Chapter 327 - 87-100

Chapter 87: All the priests are wiped out; a battle without any pressure."Charge - Storm Horn!"

With lightning speed, Chopper reached Shura in the blink of an eye. Shura remained expressionless, his face filled with rage.

Subconsciously, he still relied on his invincible Mind Network, believing that Shura couldn't possibly hit him. But even as he thought this,

Chopper's antlers slammed into his chest.

Bang!

"Ah!"

Chopper's antlers, glowing with a strange blue light, sent Shura flying backward, coughing up blood, crashing through several large trees before finally coming to a stop.

It seemed that Chopper's Storm Horn was the Six Powers that the system had mentioned. The original Storm Kick was a foot technique, not a kick to inflict damage.

Instead, it created a "vacuum" attack, like a sharp slash. Chopper's Storm Horn transformed this slash into a powerful impact.

This change made Chopper's antlers extremely lethal; the dying Shura lying on the ground was a bloody example.

After dealing with Shura, Chopper rushed back to help Usopp put out the fire. Gan Fall arrived late, expecting to be there to save the day.

But instead, he was asked to help put out the fire. After quite some time, the flames were finally extinguished, and the Going Merry was completely destroyed.

Usopp was heartbroken looking at the Going Merry. Chopper, seeing this, looked remorseful; he knew how much Usopp cared about the Going Merry.

Usopp naturally wouldn't blame his companion. He quickly praised Chopper. His initial plan was for Chopper to hold off the enemy.

Then he would help after Gan Fall arrived, but Chopper had unexpectedly defeated him, so Usopp didn't hold back his praise.

Chopper, blushing and fidgeting, explained that their mission was to protect the Going Merry, and now that they hadn't managed to protect it, they naturally needed to repair it quickly.

So Usopp, Chopper, and the bewildered Gan Fall, who had just been summoned, began busily repairing the ship. At this point, two of the four priests were gone.

Back to Luffy's side, the third priest they encountered was truly bizarre: Geedaz, the priest in charge of the "Swamp Trial," which had a 50% survival rate.

Because she noticed that this guy had almost suffocated himself by forgetting to breathe, Robin used a spell:

"Forget to breathe."

Using a spell like this on someone who had already forgotten to breathe was not only very effective, but Robin also easily defeated him without expending any energy.

Geedaz held his breath until his face turned purple, then immediately fainted, the battle ending before it even began.

It just goes to show that Robin still has some sense. If she had said something like "I can't breathe" or "Stop breathing," she would most likely have suffered a backlash and it wouldn't have worked.

This isn't just because of Robin's current strength; giving an order like "I can't breathe" violates the rules, and stopping breathing is tantamount to telling the other person they'll die soon.

Robin's current abilities aren't quite there yet, which is why it's said she's perfectly suited for this ability; the cunning and aloof older sister type isn't a joke.

Now, only the last priest remains, in charge of the "Iron Trial," where the survival rate is a mere 0%. He's arguably the strongest of the four priests.

He's a swordsman, wielding a cloud shell that can spew forth iron clouds as his weapon. Equipped with this, his sword is as light as a cloud, as hard as iron, and can extend and retract at will, changing shape.

Besides this, Ohm also owns a very obedient dog named Saint, incredibly large and strong, but as described, extremely obedient.

It listens to everyone, and Luffy immediately took it away, leaving Ohm alone. Zoro immediately intervened, and the crew decided to split up.

Luffy's goal remains defeating Enel, Nami prepares to find the Gold, and Robin's target is the Poneglyph.

Sanji stayed behind to wait for Zoro to finish his battle, occasionally taunting him to fuel his anger.

Seeing the Straw Hat crew scatter, Ohm wasn't about to let them go. His Iron Cloud Blade, like a whip, extended and attacked his companions.

Clang!

After the crisp sound, Ohm realized his attack had been blocked by the man in front of him. After the clash, Ohm immediately retreated, creating distance between himself and Zoro.

Using the weapon's properties, Ohm began attacking Zoro from a distance. Zoro easily blocked all of Ohm's attacks, looking at the expressionless face.

Those who knew him well knew he was disappointed and losing patience. Zoro had thought Ohm would put pressure on him, but instead, he only brought frustration.

Clang! Clang! Clang…

"Still struggling? Even if you can block my attacks, you can't hurt me without getting close!"

"Is that all..."

"As expected of foolish humans, so naive to think they have their own consciousness. Everyone should just die!"

"Who told you I can't hurt you if you can't get close?"

"Under my onslaught, you have absolutely no chance to get close. Even if you throw your sword at me, it's useless."

"Thirty-six afflictions in one life, seventy-two afflictions in the second, one hundred and eight afflictions in the third..."

"What?"

"Three-Sword Style: 108 Afflictions Wind!"

The moment the words fell, three blue slashes formed a phoenix-like sword wave that rushed towards Ohm.

*Sizzle!*

Ohm was powerless to resist, blood splattering as he collapsed to the ground. Zoro silently sheathed his sword, watching Ohm on the ground without a word.

In his eyes, such swordsmanship didn't qualify him as a swordsman. A swordsman's strength comes from their own power, not from their sword.

With this, Enel's four powerful subordinates were all wiped out, leaving only the final boss in the Holy Land. Luffy is now heading towards Enel's location.

The Holy Land is almost over, so where did Lake go? He must have gone looking for treasure. Did you really think Lake just wanted to wander around before?

He went there specifically to collect treasure maps, asking around and gathering information. By combining real and fake maps, Lake had learned the locations of five or six treasures in the Holy Land.

Unfortunately, after Lake's investigation, only one was genuine, and the chest he dug up was already decayed and old; its weight suggested it was probably empty.

A normal person would have cried, but Lake was actually very relieved. The system had determined that this junk counted as a treasure!

Chapter 88, the final battle: Luffy vs. Enel"Treasure discovered! Grade confirmed... Lucky Child Companion +1 bonus... Congratulations, host, your luck is good! Treasure grade upgraded to purple!"

"Congratulations, host, for obtaining the treasure, Tailed Beast Power (One-Tail): After use, you can transform into the One-Tailed Shukaku. Shukaku's attacks are determined by the user's strength."

"Congratulations, host, for obtaining the treasure, Awakening Stone: System-issued, directly awakens an unawakened treasure. PS: One-time use item."

"Congratulations, host, for obtaining the purple exclusive treasure, Materialization Spirit Crystal: Can transform spirits, ghosts, and phantoms into physical entities. PS: Can only be used by the host, one-time use item."

Today was another lucky day. Lake, the lucky one, never doubted his luck. He happily put away everything and began to carefully inventory the treasures.

Starting with the most important treasure, the one Lake had been most worried about: the Merry. Now it was finally solved—like a pillow delivered just in time.

The specific effects and potential risks remain to be seen after Lake communicates with the ship's spirit, but it's safe to assume that anything produced by the system is without issue.

As for the other two treasures, Lake knows without a doubt who they're for. With more and more treasure chests opened, almost all the crew members now benefit from Lake's gifts.

Compared to the others, Usopp's initial sniper rifle is no longer as effective, even though he can now fuse a weak amount of Armament Haki into his attacks.

However, this level is still insufficient. Lake inquired with the system long ago about the awakening method for Destruction, and the system replied that it could be awakened by increasing the user's affinity.

Now, with the Awakening Stone, it's like using an accelerator, directly maxing out the progress bar. It's believed that the awakened Destruction won't disappoint Usopp.

Finally, there's Chopper. As the ship's doctor, his enhanced version of Healing Palm grants Chopper impressive healing abilities, but there's been no improvement in combat capabilities.

If it weren't for Lake's recent mastery of the Six Powers, even with Chopper's dual Haki, defeating that Shura would have been a tough fight.

The emergence of the Tailed Beast's power also allowed Chopper to catch up with the main force, and it seems his newspaper bounty is finally going to be replaced.

From now on, he will be a true monster of the Straw Hat crew, a monster that will make the world tremble. As for Lake's own strength improvement...

Lake himself stated that there's absolutely no need to worry. Since obtaining the enhanced Rumble-Rumble Fruit, without using his Hollowfication, Lake has already come incredibly close to becoming an Admiral.

At full strength, even if they can't defeat Lake, they're confident they can hold their own against an Admiral-level fighter. Lake has always adhered to the idea that if one person achieves enlightenment, the whole family benefits.

Currently, although the Straw Hat crew's strength has increased to a level far exceeding that of the original storyline with Lake's help, it's still not enough.

In preparation for the major events to come, Lake hoped that every member of the Straw Hat crew would play their part, and he wanted to thoroughly establish the Straw Hat Pirates' reputation.

Meanwhile, Luffy finally arrived in front of Enel. Although Enel was missing an arm, it didn't stop him from being self-absorbed.

The first thing Enel said upon seeing Luffy was, "Foolish Blue Sea Man, have you come to beg for God's forgiveness?"

It was that familiar aura. It seemed that although Enel had been beaten up by Lake, he hadn't lost his confidence and still acted arrogantly.

Luffy wasn't about to tolerate his arrogance and directly shouted at Enel, "You think you're God? I'll beat you to a pulp!"

Enel scoffed, "Mortals are always so self-righteous. They only know regret when divine punishment comes."

Just then, a bolt of lightning struck from the sky, exactly the same as the one that attacked Conis on Angel Island, but this time, its target was Luffy.

BOOM!

With a deafening roar, a cloud of dust billowed from the ground, leaving a huge crater.

But in the center of the crater stood a lone beam, and Luffy stood on it, his expression still angry, his voice low and menacing.

"Useless."

This scene brought back unpleasant memories for Enel. He frowned, striking the taiko drums on his left and right shoulders and chanting.

"30,000,000 Volts Thunder Bird!"

"30,000,000 Volts Thunder Beast!"

Enel unleashed two attacks simultaneously: a phoenix-type Thunder Bird and a wolf-type Thunder Wolf charged towards Luffy. Despite the attack, Luffy remained rooted to the spot.

The only difference was that Luffy's gaze was now locked on Enel. What happened next left Enel utterly terrified.

After a deafening roar of lightning and thunder, Luffy stood unharmed. Then, to Enel's astonishment, Luffy suddenly appeared before him and said,

"I told you it's useless!"

Bang!

His right hand, shrouded in dark Armament Haki, delivered a powerful punch that sent Enel flying. Luffy looked incredibly cool at that moment.

Enel, sent flying, became embedded in the mountainside. Moments later...

