Hunting Caesar, Crushing a Formidable Foe

"Damn it, what is that idiot Vergo doing?!"

Watching the Straw Hat crew and G-5 Marines advance with unstoppable momentum on the monitors, the base's defenders couldn't even manage to hinder their progress. Even several deliberately breached walls were easily blocked by the enemy's Devil Fruit user (Nami). Caesar, who had been so confident moments before, instantly flew into a rage!

No matter how potent the poison gas he invents is, it's all nonsense if it can't diffuse in! If this continues, what will become of his experiments... no, what about the reputation of a genius scientist?

"Master, there is—"

Bang!

Before he could finish speaking, the armed man in a biohazard suit who had just rushed in to report the news was kicked against the wall. Luffy, who had been searching for the enemy by instinct, had already rushed in.

"Found you—"

"Ha?"

Just as Caesar was looking on with a puzzled expression, a fist slammed into his stomach with overwhelming force! Amidst a series of cracking sounds, layers of "Gas Armor" on Caesar's flowing robes shattered one by one!

"This time you won't escape my grasp, Caesar!"

Puff,

Even though he was completely encased in 'Gas Armor', Caesar still coughed up a mouthful of blood.

It's important to know that Caesar's true form is actually a tall and slender man. His fluffy outer robe is not just elegant and beautiful; it is actually covered by a dozen layers of 'Gas Armor', each one centimeter thick, which can automatically block almost any attack.

Even a direct hit from a naval heavy artillery-level weapon wouldn't cause any harm. As for an impact of Fire Pistol, one layer is sufficient for 360-degree all-around defense. It's a unique skill he developed specifically to deal with powerful enemies in the New World. However:

"One punch and..."

Even though Caesar, who was coughing up blood after Luffy's punch broke his defenses, was still a scientist who had "worked hard" in the New World, he still had some ferocity. With a fierce look in his eyes, he didn't retreat but instead advanced, Luffy at lightning speed.

"Azure Flame Sword!"

At the same time, as Caesar pulled out a sword hilt and pressed the switch, a bluish-white light shone like a sword.

Waving his high-tech Plasma Sword, Caesar charged at Luffy, and as Caesar closed in at high speed, Luffy immediately began to struggle to breathe! But:

Brush,

With a sudden, sharp extension of his neck, Luffy's head flew into the air, easily assessing the range of his opponent's suffocating power. As for Caesar's swordsmanship...

Call out--

"He's not even as good as Roman from the East China Sea."

With a swift movement, Luffy dodged Caesar's 'Plasma Sword', and the Caesar weapon transformed into a streak of bluish-white light, instantly drawing a neat crack on the metal ground where Luffy had just stood, the break as smooth as a mirror!

The weapon is indeed powerful, but:

"Too slow."

As Caesar swung his sword, Luffy had already flown around to Caesar's back, his clenched fists covered in Armament Haki.

"Rubber-"

?!

When did they get behind him? Before Caesar could even react, his face contorted in shock, his pupils were already filled with a dense barrage of fist shadows! They surrounded him from all sides, leaving him no escape but to surrender—

"Jet Gatling!"

"Dome Snow House!"

A barrage of fists rained down, but none struck Caesar, because in that instant, Monet, who had been watching from the sidelines, intervened! She spread her wings and then abruptly closed them, forming a five-meter-thick wall of ice and snow behind Caesar. Although it shattered instantly under the impact of the Armament Haki fists, it successfully blocked Luffy's attack.

"As expected of Straw Hat Luffy, ordinary pirates can't break through my snow wall."

"And who are you?"

When confronted by Luffy's questioning, the green-haired beauty named Monet simply shielded Caesar with her wings.

"Please leave, 'master'."

"There's no point in fighting him."

"Whoosh... Hey hey~~ That's right!"

After just two moves, Caesar, who had just mustered his 'courage,' immediately revealed his true colors. Taking advantage of someone blocking Luffy, he turned and ran without hesitation! While running, he uttered threats:

"Go ahead and cause trouble, Straw Hat Luffy."

"This genius has already devised a method to make you all his test subjects. Just wait and see. Whoosh~~"

"Stop!"

Brush--

Just as Luffy was about to give chase, Monet, with her wings spread, blocked his way.

"I can't let you pass, or 'JOKER' won't let me off the hook."

"That 'Turkey Man' from the Marineford War? Who's that guy?!"

So, you don't even know who you're playing against. Is that really okay?

A white dove that had somehow flown into the hall rubbed its forehead, and what left the dove even more speechless was:

Luffy,

Just then, a man dressed in a green robe with a red belt around his waist, and still wearing a green belly wrap underneath, and black boots, walked in.

"You're chasing after that Caesar guy, aren't you?"

Zoro, who was holding three swords, raised his chin and said, "Leave this woman to me. You can go after her without worry."

Zoro's terrible sense of direction... always plays a 'positive' role at crucial moments. Even the white doves perched on the rooftop can't help but comment—"So you're still Kamijou's mom, sacrificing your usual terrible sense of direction for the right direction in critical moments?"

"Oh! Thanks."

"Don't even think about going back—"

Luffy immediately bypassed Monet and chased after Caesar in the direction he had fled. Just as Monet was about to intercept him, a chilling killing intent instantly locked onto her entire body.

