Bartholomew Kuma's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at Storm.
'Is this man really an angel?'
Or was he a devil that had escaped from the depths of hell?
Just moments ago, Kuma had silently expressed gratitude toward this so-called "angel" who had helped him deal with the attacking Marines. But now, all that gratitude had disappeared without a trace.
The "angel" had clearly subdued the warships, immobilized their officers, and neutralized all threats. Yet, without any warning, he suddenly released them.
Why?
Was it because Kuma had refused the pirate's invitation?
'Is this what it means to bully an honest man?'
His expression darkened as he processed what had just happened.
"Why?" Storm asked with a smile, completely unfazed by his own actions. "In the news, they call you a 'tyrant'—a man who overthrew an entire regime single-handedly." He tilted his head slightly. "But now, faced with enemies, you hesitate?"
From behind them, the sound of metal clicking filled the air as the naval warships regained their freedom.
Click. Clack. Clank.
Hundreds of marines scrambled to ready their weapons, loading ammunition, calibrating artillery, and preparing for battle.
If Kuma continued to hesitate… the cannons of the marines would not.
Storm watched with interest, eyes gleaming with expectation. He truly wanted to see how the man called "the most honest pirate" would react.
Would he choose to resist? Or would he fight back?
Amidst the pirate's taunts and the looming threat of bombardment, Kuma slowly raised his right hand.
A faint glow formed at his palm as he activated his Paw-Paw Fruit ability.
The air compressed, coalescing into a small, translucent paw-shaped mass hovering just above his palm. It gathered and dispersed, then gathered again—Kuma hesitated.
Storm sighed internally.
'So predictable.'
To call Kuma "soft-hearted" was an understatement.
To put it more bluntly… he was a man who accepted everything that happened to him. An unwavering pacifist who refused to take violent action unless absolutely necessary.
But that was exactly why Storm found him interesting.
With a flick of his wrist, Storm activated Heavenly Binding: Clayfall! once more.
From the void above, ripples in space distorted the sky.
A flood of white clay cascaded down like a divine waterfall, smothering everything in its path. In an instant, the three warships and every soul aboard them were once again encased in layers of hardened clay.
In the face of overwhelming power, the marines, the self-proclaimed king, the warships—all of it was reduced to mere playthings in Storm's hands.
Kuma let out a quiet breath, relief washing over him as the imminent battle was once again avoided.
He did not wish to fight.
He never had.
Unless there was no other choice.
But just because Kuma wished for peace… didn't mean others would grant it.
Storm's eyes gleamed as he turned his full attention to the towering man before him.
Though Kuma had not accepted his invitation to join him, in Storm's mind, the man was already his future crew member.
And what kind of captain would he be if he didn't test his new recruit?
Storm reached for his blade.
In a single motion, he unsheathed his Blazing Saber.
Shing!
A flash of cold steel cut through the air.
A crescent-shaped flying slash, laced with searing flames, shot across the sea. Sparks danced along its edge, forming a beautiful yet deadly arc of fire.
In the blink of an eye, it was upon Kuma.
His pupils contracted.
"A Flying Slash?"
Without hesitation, he raised his palm, meeting the attack head-on.
The flaming arc struck Kuma's flesh.
But it did not cut him.
Not even a scratch.
Instead, the fiery blade was absorbed into the cushiony pads of Kuma's paw.
A moment later, with a flick of his wrist, he deflected it to the side.
The redirected slash rocketed toward the ocean, carving deep into the waters.
Hiss—CRASH!
The sea itself split apart.
Torrents of water surged into the air as an enormous trench opened in the ocean's surface. The waves roared, colliding with deafening force, the aftermath of the powerful slash creating a momentary abyss in the sea.
Far above, carried by the Blue-Eyes White Dragon, two figures stared down in stunned silence.
Kid swallowed hard. "Killer… did someone just say they weren't good at swordsmanship?"
"Fa… fa… fa…" Killer wanted to laugh, but the sheer absurdity of what he had just witnessed made it impossible.
