Sengoku muttered, "Then I definitely can't let you go now."
In an instant, golden light burst from his body. His frame swelled and transformed into a towering golden figure. Sengoku stared at Toguro standing on the sea, fully aware of how important he was. There was no way he could let this man escape.
Seeing that Toguro didn't seem interested in talking anymore, Sengoku decided to act. Even if Toguro stood on the water, even if he was strong, Sengoku wouldn't stop. After all, he was a Marine Admiral!
"Shockwave!"
The golden Sengoku swung his fist, creating a massive storm. This was an attack strong enough to hurt even the Nine-Tails. Against someone as "small" as Toguro, it should have been nothing.
The sheer force didn't even touch Toguro yet, but the sea below roared like thunder. The surface spun violently, crushed by an enormous pressure. Toguro stood at the center of the whirlpool, looking at the huge fist swinging from the ship—and suddenly, he moved.
His upper body started to swell, ripping apart his coat in an instant. Explosive muscles bulged into view. At the same time, his arms turned pitch black. Seeing that massive punch crashing down, he threw his own punch with equal power.
Boom!
The collision shook the whole sea as if it had boiled. The force split the waters behind Toguro and Sengoku's merchant ship, stretching all the way to the horizon. Marines and merchants on the ship were left stunned, feeling as if something was being torn out from deep inside their bodies.
Only Sengoku remained on the merchant ship's deck. On the other warships, armed Marines were aiming their guns at Toguro—but suddenly, their bodies collapsed like puppets with cut strings. Sengoku's eyes widened. He could feel those fallen Marines were…
Dead!
Was this… Conqueror's Haki?
No, impossible. Even Conqueror's Haki couldn't go this far! It could knock people unconscious, yes—but kill them outright? That had never been heard of!
"Stop!"
Sengoku roared, but Toguro's power was beyond anything he had imagined. Even when they first met, Sengoku sensed he was strong—but not this strong.
This punch might not have been Sengoku's full power, but even so, few on these seas could take it. Yet Toguro's body now looked almost inhuman. His muscles swelled in ways no person should have. His shoulders spread wide, and the fist he swung didn't back down one inch against the golden Buddha's shockwave!
Boom!
A deafening blast tore through the air. The clash of power decided the outcome in that instant. A giant whirlpool opened in the depths of the sea, the impact twisting the world itself. Toguro let out a low growl as the shockwave exploded from the center. He stood firm in the raging storm, winds screaming around him.
The huge merchant ship shattered instantly. Sengoku had to leap to a Marine warship using the broken pieces of the ship. On the way, he saw bodies falling from the wreckage and many Marines from his own ship lying lifeless.
Those men died just from Toguro's overwhelming presence crushing them. Toguro was now in his "100% form." In this state, the weak would die simply from the demonic aura he gave off without even trying.
Of course, if he wanted, he could control the spread of that aura a little. Most of the ones who died were already leaning toward evil, something the Nine-Tails' malice could sense—so Toguro felt no guilt.
And in truth, Genichi's view of this world was already twisted. The moment he arrived here, he became a slave. After surviving a dark period and discovering his own power, he no longer felt this world was real. To him, it was more like living through a…
Virtual online game?
Would anyone really feel guilty just because they killed a few people in a game?
That was pretty much how Genichi felt. Since it was his clone doing the killing, it really was just like controlling a character in a video game.
But of course, Sengoku had no way of knowing what Toguro was thinking. His heart was filled only with anger. He never thought anyone could cause so many casualties right in front of him, and what made him even angrier was that in this situation he couldn't do anything about it!
Toguro… what was that change in your body just now?
Was it a Devil Fruit?
Sengoku's mind replayed the moment right before Toguro threw his punch. The power coming off his body had suddenly multiplied many times over, and his muscles swelled to a size that didn't even look human. It was hard to imagine that kind of strength belonging to a normal person.
But if he really was a Devil Fruit user, then why would he be out at sea?
For now, Sengoku couldn't figure out what Toguro really was.
"Don't worry. The ones drawn to my power are always people with darkness in their hearts."
After their fists clashed, Toguro dropped out of his "100% state." Looking at Sengoku, who had leapt back onto the warship, he said, "Maybe Zero came to me because he saw that part of me. That's why he asked me… if I wanted to give up being human and become a demon!"
"Demon?!" Sengoku's heart stirred. His chest was still burning with anger, but after hearing Toguro's words, he quickly calmed down. He tried to dig out more information about Zero from him.
"A demon is a being beyond humans. They're not bound by anything, free to unleash their power as they please."
Toguro took off his black sunglasses and looked straight at Sengoku. Sengoku froze for a moment, because in Toguro's eyes he saw a deep hunger. What kind of hunger was it…?
The hunger to grow stronger?!
"I realized long ago that humans have limits. Once you reach a certain point, no matter how hard you train, it's almost impossible to keep growing. And with age, the body only gets weaker. Illnesses pile up. No matter how strong someone is, no one can escape old age."
"Zero approached me when I was starting to get old. He told me to join them, and if I did, they would turn me into an immortal demon. But at that time, with Zero suddenly appearing before me, I turned him down."
Looking at Sengoku's serious face, Toguro finally said, "Even if I become a demon, I'll never join any group or bow down to anyone!"
"I'll become a demon in my own way! By using… the Jewel of Four Souls!"