Boom!

Another deafening roar echoed as the mountain crumbled completely. Enel, crackling with lightning, emerged from the center, his single hand gripping his golden staff tightly.

"Damn it! Damn it! You and that guy, you all deserve to die! Time and again you've offended the dignity of a god! Die!"

"Two Hundred Million Volts... Thunder God!"

Enraged, Enel unleashed his ultimate technique once more, transforming into a gigantic thunder god form. Then, a golden ship appeared behind him.

Yes, pure gold. This thing looked incredibly valuable. This was Enel's tool for traveling to the Infinite Continent: the Ark Maxim.

This object would also allow Enel to unleash even more powerful attacks, and clearly, he was about to do just that. As the Ark Maxim released a vast expanse of thunderclouds, Enel shouted...

"Thunderbolt!"

Enel unleashed lightning into the thunderclouds, stimulating the electrons within. The surging electrons then began to fall to the ground, forming countless bolts of lightning.

This moment was like the end of the world. The Shandians and Enel's subordinates, still engaged in battle, froze in place. Those who fled immediately abandoned all thoughts of fighting.

The scattered crew members sensed the ominous nature of the thunderclouds and began to worry about Luffy's situation. Luffy, seeing this, became even more enraged.

This kind of harming innocent people was exactly what Luffy hated most. He knew the best way to resolve the current situation was to defeat Enel, so

"Enter, Gear Second!"

Chapter 89 The Skypiea incident is over, Enel's mission is officially over."Stop right now!" Luffy roared, steam rising from his body as he charged toward Enel.

Having learned his lesson, Enel did not choose to use lightning attacks, but instead chanted with the golden staff in his hand.

"Thunder Metallurgy!"

Enel's golden staff melted into a golden trident, which he then swung fiercely at Luffy. However, this attack was utterly ineffective against Luffy in his current state.

"Shave!"

Luffy suddenly vanished. Enel, having missed his attack, immediately sensed danger behind him, but his body had no time to react.

"Armored Gum-Gum Jet Pistol!"

*Bang!*

Enel perfectly caught the attack with his face, turning his head just in time. The massive Thor was knocked back several steps, and before he could regain his footing, an even fiercer attack followed.

"Armed Gum-Gum Jet Machine Gun!"

*Rat-Rat! Rat-Rat…*

Fists coated in Armament Haki rained down on Enel like bullets, his transformed form making him an easy target.

*Boom!*

With Luffy's final strike, lightning suddenly erupted from Enel's body. When the light faded, Enel was covered in blood, standing there in a sorry state.

Luffy, slightly out of breath, said to Enel, "You lost. Skypiea doesn't need a god like you. I heard their voices."

Enel didn't respond to Luffy. He was barely standing, and who knew what he was thinking? Luffy, having finished Gear Second, seemed unprepared for a finishing blow.

Just then, Lake appeared. Luffy, having defeated his opponent, felt much better and greeted Lake cheerfully.

"Lake! You're here! I've defeated this guy!"

"Good, good, good. As expected of my captain. Leave this to me. Go find Robin and have her take you to Golden Bell."

"Yeah! I still need to fulfill my promise to Uncle Rhombus."

With that, Luffy immediately ran off in one direction, only to be pulled back by Lake after a couple of steps. "Not that way..."

Luffy smiled nonchalantly and ran the route Lake indicated. Lake silently approached Enel, a strange smile on his face.

He had noticed Enel's subtle movements, and his heart was racing. If Enel was left unattended, the guy would soon reappear and cause trouble.

"Don't waste your energy, Enel. You'd be better off saving face."

"..."

"Since you're still trying to act, I'll make your act even more convincing."

"No!"

With that, Lake punched through Enel's body, utterly shattering Enel's hopes as he tried to resuscitate himself. Enel screamed in despair.

This wasn't exactly cruelty towards an enemy. Lake wasn't exactly a good person to begin with, and he certainly didn't have any psychological burden. Enel lost his life just like that.

Initially, Lake had hoped to get a weakened version of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit from Enel for fusion, but the system didn't grant his shameless request.

Fortunately, Lake had the foresight to gain something; with Enel gone, Skypiea had nothing left to worry about.

However, Lake was very interested in the pure gold ship. To operate the Ark of Truth, Enel's ability was needed, which Lake could also do.

Therefore, the Ark of Truth could serve as an aerial unit for the Straw Hat crew, very useful for handling special situations. But there was a problem.

How to take it with them? Lake couldn't just pilot the Ark of Truth along with the Going Merry; that would be too conspicuous and attract a lot of trouble.

The seal on his spatial ring had been unlocked quite a bit recently, enough to store various odds and ends, but putting the Ark of Truth inside was impossible—it was too big.

There was no other way; Lake could only leave it for now and see if there was a way to solve the problem before leaving. If not, he could just abandon it, though it was a bit of a shame.

*Dong!*

Suddenly, a resounding bell rang throughout the entire sky island. Lake naturally heard it too; it seemed Luffy had found the Golden Bell.

The sound not only echoed across Skypiea, but also reached Uncle Kurikai in Jaya. Tears welled in his eyes as he gazed at the sky; in that moment, he finally understood everything.

From then on, he had only one goal in life: to visit Skypiea once in his later years, bringing the ape who had always been by his side.

Lake first checked on Nami on Skypiea. For some reason, the girl had managed to subdue the Sky Lord, that giant serpent.

She was currently reveling in a pair of golden figures, gradually losing herself in the moment. Lake, feeling ashamed, made sure she was alright and then left. He reappeared beside Robin.

Robin was currently deciphering the Poneglyph before her. It recorded the location of Poseidon, one of the three Ancient Weapons, and a line of small, prominent text.

"I have come here, leading this text to its final destination—Gol D. Roger."

Robin fell into deep thought as she read the words. Lake stood quietly to the side, a bold idea forming in his mind.

Roger could carve words on it, so perhaps he could try too? However, Robin would face serious consequences for damaging historical artifacts right in front of her.

So Lake stood silently to the side, thinking that after Robin left, he would sneak over and carve a message in a language only he knew.

As if sensing Lake's ill intentions, Robin suddenly turned to him and said,

"First mate, are you worried about me?"

"Ah~ ah? No, no, I just came to take a look. Who made this thing? It's amazing." Lake's guilty tone was obvious.

Robin's gaze turned dangerous as she said, "I'll be here studying it for a while. If there's nothing else, First mate, you can leave now."

Clearly, his thoughts had been seen through. Lake sighed somewhat disappointedly and was about to leave when Robin suddenly spoke again.

"If you want a memorial, the Golden Bell would be a good choice."

This was a reminder to Lake, who naturally understood Robin's meaning and headed straight for the Golden Bell without lingering.

Lake arrived quickly. Luffy had been taken away by Gan Fall after ringing the bell, and now there was no one here. Lake chuckled and gathered a bolt of lightning at his fingertips.

"I've come to this world and left my mark here. If any of you can understand this, remember to call me! —Lake"

Chapter 90 Chopper's status as the group's darling is in danger, Merry makes her appearance."The southern island~ So warm~ Pineapples are delicious, head's hot~ Stupid, silly..." This is Luffy's song.

It's the night of the defeat of Enel. The Shandians and Gan Fall were originally planning to continue fighting for the Holy Land, Apayado.

However, after Luffy rang the Golden Bell, neither side wanted to continue fighting, and they eventually reached a reconciliation, working together to clean up the mess in Apayado.

Under Nami's command, Lake expanded his savings to an even more substantial level, so much so that Nami couldn't take him away.

After all the crew members gathered, a huge banquet, led by Luffy and attended by all the people of Skypiea, began, which led to Luffy's singing segment.

However, this song almost gave Lake a brain hemorrhage. Lake didn't dislike the lively atmosphere, but he wouldn't join in like Luffy and Usopp.

He usually just quietly watched the commotion with his favorite desserts, never imagining these guys would have such boundless energy, working tirelessly for four days straight.

Lake was starting to question his existence, but thankfully, they finally quieted down on the fourth day, and Lake could finally get down to business.

Everyone was asleep, and Lake went alone to the Going Merry. As expected, he heard the sound of a hammer striking planks and went up to the deck.

A child in a raincoat, whose face was obscured, was painstakingly repairing the Going Merry with a hammer. Lake's presence didn't bother him at all.

Only after the child finished his work did Lake speak, "This is our first meeting, isn't it, Going Merry?"

"Yes, I can feel it. You've been working so hard to protect me all this time. Thank you, Lake." Going Merry's words almost broke Lake's composure.

Because Lake remembered Going Merry's fate in the original story, and combined with Going Merry's words, tears welled up in his eyes. He quickly changed the subject.

"Merry, would you like to adventure with us?"

"I don't understand, I've been with you all this time."

"No, I mean in another form, by stepping on the sand, feeling the warmth of the sand, by becoming a normal person."

"Lake, I've witnessed all your adventures along the way. I know you're a very special person, but I'm a ship spirit, I can't become a normal person."

"Let me ask you another way, if you gained power, would anything happen to the Merry still affect you?"

"Hmm... I don't know..."

"Then I'll give you this opportunity to choose for yourself. Take this."

As he spoke, Lake reached out and handed Merry a blue, transparent crystal. It looked very beautiful. Merry instinctively wanted to refuse, because she was a spirit and couldn't touch anything.

But in her haste, Merry caught the crystal. She hadn't expected that she could actually touch it. This first experience captivated her.

Feeling the crystal in his hand, Lake stood quietly to the side without disturbing her. Looking at the Merry covered in patches, Lake felt a pang of sadness.

Throughout the journey, he had been doing his best to prevent the Merry from being damaged. The Merry's limit was reaching the New World from the East Sea; this was a limitation inherent to the ship itself.

After a while, Merry spoke up, saying, "I want to try it. If possible, I'd like to adventure with my companions."

Lake smiled upon hearing Merry's answer and said, "You won't regret it, Merry. The real world has so many wonderful things and exciting adventures; you can experience them all firsthand someday."

Hearing Lake's words, Merry's heart was filled with longing and anticipation. Then, the crystal flashed with a dazzling light, and Merry's body was enveloped in a white light.

A moment later, the white light dissipated, and Merry's originally blue and transparent body began to change. Her hands and feet turned skin-colored, and she wore a blue raincoat.

Finally, the white light faded, and Merry stood somewhat stunned on the deck of the Merry, looking at her hands; her body trembled with excitement.

