Falling From the Sky

The battle raged like fire.

Chaos, disorder, and unpredictability...

"ROAR!"

A deafening roar echoed across the deserted island.

The nearly tangible air currents distorted space, engulfing Vergo's figure and the ground spikes behind him!

The roar lasted only a brief moment.

Yet, even so, Cobra, Bepo, and Jaka, who were on the deserted island, felt their hearts tremble.

They were the lucky ones.

Jace, not far away, was too terrified to move and didn't have time to cover his ears. His eardrums had already burst, and he lay unconscious on the ground.

Compared to the roar on the Nanohana coastline earlier, Lindsey hadn't used Ancient Armament Haki this time. Its power was significantly reduced, but it compensated with incredible speed.

Combined with the ground spikes, it completely blocked Vergo's retreat, ensuring the attack would hit!

"Did... did he kill him?"

Jaka's face was filled with shock.

Having fought him personally, Jaka knew how powerful the "Drum Kingdom consultant" was, but the feeling he got from Evan Lindsey was terrifying!

Could anyone survive such a terrifying roar head-on?

The sea is vast.

So, yes, some could.

Sunlight streamed down, casting a faint glow.

As the smoke and dust cleared, a pure black "sculpture" with a metallic sheen stood tall on the broken ground spikes.

His mask was gone, his checkered coat on his upper body was completely shattered, but the bamboo staff in his hand remained.

Muscle bulged with each movement, his already powerful physique exuding an explosive sense of strength!

Jaka's pupils contracted, and he asked in surprise, "What is that?"

"It's Armament Haki,"

Bepo answered from the side, then gave a self-deprecating laugh. "This kind of terrifying power is rarely seen in the first half of the Grand Line. We're still far from strong enough..."

In fact, Bepo's answer wasn't entirely accurate.

What Vergo was using at that moment was an ability that even masters of Armament Haki found difficult to employ—

Full-body Armament Haki coverage!

Covering the entire body with Armament Haki comprehensively boosts both defense and offense.

The moment Vergo was hit, he completed his full-body Armament Haki coverage, barely managing to withstand Lindsey's instantaneous roar...

...or did he?

"Pfft!"

After a second of silence, Vergo suddenly spat out a large mouthful of blood, his body trembling uncontrollably.

Pain, dizziness, nausea, swelling, imbalance...

All these negative sensations surged through him at once.

If Vergo hadn't used Armament Haki to forcefully lock his joints, he would have already fallen to the ground!

He took several deep breaths before he could barely recover.

Did the [Demon] not pursue the advantage?

How arrogant!

Vergo thought, suddenly feeling much more light around him.

"Huh?"

He looked up and froze on the spot.

Evan Lindsey had deactivated his animal form and returned to his human body. He then grabbed a large handful of dirt from the ground.

Under Vergo's astonished gaze, Lindsey straightened the dirt, turning it into a bamboo staff identical to the one in Vergo's hand!

Holding the bamboo staff, Lindsey beckoned to Vergo.

"Come on!"

"..."

Vergo remained silent, veins bulging on his forehead.

"To be underestimated like this!"

As an ability user, Evan Lindsey was indeed terrifying.

But when it came to physical combat, especially with a "bamboo stick" as a weapon, Vergo was confident he wouldn't lose to anyone!

Swish!

Vergo immediately gripped the bamboo stick in his hand and attacked.

Crack!

The two bamboo sticks met, and with a single strike, the one in Evan Lindsey's hand was shattered!

Lindsey tried to jump back to create distance, but Vergo pursued relentlessly, giving him no chance to recover.

Vergo believed he still had a chance to win.

He just needed to exploit Evan Lindsey's arrogance and kill him in one go before he could transform!

After several dodges, Vergo finally found that precious opportunity.

Now--

Swish!

A pitch-black bamboo stick fell, striking Evan Lindsey directly on the neck!

For an ordinary human, this blow would be enough to break their neck and kill them instantly.

Lindsey's pupils constricted.

"Is this a weapon imbued with Armament Haki?"

He opened his mouth and muttered something.

It wasn't a curse of unwillingness, but something Vergo couldn't understand...

"Okay, I get it."

Vergo: "?"

He wore a confused expression, but his hands didn't stop.

Not dead? Then I'll beat you until you are!

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish...

Several consecutive blows from the bamboo stick fell, but they had no substantial effect.

He snapped his fingers lightly, and the soil beneath his feet condensed into another bamboo stick, which flew into his hand.

Lindsey then gently slid his fingers, pulling out a long strip of black cloth.

He wrapped the cloth around the bamboo stick and tightened it.

He weighed it and felt the grip was quite good.

Then, Lindsey lightly raised this "bamboo stick" wrapped in ancient Armament Haki and smashed it down at Vergo.

Clang!

The two Armament Haki clashed, but both emerged unharmed!

Not enough power?

Vergo froze for a moment and looked up. He saw that Lindsey had once again raised the bamboo stick in his hand.

And this time, the strange "Armament Haki," like bandages, had already spread to his upper arm!

Swish!

The second blow fell. Vergo blocked with his arm but felt his entire side go numb.

The power increased?!

Vergo looked at Lindsey in astonishment.

During this time, the strange Armament Haki had spread to Lindsey's shoulder.

It looked like bandages, or perhaps some kind of tattered cloth, but it exuded an indescribable presence.

Vergo suddenly had a feeling:

He couldn't block this blow...

Boom!

Before the thought in his mind had settled, Lindsey had already swung down his pitch-black bamboo stick.

Vergo brought his own bamboo stick horizontally to block, but he only heard a crisp "clang" as the black bamboo stick broke!

Gash!

A bloodstain, splitting down the middle, appeared on Vergo's dark skin.

He wasn't dead, just severely wounded.

But looking at the continuing spread of the strange Armament Haki on Lindsey's body, he knew that the next blow would kill him.

He couldn't die yet.

Vergo forced himself to stay alert, searching for an opportunity to escape.

And in the next instant—

Whoosh!

A sound of air being torn apart came from far away, heading straight for Vergo and Evan Lindsey.

Boom!

A figure descended from the sky, crashing directly beside the two of them, causing the ground to cave in with a large hole.

When the smoke and dust cleared, Crocodile was seen lying on the ground, his face covered in blood, still cursing.

"That damn flying big bird, acting all high and mighty with its wings? Come on again!"

"..."

Boom!

Before Vergo and Lindsey could react, an even larger shadow descended from the sky.

Accompanied by raging flames, it instantly ignited the surroundings!

At the same time, an invisible pressure spread, engulfing the entire deserted island...

Swish!

"Run!!!"

In the distance, Bepo ignored his severe injuries, forcefully spread his wings, and carried Cobra and Jaka into the sky, fleeing the island beneath their feet.

Cobra and Jaka were worried about Bepo, but they didn't stop him.

Although they didn't know who had arrived, their instincts told them—

Staying here would mean certain death!

Why?

Crocodile knew the reason.

Vergo had a vague guess.

And Evan Lindsey?

In his memories, he certainly recognized "him."

The fourth person to appear on this island, the "fourth faction" that had been lurking in the shadows, was the All-Stars of the Beast Pirates, the leader of the "Three Calamities," the user of the Mythical Zoan, Ancient Zoan, Pteranodon form—

[Calamity of Flames] King!