” [Slash Wave]!
”
A slash over ten meters long shot out from behind the door, splitting the magnificent vermilion lacquered gate in two from the inside.
Before the flying wood splinters could even land, the slash had already slammed solidly into Lucas.
” Bang!
”
The thick, iron-curtain-like Armament Haki armor vibrated violently, emitting a dull, explosive sound.
The long-premeditated sneak attack slash actually felt like it had collided with a mountain of refined steel, instantly shattering into waves of air.
Lucas brushed the non-existent dust from his collar without changing his expression.
Even with a recovery constitution far surpassing ordinary people, he never had the bad habit of taking attacks head-on without using Haki.
The most abundant thing on this vast sea was insidious tricks—Sea Stone mixed into ordinary bullets, deadly poison smeared on blade notches, and even seemingly harmless smoke could hide anesthetic agents capable of paralyzing Haki.
It was precisely this almost paranoid caution that had allowed him to crawl through the sea of blood in gang warfare for so many years and remain alive to this day.
Behind the door, the veins on the back of Roberts’s hand holding the long sword bulged, a flash of ferocity in his murky eyes, and his right arm was suddenly raised high.
Armament Haki flowed crazily on the blade like liquid metal, emitting a heart-stopping sense of oppression.
” Die!
”
Amidst an angry shout, he slashed forward with all his might.
Almost at the same time, Lucas, standing dozens of meters away, also raised the katana in his hand.
Two slashes collided violently in mid-air, and the wild air waves instantly swept across the ground.
The stone tiles on the ground shattered in large swathes, and dust shot up into the sky.
” Clang!
”
Amidst the ear-piercing metallic clashing sound, Lucas actively charged into the sky-filling smoke and dust, his figure like lightning, slashing his sword onto the long sword that Roberts had hastily raised to block.
” Before I kill you, I want to ask you one thing.
”
” The order to massacre the orphanage by the Gray Wolf Gang, you gave it, right?
”
Roberts’s face was hideous, and he gritted his teeth:
” If I had known that a bastard like you could live until today, I should have gone personally back then and chopped you and that nun into pieces to feed the dogs!
”
” Glad you admitted it.
”
Lucas grinned, revealing a mouthful of pearly white teeth.
He exerted force under his feet, and his feet sank deeply into the hard ground.
His arm muscles knotted, and a mountain-toppling, sea-draining force poured out along the blade.
” Crack!
”
Roberts’s face instantly turned liver-colored, and his right arm bent uncontrollably toward his own chest bit by bit.
The web of his hand burst open, and fresh blood dripped along the hilt, blooming into dark red flowers on the ground.
” Want to kill me?
Not that easy!
”
He roared, and his left hand lightning-fast drew another long sword from behind his back.
The pitch-black blade cut through the air, carrying a whistling wind, and slashed straight at Lucas’s head, which was close at hand.
Back in the Flying Pirates, his two-sword style had been personally guided by Golden Lion Shiki.
This was also the only skill in his life worth being proud of.
” Two-sword style?
”
” It’s a pity, I use three-sword style.
”
Lucas kicked out fiercely with his right leg.
” [Tempest Kick]!
”
The arc-shaped vacuum slash infused with emitted Armament Haki broke through the air.
” Clang!
”
The Tempest Kick precisely slashed onto the long sword in Roberts’s left hand.
The huge impact sent both of them flying at the same time.
Lucas backhanded a slash into the air in mid-air, and landed steadily by borrowing the reaction force.
Before Roberts could stand firm, his feet had already drawn countless afterimages in the air.
” [Tempest Kick · Chaos]!
”
The overwhelming vacuum slashes were like a dense meteor shower, bombarding Roberts.
” [Thousand-Slice Valley]!
”
Roberts’s eyes narrowed, and his arms swung crazily.
The two long swords in his hands turned into an impenetrable black light curtain, and continuous flying slashes shot out from the light curtain, constantly colliding and annihilating with Lucas’s Tempest Kick in the air.
Explosions sounded one after another, and the entire General’s Mansion was shaking violently.
Just at the moment when the smoke and dust were thickest, two pitch-black sword lights suddenly broke through the air waves, crossing and slashing towards Lucas’s neck.
