Chapter 127: Gear Second + Gear Third, Casually Annihilating Lucci
RUMBLE!!!
In the seas surrounding Enies Lobby, the sky was a dreary gray. Thunder rumbled intermittently, an occasional flash of lightning illuminating the scene.
Only directly above the island, it was as if a giant hole had been punched out, an invisible barrier holding back the surrounding dark clouds, preventing them from encroaching even a fraction.
The main island of Enies Lobby was ablaze, roaring flames threatening to consume everything.
The Front Island, which had borne the brunt of the initial concentrated bombardment, had its fires gradually dying down, revealing an expanse of scorched earth, black ruins stretching as far as the eye could see.
The Sea Train, Rocketman, lay stationary on the sea surface. Kokoro, her large belly protruding, stood at the front of the locomotive, her eyes reflecting the island that resembled a living hell.
"Everyone's probably dead by now."
Kokoro held a green bottle, took a large swig of liquor, and laughed. "This trip really was a one-way ticket, ahahaha!"
The Straw Hat crew and the Franky Family were likely all gone. Despite having personally witnessed the tragic bombardment of Enies Lobby by the Buster Call, she showed not a trace of fear.
She looked back at the Rocketman, patched up with sheet metal here and there.
It was inherently a failed design, unable to decelerate or even stop properly, and had been sitting in an abandoned warehouse for over ten years.
Although Iceburg had performed simple maintenance on the long-neglected train before departure, the forced stop upon arrival, under immense impact, had caused numerous malfunctions. It could no longer move.
"Even if they managed to survive, none of us can go back now, hahaha," Granny Kokoro still grinned.
She couldn't go back either. They would probably all die here together.
Sitting down cross-legged, she tilted her head back and drained the liquor in one go, then casually tossed the bottle into the sea.
"Back then, when you built ships for Roger, did you feel this way too?"
Granny Kokoro looked calmly at the soaring flames before her, Luffy's figure involuntarily appearing in her mind.
Bringing the Straw Hat crew to Enies Lobby... she didn't regret it. "I think I understand you now... Mr. Tom."
That tall figure who, even at death's door, felt that building a ship for the Pirate King was the greatest honor of his life, and finally went to his death with pride and magnanimity – that image was indelible in her mind.
She sat there quietly, her green curly hair swaying with the wind, as if awaiting the arrival of death.
Just then, a white line appeared on the distant sea surface. Kokoro rubbed her eyelids and focused her gaze.
It was two giant King Bulls, speeding across the sea, their backs densely packed with many familiar figures.
"—Hey! Long time no see, smelly old hag!!"
A burly figure, wearing only a pair of swimming trunks, stood atop a Bull's head, waving and shouting.
"Ahahaha!"
Granny Kokoro grinned widely and laughed. "You actually survived, you bunch of smelly brats!"
The two giant King Bulls were very fast, and in a short while, they had carried everyone before her.
Nami immediately jumped down, asking urgently, "We're back, Granny! How's the fuel collection coming along?"
"Fuel... they did find some."
Kokoro pointed to a pile of Fish-Man undead inside the train, then added, "But the train can't move anymore."
"Nani!"
At these words, everyone panicked. She quickly explained the situation.
Amidst her panic, Nami suddenly thought of something. "Then what about the other one!? The World Government officials who brought Robin here also came by Sea Train, right!?"
"You mean the Puffing Tom?"
Granny Kokoro grinned, pointing towards the shattered station on the coast of Enies Lobby. "Although the Sea Train is very sturdy, it couldn't avoid damage under such intense cannon fire. I just swam over to check; it can't move either."
"How could this be!?"
"Then doesn't that mean we can't go back!?"
"Do you still have the stamina to carry us back?" Usopp quickly turned and asked the two King Bulls.
"Ree~~" They responded with a shake of their heads, denying. After running around the island, they too were covered in wounds, already at the end of their strength.
"Reiner went through such a battle; he probably doesn't have much stamina left either."
Usopp clenched his fists, his heart burning with anxiety, thoughts churning in his mind, fingernails digging fiercely into his palms. "What do we do? What do we do!? Quick, think of something, Usopp!"
The four main fighters on the ship were still fighting desperately, covering their retreat, letting them go first to prepare the train. But now, they couldn't help at all.
If, when they returned, exhausted, they saw this result...
Bang! Bang!
Usopp knelt on the ground, gritting his teeth and pounding the earth. "Damn it! Damn it!"
"Don't panic just yet!"
Franky turned and shouted, "Boys! Go into the station! Search for any usable tools! I'll see if I can figure out a way to repair it!"