Suddenly, Merry pulled off her hat, looking at Lake with excitement. Lake, in turn, scrutinized Merry's appearance, and then gasped.

"Hiss..."

Merry's looks were almost unfair. She had a fair, apple-shaped face, and large, beautiful eyes beneath her brows, eyes that seemed to hold the Milky Way, captivating anyone who looked into them.

It was simply undeniable that anyone who saw her would feel an overwhelming surge of parental love. Merry suddenly threw herself into Lake's arms, and he quickly caught her, thinking to himself,

"Sorry, Chopper, the team's darling might have to change from now on."

After calming Mary down a bit, Lake put her down, as there was still important business to discuss, starting with the question he'd raised earlier.

Now that Mary had materialized her own feelings and could answer Lake, although she was much calmer, her little face was still flushed, making one want to pinch it.

"I can feel that I and the Merry have become two completely independent entities. Even if the Merry can no longer sail, it won't affect me.

And I can use ship spirit magic to fight. This is something I realized after my body materialized; I'd never imagined ship spirit magic could be used for combat before.

And also, I can store the Merry in the ship spirit's space at any time. This is also a ship spirit's ability, but it can only store ships, not other people's ships, because storage requires establishing a connection with the ship.

And also..."

Merry excitedly rattled off a whole bunch of things, even breathless, before Lake quickly interrupted her.

"Alright, alright, we can talk about this later, there's plenty of time. I'm sure everyone's eager to see you, I'll take you there."

He placed Mary on his shoulder. Hearing that she was going to meet her friends, Mary was incredibly excited, her joy never fading.

Because he was with Mary, Lake didn't use his powers, instead strolling along like a father taking his daughter shopping, holding Mary's hand slowly.

Mary was like a curious child, everything around her was new and exciting, looking at this and touching that.

Lake watched from the sidelines, his expression unconsciously transforming into that of a loving old father. The two of them, one big and one small, wobbled towards their crewmates' location.

Lake had sensed Luffy's intention to slip away early, so he had woken the crew, but these guys weren't going to be quiet.

The wake-up call inexplicably turned into an argument and a fight, waking everyone else who was sleeping, while Luffy and his friends remained oblivious and continued their playful antics.

Chapter 91: Chopper Quietly Leaves Sky Island, Something's Wrong"Huh?! Merry?" Everyone exclaimed in unison, looking at the little girl sitting on Lake's shoulders.

Confusion, bewilderment, disbelief... but soon they understood, and only joy and excitement remained, so much so that Merry became shy.

Holding onto Lake's clothes, she hid behind him, too shy to show her face. Seeing this, Lake quickly changed the subject, saying, "We'll ask about Merry on the ship later. Let's get ready to go, Luffy."

Hearing Lake's words, Luffy remembered what he had woken everyone up for, so he immediately nodded and exchanged glances with his companions.

Everyone quietly left. Nami had already inquired about leaving Skypiea and obtained a balloon octopus from Conis beforehand.

This was the essential creature for their departure. However, before that, Lake had something to do. He took Merry to the Proverb.

Because Enel had given it away, the Proverb was essentially unclaimed. Lake wondered if Merry could take it in, and it turned out to be feasible.

Merry established a link with the Proverb, binding herself to Lake. The enormous Proverb then vanished, and Lake happily picked up Merry.

Merry was also happy to have helped Lake, while her crew, under Nami's guidance, waited at the designated location.

A cloud ladder, resembling a slide, became their escape route. This sudden departure was because Luffy didn't want to be treated as a hero.

Focusing on concealing their achievements, the slide was quite thrilling, as it suddenly became a vertical 90-degree angle—there was no path left.

The Going Merry began its vertical descent. Amidst screams and howls, Lake attached the balloon octopus to it. The rapidly inflating octopus grabbed the Going Merry like a parachute, mitigating its rapid fall.

As the sun rose, the Going Merry slowly descended, giving the impression of a hot air balloon ride. Luffy, who should have been fascinated by the balloon octopus, was now completely focused on Merry.

Worried that Merry might be corrupted by Luffy and Usopp, Lake asked Nami to keep an eye on her, letting her experience the life of a mother beforehand—it was bound to happen sooner or later anyway.

Nami blushed and glared at Lake, but still couldn't resist a surge of maternal love as she picked up Merry, strictly forbidding Luffy from teaching her any mindless things.

Chopper had already been corrupted, so there was nothing to say; after all, Chopper was a boy. But Merry was a girl, and things like dancing with chopsticks stuck in her nose were absolutely forbidden!

Lake wasn't idle either. He called over Chopper and Usopp, handing them the treasures he had previously acquired. Destruction's awakening went very smoothly.

Its appearance had changed drastically; Destruction now seemed to breathe. Usopp, upon receiving it, immediately sensed the change and excitedly danced around.

Chopper faces a different problem. Given Sanji's absorption of the Devil's power, the system had warned beforehand of the inherent danger.

Lake also explained the situation to Chopper beforehand. Although terrified, Chopper, being a man, decided to accept the power. He wanted to become stronger and protect his companions.

As the power of the Tailed Beast entered Chopper's body, Chopper's body began to change, a layer of red energy appearing and enveloping him.

The red energy also formed a tail behind Chopper, which kept swaying. Although Lake didn't know what Chopper was going through,

he could tell from Chopper's pained expression that he was in great discomfort. At this moment, Lake could only silently cheer Chopper on.

After some time, Chopper's body changed again. The red energy became even larger, and Chopper's appearance directly transformed into his Tailed Beast form.

Lake sensed something was wrong. If Chopper were to transform into the complete form of Shukaku, the Going Merry would be in serious trouble.

To prevent this from happening, Lake had to take immediate action. He checked their current altitude above the sea and then spoke.

"Chopper's not doing well. He can't stay on the ship. We need to land immediately and find a more spacious spot. I'll retrieve the octopus after I leave."

"Wind Wings!"

A pair of transparent wings appeared behind Lake. Amidst Luffy and Usopp's envious shouts, Lake flew beneath the Going Merry.

The crew immediately sprang into action. The octopus was quickly retrieved, but without its cushioning effect, the Going Merry didn't plummet.

Because Lake was dragging the Going Merry from below, feeling the sudden immense pressure from above, Lake let out a long breath and said,

"It's manageable... Ready, everyone? Accelerating!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the Going Merry was enveloped in lightning. Everyone immediately grabbed whatever was nearby. They had experienced this kind of acceleration before on Skypiea and knew what would happen.

Sizzle!

In an instant, the Going Merry vanished like a bolt of lightning, reappearing above the sea.

With a sudden stop, Lake landed steadily on the sea, and in an instant, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

Back on the ship, before his crew could even complain, Lake exclaimed, "Haha...we seem to have landed in some pretty bad place."

The crew then began to observe their surroundings, as beams of white spotlights appeared, all locking onto the Going Merry.

Only then did they realize that they were...at a Marine base! For Lake, this was somewhat expected, as he hadn't had time to look for anywhere else due to Chopper's situation.

They had no choice but to use Marine territory. Despite being under the spotlights, Lake remained calm and began assigning tasks. Soon, his crew knew what to do.

If Lake remembered correctly, this place was the Marine G-8 branch, commanded by a man named Jonathan, a calm and intelligent fellow who had never shown his true strength.

This guy was also friends with Akainu, but none of that mattered to Lake. He only cared about one thing: a plan to prevent the pirates from escaping.

Once activated, it can seal the base's doors and drain all the seawater inside, preventing the enemy from leaving.

And this is exactly what Lake needs right now. If Chopper transforms into his full Shukaku form, that drained terrain will be enough for him to go berserk.

The Going Merry can also be stored away by the Going Merry at any time, so there's no need to worry. All that's needed now is to pretend to escape, then have Johnny activate this thing. From now on, everyone is an actor.

Usopp: "Ah! We're doomed! We've gotten to the Marine base! Run! Run!"

Merry: "Huh?! Is this Marine territory? Are they the enemy? What do we do?"

Nami: "Hard starboard! Full speed ahead!"

Luffy: "Charge, Merry! Hahaha!"

Merry: "Me?"

Lake: "Idiot Luffy! Who gets this excited about running away! Merry? Where are you going? Don't jump off! Luffy said the Going Merry!"

...

It was supposed to be an act, but everyone except Usopp was just being themselves, so to the Marines, Lake and his crew looked like they were just fooling around.

At G-8 Branch, the Marines, after recognizing Lake and his crew, immediately reported to Base Commander Jonathan, who was also observing them.

"The vicious Straw Hat crew... they don't seem as bad as the rumors say, but isn't it a bit too arrogant of them to show up directly on Marine territory?"

Just then, a soldier rushed over and shouted, "Commander! They're trying to escape! What should we do?"

Jonathan pondered for a moment and said, "Escape? I feel like they're deliberately trying to lure me in, but I can't just let them go like this... Let's see what tricks they have up their sleeves. Close the gates and drain the seawater!"

"Yes!"

The Going Merry was almost at the gate when suddenly the massive door slammed shut, trapping them inside. Lake's lips curled into a smile.

The next moment, as expected, the sea level began to drop. The seawater in G-8 base was rapidly pumped out, revealing sharp reefs everywhere. For a normal ship, this situation would be certain death.

But the Going Merry wasn't an ordinary ship. Instead of landing immediately as the seawater was pumped out, it hovered in mid-air.

Upon closer inspection, it could be seen that the Going Merry was being held aloft by a vortex. The next moment, the Going Merry vanished, leaving only the Straw Hat crew.

Lake transformed into the wind and gently carried all his companions to the ground. At this point, Chopper's condition began to change; his body, which had been completely red in his tailed beast form, began to turn a sandy color.

The Marines continued to shine spotlights on them, making it look like a celebrity preparing for a performance. Lake didn't intend to do anything to them.

At least they provided a decent environment, which could be considered a favor, so Lake decided to negotiate. He believed Vice Admiral Jonathan shared the same thought.

The remaining crew watched Chopper's transformation, deciding to retreat as needed. When Lake arrived, his Observation Haki had already completely covered G-8.

He locked onto Jonathan's location and quickly reached him. Suddenly, a bolt of lightning appeared in the empty space, too fast for the naked eye to see.

The Marines beside Jonathan immediately raised their guns and aimed at Lake. Lake remained calm and smiling. Jonathan frowned and said,

"Lake, the infamous Sin Demon actually came directly to our door. Are you planning a decapitation strike?"

