Luffy faced off against Captain Ginyu and Burter. The rest of the crew had spread out across the ocean, engaging their chosen opponents. The water churned with energy.
Burter vanished. He was fast—incredibly fast. Even Luffy's enhanced Observation Haki could barely track him. A punch came from nowhere, slamming into Luffy's back. Then another from the side. Then a kick from above.
Luffy tumbled across the water, laughing. "He's fast! Really fast!"
Ginyu watched, arms crossed. "Burter is the fastest in the universe. He's never been outsped."
Burter appeared behind Luffy again. "RED MAGMA BLASTER!"
A torrent of red energy shot from his mouth. Luffy's eyes went wide. He couldn't dodge in time. The blast hit him dead-on, creating a massive explosion.
When the smoke cleared, Luffy stood there, his vest smoking, a grin on his face. He'd coated himself in a thin layer of golden Ki at the last moment. It hadn't blocked the attack completely, but it had absorbed enough to keep him standing.
"That tickled! Okay, my turn!" Luffy bit his thumb. "Gear Second: Dawn Star!"
Steam and gold erupted from his body. He vanished. Burter's eyes went wide as Luffy appeared directly in front of him, his fist already extended.
"JET GATLING!"
A barrage of golden fists rained down on Burter. The speedster tried to dodge, but Luffy's punches were everywhere, creating a cage of rubber and Ki. Each punch connected, driving Burter deeper into the water.
Burter emerged, furious. "You... you hit me! NO ONE HITS BURTER!"
"Shishishi! I hit lots of people! You're not special!" Luffy shot forward again, but this time, Burter was ready. He grabbed Luffy's wrist and spun, using his momentum to throw him toward Ginyu.
Ginyu caught Luffy effortlessly, his grip like iron. "Impressive speed. But speed alone doesn't win battles." He headbutted Luffy, the force creating a shockwave that flattened the ocean surface for miles.
Luffy's vision swam. This guy was strong. Really strong. But that just made it more fun.
He stretched his neck, wrapping it around Ginyu's arm, and used the leverage to flip behind him. "Gomu Gomu no... GOLDEN BAZOOKA!"
Both hands, wreathed in golden Ki, slammed into Ginyu's back. The captain was sent flying, skipping across the water like a stone.
Burter stared in disbelief. The captain had been hit. This rubber boy had actually hit the captain.
Ginyu recovered, floating back to the surface. His expression wasn't angry—it was delighted. "Magnificent! A worthy opponent! Burter, fall back. I'll handle this one personally."
"But Captain—"
"That's an order."
Burter nodded, flying back to watch. Ginyu faced Luffy, a wide grin on his frog-like face.
"Now then, anomaly. Let's see what you're really made of."
He vanished. Luffy's eyes went wide as Ginyu appeared behind him, a knee already driving into his spine. The force sent Luffy flying into the air. Ginyu appeared above him, an elbow coming down. Then below, a kick. He was everywhere at once, each blow landing with devastating force.
Luffy couldn't track him. Even with Observation Haki, even with Ki sensing, Ginyu was too fast, too precise. This wasn't like fighting Burter—this was like fighting an entire army by himself.
He crashed into the water, sinking deep. For a moment, everything was dark and quiet. Then he felt it. A presence. Ginyu, swimming toward him with supernatural speed.
Luffy grinned underwater. He'd been waiting for this.
"Gear Third: Dawn Star!"
His fist expanded to enormous size, wreathed in golden Ki. The water around him began to boil from the energy. As Ginyu approached, Luffy swung.
"GIGANT THOR SHELL!"
The punch connected with the ocean itself, creating a massive whirlpool that dragged Ginyu into its center. The force of the blow created a tidal wave that swept across the battlefield, separating the other combatants.
Ginyu emerged from the whirlpool, gasping. "What... what was that?!"
Luffy floated on the surface, back to his normal size, panting. "That was my big punch. Did it hurt?"
Ginyu stared at the boy. In all his years serving Frieza, he'd never met an opponent like this. So seemingly simple, yet so devastatingly creative in battle. This wasn't just a fighter—this was an artist of combat.
He made a decision. "Anomaly! I propose a trade!"
Luffy tilted his head. "A trade? Like meat for treasure?"
"Better. I have a technique called Body Change. It allows me to swap bodies with my opponent. You have a fascinating body—rubber, filled with strange energies. I want it. In exchange, I'll give you mine. You'll gain the body of the Ginyu Force captain! Think of the power!"
Luffy considered this for a moment. "So I'd be in your body, and you'd be in mine?"
"Precisely!"
Luffy's face scrunched up in thought. Then he grinned. "Okay! Let's do it!"
Ginyu blinked. "You... you agree? Just like that?"
"Yeah! Your body looks strong! And then I can do your poses even better!"
Ginyu laughed. "Excellent! Hold still, then. BODY CHANGE!"
A purple aura shot from Ginyu's mouth, heading straight for Luffy. At the last possible moment, Luffy stretched his neck to the side, dodging the attack completely. The aura flew past him and dissipated.
"Shishishi! Made you look!"
Ginyu's eye twitched. "You... you tricked me!"
"I didn't trick you! I just moved! You said hold still, but I don't like holding still!" Luffy laughed, genuinely amused by the whole exchange.
Ginyu growled. "Enough games! I'll crush you myself!"
He charged forward, but Luffy was ready now. He'd figured something out. Ginyu was strong, incredibly strong, but he wasn't a creative fighter. He relied on brute force and his body-switching technique. Without those, he was just another strong guy.
Luffy met the charge head-on. "GEAR SECOND: DAWN STAR—MAXIMUM!"
His body erupted in golden light. The steam was so intense it created a fog bank. He moved, and this time, he was almost as fast as Ginyu. Almost.
They clashed in the center of the fog, a hundred blows exchanged in seconds. Each impact created shockwaves that pushed back the ocean itself. The battle had become a test of pure endurance.
And Luffy never lost endurance fights.