"It's over! We're dead! To run into a monster like this..."
Binogi's face was a mask of despair. Behind him, his crew looked as if they were attending their own funerals. The man before them was not just the Lord of the Neutral Zone; he was one of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. Hunting pirates like them was literally his job.
"You'll never get Z-sensei's location from me! You filthy, sinful pirate!" Shuzo barked.
"Is that so? You've got some spine," Aeridar chuckled darkly. "In that case, I'll just capture you and dig the location out of your brain!"
"What? What's going on?" Binogi and his men were confused. It seemed these two weren't allies; they were enemies.
CRACK!
Aeridar stomped his right leg onto the deck, launching himself forward. The sheer force caused the entire bow of the ship to sink into the sea, sending the stern tilting upward.
"What happened?"
"The bow is sinking!"
"With just one step? Is he a monster?!"
Binogi and his men were caught off guard, tumbling forward and rolling across the deck.
"Monster!" Shuzo, who had been on high alert, used Geppo to retreat into the air. He was horrified, he hadn't expected a simple step to pack such destructive power.
Aeridar closed the distance instantly, throwing a punch. The force was so great it compressed the air into a pale white shockwave in front of his fist.
"Tekkai!!!"
Shuzo crossed his arms in front of him, tensing his muscles to the limit as the metallic sheen of the technique flashed across his skin.
BAM!
A shockwave exploded between them. Shuzo's entire body vibrated from the impact; a terrifying force surged through his arms, turning them numb with pain. He was sent hurtling backward, smashing through the second-floor cabin of the pirate ship.
BOOM!
Dust and splinters filled the air as the structure collapsed around him.
Screee—!
A high-pitched whistle came from behind. Aeridar turned and swiped his palm through the air.
A massive repulsive force erupted from his palm, causing ripples to appear in the air like water. A pointed shell, traveling at 900 m/s, hit an invisible wall and rapidly decelerated. Three meters away from Aeridar, it came to a dead stop.
"Get lost!"
Aeridar barked, exerting more force. Under the massive impact, the shell was sent flying back toward its source at even greater speed.
"Shuzo-sama!"
"Look out!"
"It's too fast!"
On the massive submarine, the Neo Marines sailors were still reeling from seeing Shuzo get punched away when they realized Alpacacino's shell was coming right back at them. Some sailors were so terrified they jumped straight into the sea.
KABOOM!
The shell struck the front of the submarine and detonated. Flames soared as shards of steel and wood were swept up in the blast, tossing a dozen sailors aside. Even the alpaca was blown into the water.
"It looks like... we don't have to do anything?" The Binogi Pirates watched the exchange, baffled but relieved. It seemed this "Navy" person was an enemy of Aeridar. He must not be a World Government Marine, or they would be on the same side.
Crash!
Shuzo shoved aside several planks and crawled out of the wreckage of the cabin. "Damn it, don't underestimate me!" he roared, seeing his damaged submarine.
Thump! Thump! Thump!
Shuzo leaped into the air, using Geppo to charge at Aeridar, circles of white vapor exploding under his feet with every step.
"Shigan: Five!!!"
In seconds, Shuzo was in Aeridar's face. His five fingers were hooked like eagle talons, coated in invisible Haki as they struck toward Aeridar's chest.
"Impact Fist!" Aeridar countered with a punch of his own.
BOOM!
Fist met claw. The force of the collision vibrated through the air, creating a violent whirlwind that spiraled outward.
"Such... such power!" Shuzo's eyes were bloodshot. He grit his teeth so hard they nearly cracked. He felt a bone-shattering vibration through his fingers, followed by agonizing pain.
"Your Rokushiki isn't bad. To reach this level with just physical techniques and Haki... you truly are Z's student," Aeridar remarked, offering a rare bit of praise.
"D-damn you!" Shuzo retracted his hand and swung a lightning-fast whip-kick at Aeridar's neck, his muscles snapping with the kinetic energy of a Rankyaku.
THUD!
The kick landed squarely on Aeridar's chest, sending out a ripple of air.
"Interesting... but you're still miles away." Aeridar looked down at the leg pressed against his chest and smirked.
"I-Impossible!" Shuzo stared in disbelief. Even if he wasn't a master of Rankyaku, his leg strength was immense thanks to Geppo. With the added force of the technique and Armament Haki, even his teacher wouldn't take this hit head-on with just his body.
"I am the natural enemy of physical fighters. If your teacher Z were here, I might think twice about taking that hit, but you?" Aeridar laughed.
"You monster!"
"Time for you to lie down."
Aeridar's grin widened. He blurred forward, his fist slamming into Shuzo's solar plexus.
CRUNCH!
Shuzo's vision went dark. Before he could even register the movement, he felt a soul-crushing pain as his ribs shattered. He turned into a black blur, hurtling downward.
KABOOM!
He crashed into the pirate ship with the force of a falling meteor. The entire vessel groaned and dipped into the sea under the weight of the impact.
"Shuzo-sama!" The Neo Marines sailors cried out in horror.
"Boring," Aeridar muttered, sounding disappointed.
His power had reached a level where average experts couldn't last more than a few exchanges against him. This was especially true for physical brawlers; against his extreme speed and monstrous strength, they were completely countered.
"Zhurong, burn them all."
"Yes, Master!" Zhurong chirped happily.
The flame spirit dived toward the Neo Marines submarine. A few seconds later, a sea of searing fire descended from the sky, engulfing the vessel in an inferno.