Hearing Jonathan's words, Lake showed no hostility. He smiled and waved, and suddenly a strange gust of wind appeared.

He immediately ushered all the Marine soldiers surrounding Jonathan out, then Lake extended a finger and unleashed a bolt of lightning towards the ceiling.

The room was now completely sealed off. The Marine soldiers who had just been ushered out were utterly bewildered, not knowing what was happening, and were about to rush back.

However, the moment they touched the doorknob, they were instantly electrocuted, though not fatally. It was just a matter of healing their wounds; after recovery, their physiques would even be strengthened. Lake was essentially helping Jonathan train his soldiers.

Having done all this, Lake casually found a stool, sat down, and snapped his fingers, activating the Silence-Silence Fruit's power. Their conversation would remain unseen by anyone.

Jonathan was clearly no ordinary person. Although his strength wasn't shown in the original story, Lake could sense that Jonathan noticed every time he used different abilities.

How could he sense something without considerable skill? However, Lake now had absolute confidence in his own abilities and was no longer afraid.

"Let's talk, Lieutenant General Johnson."

"What do you want to say?"

"My partner might get a little out of control later, so I need to borrow your territory."

"Out of control? You're planning to destroy G-8? Do you think I'd agree?"

"I'm not here to ask for your permission. Either you do nothing, and we'll leave after we're done. Or if you insist on interfering, I'll destroy this place first, and then deal with it slowly."

"Are you threatening me? Sin Demon, you're as wicked as the legends say. If you insist on doing this, I'll stop you with my life."

The atmosphere started to turn tense. Lake could sense the terrifying aura emanating from Johnson; this guy was indeed not simple.

But Lake had his own strength. Facing the ever-ready-to-lose-lose-lose-lose-lose, Lake remained unfazed and said, "You can try, Lieutenant General Johnson."

As he spoke, Lake slightly raised a finger. Although it wasn't very clear, both of them heard an explosion coming from somewhere outside.

Lake temporarily deactivated the Silent-Silent Fruit's power. Just then, a soldier outside frantically reported.

"Commander, something terrible has happened! The base's artillery emplacements were suddenly destroyed by lightning! Fortunately, there were no casualties. Commander Jonathan? Can you hear me?"

Before Jonathan could respond, Lake activated the Silence Barrier again. At this moment, Jonathan finally realized the level of danger posed by the man before him.

"The Rumble-Rumble Fruit… the previous ability seemed to be the Wind-Wind Fruit, and now this Silent-Silent Fruit… just what kind of terrifying being are you, Sin?"

Jonathan looked at Lake with a serious expression, while Lake maintained a harmless demeanor and a gentle smile. Jonathan finally relented.

"Sigh~ I understand. I'll give the order to keep everyone on their toes, but I won't let you leave easily after this!"

Satisfied with the answer, Lake laughed loudly and stood up, saying, "Hahaha! Thanks a lot then. Let's see if you can stop us then. Bye-bye!"

After speaking, Lake vanished on the spot, and the lightning in the room dissipated. Jonathan looked out the window with a solemn expression, and after a moment, he muttered to himself.

"Original Sin... an arrogant attitude, a personality that refuses to bow to anyone... is this title of the government really unrelated to the one from eight hundred years ago?"

Chapter 93: The Great Battle Against Shukaku, Teamwork and CoordinationWhen Lake returned, his crewmates were all gathered around Chopper, their faces filled with worry. Lake immediately went to check on him, when suddenly...

Lake sensed an incredibly terrifying power erupting from Chopper's body. His expression changed instantly, and he ordered everyone to retreat. Without hesitation, his crewmates retreated.

The next moment, Chopper's body on the ground began to undergo a dramatic transformation, his size increasing rapidly until his form changed to that of a tanuki covered in cursed markings.

Of course, to Luffy, it looked like a very large tanuki. However, Chopper was often mistaken for a tanuki, but this tanuki was anything but docile.

Completely transformed into Shukaku, Chopper appeared in the center of G-8. The Marines were completely stunned. Jonathan, seeing this suddenly appearing monster, recalled Lake's earlier words and exclaimed in surprise.

"Does that guy have another monster among his crew? How many secrets is the Straw Hat crew still hiding?"

Chopper quickly went berserk. This Chopper had no consciousness of his own, acting purely on instinct, driven only by destruction and annihilation.

The solution now was to snap him out of it. It sounded cruel, but it was the method provided by the system, and it required absolutely no effort.

Although this thing was Chopper in disguise, it wasn't Chopper at all; it was a pure, mindless Shukaku, the One-Tailed Beast. Luffy simply thought the tanuki was a larger version of Chopper, and he didn't want to fight Chopper.

Lake didn't bother explaining to Luffy. He told him to protect Merry, then told the crew to prepare to attack. The other crew members understood and got ready.

Seeing Shukaku begin its rampage, Lake immediately ordered the crew to attack. Everyone moved in simultaneously, forming an encirclement.

However, because it was so small compared to Shukaku, it went completely unnoticed, and Shukaku continued its wanton destruction of the buildings before it.

Poor Jonathan watched this scene, shaking his head and sighing, "Looks like I'll have to request more military funding again."

Outside, Lake, seeing the destroyed naval base, was also somewhat helpless. He took the initiative, his Wind Wings appearing on his back as he flew into the air.

Shukaku, seeing a small insect suddenly appear before it, raised its hand, ready to slap Lake to death. Lightning began to crackle all over Lake's body.

The next second, it suddenly drew Tensa Zangetsu and chanted.

"Thunder Breathing - First Form - Thunderclap Flash!"

Sizzle!

Tss!

Truly as fast as lightning. Naming magic was no exaggeration; with the speed boost from the Rumble-Rumble Fruit and the Wind-Wind Fruit, Lake's strike was so fast that only a flash of lightning could be seen.

The giant Shukaku was completely unaware of what had happened. Only when it came to its senses did it realize it had lost an arm. The fact that the victim of the attack hadn't even noticed demonstrates the terrifying power of the blow.

However, Shukaku seemed unaffected. Its body began to turn as thin as sand, and moments later, its arm was completely healed.

Rek had obviously used Armament Haki in that attack. He never underestimated his opponents in battle, and the fact that he hadn't suffered any real damage even with Armament Haki suggests that tailed beasts have become a special existence in this world.

Lake wasn't entirely without options. His Observation Haki was stronger than everyone else's, and he sensed that Shukaku's energy had decreased as his arm recovered.

Although the decrease was very slight, it was still a decrease. This left only one option: a war of attrition, wearing down Shukaku until its energy was depleted.

Lake shouted to his companions from the air, "Treat this guy as a perfect punching bag! Everyone, do whatever you want, wear down his energy!"

Having witnessed what had just happened and with Lake's explanation, everyone was ready. Zoro, who had been itching to fight, had been frustrated by the lack of a worthy opponent all along.

In short, he'd gotten a little cocky, and now he needed a blow. Facing the massive Shukaku, Zoro's eyes blazed with excited fighting spirit as he charged forward, chanting,

"Three-Sword Style: Gale: Nine Mountains, Eight Seas!"

Boom!

What was clearly a slash displayed an unusually powerful impact, striking Shukaku's short legs and knocking it off its balance.

Swaying precariously, as if about to collapse, Sanji suddenly appeared before Shukaku, using Moonwalk to propel himself through the air, his entire body engulfed in eerie blue flames.

"Diable Jambe: Hellish Cutlery!"

Sanji unleashed an attack similar to Gale Jambe, but instead of blue slashes, it rained down on Shukaku in the shape of a knife and fork engulfed in flames.

Shukaku's body quickly gave way, and it began to tilt, the ground littered with sharp rocks; a fall would surely inflict severe damage.

Unexpectedly, it was still struggling. Shukaku suddenly spat out an air blast, completely neutralizing Sanji's attack, and then raised its massive arm to strike.

"Eighty-Flower Blossom, Four Trees, Stretch! Fall!"

Robin's voice rang out, and four enormous hands formed from eighty arms appeared on Shukaku's body, controlling the arm that was about to strike Sanji.

Then the power of the curse activated, and Shukaku's body collapsed uncontrollably, its massive form completely covering the sharp rocks on the ground.

"Roar!"

Shukaku let out its first painful roar, but it wasn't over yet. Nami transformed into a fire elemental and immediately added fuel to the fire.

"Elemental Power - Flame - Heavenly Fire Seed!"

Thump! Thump! Thump...

A barrage of flames suddenly appeared above Shukaku like meteors, the rain of attacks preventing it from rising. Its companions had executed a well-coordinated attack.

Lake clearly felt Shukaku's energy plummeting, which enraged the enormous monster. Its belly suddenly began to swell.

Then it opened its mouth wide and began to condense energy. Seeing this, Lake immediately knew what it was about to do. He took a deep breath, and his entire body began to gather lightning energy.

Soon, a black sphere condensed in front of Shukaku's mouth and was launched directly at Lake. A Tailed Beast Ball! Lake hadn't expected to see this attack in this world.

He naturally dared not underestimate him. Today, Lake was going to vindicate a man who had slashed a Tailed Beast Ball with his sword. Under the influence of lightning energy, the Tensa Zangetsu in his hand had transformed into a lightning blade.

"Lightning Slash!"

Sizzle!

Boom!

At that moment, it was as if the heavens had been struck by lightning. The terrifying lightning and the explosion of the Tailed Beast Ball increased the brightness of the sky several times over, and no one dared to look directly at it.

But everyone felt how terrifying the energy of that explosion was. A large section of the clouds in the sky was blasted open, and the sky turned a blinding white.

Chapter 94 Shattering Shukaku with Thunder!After the explosion, amidst the worried shouts of his companions, Lake stood suspended in mid-air, his clothes battered and tattered, but he looked exceptionally excited.

Seeing this, everyone couldn't help but exclaim "monster!" This wasn't the first time his companions had witnessed Lake's incredible abilities, so while they were inwardly shocked, their expressions remained largely calm.

However, Jonathan, who had been watching the entire time, was completely stunned. He was certain that the black sphere had easily destroyed an island.

That attack of that magnitude had been blocked by that man! Just how terrifying was this guy's strength? Or was it that the Rumble-Rumble Fruit could actually achieve such a feat?

Lake, hovering in the air, was slightly out of breath, his hand gripping Zangetsu trembling. He could have handled it much more easily.

But it was a sudden impulse that led him to make this crazy decision. Now, thinking back, he felt a little scared, but currently, he was mostly excited.