” Too slow.
”
Lucas’s katana drew a perfect arc.
” Clang!
”
After the deafening loud noise, Roberts flew backward like a kite with a broken string, spitting out a large mouthful of fresh blood.
Before he could land, Lucas’s right arm had turned into a phantom.
Countless condensed invisible sword qi broke through the air, like an impenetrable big net, completely enveloping Roberts.
” Swish!
Swish!
Swish!
”
The layer of flowing Haki on Roberts’s body surface was as fragile as tofu in front of these sword qi.
In an instant, his whole body was covered with dense bloodstains, blood soaked his kimono, and he turned into a bloody person.
In terms of Haki strength, Roberts, who had cultivated for fifty years, and Lucas, who had only cultivated for three years, were indeed on par.
In terms of technique, his two-sword style could also be considered pure and masterful.
But the destructive power of a swordsman ultimately depends on the purest strength.
In front of Lucas’s monstrous arm strength, all techniques seemed pale and powerless.
” Go to that world and repent!
”
A white air wave exploded under Lucas’s feet, and Moonwalk was fully activated.
His figure flashed and appeared in front of the flying Roberts.
The cold light of the katana in his hand flashed, and it stabbed straight out.
” Pfft— ”
The blade penetrated Roberts’s chest without any obstruction, pierced through from his back, and hot blood dripped from the tip of the blade.
Lucas pulled out the katana expressionlessly, shook his wrist, and flicked the blood off it.
He didn’t even look back at Roberts, turned around, and walked towards the outside of the General’s Mansion.
Roberts’s eyes were unfocused, his body fell softly to the ground, and his eyelids slowly closed.
A dozen minutes later.
Roberts, who had completely lost his breath, suddenly opened his eyes.
He coughed violently, coughing up a large mouthful of blood with blood clots.
With lingering fear, he touched his right chest—it was intact, while the left chest that had just been pierced was still bleeding profusely.
His heart was naturally born on the right side.
A bitter smile appeared on Roberts’s face.
He could escape for a while, but not for a lifetime.
He was already sixty-two years old, and his body had long since collapsed.
With such a serious injury and such a large amount of blood loss, even a young and strong guy might not be able to survive, let alone an old man like him.
At most, he had another dozen minutes.
He gritted his teeth, used the last ounce of his strength, dragged his broken body, and crawled bit by bit towards the room in the depths of the attic where the Den Den Mushi was kept.
His fingernails drew bloody marks on the cold floor.
Finally, he crawled to the desk and tremblingly picked up the dust-covered Den Den Mushi.
Puru puru puru—
After ringing three times, the call was connected.
” Moshi moshi.
”
The voice simulated by the Den Den Mushi carried a trace of the majesty of one who has long been in a high position, and a trace of imperceptible fatigue and vicissitudes.
Hearing this familiar voice, tears instantly welled up in Roberts’s murky eyes.
” Leader…
Leader…
It’s me, Roberts…
”
His voice was intermittent, and every word he said involved the sharp pain in his chest,
” I knew it…
You are still alive…
I’m sorry…
I failed to protect the Flying Group…
I am about to die…
”
Immediately afterwards, he embellished and told how Lucas was “despicable and shameless”, “insubordinate”, and “slaughtered the brothers of the Flying Group”, and described Lucas’s appearance in detail.
He didn’t care about the truth.
He only knew that even if he died, he would never let the brat who killed him have an easy time.
” Please…
for the sake of my forty-plus years of following you…
avenge me…
avenge the brothers…
”
The other end of the line fell into a long silence.
So long that Roberts thought the call had been hung up.
” I know.
”
Golden Lion’s voice sounded again,
” You’ve worked hard all these years.
Get some sleep.
I will avenge you.
”
Hearing this, a look of relief appeared on Roberts’s face.
” Being able to follow you…
is the greatest honor of my life…
I wish you…
take over this world soon…
”
Click.
The Den Den Mushi’s eyes slowly closed.
Roberts’s head tilted to one side, completely lifeless.
Fresh blood was still flowing from the wound on his chest, gathering into a pool of dark red water on the ground.