"Yes, Big Bro!"
"Leave it to us!"
The Franky Family underlings responded loudly, then rode the Bulls towards the station on Enies Lobby's shore.
"Ahahaha! So many years have passed, Franky."
Granny Kokoro suddenly laughed, a hint of gratification in her eyes. "I thought you'd never repair a ship again until the day you died."
"Tch! Enough of your nonsense, old hag!" Franky turned his face away.
He had indeed made a vow back then: unless one day, his ultimate dream became possible – to build a dream ship...
Otherwise, he would never repair or build a ship again in his life. This was why, despite possessing super first-class shipwright skills, he had been running a ship-dismantling yard all this time.
"I also promised to help the Straw Hat crew leave Enies Lobby."
Franky crossed his arms before his chest, stood ramrod straight with his feet apart, his red floral shirt fluttering without wind as he shouted with soaring spirit:
"As a true man! Even if I break a vow, I will do it openly and honorably!!"
Those words sounded strange but...
"So cool, Big Bro!"
Behind him on either side, the square-headed sisters yelled excitedly, "To be so righteous even when breaking a vow!!"
"Th-th... This is..."
Chopper and Usopp stared at Franky in disbelief, their eyes suddenly shining with golden light. "A true man!!"
Duang! Duang!
"Are you idiots!?"
Nami roared, landing a heavy punch on each of them, then turned to Franky, worriedly, "Then we're counting on you, Franky."
"Ah, you're welcome! Leave it to me, Big Sis Nami!" Franky waved his hands, looking rather apprehensive.
Meanwhile, on the other side of Enies Lobby, separated from Nami and the others...
Three battlefields raged fiercely. Excluding Reiner fighting in the sky, Zoro and Sanji were being heavily suppressed on the ice, barely able to resist.
The final battlefield, within the giant pillar supporting the Bridge of Hesitation...
Bang! Bang! Bang! Dull impact sounds erupted continuously. From time to time, dust billowed, only to be dispersed by powerful wind pressure.
The disheveled Lucci looked ferocious, his body covered in wounds. Luffy, flushed red from exertion, suddenly flashed before him, wisps of white steam jetting from his body!
Lucci raised his left arm to block Luffy's punch, simultaneously swiping out with his sharp five claws to force him back.
Immediately following, he lashed out with a kick. A giant green wind scythe transformed into a flying bird, shooting straight towards the retreating figure.
"Rankyaku: Hyobi!" (Storm Leg: Extreme - Victor-Bird!)
BOOM!!
The crescent wind scythe, moving extremely fast, like a green bird taking flight, struck Luffy's chest.
A spray of blood erupted from the ghastly wound, his body sent smashing into a stone wall.
Lucci's full-power Rankyaku had actually blasted a crack in the thick wall, rubble falling as smoke billowed.
"So painful!"
Luffy gritted his teeth, clutching his chest, hot blood seeping out and dyeing his palm scarlet.
His gaze fixed intently on the black silhouette charging out from the smoke. His opponent's durability was beyond imagination.
To still possess such fighting strength after taking so many of his attacks... Luffy had never encountered such a tenacious enemy before.
Little did he know, his opponent felt the same way; Luffy's durability shocked Lucci even more.
Struggling to pull his body free from the wall, Luffy bent his legs, rapidly pumping them to smash into the ground. Under the immense recoil, he instantly vanished from his spot.
BANG!!
Powerful wind pressure dispersed the thick smoke, revealing the messy, yet empty, area beneath the wall.
Luffy's figure reappeared in a corner, his arms pulled far back, eyes locked onto his opponent.
His red arms instantly snapped forward. The powerful bodily functions granted by Gear Second, combined with rubber's elasticity, sent both palms smashing out with the speed of lightning that leaves no time to cover one's ears.
"Gum-Gum Jet Bazooka!"
Like a stone dropped onto a calm water surface, his reddened palms slammed into Lucci's abdomen, the flesh rippling outwards from the point of impact.
The invisible air seemed to explode, chaotic air currents spreading outwards in all directions, sending stone fragments on the ground shooting out like bullets!
BANG!!
Lucci's eyes looked ready to split. He couldn't help but spray out an arrow of blood, his entire body sent flying by this immense force, crashing heavily against a wall, his torso directly embedding itself within.
"—Huff—Huff!"
Luffy panted heavily, his chest heaving up and down, making the gash from earlier look even more ferocious.
Thump!
His legs suddenly gave out beneath him, and his knees slammed heavily onto the ground. Intense pain contorted Luffy's expression.
"Stamina... almost gone too."