Shukaku's energy was running low, but Lake was also weakened from withstanding the Tailed Beast Ball. He decided to go all out, leaving the rest to his companions.

With this thought, Lake activated the 10x Kaioken, a red aura suddenly erupting from his body. Instantly, Lake felt his strength increase several times over.

Then, the lightning energy within his body began to gather again, this time concentrated within Lake himself. His Rumble-Rumble Fruit was now in its enhanced version, making it his most powerful and easily controlled form.

"Full Power - King of Thunder!"

Lake roared, his body beginning to grow gigantic. His shirt exploded, revealing his muscular physique, his entire body covered in lightning, making him appear like a god.

Now it was time to show Enel what a true god of thunder looked like. Although not as gigantic as Shukaku, he had become a miniature giant.

Boom!

A single punch sent Shukaku, who was lying on the ground, flying a considerable distance. Shukaku tried to retaliate, but was met only by Lake's terrifying onslaught.

Thump! Thump! Thump…

Punch after punch, each blow left Shukaku disoriented. The mindless monster felt an urge to curse.

"Get down! Shatter the darkness with lightning!"

Boom!

Lake leaped high into the air, clasped his hands together, and slammed them down on Shukaku's head, slamming it completely into the ground. Shukaku's energy was finally exhausted.

Its size began to shrink, and moments later it transformed into the harmless Chopper, completely unharmed, seemingly asleep.

Zoro immediately stepped forward and hoisted Chopper onto his back. The moment Lake saw Shukaku disappear, he deflated like a punctured balloon, instantly reverting to his original form.

His body began to fall uncontrollably, but he wasn't worried at all. Sanji, using the Mooncloth, quickly caught Lake and helped him up, asking, "Are you alright?"

"Are you alright?"

"No problem, but leaving is up to you guys."

"Don't worry, you've been making such a splash, now it's our turn to perform."

Sanji helped Lake back to his crew, and as they were discussing how to leave, Usopp suddenly spoke up.

"Everyone! Run towards the door! Merry, be ready to get the Going Merry out at any moment!"

Although Merry didn't know why, she nodded. Her companions ran alongside, asking Usopp if he had come up with a plan.

Suddenly, Usopp raised the Black Destroyer, moving and aiming simultaneously. Black lightning seemed to crackle around the gun's barrel. The next second…

Bang!

Usopp fired. The jet-black bullet flew like a meteor towards a well-hidden location, piercing through several layers of walls.

Finally, it accurately struck the lever controlling the gate, shattering it. The heavy gate swung open, and seawater rushed in.

Her companions were stunned by Usopp's move. Merry immediately coordinated, conjuring the Going Merry as the seawater surged in.

Everyone boarded the ship. Nami used her elemental powers and cyclone energy to accelerate the Going Merry, easily deflecting the Marines' attacks.

The Going Merry then swaggered away from the Marine base. Jonathan, watching everything from inside the room, shook his head and dialed a Den Den Mushi.

"Hey, they've left."

"Do you know their location?"

"If they leave from here, the next stop on the Log Pose is Long Chain Island."

"I understand. I'll go and bring those evil pirates to justice!"

"Evil pirates...that's certainly wicked. Good luck."

*Clatter*

After the Den Den Mushi hung up, Jonathan looked at the chair Lake had been sitting in and smiled, saying, "You think you can just leave after destroying this place like this? Whether you survive or not is up to you, Original Sin..."

On the Going Merry, everyone finally out of danger breathed a sigh of relief. Lake had already fallen asleep, and Chopper had been taken to his room to rest.

When Lake woke up, they had been sailing for several days, while Chopper had already woken up the next day. He felt very sorry for the trouble he had caused everyone.

But no one on the ship blamed him. Instead, they all praised him for becoming incredibly powerful. If Chopper could fully master that power, it would definitely be the team's trump card.

Chopper, lost in the praise, forgot all his previous thoughts and spent the last few days taking Lake for a medical checkup.

Although the results showed nothing serious due to overexertion, Chopper continued as usual. His feelings for Lake were now nothing more than admiration and gratitude.

Lake was the first human Chopper encountered who showed him kindness after Dr. Hiruluk's death. Dr. Kureha, on the other hand, was like a mother to Chopper, so there's no comparison.

Merry's existence in her current form was also due to Lake, so her feelings for him were special. During Lake's coma, she stayed by his room, only being taken out by Nami for mealtimes.

Although the situation on the ship remained the same, the atmosphere felt somewhat heavy because Lake was still unconscious. On the day Lake woke up,

Luffy immediately threw a party, and everyone cheered and played all day. The two kids regained much of their energy, and Lake's significance on the ship had become very important.

After the pleasant banquet, Lake emerged from Nami's room the next day looking refreshed. Nami, on the other hand, wasn't planning on getting out of bed that night.

Now, with a little one on the ship who was very attached to Lake, he couldn't be as carefree as before. The two little ones had had a blast at the banquet last night and went to bed early, which gave Lake the opportunity to spend the entire night with Nami.

Chapter 95 Landing on Long Chain Island, Where Did That Dog Barking Come From?Sanji: "The weather these past few days has been really troublesome, but it's finally calmed down now."

Nami: "The temperature and climate are normal now, we should have reached the climate and sea area for the next island."

Usopp: "Robin, what can we see?"

Robin: "We can see the island all the time."

Luffy: "What! You should have told me sooner!"

Usopp: "That's right! Luffy, you demonstrate!"

Luffy: "Guys! We've found an island! Ooohoo!"

Robin: "..."

The silence was deafening. Lake, removing his sunglasses, suddenly spoke up: "By the way, didn't anyone notice that ship we just saw?"

Zoro chimed in: "Did they lose a naval battle, and then the captain died, and they looted everything?"

Usopp immediately added: "No, no, no, I looked at that ship carefully. There wasn't a single sign of battle on it, and they didn't even have their most important pirate flag."

Sanji, after thinking for a moment, said: "That means they probably aren't pirates, just a regular merchant ship. Don't worry about it."

Lake didn't say anything more, put his sunglasses back on, and continued to lie down and enjoy the sea breeze. Soon, the Going Merry docked, but there was nothing there.

The vast grassland stretched out before them, utterly empty. Luffy and Usopp, along with Chopper and Merry, happily jumped onto the island, rolling around and splashing about.

Nami, looking exasperated, told Zoro to lower the anchor, and then they prepared to go ashore to check things out. Lake, however, showed no intention of going down.

They figured they'd likely encounter Foxy and his crew on Long Chain Island later—the users of the Slow-Slow Fruit. With Luffy and his crew's current strength, even if Foxy used some tricks, they had nothing to worry about.

Therefore, Lake didn't plan to participate this time. He decided to wait for them to return; after all, his Observation Haki could cover the entire island from the Going Merry.

If anything happened, he could intervene immediately. So, it was decided that Lake would stay on the ship while the rest of the crew went ashore.

On the island, Luffy and his crew saw long apples, long bears, long giraffes (literally), basically everything there was long!

Later, he unintentionally saved an old man who had been on stilts for 10 years, allowing him to reunite with a horse named Sherry who had been waiting for him. However, just as everyone was celebrating,

Bang!

A gunshot shattered the atmosphere, and the Foxy Pirates appeared. The Straw Hat Pirates were now quite famous, and the Foxy Pirates naturally recognized Luffy.

After a brief provocation, Luffy agreed to participate in the so-called competition, using various events to determine the winner, who could choose to recruit members of the opposing crew.

The Foxy Pirates were the kind of guys who used the brutal game DBF to absorb pirate crews. While they were playing, Lake, who was lying on the deck, suddenly jumped up.

"Something's wrong... Why is that guy here? Oh no, he's getting close to Luffy and the others, we have to hurry!"

The fact that Lake showed such panic meant that the newcomer was no ordinary person. Before Lake could even arrive, an explosion was heard nearby, and a large amount of lava gushed out.

"Hmph! What most vicious pirate crew? All you scum of the sea, die!"

"Where did that barking come from? I heard it from way over there."

Wearing a dark red suit, a navy cap, black leather gloves, and a navy admiral's coat draped over his back—this image needs no introduction, right? Navy Admiral Akainu.

When Lake arrived, all his crewmates were injured, but thankfully, none seemed seriously hurt. Seeing Lake, their previous tension eased somewhat.

Akainu looked at Lake and said, "You dared to deliver yourself to my doorstep, Sin? Heh, I don't know why the higher-ups value you so much, but since you've shown up, you'll die here!"

With that, Akainu suddenly attacked Lake, his fist, transformed into magma, hurtling straight at him. Lake's expression immediately turned serious.

His right fist was covered in raging lightning as he met the attack head-on.

Bang!

The collision of lightning and magma created a massive explosion and roar, blasting open a huge crater and sending everyone flying.

Lake, his body crackling with lightning, felt a burning pain in his arm, realizing the strength of a Marine Admiral. Lake knew his opponent wasn't even serious yet.

This guy's appearance was unexpected, so he had to improvise. Frankly, the Straw Hat crew's current strength wasn't enough to threaten an Admiral.

So Lake immediately ordered his crew back to the ship. Although Luffy was the first to disagree, Lake ultimately forced everyone to leave with a gust of wind.

Lake naturally didn't intend to fight Akainu to the death; retreat was the priority. Therefore, he had a backup plan: he instructed the Merry to prepare, and upon his return, he would immediately retrieve the Merry and release the Ark Maxim.

However, this battle was now unavoidable. Lake shook his hand and looked at Akainu, saying, "The government really thinks highly of us, sending an admiral to hunt us down so quickly?"

Akainu sneered, "If we don't clean up you sea scum as soon as possible, do you really think the Navy's territory is safe to roam freely?"

Hearing Akainu's words, Lake immediately understood what was going on, thinking, "You Jonathan, playing dirty tricks on me!"

Akainu had no intention of talking to Lake and attacked him again.

"Great Eruption!"

Akainu transformed his arm into a massive lava fist made of molten lava, launching it with the force of a volcanic eruption.

With a calm expression, Lake drew his Tensa Zangetsu and swung it with a simple, unadorned strike.

*Crack!*

A black sword aura easily pierced through the massive lava fist. Suddenly, the lava hound began to explode, transforming into countless volcanic projectiles that flew towards Lake.

Each volcanic projectile was powerful enough to easily destroy a super-large warship. Lake, naturally, dared not be reckless. A sudden gust of wind appeared centered on him.

"Wind Barrier!"

