Koby

"Is it just my imagination...?"

After the Dark-Dark Fruit dissipated, Cifer suddenly felt as if something had increased within his body.

But it was only for a moment, so brief that even he couldn't be sure whether it was true or not. Most importantly, he couldn't feel anything unusual.

"Cifer, I'm so glad you're alright!"

Hancock rushed forward nervously, looking at Cifer, whose upper body was completely naked and whose pants were tattered, and wanted to touch him everywhere to see if he was injured.

"By the way, Cifer, won't that hole in your chest heal itself?"

Looking at the Hollow Hole that had become even larger and more conspicuous after its Resurrección, Rayleigh rubbed the strand of white hair on his chin.

"No, this is one of my characteristics."

Characteristics that are not human.

"You wretched bugs... watch me destroy this island!"

At this moment, the Wolf, who had collapsed to the ground, realized that the situation was completely out of control and that if he continued to play dead, he would really die.

So he struggled to his feet, and as his body swelled up, he grabbed a nearby mountain and, with a sudden burst of strength, uprooted the entire mountain.

A figure over 200 meters tall embracing a mountain over 100 meters high, the two combined are enough to blot out the sky.

"Stop... There are still so many marines here! Your comrades are still here too!"

Koby's eyes were bloodshot.

Even if the marines' statues weren't here, if such a large mountain were to be smashed down, the entire island would be violently shaken.

He wanted to stop the Wolf, but faced with such a huge body, he felt that he could do nothing but shout, his legs trembling.

Even if the other party could hear him, in a life-or-death situation, the Wolf wouldn't care about the lives of others, let alone these so-called "comrades" who were devoid of any emotion.

"Don't make a sound."

Cifer didn't even glance at him, but simply raised his hand, and Cero Oscuras burst forth from his fingertips.

"Die!"

The Wolf's enormous body was completely unable to dodge this attack, nor did it even consider doing so.

Armament Haki instantly covered his entire body, and he used the mountain as a weapon to smash it down in the direction of the flash.

But what he didn't expect was that the incredibly heavy mountain was shattered in the blink of an eye.

The Cero didn't stop there; instead, it pierced right through his chest and only dissipated after Air Quake.

"So strong..."

The Wolf's body began to shrink, eventually turning into a giant only twenty meters tall, which collapsed to the ground.

The sudden drop in size made the mountain debris he was holding appear enormous, instantly burying him as if he had made his own grave.

"This is... the true Sea Emperor?!"

Koby was already terrified.

He believes that he has never slacked off during his two years at the Marineford, and has always put in many times more effort than others, striving to become Vice Admiral Garp.

In order to become stronger faster, he even joined the most special SWORD unit in the Navy, which gave him the right to be the first to challenge the Western Emperor without having to ask headquarters for permission.

Yet, under such immense power, everything seemed like a joke.

To challenge a man this powerful? All by himself?

"Now that the navy has begun its attack here, let's do as we agreed before."

Cifer ignored Koby, who was kneeling on the ground in fear and didn't know what to do, and looked at Hancock.

"I'll do whatever you say~ I'll have them hang up the Las Noches flag in a moment!"

Hancock kept twisting her two index fingers together, as if she wanted to say something.

"It should have been done a long time ago!"

Suddenly, Elder Nyon had been hiding somewhere jumped out and began to berate the Empress.

"I am the true emperor!"

Hancock pinched Elder Nyon's wrinkled face and tossed her aside.

"I'll be going now, I have some things to take care of."

Cifer calculated that it was time to put Kaido's death on the agenda.

"Huh? Yes!"

Hancock was somewhat disappointed, but still obeyed his wishes unconditionally.

"Um... Miss Hancock, please help the Marines break free from petrification. We'll be leaving soon!"

Just before Cifer left, Koby stood up and shouted in their direction.

Now that we know this area belongs to the Western Emperor's sphere of influence, we cannot launch an attack lightly.

He was a member of SWORD, but most of the people who came this time were ordinary marines. How could they have turned into stone inexplicably?

"You've offended me and you still want to turn back? Even you only survived because of a few rude people."

The Empress frowned, and was even preparing to finish what had just been interrupted.

"I'm really sorry..."

Koby raised his fists, his legs trembling as he caught a glimpse of Cifer out of the corner of his eye, but he still assumed a fighting stance.

"Interesting..."

Having returned to normal, Cifer reached out and stood in front of Hancock, preventing her from making a move.

"Kid, I know you. I heard you're the new Navy 'hero' after Garp?"

Cifer casually sat on a nearby rock, watching him with great interest.

"No... I just did what I was supposed to do."

Koby a deep breath, then slowly walked up to Cifer and met his gaze.

"In today's utterly corrupt navy, even someone like you can be called a hero. Sakazuki must be having a real headache!"

Cifer made no attempt to hide his thoughts, practically uttering the golden words, "Koby is trash."

"The Navy is righteous!"

Koby dared not refute it, and could only stubbornly utter these few words.

"This is so boring."

Cifer had originally intended to tease him, but seeing his dull and foolish appearance, he immediately lost interest and stood up to leave.

"Hancock, spare his life and let him return to Marineford, but you are not allowed to undo the petrification of anyone else."

Cifer said something that puzzled Hancock, but she simply nodded in agreement.

"Wait... Mr. Cifer, please don't do this! Please let Miss Hancock undo their petrification!"

A look of panic crossed Koby's face.

He even felt that it would be better if he were petrified as well. Now that everyone had become like that, how could he face going back to headquarters to see them?

Are you teaching me how to do things?

Cifer's face remained expressionless, but his long leg had already swung out, striking Koby on the head.

The latter transformed into a streak of light, crashing through several large trees before finally lying on the ground covered in blood.

"When kings meet, generals fight; you're not qualified to talk to me about anything."

Cifer instinctively wanted to put his hands in his pockets, but then remembered that his shirt was already rotten.

"Wear this, Cifer!"

Seeing this, Hancock leaped back to her palace and took out a treasured coat that Cifer had covered her with two years ago.

Thanks.

Cifer took it and draped it over his shoulders.

"If he's dead, throw him into the sea. If he's not dead, let him take the statue back to Marineford and let Sakazuki come and talk to me."

Cifer glanced at the person on the ground not far away, gave instructions to Hancock, and then stepped into the Garganta.

Meanwhile, Koby, bruised and swollen and delirious, was in tears.