One Piece: King of the World

"Abandoning your dear son and trying to escape? That's not very motherly of you, Miss Buckin," Claudius said softly, his figure appearing at the end of the street.

The moment his voice fell, Buckin, who had been frantically running, stumbled and collapsed to the ground. The sharp pain in her chest flared into agony as blood continued to pour from the wound. She clutched her chest and wailed in distress.

"Aghhh!"

She lifted her head toward the voice, and when she saw who it was, her eyes widened in terror.

As a scheming opportunist, Buckin made a habit of recognizing powerful figures she should avoid. After a closer look, her face paled with fear.

"Donquixote Claudius...? Impossible! Why would someone like you be here?!" she stammered.

This was the man who brought down Charlotte Linlin, a terrifying force in the pirate world. How could someone like her end up on the radar of such a monstrous figure? Two Admirals and now a Celestial Dragon?! What the hell was going on?!

Claudius slowly approached, a faint smile on his lips.

"Zephyr... the former Marine Admiral... was my teacher," he said softly. "Did you really think you could get away with what you did to him?"

"Zephyr?" Buckin froze, the name hitting her like a thunderbolt. What the hell is this?

She'd never heard of any connection between Zephyr and Claudius. In fact, almost no one outside the upper echelons of the Marines knew about that relationship. But if it were true... she'd messed with the wrong person.

Claudius's smile darkened. "Of course, it's not just that. We've let you run around this long for a reason. Soon, we'll need your head for something." His voice turned icy. "After all... aren't you Whitebeard's favorite woman? And isn't Weevil supposed to be his biological son?"

His words made Buckin's heart drop into her stomach.

Claudius stepped closer and, with no regard for her age or condition, raised his foot and stomped down on her back. She gasped as the pressure crushed her into the pavement.

"Time to pay for your sins," Claudius said coldly.

"No! Don't kill me! I was lying! I have nothing to do with Whitebeard! I've never even met him! Weevil isn't his son, it's all fake!" Buckin pleaded desperately, panic contorting her face.

Claudius didn't respond. Marco had already confirmed Buckin's past involvement with Newgate. She could spew all the lies she wanted, it wouldn't save her now.

"Shut up," Claudius said. "Don't worry, you won't die here. Like I said... we still need your head."

He pressed down harder with his foot. Buckin coughed up a mouthful of blood and passed out.

Across the battlefield, Weevil still locked in combat with Kuzan noticed what was happening. His eyes immediately fixated on his mother's prone form, her back pinned beneath Claudius's boot.

"Mama...?" he whispered.

Then his expression twisted into pure rage. Ignoring Kuzan entirely, Weevil charged toward Claudius, roaring, "Get your foot off my mama!!"

Kuzan reacted quickly, delivering a powerful kick to Weevil's back. The blow connected solidly, but to his surprise, Weevil barely flinched. It was as if the man's body could absorb a portion of the impact.

Weevil didn't even glance back. His only focus was on Claudius.

As the enraged pirate bore down on him, Claudius casually kicked Buckin's unconscious body aside and rested his hand on the hilt of the sword at his waist.

Demon Blade: Shindō.

Weevil swung his massive naginata downward with all his might. Claudius drew his sword in a single, fluid motion, meeting the attack head-on.

The moment their weapons clashed, an explosive shockwave burst from the impact. Borsalino had been right, Weevil's raw strength was monstrous.

Claudius's arm tensed, muscles bulging as he resisted the force pressing down on him. He shifted his wrist slightly, neutralizing the initial strike. But Weevil roared again, unleashing a secondary shockwave through his weapon.

This time, Claudius didn't back away. He tightened his grip on Shindō, and his arm flexed as he pushed forward. The compressed energy shattered, and the sword's edge bit into Weevil's weapon.

With a powerful heave, Claudius sent Weevil flying backward. The hulking figure slammed into the ruins of a building with a resounding crash.

Claudius exhaled, giving his wrist a small shake. "Phew... that was a bit of a workout," he muttered.

Kuzan chuckled. "Yeah, sure... You look real worn out over there," he said sarcastically.

On a nearby rooftop, Borsalino tapped his chin. "Hmm... looks like there's nothing for me to do here. Mind if I go to the bathroom?"

Before anyone could respond, the house beneath Borsalino exploded. Weevil burst from the debris and swung his naginata upward.

"Die, you bastard!!" he roared.

The shockwave tore through the air, creating visible ripples as it shot toward Borsalino. The Admiral's eyes widened slightly.

"Why me again...?" he muttered before raising his hand.

"Yata no Kagami." (Mirror of Eightfold Light)

A beam of light shot from his palm and refracted off a nearby surface. In an instant, his body transformed into photons and zipped away, dodging the attack.

Kuzan raised an eyebrow. "So... what'll it be? Big, medium, or small?"

Weevil landed, disoriented after missing his target. Kuzan took the opportunity to freeze his feet to the ground with a blast of ice.

Claudius appeared beside him in a blur.

"Let's see how well you handle this," he said.

With that, Claudius drove his fist into Weevil's chest with brutal force. The man's flabby torso absorbed some of the impact, but not nearly enough. Weevil screamed as the blow lifted him off the ground, shattering the ice around his feet and sending him hurtling into the ruins.

"Small," Kuzan said nonchalantly, answering his own question.

Borsalino materialized beside him, hands still in his pockets. "Small? Oh yeah... definitely small," he agreed with a lazy nod.

Claudius, still catching his breath, frowned. "What the hell are you two talking about?"

Kuzan scratched his head. "Wet farts."

Claudius's face twisted in disgust. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Borsalino casually shifted a few steps away from Kuzan.

Meanwhile, Weevil staggered to his feet once more. Borsalino, apparently done with his lighthearted banter, raised a finger and fired a precise laser toward the pirate.

The explosion engulfed Weevil in flames. At the same moment, Claudius stepped forward and swung his sword.

"Single-Sword Style: Mountain-Splitting Slash"

The slash sliced cleanly through the blaze, striking Weevil directly. Blood sprayed into the air as Weevil howled in pain.

"Ma... Mama! It hurts!" he wailed.

"Ice Time Capsule."

Kuzan placed his palm on the ground. A frigid wave surged outward, freezing everything in its path. The flames died instantly, replaced by glittering frost. Weevil's body froze solid, encased in thick ice. His screams were cut off mid-sentence.

The battlefield fell silent.

Kuzan stood, cracking his neck. "Well... that was easy," he said.

Claudius sighed. "Seriously, you're gross. You and Magellan from Impel Down would get along great."