An invisible wind barrier enveloped Lake. Upon contact with the wind barrier, the numerous volcanic projectiles were all redirected elsewhere by the gust of wind.

*Boom! Boom! Boom…*

Explosions erupted continuously, and the Long Chain Island area began to crumble. Amidst the smoke, raging winds clashed with lightning and lava.

The battle's intensity intensified, turning the terrain around them into charred ruins. When the smoke cleared,

Lake hovered in the air, his body crackling with lightning, his wind wings swaying slightly, and his Zanpakuto transformed into a lightning blade.

Chapter 96 Fierce Battle Against Akainu, A Slight Victory"Useless, kid! Your Rumble-Rumble Fruit development is indeed quite good, but your Haki is inferior to mine, and your other abilities are just for show."

"Although I hate to admit it, you're right. To be honest, I never imagined a Marine Admiral's strength would be this great, but that's all."

"Hmph! Cherish your last moments of arrogance. I'll execute you on the spot. Living in Impel Down is a pipe dream for you."

"I'll return the first half of that sentence to you. Cherish your last moments of arrogance, Akainu. Didn't you want to see a performance? Here comes the real performance, but it's my... solo show!"

As he finished speaking, Lake's eyes suddenly turned into red six-pointed stars. For a moment, Akainu felt inexplicably uncomfortable, but this feeling didn't affect him.

Akainu attacked again, instantly appearing in front of Lake, but this time, just as he raised his hand, Lake's voice rang out first.

"Crimson Lotus!"

"What!"

Bang!

Suddenly, Lake's arm turned to molten lava, then transformed into a dog's head and lunged at Akainu. Akainu, startled, was struck by Lake's attack.

He was instantly reduced to a pool of lava. After the lava reformed, blood streamed from Akainu's left shoulder as he glared angrily at Lake.

Lake chuckled and said, "How does it feel to be bitten by your own dog?"

Akainu, still furious, didn't respond to Lake but instead chose to show his anger with action. He stomped his foot on the ground, instantly creating a large patch of lava.

It began to spread from Akainu's center. Lake's expression hardened, and he flew through the air with a frown. Akainu coldly shouted,

"Lava Hound!"

The next second, a Lava Hound suddenly leaped out of the lava, almost hitting Lake, whose Observation Haki was barely enough to withstand it.

After narrowly dodging it, before Lake could react, a second, a third… a large number of Lava Hounds burst forth from the lava.

Lake scoffed, "So you think you're so capable? Let me show you the new version."

With that, Lake suddenly pointed to the sky. Instantly, a thundercloud appeared above his head, followed by a torrent of lightning. Lake then spread his arms, releasing a massive amount of magma that merged with the cloud.

"Thunderfire Hounds!"

As the two energies merged, lava hounds crackling with lightning burst forth from the thundercloud, blocking Akainu's attacks completely.

Some Thunderfire Hounds even charged at Akainu, but Akainu easily shattered them with his magma-filled arms. Suddenly...

"Darkhounds!"

Akainu launched a sneak attack, swiftly extending his magma-filled arms and charging towards Lake. This attack was not only incredibly fast but also exceptionally powerful.

By the time Lake reacted, it was too late to dodge. He immediately activated Yin Healing and Destruction, and...

Boom!

With a muffled thud, Lake was knocked down from the sky. His Wind Wings dissipated, and his chest was a bloody mess, a truly gruesome sight. Akainu, seeing this, sneered.

"To deal with pirates, you have to be ruthless. You can prepare to die..."

"Morph Dog!"

Bang!

"Uh..."

Before Akainu could finish speaking, he was suddenly struck by a molten arm crackling with lightning, sending him staggering back several steps, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Lyke, sprawled on the ground, rose with a grin and said, "That must have hurt, right? That 'Ghost Dog' move."

Akainu, besides anger, was mostly bewildered. Lyke was completely different from his previous disheveled state; aside from a tattered shirt, he wasn't injured at all.

Lyke's mocking attitude made Akainu feel insulted. Now he wasn't going to hold back anymore. Suddenly, the magma on the ground began to boil.

The magma seemed to come alive. Akainu simply raised a hand, and a gigantic lava dog head appeared, poised to devour Lyke.

Lyke calmly stood his ground, the red six-pointed star in his eyes flashing red. Just as the lava dog head was about to touch Lyke, suddenly...

Boom!

A deafening roar erupted as a lightning-powered Kirin appeared in the sky, its majestic kick instantly destroying the lava dog head. But that wasn't all.

Lake, with lightning in his left hand and magma in his right, unleashed his power. The lightning appeared, but the magma was missing. Suddenly, magma, just like Akainu's, began to erupt from where Lake stood, instantly covering a large area.

Surprisingly, Lake's magma didn't mix with Akainu's; instead, they were two extremes, forming a boundary like fire and water.

Suddenly, Akainu and Lake shouted simultaneously.

"Cerberus!"

"Cerberus!"

As their words ended, two enormous Cerberus appeared from the magma before them, their bodies completely covered in magma as if they had just emerged from hell.

However, unlike Akainu, above Lake's Cerberus was a mythical beast, the Qilin, its body covered in lightning. Their attack had now affected the entire island.

Boom!

With a deafening roar, the area where the two had fought vanished. A massive influx of seawater swept in, instantly obliterating half of Long Chain Island!

On the shore of Long Chain Island, the crew of the Going Merry watched the terrifying battle shockwaves, all worried about Lake's safety, and the same was true on the other side.

On the other side, on a Marine warship, a group of soldiers frantically observed the situation on the island, constantly contacting Akainu. They hadn't expected that Akainu's attempt to capture a small-time pirate who hadn't even entered the New World would escalate into such a battle.

Suddenly, Lake appeared out of nowhere on the Going Merry, wearing only a pair of shorts that had previously been his trousers. Fortunately, he wasn't injured.

However, he was completely exhausted. After returning, his legs gave way and he collapsed. Luffy immediately caught him, and with the help of his crew, they took him to his room where Chopper examined him.

On the Marine side, they finally saw Admiral Akainu. His clothes were in tatters, his hat was gone, and his hair looked like it had been struck by lightning.

Most horrifying of all were his injuries: a charred wound on his left chest, near his heart, a bloody mess with necrotic skin.

Upon seeing this, the Navy immediately called for the ship's doctor. The doctor, startled by the extent of the injury, quickly began treating Akainu's wounds.

At this moment, Akainu's first mate couldn't help but ask, "Admiral Sakazuki, what happened? How did you get injured like this?"

After a moment of silence, Akainu spoke, "That bastard, he actually tried to kill me at the last moment! I underestimated him. That guy's power isn't much weaker than the Four Emperors of the New World, maybe even more dangerous."

The adjutant was stunned by Akainu's words, his mind blank as he stammered, "Four Emperors! How could that be... Then... then how are we going to report this to Fleet Admiral Sengoku?"

Akainu turned and walked towards the ward, saying as he went, "I'll report to him personally. You don't need to worry about this."

Chapter 97 No Rest Allowed, Aokiji on the Deserted Island"Die, Akainu!"

"What?! You're asking for it!"

"Thunder Flame Dragon Devour!"

"My technique... Damn it! Lava Dragon Devour!"

Boom!

...

Suddenly waking from his dream, Lake opened his eyes to a familiar ceiling—Nami's room on the Going Merry. After confirming his surroundings, Lake let out a long sigh.

He had just dreamt of his battle with Akainu again. After their terrifying attacks collided, Akainu's Cerberus had surprisingly managed to take on two opponents single-handedly.

Akainu's powerful Haki had directly knocked aside both of Lake's attacks, creating a good opportunity for Lake. A bold idea resurfaced in Lake's mind.

Without hesitation, he attacked. Using his Hollow Vision and his own modified abilities, he preemptively unleashed a powerful attack aimed at Akainu's heart.

Although Akainu reacted in time, the blow was enough to seriously injure him. Having succeeded, Lake fled without looking back.

Injured, Akainu couldn't stop Lake immediately and could only watch him leave, thus ending their battle.

Looking back, Lake still felt like he was dreaming. He had originally thought his first Marine Admiral would be Aokiji, but unexpectedly, he had run into Akainu by accident.

However, this battle with the Marine Admiral made Lake realize his own strength more clearly; the ceiling wasn't so unattainable.

Although Akainu's strength did exceed Lake's expectations, with the enhancement of Hollow Vision, his strength was enough to hold his own.

While pondering these things, Lake suddenly heard Luffy's voice outside: "Comrades! I see an island!"

Lake jumped out of bed. He really wasn't allowed to rest at all; he had just recovered from the battle, and now, trouble was brewing again.

The next island after the Long Chain Island, that uninhabited island, Marine Admiral Aokiji.

"Ah! That's going to kill me! Luckily, I can use my Hollow Eye. I just hope Aokiji doesn't go all out like Akainu."

Like complained as he pushed open the cabin door. His crew was thrilled to see him awake; they'd all breathed a sigh of relief after his return that day.

But everyone also began to reflect, especially Luffy. The usually carefree Luffy was now introspective.

He knew Lake was strong, but he couldn't do anything about it, only watch Lake face danger alone. He hated that situation.

Even with Lake's help, their strength had improved significantly, but it still wasn't enough compared to true powerhouses.

To be able to stand before his crew and protect them in the future, Luffy resolved to become stronger, stronger than anyone else.

The remaining crew members shared similar thoughts. Being protected by Lake time and time again, only to watch him face enemies alone, they were unwilling to accept it.

Getting back to the main point, after Lake came out, he didn't say a word and directly covered the entire island with his Observation Haki. Sure enough, he sensed a powerful aura somewhere on this deserted island.

Lake let out a long sigh and said, "Friends, although it's a bit sudden, I still have to say, there's a Marine Admiral on this island."

Usopp: "U-U-U-Admiral! Is it Akainu again?"

Lake shook his head and looked at Robin, saying, "This time it's Admiral Aokiji."

Upon hearing Lake's words, Robin's face instantly turned pale, and she slumped onto the deck. Nami quickly helped Robin up and asked her what was wrong.

Robin: "Aokiji... he's here because... it's because of me..."

Usopp: "What?! Hey Robin, don't joke around, how could that be..."

Robin: "I'm sorry... everyone, I've been hiding something about me. Aokiji is most likely here because of me. You guys should leave, I..."

Luffy: "What a joke! Aokiji or Akainu, let the Admirals come if they want! I'll protect my crew!"