"Bastard... Rubberman... cough cough!"
Bang! Bang!
The cracked wall finally collapsed with a roar, sending dust flying high into the air.
Lucci gritted his teeth, pulled his arms from the wall, and as soon as his feet touched the ground, clutched his abdomen, continuously coughing up blood. "Just like a damned cockroach!"
Lucci, after discovering early on that he couldn't secure a quick victory, had wanted to rely on his Zoan transformation's enhanced recovery rate to outlast his opponent, forcing him into a desperate situation through attrition.
But fighting until now, he himself had unknowingly reached his limit, yet his opponent was still stubbornly holding on!
"Why... why won't you just die!?" Lucci's face twisted ferociously as he roared like an evil ghost.
Luffy, through the collapsed wall, looked towards the fierce battle outside.
Only then did he realize that Reiner, Zoro, and Sanji were all already bearing numerous wounds!
"Everyone... wait... I'll be right there..."
His figure swayed as he struggled to stand. He could barely even lift his eyelids anymore, yet his gaze remained resolute.
"Cough cough cough!"
Luffy took a deep breath. The intense pain in his lungs made him unable to stop coughing. He raised his hand, placed his thumb at the corner of his mouth, and bit down hard.
"That enlarging technique again... is he going to change gears?"
The moment Lucci saw his opponent's posture, he understood. The technique that used the body as a pump to accelerate blood flow, thereby enhancing physical functions, and the technique of blowing air into the body to gain power comparable to a giant's – he had already witnessed both.
After enlarging, power would increase significantly, but the trade-off was reduced flexibility, and after the state ended, he would shrink, leading to a drastic drop in strength.
Although he had suffered a loss at the beginning, now that he knew this, Lucci was no longer afraid.
Just need to use speed to stay mobile! Wait for the enlarged state to end, and his opponent will be at his mercy!
Thinking this, Lucci smirked and let out a long sigh of relief. His body, which had been swollen from his half-beast transformation, actually began to slowly shrink.
"Seimei Kikan: Kami-e Bushin!" (Life Return: Paper Art - Martial Body!)
With Lucci's low grunt, his physique, in the blink of an eye, returned to a state indistinguishable from his human form. His slender yet explosively powerful body displayed an ultimate aesthetic beauty.
Contrary to Luffy, this technique of his sacrificed some power in exchange for greater speed and agility.
Perfect for dealing with Luffy's Gear Third right now!
However, the next moment...
As Luffy blew air into his body through his finger, Lucci was instantly shocked!
Because his opponent... hadn't actually deactivated his steaming state!
"Are you kidding me!?"
Lucci stared warily at the rapidly inflating Luffy, gritting his teeth and roaring, "Relying on this kind of life-burning fighting style! Are you trying to die here with me!?"
"What life-burning, what not life-burning!?"
Luffy yelled. At this moment, his body was flushed red, emitting white steam, and his entire form had become bloated.
His arms, in particular, were incredibly thick, the proportion of his arms to his body as abnormal as Franky's.
He was actually using Gear Second and Gear Third simultaneously!
Gear Second worked by using the body as a pump to accelerate blood flow, thereby gaining enhanced physical capabilities.
To enlarge the body under these conditions meant the blood circulating throughout his system would be accelerated beyond what his body could endure!
Gear Second, which already reduced lifespan with frequent use, had now become a technique that instantly burned lifespan upon activation!
"So what if I live a few years less!?"
Swish!
Luffy's massive body instantly charged forward, eyes wide with fury as he roared, "All I know is, if I fail here, then everything is over!"
"Soru!" (Shave!)
Lucci dared not be careless in the slightest. He continuously stomped his feet, vanishing from his spot, his entire body moving so fast only afterimages flickered.
The power of his opponent's current fists... he absolutely couldn't withstand it!
But Luffy, in this state, was even harder to shake off. His thick arms began to shrink, the air flowing into his torso, making it swell like a round ball. His massive body then pressed down, tensing his legs.
His eyeballs darted rapidly, until he finally locked onto Lucci's figure!
BANG!!
The ground was blasted with spiderweb-like cracks from the immense force. The massive fissures instantly spread throughout the entire room, and the floor directly collapsed!
Luffy's figure, like a streak of red lightning, shot straight through space, while the air from his torso flowed once more into his right arm!
"Don't even think of running!"
Luffy roared furiously, lunging to appear before his opponent. His giant fist, white steam jetting from its pores, smashed out with the force of ten thousand thunderbolts!
"Gum-Gum Jet GIANT PISTOL!!"
Lucci's pupils instantly contracted. Luffy's leap this time was so fast, he couldn't even track his figure!
