Chapter 65: Whether You Do It or Not, You Have to Pay!
Confirming that Zephyr wasn't solely targeting him, Sag's mood improved slightly. He shifted his feet, positioning himself between Zephyr and Lily, and said, "Lily, go inform the subordinates, tell them to speed up."
"Understood."
Lily nodded, knowing she couldn't be of much help here. She turned and ran towards Loguetown.
However, just as she moved, Zephyr raised his mechanical arm, swiftly reaching out to grab Lily.
*Bang!*
A foot slammed onto the mechanical arm, pinning it to the ground. Sag pressed down hard on the mechanical arm, grinning menacingly at Zephyr.
Zephyr moved the mechanical arm slightly, the corner of his mouth curving. "This old man remembers, you finished off Ennio, didn't you? That little girl also has a bounty poster, thirty million, surname Bientetta... I see. So Shirai is in her hands. Has that foolish disciple of this old man's wish been fulfilled?" *(Shirai = White Lightning, presumably Lily's sword)*
"I don't care about that stuff. All I know is, don't think about ruining my grand plan to get rich!"
Sag gritted his teeth. "Old guys should just retire properly. You've even lost an arm, still trying to exert your remaining energy? Careful you don't have an asthma attack with no one around to treat you!"
On the large warship that had arrived downwind with the branch warships, no one else could be seen standing. That meant there were no other strong individuals, only Zephyr.
Just one person, Admiral or not, he didn't care!
"Truly a dangerous element. But this old man..."
Zephyr clenched his other hand into a fist and smashed it towards Sag. "...doesn't accept being old!"
*Bang!*
An identical fist collided fiercely with Zephyr's. Simultaneously, both fists were engulfed in black (*Busoshoku Haki*), emitting a collision sound like steel striking steel.
"Haki?"
Zephyr was clearly stunned for a moment.
Taking advantage of this gap, Sag quickly kicked out, his leg whipping towards Zephyr's head like a lash.
"Too shallow!"
*Boom!*
Facing the incoming leg, Zephyr wasn't flustered at all. Instead, he used the force of his arm to press Sag's fist away, creating an impulse that knocked Sag backward, forcing him off the mechanical arm he was stepping on.
"Smash Gatling!"
In that instant, Zephyr lifted his mechanical arm towards the retreating Sag, opening it up and firing a large number of bullets.
*Dadadada!*
A dense barrage of fast-moving bullets rained down on Sag's entire body. Against such an attack, even blocking with Haki would consume stamina.
Zephyr was indeed surprised that he knew Haki, but this kid seemed quite pleased with himself. Against such a person, he didn't even need to fight head-on; there were many experienced ways to...
"Tekkai!"
Sag, after retreating, crossed his arms, stood firm on the ground, and let the bullets pour onto his body, creating clusters of sparks.
This sudden move caused Zephyr another momentary pause, but he quickly reacted. His mechanical arm aimed at Sag, condensing a cluster of brilliance.
"Smash Bazooka!"
*Bang!*
This time, what fired was a cannon blast!
"Soru."
Sag's figure disappeared from the spot, flashing to Zephyr's side. His foot swept out, cunningly poking towards Zephyr's waist/rib area.
*Whoosh!*
But in that same instant, Zephyr fiercely twisted his waist. The huge mechanical arm rapidly rotated half a circle, smashing towards Sag.
"Geppo."
*Dong!*
Sag smoothly stepped on the air, ascending continuously, dodging the swing of the mechanical arm.
*Dadadada!*
Zephyr quickly lifted it again, firing another large volley of bullets.
This time, Sag, leaping in the air, his body like a willow moving with the wind, let the dense bullets pass around his body, not a single one hitting him.
Zephyr stopped firing, watching Sag bounce in the air for a while before landing quickly. He narrowed his eyes and said hoarsely, "Rokushiki? Who taught you?"
"Couldn't I have been self-taught?" Sag flexed his hands, asking provocatively.
"That's truly a pity. A guy like you actually became a pirate. How fallen!" Zephyr shouted.
"Mind your own business, old undying bastard!"
Sag stomped his foot, instantly rushing in front of Zephyr. His already blackened fist struck straight at Zephyr's chest.
*Just need to land one punch...*
*Bang!*
The mechanical arm intercepted, causing his fist to strike the hard steel, emitting a heavy sound.
Sag narrowed his eyes, his body suddenly bent, drilling directly under the mechanical arm. A leg rose like lightning, striking Zephyr's jaw, kicking his head upward.
*Hit!*
*Bang!*
Just as the kick landed, Zephyr pressed down hard with the mechanical arm. A red dot flashed in Sag's pupils, and he quickly withdrew his body as the mechanical arm descended, dodging the heavy attack.
"Kids nowadays are really different."
On Zephyr's jaw, a trace of black (*Haki*) was slowly fading. He pondered for a moment. "There's a special kind of force in your attacks."
"Ah... then you'd better be careful!" Sag gritted his teeth.
As a former Admiral, even if he was old, Sag wouldn't think the opponent couldn't perceive the specialty of his attacks.
His Haki wasn't just about increasing power. Once it hit, the Haki would also penetrate the human body's pressure points, causing damage.
"Sag!"