Everyone: "Luffy..."

Lake, watching the scene unfold, smiled with satisfaction and said, "Looks like you've really grown a lot. Alright, let's get down to business. No matter what they want to do, try not to cause trouble. Of course, if anything unexpected happens, everyone's safety is the priority, understand?"

The crew nodded, only Luffy remained silent. After a while, Luffy suddenly spoke to Lake, "Lake, have I been a bad captain...?"

However, before he could finish speaking, Lake instantly appeared beside Luffy, punching him on the head, leaving a large bump.

"The captain who was just so full of ambition is now starting to doubt himself? Idiot, you're our flag bearer! Never deny yourself. If even you're confused, what are we supposed to do?"

Although it's unclear how much Luffy understood, his goofy grin showed he was fine. Afterwards, the entire crew went ashore together, and the Going Merry was immediately taken in by the ship.

Usopp: "Chopper, did you find the herbs?"

Chopper: "Almost, but there might be even rarer herbs on this island."

Merry: "That's something I've been wondering about. Why is there a strange groove on the ground?"

Nami: "It looks like a bicycle mark, but who would ride a bicycle on a deserted island like this?"

Robin: "Aokiji."

Sanji: "Aokiji? Robin-chan means that the Marine Admiral brought a bicycle with him?"

Robin: "He didn't bring it. He travels by bicycle."

Zoro: "His mode of transportation isn't by warship?"

Lake: "Aokiji is a user of the Ice-Ice Fruit, so he can ride a bicycle on the sea. That's his mode of transportation."

Luffy: "Riding a bicycle on the sea! That's amazing! I want to try it too."

...

While everyone was chatting, they left the forest and came to an open clearing. Lake's eyes quickly locked onto a mushroom-like thing behind a rock.

Chopper looked around and spotted it. Thinking it was some rare medicinal herb, Chopper was excited and about to run over to pick it when Lake picked him up.

Chopper looked at Lake with a puzzled expression. Lake shielded Chopper behind him and said, "That guy's over there. I'll go talk to him."

Hearing Lake's words, Robin hesitated, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back. Noticing this, Lake gently patted Robin's shoulder and whispered, "Relax, it's just a quick chat."

Nami immediately came over, telling Lake to be careful, and then kept comforting Robin. Ever since Robin heard the name Aokiji,

her original mature and elegant demeanor had completely vanished, replaced by a constant look of fear and apprehension. Nami felt very sorry for Robin seeing this.

Chapter 98 The Controversy Over Laziness, Admiral Aokiji"Yo~ Sleeping?"

"Oh my gosh~ Look who I've run into, Sin Lake, quite a dangerous guy. I heard about Sakazuki."

"Thank you for the compliment. I was mainly forced to fight back. After all, I didn't want to clash with a Marine Admiral. What do you think, Admiral Aokiji?"

"Thinking about it is troublesome. Don't worry, I'm not here to capture you. I'm just passing by and taking a nap."

"That's good. I won't disturb your rest. Oh, by the way… Robin is our partner. She's living a happy life now."

"Is that so… You should know what Nico Robin represents. Do you think you have the ability to keep her?"

"That's none of your concern. We'll deal with whatever comes our way."

…

Lake and Aokiji had a brief exchange. Looking at Aokiji's lazy demeanor, it was hard for someone meeting him for the first time to believe he was a Marine Admiral.

Aokiji lay there, watching Lake leave and Robin, who looked terrified in the crowd. The moment their eyes met, Robin collapsed to the ground in fear.

Lake immediately caught Robin, then glared at Aokiji. Aokiji waved his hand, put on his eye mask, and went back to sleep. Lake briefly explained the situation to his companions.

Everyone relaxed their guard for the time being. Suddenly, a group of refugees emerged from the forest. Yes, judging by their attire, whoever they were before, they were definitely refugees now.

They immediately knelt before Aokiji. The leader said, "Are you a Marine...? If you had said so earlier..."

Ignoring everything else, Chopper checked everyone's injuries and treated them. Lake immediately brought out a pile of food, and Sanji began preparing a meal.

Then, they told their story: they had originally been traveling back from the Gourmet City by ship, but encountered a free-swimming frog at sea.

Their ship was wrecked, and they were among the lucky ones who drifted to this deserted island, where they had been living hand to mouth for a month.

Until today, they saw people and thought they were rescued, but then they saw a strange person riding a bicycle on the sea. They certainly wouldn't dare mess with such a weirdo.

Then they saw the pirate ship, which belonged to Lake and his crew. Instinctively, they didn't dare show themselves, only daring to emerge after overhearing their conversation.

After everyone had recovered and eaten their fill, Lake said to the still-sleeping Aokiji, "Hey, wake up! This is your job."

Aokiji removed his eyepatch, looking annoyed, and said, "Ah~ you guys get ready and head out. Luckily, there's an inhabited island not far from here; let's rest there first."

After Aokiji finished speaking, Luffy suddenly shouted, "Hey! Don't listen to his nonsense! He's a Marine!"

"..."

The silence was deafening. After a while, the refugee leader nervously asked, "Is there a problem?"

Luffy paused for a moment, then clapped his hands, looking enlightened, and said, "Oh~ right, right, that's right! To ordinary people, the Marines are the good guys, and we're the bad guys. Haha~ Hahaha~"

Lake, feigning ignorance, silently helped the refugees prepare supplies, casually making a small raft from some trees and tying food and water onto it.

After everything was ready, everyone went to the beach. Luffy was still wondering how Aokiji was going to get them across—was he going to swim them all there?

Aokiji silently reached the shore and dipped his hand into the sea. Just then, by sheer coincidence, a gigantic Sea King appeared. Judging by its size, it was likely the ruler of this area.

It charged at Aokiji with its gaping maw, but unfortunately, it had messed with the wrong person.

"Ice Age!"

Crack! Crack…

Instantly, a terrifying burst of cold air erupted, freezing the sea surface into ice. The poor Sea King became an ice sculpture, a work of art.

This scene stunned everyone, except for Lake. His crew, besides being shocked, all looked at Lake. They had only seen him fighting Akainu from afar.

Only now did they realize how terrifying the strength of a Marine Admiral was. Was Lake actually fighting such a powerful being…?

At this moment, Robin spoke up, "This is the strength of a Marine Headquarters Admiral, the Marine Headquarters' highest combat power…"

Having done all this, Aokiji turned and casually returned to the shore, saying, "This should last about a week. Keep walking in this direction; you should see the island in about four days. It's a little cold, so be careful to keep warm."

The refugees hadn't recovered from their astonishment. They could only consider what they had witnessed a miracle. Coming to their senses, they excitedly thanked Aokiji, then said goodbye to Lake and the others before leaving.

After the refugees left, Luffy and his crew happily played on the ice for a while before returning. Aokiji sat cross-legged on the shore, tilting his head as he watched the group.

Suddenly, he spoke to Luffy, "Well... how should I put it... you really resemble your grandfather, Monkey D. Luffy. Should I call it unrestrained, or just incomprehensible?"

Upon hearing about his grandfather, Luffy's face betrayed his undisguised tension and fear. His crewmates looked on in confusion, as they didn't know who Luffy's grandfather was.

Aokiji continued, "I was fortunate enough to be here thanks to your grandfather's kindness. I came here to see you and Nico Robin. Originally, I planned to have you die here, but there's a troublesome guy. It won't be easy to take him down."

As he spoke, Aokiji looked at Lake, who wore a meaningful smile, the six-pointed star in his eyes gleaming with a faint red light.

The atmosphere grew heavy. His crewmates stared seriously at Aokiji, who then scratched his head and spoke.

"Alright, Lake, let me see what you're capable of. Otherwise, I won't be able to explain it to the Fleet Admiral. Actually, I'm quite curious what kind of abilities someone like that could earn Sakazuki's praise."

The situation has now veered off course, all because of Lake's presence. But that's fine; Aokiji seems to just want to get by.

So Lake said to his crew, "Since they've said so, it would be impolite of me to refuse. Luffy, take everyone back to the ship. You'll protect everyone, right?"

Luffy is just naive, not clueless. He can understand this situation. He's just unwilling to accept it. You can tell from the expressions of his other crew members that they all feel the same way as Luffy.

Chapter 99 Lake vs. Aokiji, a chilling duelUltimately, prioritizing the greater good, Luffy and his crew returned to the Going Merry. Now only Aokiji and Lake remained. Lake suddenly said with a mischievous grin,

"Aokiji, I don't think you're very happy being a Marine. Why don't you join us?"

Aokiji was taken aback by Lake's absurd statement for a moment before replying, "Are you serious? Inviting a Marine Admiral? I'm increasingly unable to understand you."

"Hahaha! Let's lighten the mood. Of course, you could really consider it. Come on."

"If it were in your personal capacity, I might actually consider it if I had nowhere else to go. But being a pirate is a different story."

"Ice Blade."

"Tensa Zangetsu."

Clang!

The black Tensa Zangetsu clashed with the ice blade in Aokiji's hand, producing a metallic clang. This seemingly ordinary ice blade possessed a power even greater than Lake's.

After the collision, both were forced back. Lake struck first, wind wings appearing behind him, his feet surging with lightning, and his dark Zangetsu was suddenly covered in magma.

The next second, Lake vanished. Aokiji spread his arms and chanted,

"Ice Wall!"

*Crack!*

Instantly, four ice walls rose up around Aokiji, but they shattered in an instant. Aokiji's gaze locked onto an open space, and he raised his hand, chanting,

"Ice Ball!"

Aokiji released five ice pillars from his palms, shooting them towards the open space. Lake appeared at that moment, crashing head-on into the ice pillars.

*Boom!*

After a series of impacts, Lake staggered back several steps, barely managing to withstand the impact. Aokiji then spoke with a sigh.

"The Rumble-Rumble Fruit is highly developed, and so is the Wind-Wind Fruit. Sakazuki's Magma-Magma Fruit ability is also being used, though not very powerful."

Like smiled helplessly and said, "Yeah, I'm not very skilled yet, but starting today I'll have another ability to use."

Hearing Lake's words, Aokiji frowned. He had a rough idea of ​​what was going on, and sure enough, the red six-pointed star in Lake's eyes glowed red the next second.

Like's body began to form ice blocks similar to Aokiji's. Aokiji was about to attack when Lake shouted first.

"Frozen Time Capsule!"

A blast of cold air was released by Lake and instantly rushed towards Aokiji. Aokiji knew his moves all too well, and instead of taking the hit head-on, he dodged the attack.