Back on the battlefield, Storm's lips curled in amusement.
'So this is the power of the Paw-Paw Fruit.'
A technique capable of deflecting a flaming sword slash that could cleave warships in half.
The idea that "there is no strongest Devil Fruit" was complete nonsense.
He now had undeniable proof.
Storm's expression sharpened.
A single flying slash wouldn't be enough to push Kuma to his limits.
He needed more.
Raising his blade once again, he activated another skill.
The moment he did, an eerie light enveloped the Blazing Saber.
The blade began to extend.
Longer… and longer…
Its steel stretched and lengthened, its form warping under an inexplicable power.
[Name: Hundredfold Enhancement]
[Star Rating: ★★★★★]
[Effect: Enhances weapon performance to a hundred times its original state]
[Comment: Shikai! Shoot to kill!]
This five-star skill was obtained by Storm through the death trophy of Brynddi World.
Under the power of Hundredfold Enhancement, the Blazing Saber instantly transformed into a massive sword spanning a hundred meters!
What was even more astonishing was that, despite its terrifying size, the weight of the Blazing Saber felt as light as a feather.
At the same time, its sharpness had increased a hundredfold!
Storm gripped the Blazing Saber and executed a simple yet deadly slash toward the sea ahead.
The Blazing Saber carved through the air, leaving behind a sharp trajectory.
The blade cut through the air without a sound, descending directly toward Kuma.
In response, Kuma raised his massive paws—fleshy pads acting as a shield—blocking the attack head-on.
The hundred-meter-long Blazing Saber crashed against Kuma's palms.
Though he suffered no injuries, the small sailboat beneath him couldn't withstand the shockwave from their battle.
Crack—Crack—
Splintering sounds echoed as the fragile boat gave way.
Kuma, sensing the danger, quickly reacted.
Bracing his right hand in front, he struck himself with his left.
Bang!
In an instant, Kuma vanished from the boat, as if he had teleported.
Storm's Blazing Saber continued downward, cleaving the already fractured boat cleanly in half.
The severed edge of the boat gleamed—smooth as polished glass.
A sharp red light flickered in Storm's eyes as he activated Observation Haki, scanning for Kuma's new position.
Almost immediately, he caught the "sound" of Kuma's presence.
Surprisingly, rather than retreating to the Sorbet Kingdom, Kuma had reappeared atop a Marine warship—one already engulfed by clay.
For a brief moment, Storm's expression turned odd.
He hadn't yet devised a strategy to trap a foe who could teleport across the battlefield.
Yet now, Kuma had walked straight into his grasp!
Steadying himself atop the clay-covered warship, Kuma bent into a sumo stance.
His massive paws pushed forward repeatedly.
"Thrust Pressure Cannon!" (Tsuppari Pad Ho!)
One after another, pale white, bear-paw-shaped shockwaves blasted from his palms, streaking toward Storm.
Storm remained motionless, allowing the attacks to strike him head-on.
Boom! Boom! Boom!—
Each shockwave collided with Storm, causing him to erupt into countless white clay fragments.
However, the attack was purely physical.
It was useless against Storm's clay body.
The explosive force of the "Thrust Pressure Cannon" couldn't even outpace his self-regeneration.
"Flight, spatial techniques, swordsmanship… and a logia-like body?"
Kuma was shocked.
"When did such a powerful pirate appear on the sea?"
His moment of distraction was all Storm needed.
Remotely manipulating the surrounding clay, Storm shaped it into thick chains that coiled around Kuma's legs.
"Huh?!"
Kuma immediately realized something was wrong.
By the time he attempted to shake off the encroaching clay, it had already wrapped around him tightly, restricting his movement.
He raised a hand, prepared to repel it—
But Storm wouldn't give him the chance.
Heavenly Binding: Clayfall!
Above the warship, the void opened once again.
An overwhelming deluge of clay descended, converging on a single target—
Bartholomew Kuma!
In mere seconds, the Tyrant was completely encased in clay, frozen in place like a statue.
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