"Perona-san, your ability...!"
"No good! That muscle-bound bastard is somehow shooting down my Negative Ghosts with bats!! Ah, damn! Mini Hollows don't work either!!!"
They knew combat had begun. Both Perona and Robin were skilled at observation. They'd immediately grasped what was happening in the wide underground warehouse.
And Perona, who could take the most effective measures against the zombie army—masses of enemies—naturally intended to support with her ability, but was being obstructed.
"You're kidding, I thought I hit this time but it bounced off!? My ability not working... Robin!"
"Yeah, I'm sending more salt now... Daz-san and the others are working hard too."
In the cabin, the remaining Marines hurriedly gathered salt from the pantry, repacked it into appropriately sized bags, and Robin used her ability to sprout masses of arms in a bucket brigade fashion, transporting them to the destination.
"Perona-san, other enemies?"
"Wait a sec..."
Robin, concentrating on sending salt and watching the underground battle, couldn't handle more tasks. Instead, Perona used her ghosts to survey the island and surrounding waters.
"All clear, no changes except that bicycle guy passing through earlier."
"Okay..."
For Robin, it was a complicated relief. The Den Den Mushi Kuro gave her was explained to everyone as connected to a Marine ally this time, but Robin had been secretly told who it was.
That's why her hand reaching for the Den Den Mushi stopped multiple times.
But watching the underground battle with her ability, seeing the Captain's dissatisfied face each time he kicked the enemy giant, she understood this was a formidable opponent.
And the situation was the same as the battle she'd heard about before. Behind him were the Marines the Captain was trying to protect, and receiving ability attacks, he was in a situation where one wrong move meant death.
The enemy he faced was larger than that gangster, visibly trained, and looked like a powerful foe.
And seeing him plant his foot in that giant body—the moment she saw the Captain's face twist slightly in pain, Nico Robin made her decision.
"...Captain-san."
–
"Of all things, fighting Gecko Moria who started a war with Kaido—what's going on with your life?"
"...The fact it's not going well is true."
Even looking at me with such pitying eyes... No really, I do curse various things daily wondering how my life became like this.
"Nico Robin too. Isn't that a bit too heavy for a fourteen-year-old?"
"..."
"I don't plan to report upward for now, but if they find out, the government will use everything to kill you along with Nico Robin. ...Well, from that face you seem to understand."
"There's no pirate who'd let go of the treasure they've obtained." (Kuro)
"...Really amazing guts you have."
"What's this mean, you bastards... pirates and Marines teaming up!?" (Gecko)
I really wonder what this means. Recently my life's been jerking me around with roller coaster-level acceleration and sharp turns, and I can't make sense of it.
Please, can someone apply a patch or MOD to adjust the difficulty? I'm not being greedy asking for easy, but could you at least adjust it down to normal Hard? Seriously.
"This kid noticed the Marine slave incident, and he's been helping with various things after."
"What kind of pirate are you!?"
Really, that!? No, I didn't plan on being a pirate in the first place!!
"Though I've fallen to piracy, I don't intend to turn my back on my honor."
This world applies terrible debuffs if you don't find your own principles! Even following principles won't guarantee victory, but then at least I'll go out in blazing glory like a character episode!!
If I protect what needs protecting and get all my subordinates to escape, that's my victory, idiots!!
"If I think someone should be saved, I'll save them whether pirate or Marine."
"...Nice, that makes me want your shadow even more."
"I'll definitely make you my subordinate! As a zombie!! Kishishishi!!"
Sorry, that too-innovative recruitment... is, well, a no-thank-you... yeah...
–
"You bastard, you can get even faster!?"
"After all this kicking, only my legs are taking damage..."
"Our pirate ranks are completely different!"
"Am I higher?"
"Talk big, brat!!!"
"--...Vice Admiral, the soldiers!!"
I keep thinking this, but this kid isn't at the four seas' level...!
I blocked with ice walls the bats he sent toward the kids fighting zombies, pretending to aim at Kuro. He could have reacted himself, but calling out let him defend perfectly.
"Really, you... have good eyes."
"To run fast and accurately, good eyes were necessary."