But then Lake appeared beside Aokiji, Zangetsu in his right hand and an ice blade in his left, both weapons surrounded by lightning.

"Starburst Stream Slash!"

The incredibly fast, continuous slashes overwhelmed Aokiji, forcing him back before Lake could even finish his attack, thanks to the terrifying chill Aokiji suddenly unleashed.

The two separated again, both covered in shards of ice. Aokiji looked rather disheveled, his clothes battered and tattered.

Bleeding wounds marred his body. The initial laziness on Aokiji's face was gone, replaced by excitement.

Lake, seeing this, thought to himself, "Hey, hey~ stop messing around, bro! Lazy justice, lazy! What's with that intense fighting spirit in your eyes?!"

Unfortunately, Aokiji couldn't hear Lake's thoughts. He only wanted to teach this smiling guy a lesson, and so Aokiji attacked again.

"Ice Block - Tyrannosaurus Beak!"

Aokiji gathered cold air in his right arm, releasing an ice bird that flew towards Lake with powerful force. Lake calmly assumed a fighting stance, took a deep breath, and shouted.

"Ice Demon's Fever!"

Lake exhaled a wide expanse of frost, carrying powerful cold air and impact, instantly covering Aokiji's attack, along with Aokiji himself.

However, in a split second, a change occurred. Aokiji suddenly appeared very close to Lake, his ice blade nearly piercing Lake's open mouth.

Fortunately, Lake reacted quickly, performing a backflip to dodge. Even so, a bloody mark remained on Lake's chin, which healed in the blink of an eye.

Seeing this, Aokiji sighed and said, "Oh my god~ Such a monstrous regenerative ability? And I don't remember having a move like that. It's a bit terrifying."

Lake coughed twice and chuckled, "The student surpasses the master, huh? Want to continue? I think we should stop here."

Aokiji was silent for a moment, then looked at his disheveled appearance and said, "Stop like this, Lake-kun. I'd lose face. Let's end it here with this one move."

"Ice Giant!"

As Aokiji finished speaking, a gigantic frost giant was summoned, several times larger than a giant itself. Aokiji vanished.

Lake looked at the enormous frost giant before him and shook his head, muttering, "Do your admirals have some kind of peculiar fetish? They just like creating these huge things. This is just a sitting duck!"

Boom!

As Lake was speaking, the giant threw a punch at him. Lake leaped into the air to dodge, and a bottomless crater appeared in the ground, demonstrating the giant's incredible power.

In mid-air, Lake adjusted his breathing. The power of his Hollow Eyes allowed him to unleash the full potential of his Ice-Ice Fruit ability. Then, with a slight smile, he uttered,

"Sky-Piercing Ice Slash!"

*Swoosh!*

The massive sword light easily pierced through the colossal frost giant, which froze motionless. Lake flicked his wrist, shaking off the frost from the sword. Suddenly…

*Crack! Crack! Crack…*

The massive frost giant instantly shattered, chunks of ice falling from the sky. Luckily, this was an uninhabited island; otherwise, these massive ice blocks would have killed many people.

Even after the Frost Giant shattered, Lake still hadn't seen Aokiji. He then dispelled his Divine Vision, let out a long sigh, and returned to the Going Merry.

Meanwhile, not far away on the sea, Aokiji, riding his bicycle, stopped and witnessed the scene. He spoke up:

"Ara ra ra ~ He was taken down in one go? That's terrifying strength, Lake-kun. Now I can explain myself better when I get back."

"Chirp chirp!"

"Ah~ Did I block your way? Sorry, I'll leave right away."

"Chirp chirp~"

A polite Marine Admiral would even apologize to a passing dolphin. Lake never imagined that this guy would eventually become such a villain.

When Lake returned to the Going Merry, his crew immediately surrounded him. Lake quickly smiled and explained that Aokiji had only been going through the motions and hadn't really fought him seriously.

Of course, this explanation only fooled Luffy and the others. Robin kept looking at Lake with a strange expression; clearly, she didn't believe a word he said.

Robin had actually been preparing to leave for a long time. The time she spent with her crew had changed her a lot. She felt that it was rare to find a group of people worth risking her life for, and she didn't want them to suffer needlessly because of her.

Chapter 100 A Unique Style, Free-flowing Swordsmanship"System, open the panel and take a look."

Name: Lake

Age: 19

Weapons: Tensa Zangetsu, Ebony and Ivory

Physical Talents: Hollow Vision, Healing Ability

Special Abilities: Solar Magic, Naming Magic, Yin Healing and Destruction, Tenfold Kaioken

Mastered Abilities: Navy Rokushiki, Fish-Man Karate, Free-Style Swordsmanship

Mastered Haki: Observation Haki (Advanced), Armament Haki (Advanced), Conqueror's Haki (Beginner)

Devil Fruits: Chop-Chop Fruit (Weakened), Smoke-Smoke Fruit (Weakened), Magma-Magma Fruit (Weakened), Ice-Ice Fruit (Weakened), Silence-Silence Fruit (Enhanced), Rumble-Rumble Fruit (Enhanced), Wind-Wind Fruit.

Let's explain the panel item by item. First, the weakened versions of the Three-Sword Style and the Black Blade have been replaced by something called Free-Style Swordsmanship.

According to the system's explanation, Lake's swordsmanship doesn't exist in this world due to the Naming Magic, so it's a unique style that combines the strengths of many schools.

Then there's Haki. His Armament Haki has successfully reached a high level, likely due to his recent battles with two admirals.

It's a bit of a shame about Conqueror's Haki. Without guidance and only using it to clear out mobs, there hasn't been much progress. To be precise, he hasn't opened enough treasure chests.

Finally, there are Devil Fruits. With this batch of copied fruits, Lake's inventory is now quite large, including many Devil Fruit abilities besides the basic Wind-Wind Fruit.

The only usable fruit left is the enhanced Rumble-Rumble Fruit. As for the enhanced Silence-Silence Fruit, Lake didn't use it in previous battles because it was still somewhat underwhelming.

When the Vacuum Barrier is activated, anyone with even a slightly better Observation Haki will instantly sense danger and create distance, making it ineffective for Lake.

The rest are all weakened versions. The reason he didn't fuse them is because he planned to save the Chop-Chop Fruit for future upgrades. The Magma-Magma Fruit and Ice-Ice Fruit are a given; melting them would be a waste.

Finally, there's the Smoke-Smoke Fruit, which he plans to fuse, but he only has one, so he'll have to leave it until he gets other fruits. However, Lake isn't in a hurry.

Even if the treasure chest issue isn't resolved, the next stop is Water Seven, where fruits are plentiful. However, Lake needs to plan carefully, because those fruits are meant for the undercover agents to eat after they return; he can't rush things.

Luffy: "Sanji! I'm hungry! What are Nami and Robin eating? I want some too!"

Sanji: "Okay, you can get yours from the kitchen."

Luffy: "This is called Paille... It's so delicious!"

Chopper: "What's Paille?"

Usopp: "Paille is the meat from the tail of the giant sea monster Paille. I killed it; it was a hundred meters long!"

Chopper: "100 meters! You're amazing, Usopp!"

Lake: "Hey~ Usopp, there's a 100-meter-long giant sea monster following the ship. You must have caused this trouble. Go and take care of it."

Usopp: "Pfft! Are you kidding me, Lake? How could I possibly..."

Sanji: "Idiot! Don't waste my food!"

...

The atmosphere on the ship was always the same, cheerful and fun, without a trace of pressure, always feeling incredibly relaxed.

Lake noticed Robin at the stern, and walked over with a paille Sanji had made, handing it to her.

"Here~ Sanji just made this, it's from a giant sea monster..."

Before he could finish, Robin interrupted him, saying, "Thanks."

Lake was speechless, silently eating beside Robin. After a while, Robin spoke, "Why did you go to such lengths for me?"

Lake paused, then chuckled, saying, "Aren't we partners? Don't you think it's a bit formal to say that?"

Robin looked at Lake without saying a word, just quietly watching. Lake, thick-skinned as ever, wasn't going to back down first. "Come on, let's have a face-to-face, no-smile challenge!"

Robin finally gave in. She suddenly chuckled and said, "Nami was absolutely right, you have a special charm. Looks like my promise to Nami might be void."

Lake felt something was off about Robin's words, and he could already feel a murderous gaze fixed on him from not far behind.

Not wanting to risk getting hurt, Lake scratched his head and took two steps back, saying, "Haha~ Maybe it's just my personal charm. You eat slowly, I'll go get some more from the kitchen."

With that, Lake dashed away as if fleeing. Robin watched his departing figure with a gentle smile, saying nothing. Just as Lake opened the kitchen door...

Suddenly, an orange figure pounced on him. Lake quickly caught her, saying, "You're a grown woman, aren't you afraid of falling?"

Nami, puffing out her cheeks and looking angry, glared at Lake and said, "Are you interested in Robin? Confess!"

Lake quickly denied it. Admitting it now would make him a total scumbag, but judging from Nami's reaction, she didn't believe him at all.

Seeing this, Lake was about to comfort Nami when suddenly Nami, with a dramatic change of expression, pressed herself against Lake's chest and whispered, "Robin's experiences are truly pitiful. I know what it felt like to wander the streets as a child trying to redeem my village. Robin must have gone through so much to survive..."

Lake gently stroked Nami's hair and softly asked, "The past is the past. At least now, both you and Robin have found someone to rely on, haven't you?"

Nami suddenly looked up at Lake and said seriously, "No, I have, but Robin hasn't. She's been bewitched by some scumbag!"

Lake rubbed his nose. He wasn't stupid; he naturally knew what Nami meant. There was only one way to ease the situation.

"Ah! What are you doing~"

Without a word, Lake suddenly picked Nami up in a princess carry and headed towards the room. Nami resisted incessantly, but to no avail.

"Don't be a pervert, I'm telling you! In broad daylight... Ah! No... Lock the door..."

As the Silent-Silent Fruit's power activated, the intense sounds of battle inside the room were immediately drowned out, and nothing could be heard from the outside. However, there was nothing that could be done if someone was cheating.

Suddenly, an ear appeared in a corner of the room, followed by an eye. Robin, somewhere, was intently watching a live-action movie and studying it carefully.

Lake, completely absorbed in his focused state, was oblivious to all of this. As for Nami, being the passive party, her mind was completely blank, let alone noticing Robin.