"
"Damn it! Armament Haki: Hardening!"
Seeing Sentomaru envelop his entire body in Haki, Meiser merely smirked faintly before swinging his right arm down violently.
"Lightning Release: Kirin!"
"ROOOAR!!"
The enormous Thunder Beast descended from the heavens, charging straight toward Sentomaru.
In that instant, its blinding radiance eclipsed even the sun's light!
The apocalyptic scene seared itself into Sentomaru's nerves.
"Damn it!!"
At the critical moment, a streak of yellow light suddenly appeared beside Sentomaru, kicking him away with enough force to fling him out of the Thunder Beast's main attack range.
"WHOOSH—"
The man then calmly faced the Thunder Beast now before him, thinking to himself: 'Truly... terrifying.'
"BOOOOM!!"
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