"Hmph, how barbaric."

Monet turned to look at Zoro, who was walking slowly towards him.

"Breaking into someone's house, smashing everything, and now they're even trying to kidnap the 'owner'—they're practically pirates..."

"I'm so sorry,"

Zoro casually rested his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"We're just doing our 'job'."

In the SAD manufacturing plant,

Two figures were exchanging blows and kicks!

With each punch, the entire massive factory trembled, and huge metal tanks twisted and crumbled under the force of the blows; the sound of fists and feet colliding made the hearts of the two onlookers sink, as if their blood was being shaken.

Every punch landed with tremendous force, like thunder shaking the heavens, like the drums beating on the battlefield, shaking the very soul!

There were no tricks involved; it was a clash of Armament Haki! It was simpler, more direct, and more ferocious than any complex technique, terrifying disaster, or bizarre ability—and therefore, more indestructible! It was the most unrestrained and straightforward display of the essence of life force and spirit.

This punch shook all laws and shattered the heavens and the seas!

But whether it's the mind or the body, objective strength and weakness always exist. — Before long, with each punch Roman threw, Vergo's originally metallic body dimmed a little amidst a shower of sparks, as if even his Armament Haki was about to give way.

"Too weak, too weak."

This is the number one Armament Haki in the family that Doflamingo praised to the skies?

"Compared to Vice Admiral Garp, he's completely outmatched!"

·········

Vergo, who had been fighting silently, twitched at Roman's lingering words. What did he have that made him daring to compare himself to Garp, who had single-handedly destroyed an era with his iron fists?

"The 'White Dove' Roman in my intelligence is not someone who likes to throw punches."

On the other side, watching the two men's fierce, clattering battle, the aftershocks of which destroyed most of the factory, Luo sighed. But regardless:

He achieved his goal.

The factory is now almost completely destroyed and will definitely be taken over by the navy. So:

"Coo coo coo~~"

A white dove flew by and spoke in human language.

"Vice Admiral Smoker, I request that you take men to arrest and detain the guards at the base. There must be no leniency towards the secret research being conducted in the abandoned naval laboratory."

Then the white dove turned to look at Trafalgar Law.

"Shichibukai - Law, I'll come back and ask you about why you're here later. For now, you stay here obediently and don't move."

After saying that, the white dove turned and flew away, the unspoken message being: What are you two looking at? Don't you have anything better to do? Get lost!

"Snort,"

Smoker and Law exchanged a glance, then simultaneously used their abilities to leave the factory. The battle was nearing its end.

"If this is all you're capable of—"

As he spoke, Roman didn't use his Devil Fruit ability. Instead, he spun in a circle, narrowly avoiding Vergo's fist, and then, like a fish, circled behind him. He then transformed his fist into a claw, seizing the opportunity to twist Vergo's arm and close in. His other hand encircled Vergo's waist, and his knee pressed against Vergo's tailbone—

"Rise!"

With a roar from Roman, he lifted Vergo high into the air! Once off the ground, there's nowhere to get a foothold. Even the legendary Son of the Earth, Antaeus, could be killed, let alone Vergo, whose strength was already inferior to Roman's.

"Fall!"

Immediately afterwards, Roman grabbed Vergo and slammed him downwards! At the same time, he thrust his knee upwards.

Click!

First came the sound of bones breaking, then a tremendous force surged through the steel ground beneath their feet! The entire base... no, even the entire Punk Hazard, shook violently! People elsewhere lost their footing, the grunts rolled into a heap, and the experts quickly regained their footing.

"Earthquake?"

"Volcanic eruption—"

"Something's not right. That tremor just now seemed to come from..."

In the SAD production plant, which has been reduced to ruins and has sunk into a huge crater hundreds of meters in diameter, broken cement slabs and metal cans are scattered everywhere, and the raw materials used to produce 'Artificial Devil Fruit' are sprayed all over the place.

Vergo had been slammed to the ground like a folding chair by Roman, had completely lost his fighting ability.

No, his spine had been shattered into pieces. Although he wouldn't die due to his inhuman physique in this world, Vergo would never be able to stand up again.

Unless it's some kind of advanced technology or Devil Fruit ability.

"You were once a 'Vice Admiral,' so let's leave the Judge You to Marine Headquarters. I'm sure they'll be interested in the information they have about you."

At the last moment, Roman resisted the urge to kill him outright. After all, a living Vergo was more valuable than a dead Vergo, even if it was just to clear the name of the wrongful conviction he had covered up for over a decade.

"Those who dare to sail on this sea don't care how they fight or die. Because this is the path that everyone has chosen themselves."

"But using children who have no judgment to conduct experiments—"

It crossed the line.

He bent down and pulled a Den Den Den Mushi from Vergo's pocket. Roman's calm voice came through:

"And you, it's time to pay the price for your actions."

Click,

The person on the other end simply hung up the Den Den Mushi without saying a word—which was to be expected; if Doflamingo dared to utter a single word at this moment, Marine Admiral would immediately descend upon Dressrosa and uproot him!

If someone dares to plant a spy in the navy and gets caught with evidence, no amount of protection can save him.