Chapter 137 CP0 (4)
'Should I retreat… for now?' The white-masked man questioned himself. "No! We are the world's strongest intelligence agency—CIPHER POL AIGIS 0! How can we abandon our mission and choose to flee?"
'But… is this really a newly formed pirate crew that's only been at sea for half a year? They have way too many top-tier combatants!'
The CP0 squad leader looked around. Yanis was being suppressed by Chiron and Akame—his bird-beak mask had already been partly sliced off.
Then there was Marley, who had suffered a bone-shattering spear strike from Scáthach and was now buried under rubble, his fate unknown.
And finally, the most pitiful of them all—Barbo, surrounded by two monsters, Esdeath and Scáthach.
The more he looked, the darker his expression became, the more shocked he felt inside.
"Your mind is wandering."
"!"
The white-masked CP0 suddenly snapped out of it—he had actually spaced out in the middle of combat, right in front of his enemy.
"Watch the spear!"
Eric controlled the cursed spear with his left hand, directing its angle while the shaft spun through the crook of his palm. His right hand gripped the base tightly, controlling its length and power.
The red spear tip left behind afterimages as Eric stabbed dozens of times in a flash.
[Kami-e]
The CP0 moved like a fluttering sheet of paper, weaving and dodging each thrust with uncanny precision.
Eric suddenly stopped, withdrawing the spear and ending the barrage. At that moment, Kurumi appeared at his side and fired her flintlock at point-blank range.
[Iron Body]
"Dammit!" The energy-charged bullet, far stronger than a regular round, struck like a mini-cannon and blasted the CP0 backward.
[Geppo]
He stabilized mid-air, adjusted his posture, and kicked upward, gaining height.
"Iron Body: Crush!" He aimed a powerful, fatal punch down at Kurumi.
"!?"
From Kurumi's shadow, dozens of rifles and pistols suddenly rose, all aimed at him midair.
Bang bang bang!
A flood of gunfire erupted. Orange bullets flew in a thick barrage, leaving bright trails behind them.
Forced to dodge, the CP0 used Geppo to flee the bullet path—but the barrage tracked him closely. As he twisted and darted, the bullets formed a curving trail behind him like a glowing serpent.
Bzzzzt!
Suddenly, a pillar of blue lightning blocked his way from the front, forcing him to stop.
[Iron Body]
The bullets behind finally struck, pummeling his body in a continuous hail of fire.
After a full minute of nonstop bombardment, Kurumi's shadowy clone finally ceased firing, and the dozens of weapons vanished back into the darkness.
Though the individual bullets lacked strong Haki infusion, their sheer number was overwhelming.
The CP0's previously pristine white suit was now shredded. Bits of fabric fluttered from his torso in the breeze.
"Haaah~" Kurumi exhaled deeply. The sustained barrage and use of Armament Haki had drained her. Unlike Esdeath and Scáthach, she wasn't a stamina monster who could fight day and night.
"This guy's way too tough... How is he not even injured?"
"One of the Six Styles, Iron Body, combined with Armament Haki—it's hard to break through. Your Haki isn't strong enough yet."
"Hmph~" Kurumi grumbled, clearly dissatisfied.
"Is that all?" the CP0 descended to the ground. "So the captain and gunner of the Eric Pirates are this weak? That tickled."
"Ara~ Then I'll just have to go all out and blast you to pieces."
Though smiling on the outside, Kurumi was mentally cursing him to hell. She was determined to kill this guy today.
While the constant shooting hadn't drained her stamina too badly, her Haki reserves were nearly empty. Her face turned pale, sweat forming on her forehead.
Seeing this, Eric quickly stepped forward to take over. "Kurumi, rest. Let me handle it now."
Hearing that, Kurumi lowered her pistol and shifted from yandere mode back into her elegant ojou-sama demeanor. "I leave it to you, my dear Eric~"
"Alright~ Leave it to me."
Eric resumed his combat stance.
"Here I come."
He raised the cursed Gae Bolg. The spear pointed diagonally toward the ground, its red tip glowing with swirling red energy, sparks dancing from its edge like stars in the night.
The other fighters all paused and widened their distance to avoid being caught in the blast.
"Ugh…" From under the rubble, a CP0 was finally rescued by his teammate.
"Is that the spear technique Eric learned from you?" Esdeath asked, glancing at Scáthach nearby.
Scáthach kept her eyes on Eric. "It is. But he hasn't mastered it yet. It's a bit early for real combat."
The white-masked CP0's mask was already cracked, but the visible part of his face showed sneering disdain. "I've fought your spear already. Your Haki and technique are trash! The only threat is your lightning fruit!"
Eric didn't reply. He focused on gathering power. The red glow at his spear's tip intensified.
Then he opened his system panel and upgraded both Spear Technique and Armament Haki from 4 stars to 5.
8 achievement points remaining.
Combat knowledge rushed into his mind. His muscle memory sharpened. His spear technique etched into flesh and bone. His Haki capacity and quality increased.
Bzzzt!
Blue lightning wrapped around the spearhead, merging with the red aura to create a noble purple glow—cold and radiant in the dark.
Armament Haki joined in as well, swirling around the Gae Bolg now shining in purple.
The white-masked CP0 sensed the power at the spear's tip through Observation Haki and dared not take it lightly. He assumed a full defensive posture.
[Iron Body]! [Hardening]! [Haki Coating]! He stacked every defense he had.
Tap
Eric stomped forward with his left foot and launched himself with his right. The ground cracked beneath him.
"Thorn of Death: Gae Bolg!"
The purple glow shot out like a serpent, zigzagging through the air toward CP0.
"Life Return: Hammer Fist!"
The CP0's body shrunk as he funneled all his power into his right arm, which swelled to twice its size.
His fist, coated in Haki hardening and wrapping, punched toward the incoming lightning serpent.
The moment they clashed, purple lightning split off in arcs all around.
And then—time froze.
Everyone looked on, stunned, as the purple lightning fractured, but then reversed direction—snapping back into its original form.
"What?!"
The enemy's expression changed drastically. He had no idea if time had reversed or if he was witnessing the future in reverse.
He had absolutely no idea what just happened.
(END CHAPTER)
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