The fist was as large as a giant red wall, leaving him absolutely no room to dodge. He could only forcibly raise his arms, crossing them vertically before him. His entire vision was filled with Luffy's furious, wide-eyed face!
Bang!
His opponent's giant fist smashed down violently. The instant of contact, Lucci's arms were directly twisted inwards!
Then, his entire body was swept up by that massive fist, crashing hard against the wall!
RUMBLE!!!
The thick pillar-support, like tofu, was smashed through. A large, red, steaming hand emerged from the other side.
Lucci shot backward like an arrow loosed from its string, his entire body, eyes rolled white, vision gradually blurring!
"Consciousness... is... fading..."
Swish!
Before he could even hit the ground, Luffy's figure, as if tearing through the air, arrived above Lucci in the blink of an eye. Gritting his teeth tightly, he raised one leg high into the air.
His arms deflated like balloons, the air flowing through his torso and into his leg.
Luffy, hair bristling with fury, used all his strength to smash down on the opponent below!
"Gum-Gum Jet GIANT BATTLE AXE!!"
The inflated leg, like a giant axe, chopped down. Lucci felt as if all the bones in his body were instantly shattered by the impact, intense pain sweeping through his entire being!
Then, he found he couldn't control his body, completely unable to sense its existence. Even the pain had entirely vanished.
His entire person felt as if a mountain was pressing down on him, rapidly plummeting downwards.
BOOM!!!
Luffy's Giant Battle Axe, carrying Lucci with it, smashed onto the ice surface, sending countless ice fragments flying in all directions!
As Luffy retracted his leg, a giant, deep crater was visible on the ice below. The figure lying within it could no longer maintain his Zoan form and had reverted to his human shape.
Lucci's face was an utter mess, blood streaming from all seven orifices, eyes rolled white – completely unconscious!
This battle, which had drawn the attention of everyone present, finally concluded under this heaven-and-earth-shattering foot, the victor...
—Monkey D. Luffy!
Creak! Creak!
The ice surface, tens of meters thick, began to crack, with two fissures spreading out from the deep crater at its center.
The ice split in two, and seawater began to surge upwards. The water level rose continuously, about to engulf Lucci's figure.
Luffy paid no attention to the situation below, immediately shifting his gaze towards the figures still entangled in battle with the Vice Admirals.
Reiner was tied down by the Vice Admirals but held a slight advantage, suppressing them. Zoro and Sanji were both being heavily suppressed by two powerful enemies.
Luffy let the air from his leg flow into his torso. Just as he landed, his body pressed down, tensing his legs.
"Zoro! Sanji!"
Locking his gaze tightly onto the two, Luffy roared loudly, preparing to go help them first.
He pushed off hard with his feet. His tensed legs, about to launch him forward...
However, the next moment, his heart inexplicably trembled. His legs went weak, and his entire body slowly pitched forward.
"Strange... My legs..."
Thump!
Luffy mumbled blankly, then his entire body collapsed onto the ice.
All the strength in his body seemed to be rapidly draining away. He gritted his teeth, propping himself up with trembling arms.
"No good..."
Luffy desperately tried to maintain his current state. "I have to go help them!"
If his current state dissipated now, he absolutely wouldn't be able to stand up again.
"Luffy!"
An urgent shout came from the sky. Luffy looked up towards the sound and saw a golden-haired figure standing on a hawk, speeding towards him. The three Vice Admirals behind, however, were no longer pursuing.
"It's Reiner." Luffy's consciousness grew increasingly blurry.
Whether it was him or Lucci, both were actually long past exhaustion. Both had been relying on sheer willpower, continuously pushing their bodies to their limits to sustain the battle.
Finally, with one side falling, his brain, to protect his body, initiated a forced shutdown. If Luffy hadn't still been so intensely focused on helping his companions, he probably would have found it difficult to even speak, let alone maintain his current state.
"Deactivate Gear Second!"
Reiner hurriedly shouted down below. "It's over! No need to fight anymore!"
Hearing it was over, Luffy's taut nerves suddenly slackened. The red flush on his skin gradually faded...
He slowly closed his eyelids, his vision and consciousness rapidly disappearing as he mumbled indistinctly, "No need... to fight anymore..."
At the last moment, he only felt a pair of large hands lifting him, then his eyes went dark, and he fell into a coma.
"Mm. No need to fight anymore." Reiner hoisted the battered Luffy onto his back, looped his elongated arms around his own chest to secure him, then fixed his gaze on Zoro and Sanji in the distance.
"We're going home..."
(End of this chapter)
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