Suddenly, a voice came from the town. Renettia and Marika approached from the left and right, one carrying a large bundle on her back, the other dragging mountain-like piles of ingredients.
"Hey, who's this old man!" Renettia pulled out her tool hammer, twisting it to extend it.
"Zephyr..." Marika's pupils contracted; she recognized the newcomer.
As a former Marine Admiral, even though he had been retired for over thirty years, some people still recognized him.
Marika had seen old newspapers and knew the person before her.
"Pirates!"
Zephyr aimed his mechanical arm at the two, about to fire bullets, when Sag suddenly attacked, his Haki-covered foot kicking the mechanical arm away.
"Don't mind them! Put the things on the ship, prepare to withdraw!" Sag shouted.
"Will this old man let you go?!"
Zephyr planted his feet, and the deflected mechanical arm quickly slammed into Sag's body. Simultaneously, he kicked Sag's leg, making him stagger. The heavy mechanical arm knocked him to the ground, while also pinning him down.
"Smash..."
*Dong!!*
Sag's fists suddenly shot up, dense Haki凝聚 (condensed/gathered) in his hands. Under its flow, it rapidly expanded, like black flames igniting on his fists. He bombarded the mechanical arm, unexpectedly leaving two fist prints on it. One of the three 'petals' of the iron hand loosened, allowing Sag to seize the opportunity to break free.
"*Ryuō* (Coating)?"
Zephyr paused, looking at the two fist prints on the three-petaled hand of his mechanical arm. This thing was made of incredibly sturdy steel, mixed with Seastone. Its hardness was incomparable to ordinary things.
To be able to leave fist prints on this...
"Kid, do you still have enough Haki?" Zephyr asked gravely.
"None of your business!"
Sag bent his body slightly and quickly rushed towards Zephyr. His fists, covered in black flames, turned into afterimages and rapidly struck out.
Zephyr sneered, directly raising his mechanical arm as a shield, and Sag's fists struck directly onto it.
"Ora Ora Ora!"
*Bang bang bang!*
The mechanical arm struck by the fists vibrated violently, causing Zephyr to shake his head. "Good talent, but too impatient. Using Haki like this..."
He retreated two steps, his left hand quickly reaching out to grab Sag's wrist just after he finished swinging. His eyes widened, and he let out a muffled shout, slamming Sag's body fiercely onto the ground.
"It will be consumed!"
*Boom!*
The ground was smashed into a crater, and Sag's body sank into it. Zephyr didn't even look at him, pulling the mechanical arm and aiming the internal gun barrel at the two women approaching the Black Ship.
"Smash..."
*Ka!*
The thick root connecting to the mechanical arm suddenly disintegrated at this moment, as if starting a chain reaction, continuously breaking off parts. Finally, the entire mechanical arm connected to the right shoulder completely disintegrated, crashing to the ground and revealing Zephyr's right prosthetic limb.
*Whoosh!*
Haki, flowing like black flames, accompanied the sound of tearing air as a foot kicked rapidly towards him. Zephyr's pupils contracted, and his left hand also wrapped in Haki, subconsciously guarding his chest.
*Bang!*
Zephyr's body retreated several steps. He stared incredulously at the mechanical arm scattered into parts, and at Sag, who had quickly jumped up from the crater by kicking out his legs. "You..."
"Old man, it's not just swordsmen who know the 'Breath of All Things'," Sag grinned, blood leaking from the corner of his mouth, revealing a ferocious expression.
From the beginning, he had been aiming for this mechanical arm.
If this thing started firing bullets and cannonballs, his subordinates wouldn't be able to get any loot onto the ship. A single sweep or cannon shot could kill many of them.
Better take out that annoying mechanical arm first!
As for its hardness...
Just as swordsmen could use the 'Breath of All Things' to easily cut iron, Sag himself could see the pressure points of things in the world. It was just that his fists couldn't break things that were too hard.
But now that he knew Haki, the enhancement was more than just a little bit.
He didn't have time now to learn Garp's kind of strength and toughness, smashing mountains with pure physical strength. But possessing Haki, using coating to enhance power, he could achieve a similar effect.
"Sag!"
From behind, Lily reappeared, bringing with her a large group of pirates who were carrying boxes and barrels, running out of the town.
"The black market merchants over there know who you're fighting! They want to back out!"
"Bullshit!"
The confident smile Sag had just shown instantly darkened. He roared, "Since both sides signed the contract, whether they do it or not, they have to pay! Put the stuff outside the town for them. If they don't pay, go rob them! Rob that one billion Beli!"
Someone dared to default on *his* money?
Unacceptable!
Zephyr swung his prosthetic limb slightly, then clenched his left fist, Haki extending from his fist to his entire forearm.
"You are indeed dangerous. This old man won't let you leave."
His body seemed much lighter.
The mechanical arm was originally heavy. Although losing it meant losing a convenient means of attack, it also... freed him from its restraint.
"I wasn't planning on leaving right now..."
Sag grinned. "I'm a man of my word. If I say I'll rob enough goods for one billion Beli, I'll definitely rob enough goods for one billion Beli. Stalling you for half a day is enough!"
Although Zephyr felt very powerful, Sag could sense that his Haki wasn't as pure or strong as Garp's.
Instead, it gave off a very confused feeling...
His willpower was weakening!
He might actually be able to stall him for half a day!
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