Fukuro was like the legendary hair-eating ghost, his green long hair dancing wildly like a demon's tentacles.
His long hair twisted into a bundle, the tip stabbing toward Kageromaru like the point of a spear!
This was a technique of Life Return — even something like hair could be freely controlled. But being able to use it as an attack was only possible because Fukuro had already mastered Armament Haki.
Otherwise, no matter how much you controlled long hair, it could at most restrain opponents or be used for high-speed cutting. Piercing into an enemy's body like a sharp metal spearhead would be impossible.
A combo of attacks landed on Kageromaru. Although the dog blocked several waves with its blade, its own swordsmanship was far from agile, so it ended up taking most of Fukuro's attacks head-on.
But before Fukuro could feel smug, Kageromaru — having absorbed all those hits — stood back up as if nothing had happened, twisted its neck, and instantly unleashed a crescent-shaped slash from its blade!
Dog Style: Crescent Moon Slash!
The golden crescent slash hurtled toward Fukuro, severing all of his long hair in an instant before continuing toward his neck!
Fukuro dodged frantically, only to see three thunder-light shuriken already bearing down on him!
"Life Return — Lion's Mane!"
His severed hair began to multiply, growing outward as if under a spell. In an instant, it was as if a river of green hair had sprouted from his head.
Under his control, the hair wove together and formed a shield-like barrier, protecting his body and blocking Kageromaru's thunder shuriken.
"You two — what are you waiting for?! Get over here and help!"
"We've got our own problems!" Jabra shouted. He had already transformed into his wolf-man form and was fighting Kageromaru alongside Owl — when would he have time to help Fukuro?
Seeing this, Fukuro could only curse under his breath and face Kageromaru alone.
'Damn it — my Hair-Finger Pistol definitely hit that mutt just now. Why didn't it work?'
Fukuro was baffled. The CP agents' Haki training was pretty lackluster, but they had at least learned the basics. An attack shouldn't have had zero effect.
Kageromaru had no idea what this guy was thinking, otherwise it would have absolutely mocked him.
Please. I, the great Hat-and-Sword Dog, Black Shadow, Blade of the Gale, Canine Warrior Kageromaru — you think I'd go down from one hit?
I've got 2.2 million HP, and you're trying to chip-damage me through that?
…
"I didn't expect I'd be joining the fight too," Robin sighed.
Approaching twenty, Robin had already grown into a graceful young woman. Unlike her canon counterpart who had lived a life of wandering, her skin was fair and luminous, and her figure was excellent.
The problem was she had gone too far down the path of scientific research and couldn't turn back. She had become much less interested in her original archaeological studies.
This was actually quite normal. In the original story, Robin's desire to become an archaeologist had been entirely born from loneliness — she wanted to fit in with those scholars. And she also wanted to follow the same path as her mother.
After arriving at Enkanomiya, it was as if a whole new world had opened up to her.
She was fascinated not only by physical sciences but also by Lineage Factor and even elemental theory.
But fighting and killing — that didn't interest her much, at least not doing it personally. However, that didn't mean she was weak.
In fact, Robin had often trained alongside Yamato and the others over the years. In terms of combat, she could hold her own against two of the Pirate Empress's sisters.
"Doesn't matter, I'll handle it!" Sabo said eagerly, practically bouncing on his feet.
He was incredibly excited. Ever since Ren had brought him to Inazuma, he had undergone grueling training, and he was the type who thrived on challenge.
Losing to Ace back then had left a hole in his heart. Especially after all this training, he was even more eager to prove himself.
Unfortunately, he was still too young. The old Sabo had thought he'd have to wait several more years before he could face a real life-or-death battle.
He never expected to get on the field now — and that Lord Ren would even let him pilot the latest research achievement: the Demon King Armament!
This was way too thrilling!
"Big Sister Robin, just watch from the side!"
"Are you sure? Lord Ren said this time's opponents are two Marines, and they're quite capable," Robin countered.
She didn't know much about Sabo's strength, but she was clearly uneasy about trusting this kid who barely reached her navel in height.
"Don't worry — I only need to use a fraction of my power, and that's already the limit of this tier!" Sabo said confidently. "Besides, I've got the Demon King Armament, don't I? No problem at all. Big Sister Robin, just stay on the sidelines and record the Demon King Armament's data."
"I don't mind, but the Demon King Armament has severe side effects. If your body can't handle it, you might get torn to shreds by the armor's incredible performance while in its powered state," Robin said with a gentle smile.
"Torn… to shreds? It wouldn't be that cruel, would it?" Sabo suddenly started to panic.
But after a moment, he suddenly realized.
"Wait — I'm a Logia user! Even if I get torn to pieces, it shouldn't matter, right?"
The reason the Demon King Armament caused strain was entirely because of its incredible performance. When the user moved, their body couldn't keep up with the enhancements the armor provided.
It was like how some people got ear ringing on high-speed trains or airplanes, except the burden from the Demon King Armament was far more severe.
After all, when a person was inside a train or airplane, their body and the vehicle could be considered one whole.
But inside the Demon King Armament, a person's left leg, right leg, and various body parts might all be moving in different directions simultaneously — the danger went without saying.
During earlier testing phases, several test subjects had swung their fists with their feet moving forward, but their upper body leaning back to build momentum, and they had snapped clean in half.
But this burden was purely physical.
It was like two different forces tearing at each other. For a Logia user like Sabo, it had absolutely no effect.
It seemed the Demon King Armament was designed exclusively for Logia users. Others — even Zoan users — probably couldn't withstand its side effects.
Thinking this through, Sabo felt even more at ease.
Those two so-called Marines? Not worth worrying about at all.
[
Dear Readers,
I need your help. My financial situation is critical, and I can't continue without support.
Despite this, I'm still posting 5 chapters daily across all my fictions because I love what I do and don't want to stop—but I can't sustain this alone.
Support Tiers:
Adventurer ($3/month): 20 chapters ahead + 150 chapters/month across all fics
Warrior ($7/month): 40 chapters ahead + 150 chapters/month
Immortal ($10/month - Best Value): 60 chapters ahead + character images/visuals + bonus content + 150 chapters/month
Important: Subscribe through your browser (not Apple App) to avoid 30% extra fees and 2-3 month payment delays.
Even $3 helps immensely. If you can't subscribe, please share my work with someone who might enjoy it.
Thank you for reading and considering support.
Patreon: patreon.com/anish_44
Ko-fi: ko-fi.com/anish_44
]