"What's the matter, not moving anymore? Then I'll start first!"
Seeing the two of them pause briefly, Urouge maintained his eerie smile and took the initiative. With a step, he spun his body and charged forward, swinging the lead pillar toward the Franky robot, smashing down fiercely.
"General's Left!"
The sudden attack snapped Franky to attention. He didn't dare be careless and lifted his left arm, pushing his wrist open to launch a massive cannonball.
"Too slow!"
As Urouge stepped forward, he suddenly retreated, increasing the distance from the robot. The lead pillar, like a baseball bat, thudded against the massive cannonball from the robot's wrist.
Just like a bat hitting a ball, the supposedly explosive cannonball showed elasticity under the strike, bouncing down to the ground.
Boom!!
It was then that the cannonball exploded, creating a wave of air that swept Franky General and Urouge apart.
"Tch! You can even hit back cannonballs?"
Inside, Franky controlled the robot to land steadily and then spoke, as a figure dashed out of the stirring smoke.
Urouge, looking heavy, swiftly moved through the smoke, horizontally raising the lead pillar as if it were a bell, and struck it against Franky General's chest.
Thud!
The mighty lead pillar hit without leaving any mark, but inside, there was a sound like something shattering.
Urouge's eerie smile widened, almost splitting his face, "Seems like I hit it..."
Click...
The chest compartment opened, revealing Franky's body covered in injuries. He took a deep breath and opened his mouth wide.
"Franky Flame!"
A fan-shaped flame burst from his mouth, aiming to burn where Urouge stood, but only caught air.
"Flame, is it? Though I can't resist it, but..."
The voice came from above him. Instinctively, Franky didn't even look and shrank back, pressing a mechanism from behind, opening the back of Franky General, and ejecting out.
"But it can be unraveled!"
Bam!
The massive lead pillar suddenly cleaved down from above, just grazing Franky General's chest, heavily striking the ground. The shockwave it created instantly extinguished the flames that had started on the ground.
Franky General swayed slightly before crashing to the ground with a thud.
Urouge planted a foot on the robot, holding the lead pillar, and looked at Franky with a smile, "Oh? Escaped early? A wise choice."
Being inside the steel might be a good defense for ordinary people, but to those skilled in Haki, such a 'shell' provides limited protection.
At least outside, one can dodge freely; inside, you can't even dodge attacks.
"But... are you a cyborg? No blood, turning yourself into a machine?"
Urouge shook his head, "Lack of flesh means lacking the most basic physique. Although you can temporarily increase strength, you're abandoning the power of Haki."
"Enough of that! The power of technology is not inferior!"
Franky shouted, "And I have companions! It's enough that they know it!"
"I see... Following the path of camaraderie is not a bad choice either."
Urouge nodded, "But I'm afraid your companions won't be in time to save you!"
"Don't ignore me!"
Whoosh!
Just as he finished speaking, a voice and a gust of wind whooshed from behind.
Urouge turned to look, only to see Sasaki's bone disk on his neck rotating at high speed, propelling his body like a bullet. His horns and the single horn on his nose glowed brightly, covered in Haki, as he charged violently.
"Bullet Horned Dragon!"
Without turning, Urouge simply thrust the lead pillar backward, its tip similarly covered in Haki, colliding fiercely with Sasaki's incoming head.
Bam!
Sasaki, who flew swiftly, was knocked back just as fast, his head getting embedded in a corridor wall, with his body slightly swaying outside like a rag doll.
Blood slowly flowed from the gap where his head was lodged in the wall.
"Strength, Haki, all a bit lacking."
Urouge laughed eerily, "Not a match for me, monk."
"Franky Iron Fist!"
Seizing the opportunity, Franky swung his fist. The fist and wrist separated, and a chain flew out, sending the fist straight at Urouge.
Just as Urouge was about to dodge, the chain suddenly wavered like a snake, coiling around the lead pillar, pulling it from his grip and flinging it aside.
Clang!
As Urouge's gaze followed the lead pillar, another fist shot towards him, again with a chain, encircling him and binding his brawny body.
"Franky!"
Franky shouted, puffed up his chest, and from within his chest, more chains shot out, binding themselves around Urouge.
But unlike the chains from his arms, the ones from his chest had small stones at each linkage. When they wrapped around Urouge, the eerie smile on his face slightly froze.
"This is..."
"Correct, it's Seastone! You're an Ability User!"
Franky exclaimed, "Though I can't comprehend Haki, you're not purely a body techniques expert either! Seastone can neutralize you, and now that I've captured you, you can't move!"
His shoulders and abdomen extended into cannon platforms.
"This blow will finish you!"
"No, this guy is mine!"
At this moment, Sasaki withdrew his head from the hole, rotated the bone disk on his neck again, flew high, and dived down with a roar:
"Crash you all to death! Cannon Horned Dragon!!"
"Franky Stray Laser Cannon!"
Franky's shoulders and abdomen jointly fired two thin lasers and a thick one, all aiming at Urouge as Sasaki dove downward.
"I see..."
Just as the attack was imminent, Urouge's stiff smile came back to life.
"Trying to win by strategy? But who told you..."
Sizzle...
White steam suddenly emitted from his body.
His muscular physique suddenly shrank, becoming slender, which allowed the binding chains to fall naturally due to the change in physique.
"That Seastone can confine me?!"
Bam!!
Urouge caught the diving Sasaki single-handedly, grasped his horn, and spun around, hurling Sasaki into the incoming laser attacks, which blasted Sasaki, making his eyes roll back.
Before Franky could show surprise, Sasaki's body, buffeted by the laser, crashed into him heavily, knocking him to the ground.
"Soru."
But before he hit the ground, a large hand grabbed Franky's head, slammed it down through the floor, creating a hole.
Urouge reverted to his normal physique, casually flinging the unconscious Sasaki away, then raised his fist, veins bulging, making him appear larger, menacing with his eerie smile.
"Tricks won't do you any good! Karma!!"
Boom!!
The enormous fist slammed into Franky's chest, punching through it and the impact broke the floor, creating a bigger hole.
Urouge lifted Franky's head, smirking at the hole in his chest, ready to squeeze tightly. Just then, a light shone from the broken chest.
Boom!!!
An even larger explosion burst in Urouge's hand, unleashing smoke, forcing his fingers open, and allowed Franky, held by the head, to jump into the hole.
"Self-destruction? Or some other thing..."
The smoke quickly dispersed, revealing Urouge, covered in Haki. He squinted at the large hole before him, "Escaped? Or dead? Never mind..."
He turned to the fallen Sasaki, smiling, "You were the target all along."
While Seastone isn't useless, they've received special training, at least ensuring that under Seastone, these Ability Users still have some ability to counterattack.
Besides...
He knows Life Return.
Those chains can't bind Urouge, who can freely change his physique.