"Arrogant brat—"
Urouge's expression was ice-cold. "I'm going to rip your head off and kick it around like a ball!" He sneered, reaching out with a massive palm toward Uvogin.
Urouge's size was incredibly deceptive. Despite standing nearly four meters tall, he possessed a ghostly, explosive speed that defied his bulk.
Whoosh—!
In the blink of an eye, Urouge blurred, crossing the distance between them as if he had teleported directly in front of Uvogin. The momentum of his massive frame, combined with the explosive thrust of his leg muscles, made the deck groan under the strain.
He didn't bother with fancy feints. He pulled back his right fist, drawing power from the soles of his feet through his hips, and poured every ounce of his strength into that enormous hand. As he swung, the air on either side was shoved aside by the sheer force, leaving only a sharp, sonic crack.
"Kill him, Captain!"
"Show him what a Mad Monk can do!"
"Watch him fly into the sky!"
The watching monks were in a frenzy, screaming their support. A triumphant sneer spread across Urouge's face. He could already see it in his mind: the sudden shock and agony on his opponent's face as that tiny body was blasted away by his irresistible power. He loved the thrill of crushing opponents with absolute strength, especially in front of his crew.
However, the moment his iron fist was about to land, Urouge's pupils shrank to pinpricks. He didn't see fear or despair. He saw something else.
Excitement.
It was a crazed, manic look—the kind of thrill a starving predator feels when it finally finds prey! The man's eyes burned with a scorching battle lust, and his mouth pulled back into a wild, primal grin.
Something's wrong!
The thought flashed through Urouge's mind just as his fist connected with the force of a falling mountain!
THOOM—
A heavy, dull sound—like a semi-truck slamming into solid steel—exploded across the deck. A powerful shockwave rippled out in a ring from the center of the impact.
Urouge's confident smirk froze, replaced by utter disbelief. The shirtless, hairy man in front of him had caught his fist in a grip like an iron vise. He couldn't move it an inch.
"How... is this possible?"
Urouge was stunned. His "80-million-Berri" punch had been caught single-handedly by some nameless wild man on this luxury ship... and the guy didn't have a scratch on him?!
Meeting Uvogin's face, which was twisted with pure adrenaline, Urouge felt a cold shiver of dread.
"Not a bad hit," Uvogin said, his voice deep and gravelly, laced with a wild laugh. "That had some real kick to it! If the Dark Continent is full of guys like you, then this trip was definitely worth it!"
He licked his lips, a terrifying light erupting in his eyes. "Let me enjoy this..."
Before the words fully landed, Uvogin moved!
BOOM—
No technique. No finesse. Just a raw, savage, brutal tackle. Despite the nearly two-meter height difference, Uvogin's steel-like shoulder slammed directly into Urouge's abdomen!
"Urgh!" Urouge let out a muffled grunt. His massive body was actually lifted off the ground by the sheer force of the impact, sending him stumbling back. He had lost the initiative!
Uvogin didn't let up for a second, sticking to him like a shadow. He didn't give Urouge a chance to find his balance; his fists, capable of crushing solid iron, turned into a whirlwind of violence.
THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD! THUD!
The impacts sounded like a rapid-fire war drum echoing across the deck. This was Uvogin's style: direct, head-on physical annihilation. The beauty of pure power, using his fists to shatter everything in his path.
Urouge, caught off guard and unable to defend himself, was beaten back relentlessly. Blood began to leak from his nose and mouth, and a blood-stained tooth went flying across the deck.
...
The area fell into a deathly silence. The monks who had been jeering moments ago were now silent, as if someone had grabbed them by their throats. The color drained from their faces, leaving only expressions of pure horror.
Their invincible captain, the giant of the Sky Island, a Devil Fruit user, the "Mad Monk" Urouge with an 80-million-Berri bounty... was being pummeled like a punching bag by a total stranger? The scene defied everything they knew.
This suffocating silence lasted for nearly ten seconds until a monk who appeared to be an officer forced a shaky, painful smile. He let out a dry laugh, trying to convince himself of a lie.
"Captain Urouge... he must be doing this on purpose. He has a plan." His eyes grew brighter as he talked himself into it. "Right! Don't forget, the Captain ate the legendary Karma-Karma Fruit!"
"Karma... Right! It's the Karma!"
"The more damage the Captain takes now, the more terrifying the power he can convert and release later!"
"He's storing up energy! He's doing this to finish the opponent in one hit!"
The gloom vanished from the crew's faces, replaced by fervent worship and renewed confidence.
"I see!"
"That's our Captain Urouge for you!"
"I knew it! There's no way the Captain could be defeated!"
"He's just playing with his food!"
The atmosphere did a 180-degree turn. Eerie cheers erupted again, even louder than before.
"Boss Urouge! Take a few more hits! Kill them all later!"
"Go for it, Captain! Keep taking those punches!"
"Hit him harder! The harder the hit, the stronger the counterattack!"
"Let the storm rage even more fiercely!"
"..." Chrollo, watching from the sidelines, maintained his eternal, calm expression, but he couldn't help but roast them in his head.
This is the first time I've ever seen a captain getting beat to a pulp while his crew stands around clapping.
Are there any humans left on this ship?
However, he soon noticed that as Uvogin's relentless barrage continued to fall, something strange was happening to Urouge.
Hummmm—
A strange rhythm began to emanate from the center of the fight. As he continued to take the hits, Urouge's already massive frame was visibly... expanding! His muscles bulged, and veins began to throb like twisting earthworms beneath his skin.
The most obvious change was the deck beneath his feet. Under his rapidly increasing weight, the planks began to groan and creak before finally snapping and splintering apart.
His four-meter height began to break past its limits.
Five meters... six meters... seven meters... eight meters!
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