"Tch, annoying fly brat and an ice Logia!"
Gecko Moria. A Ppirate ranking among the top in the Grand Line—his Haki is on another level compared to enemies I've faced.
I've fired Haki-wrapped ice or slashed with ice swords several times, but everything's been blocked.
"Still, as expected of Gecko Moria. This might be a bit tough..."
"No, apparently not."
Before the pirate who spread masses of bats around, solidifying defenses while blocking retreat, the rookie boy pirate faced him boldly:
"He's blocking the Vice Admiral's attacks with Haki, but blocking my kicks with pure physical ability alone."
"Maybe he judged your kicks don't require Haki? Actually, they're barely doing damage."
"If he'd wrapped Haki continuously, I'd have been out of the fight long ago and he'd focus everything on the Vice Admiral."
"I see, that's certainly—gh"
Sensing presence from below, I jumped back as thick spears of gathered ability bats burst forth. Consecutively.
"Kuro-kun!"
"No problem."
Judging him as particularly troublesome, he avoided all the spears and bat attacks repeatedly targeting him—astonishingly, sometimes evading at speeds where I'd lose sight of him.
"Kuro, your speed is impressive. But—you lack experience!!"
"--Tch"
But Moria caught him. Reading Kuro's evasion destination, Moria's black spear shot horizontally from the wall, not the floor, at the moment Kuro dodged, piercing Kuro's body.
"Kishishi! Finally caught you, fly bastard—ugohh!?"
Pierced through left shoulder and right leg, yet Kuro's speed showed no decline. Landing a hit the moment Moria let his guard down, blood spurting from his leg, he put his full strength into that leg and thrust it into Moria's throat.
"Vice Admiral!"
"Gh! Ice Block Pheasant Beak!"
At the collapsed opening, I fired a massive pheasant-shaped ice block. This time with no time to wrap Haki, yet his robustly trained body withstood the ice block's strike.
"Damn...! What annoying coordination! What kind of combination are you really!"
"Good combo, right? No, I'm surprised Kuro-kun can match me too."
Still... I could probably win if I touch him, but he won't let me touch easily. He understands fighting Logia.
"Kuro-kun, is your leg okay?"
"Yes, I'm fine."
Thanks to this pirate harassing Moria, I can somehow keep up. But currently, we lack a decisive blow.
Especially since Kuro, who served as harasser and delayer, injured his leg.
"Continuing from before, Moria is probably at his limit."
As I wondered what to do, 'Silent Step' spoke while adjusting his glasses.
"He can't wrap Haki for long periods. So he allocates it to attacks as much as possible rather than defense. Also, the time lag wrapping Haki when shifting to attacks is gradually increasing."
"...Hey, Kuro-kun."
"Yes."
"You know Haki well."
Kuro's brow twitched. Hearing the clashing sounds of combat behind, I remembered something else.
"You instructed those kids to use salt, right? How'd you know about the weakness of zombies created by devil fruit?"
"...A pirate's knowledge."
"Knowledge, huh."
The threatening force is obviously Gecko Moria. As a New World pirate who clashed with a Yonko, his ability is no joke.
But what my instinct whispers is more threatening—
…Such an unfathomable kid as Nico Robin's guardian...
--'Please, hurry!!'
--'Captain-san is fighting!!' (Robin)
Really, you never know how the world will turn.
"Kuro-kun."
"Yes."
"Probably, if his Haki's weakening, I think I can win if I touch him."
"But he won't let you touch. ...I should stop his movement, right?"
"Understood—I'll go forward once more."
Really... this kid will surely become a pirate scary to the Navy.
–
(in the Future, Kuro and Kuzan)
-- ...Zan... Kuzan.
-- ...Oops, sorry. Seems I dozed off.
-- You were sleeping pretty comfortably.
-- I was dreaming about when I first met you.
-- Nostalgic talk... it's been nearly twenty years.
-- You were this small back then.
-- I thought even then but you're too big... no, never mind. I can see our island.
-- Oh my, shall we prepare then.
-- Yeah, please. Even though you're new, I'm entrusting you as our 'Captain', so dress appropriately.
-- I understand....
--
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