One Piece: King of the World

Kuzan straightened up and rubbed his chin when he heard Claudius's comment. "What? You thinking about recommending me to work at Impel Down?"

"It'd be a good fit. Your abilities would come in handy there," Claudius said with a grin.

"Are we really chatting right now? The fight's not over yet," Borsalino muttered softly.

Claudius shrugged. "Honestly... I was more worked up before I got here. Now? Not so much. He's just a pitiful brute, tons of strength, no brains, and completely manipulated by that so-called mother of his. It's disappointing."

As if on cue, the ice encasing Weevil shattered with a sharp crack. His frostbitten skin was tinged blue and purple, but the injuries barely seemed to register.

Kuzan sighed. "So... do we let him go?"

"Are you crazy?" Claudius rolled his eyes.

"Yeah... He's the one who cut off Zephyr-sensei's arm," Borsalino added.

"Huh. Didn't know you had such a close bond with Zephyr-sensei," Kuzan said with a teasing tone. "Why don't you handle this then?"

Weevil shifted his weight and cracked his neck. The gash on his chest still bled freely, but he ignored it. His eyes burned with rage as he locked onto the trio ahead of him. With a guttural roar, he stomped the ground and charged.

Claudius's expression didn't change. He simply murmured, "Lucci."

The moment the name left his lips, a figure appeared in front of Weevil, so fast it was as if he materialized from thin air.

Rob Lucci.

His form shifted instantly into his hybrid leopard-man state.

"Yes, Your Highness!" Lucci responded crisply.

Weevil's naginata came crashing down toward him. Lucci raised his leg and intercepted the blade with his shin. The impact was immense, his grounded foot sank several inches into the pavement from the force. But the attack stopped cold.

Claudius gave a satisfied nod. "Spandine recommended you as my bodyguard. Show me if you live up to the hype."

Lucci smiled faintly. "I won't disappoint you, Your Highness."

Without missing a beat, Lucci lashed out with his free hand, driving a punch toward Weevil's chest.

Weevil reacted with surprising speed, yanking back his weapon and using the handle to block the strike. But Lucci's attack was a feint.

"Leopard Tail Whip!"

The leopard's tail behind him snapped forward, cloaked in Armament Haki. It struck Weevil squarely across the bridge of his nose with a sharp crack.

Weevil stumbled backward, blood spurting from his face. He dragged his naginata through the dirt to steady himself and roared in anger.

"Outta my way!!" he bellowed, swinging the naginata again.

The air rippled as a shockwave burst from the strike and raced toward Lucci.

Lucci initially shifted to dodge but then hesitated. His gaze flicked toward Claudius, who stood directly behind him. If I dodge, the shockwave hits His Highness.

His stance shifted. He planted his feet firmly and bent his elbows, pressing his hands against his sides.

"Iron Body – Secret Technique: Black Steel!"

Lucci's entire body stiffened. A thick layer of jet-black Haki surged across his skin like armor.

The shockwave slammed into him with tremendous force. The ground beneath him splintered, cracks spiderwebbing out from his feet. His body shuddered from the impact, and blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

But he didn't move.

The wave dissipated harmlessly. Lucci exhaled, unlocked his stance, and wiped the blood from his lips with the back of his hand. His eyes gleamed with ferocity as he licked the blood away.

His aura shifted—becoming more primal, more predatory.

"Tempest Kick!"

Lucci spun in place, his leg whipping through the air in a tight arc. A crescent-shaped projectile of compressed air shot toward Weevil.

At the same time, Lucci sprang forward, chasing his own attack.

Borsalino adjusted his sunglasses. "Well... as far as Rokushiki goes, this guy's the strongest I've ever seen."

"Yeah... Blocking Weevil's shockwave head-on with Iron Body and Haki? And he only coughed up a little blood?" Kuzan added, clearly impressed.

Claudius smirked. "He's a Zoan user. Toughness is part of the package. A little blood won't slow him down."

Unlike most fighters, Lucci had pushed the Rokushiki techniques to their absolute limits while simultaneously mastering Haki and awakening his Zoan powers. His growth had been monstrous.

Claudius's gaze turned thoughtful. Honestly... I doubt even Doflamingo could beat him.

Meanwhile, Weevil met Lucci's airborne Tempest Kick with a slash of his naginata. The attacks collided, sending shockwaves in all directions.

But Lucci was already closing the distance. His tail shot out and coiled around Weevil's arm.

"Rokushiki Secret Technique—Rokuogan!"

Lucci crossed his arms, palms touching, and slammed them into Weevil's chest.

Weevil roared and raised a fist in retaliation, his own shockwave rippling around it. The two attacks met in an earth-shaking collision.

Both fighters were blasted backward from the force. Lucci landed on his feet, blood dripping from his hands. Across the field, Weevil hit a building with enough force to crack its foundation. His right arm dangled limply fractured from the impact.

"Life Return!" Lucci growled.

The blood on his fists reversed course, flowing back into his wounds. A faint white vapor rose from the injuries as his accelerated healing closed them within seconds.

Kuzan's jaw tightened. "Did... did he just reverse his bleeding?"

"That's not normal, right?" Borsalino asked.

Claudius chuckled. "It's an advanced Life Return technique. Zoan Awakening boosts his regeneration. Basic injuries like that are nothing to him."

Weevil staggered upright, groaning. Blood from the wound on his chest stained his clothes, and his broken arm hung uselessly at his side.

Lucci's pupils contracted into thin slits. He darted forward again.

"Leopard Slash!"

His clawed hands swiped across Weevil's back as he passed by, leaving deep, bloody gashes in their wake.

Weevil roared in pain and swung his elbow backward.

"Paper Art!"

Lucci's body shifted with the air currents, bending like a sheet of paper. The elbow whistled past his face by mere millimeters.

"Finger Pistol!"

Lucci's hand snapped forward. His index finger, clad in Haki, pierced upward beneath Weevil's raised arm.

The attack punched through Weevil's armpit and burst out through his shoulder. Blood sprayed into the air as a chunk of his earlobe was torn away by the force of the strike.

Weevil wailed in agony and fell to his knees.

Kuzan exhaled slowly. "Strength, speed, precision... seriously, Claudius. Where did you find this monster?"

***

This book is completed so you can read all chapters on: /Blownleaves.