The Real Main Course Comes Later

This time, the two men's slashes tore apart the enormous body of water without incident, creating a vast Vacuum Zone below.

The price was the destruction of two Navy warships.

"Aaah!"

Some Marines who had failed to evacuate in time were caught in the aftermath of their attacks and quickly fell from mid-air.

If not for the ocean below, they would have been killed by the fall.

The moment Momonga and T-Bone split the sea open, they charged down without wasting the opportunity.

"Damn pirates, die!"

The two roared together, their blades slashing mercilessly toward Xi Yan!

"Pfft!"

The powerful slashes not only tore Xi Yan's body apart, but also split the warship below in two!

Clearly, neither man had held back. Every attack had been launched with the intent to kill in a single blow.

"Did we finally get him...?"

A Marine aboard the warship said this after finally managing to draw in some oxygen.

He was one of the unlucky guys who had not had a chance to escape, though he was better at holding his breath than most.

"Unfortunately, not quite~"

A man's voice sounded beside his ear, instantly freezing his body in place.

"H-He's not dead..."

Xi Yan paid the man no attention. With a smile in his eyes, he walked past him and looked cheerfully at the two Vice Admirals in the distance. "So what if I let you split the waters apart?"

"Are you really sure the one you killed was my real body?"

"Or rather... are you certain that I'm the real body right now?"

"Hmm?"

While speaking, the waters on either side of the split surged violently, yet did not merge back together, as though mocking the two for their needless effort.

"This is really... as bad as it can get..." T-Bone said with an ugly expression.

T-Bone had originally thought he could use Observation Haki to catch the opponent's presence, but it turned out to be of little use. They could not tell whether he was the real body or a clone!

Momonga said nothing, but his expression was no better.

He finally understood what the enemy had meant by, 'I'm not obligated to fight you head-on.'

The enemy had never given them a chance for close combat. He had simply been using all kinds of bizarre ninjutsu to fight them.

They also had to guard against his poison. Otherwise, Onigumo and the others would become their lesson from the past. Doberman was still over there foaming at the mouth!

"Bastard, what exactly do you want?!" Momonga shouted.

"Isn't it obvious? I came to stop the Buster Call."

Momonga: ...

That was his reason?

"Then you've already achieved your goal," T-Bone said.

Of the ten warships, only a few remained usable. The cannonballs had all been soaked by seawater as well. Completing the Buster Call mission was no longer possible.

"Not necessarily." Xi Yan smiled. "What if I want to kill a few more Marines?"

"You really are... arrogant!"

"Calm down and think about it. This guy's clones can't appear out of thin air," T-Bone said. "Even if their presences are identical, his real body should still be nearby."

Based on past experience, abilities required their user to be nearby in order to take effect.

Even if he was not an ability user, it should be more or less the same.

"Is that so..." Momonga frowned. He swept his gaze over the waters, then looked at Xi Yan standing near Onigumo, and finally glanced at the sea beneath the warship.

Where... exactly was he?

"Boom!!"

The enormous body of water began to surge, then condensed back into a complete sphere, declaring the two men's plan a failure!

"They really are a terrifying bunch..." Sanji said as he watched the scene.

Being able to split apart the waters showed just how powerful those Vice Admirals were, but it now seemed clear that Xi Yan's ninjutsu was a step above theirs.

"Damn pirates, do you still have time to watch other people?!" A Marine colonel who had climbed out of the sea near the lifeboat roared. "Just wait! We'll kill every last one of you soon enough!"

They absolutely would not waste the time the Vice Admirals had bought for them. They would kill all these pirates!

"Tch, looks like it's a Defensive Battle from here on out," Zoro said. "Everyone... don't die on me!"

"Yeah!"

Until Luffy and Xi Yan's battle was over, they had to protect this place!

"Wait, why is there no movement on Luffy's side?" Usopp suddenly said.

As if he had sensed something, he immediately ran toward the broken bridge in the distance.

Because of Xi Yan's attack, coupled with Luffy's later kick, the Long Bridge had been completely severed. Usopp could only stand at the edge and watch what was happening in the distance.

The moment he saw Luffy's condition clearly, Usopp froze. He discovered that Luffy was lying on the ground.

"Hey!"

"Luffy, what are you doing?!"

"Get up!!"

Hearing Usopp's shouts, Luffy struggled to turn his head and realized that it was Usopp talking to him.

"Usopp... you came..."

"Bastard, what the hell are you doing?!"

"..."

Hearing Usopp roar, Xi Yan, who stood atop a Sea King, instinctively turned to look toward Rob Lucci and Luffy's battlefield. He immediately spotted Luffy lying on the ground.

"Luffy was actually knocked down?"

That man who never fell, no matter what difficulties he faced, had actually been knocked down?

Xi Yan glanced at Usopp, who was frantically taunting Rob Lucci, and frowned. What was this kid trying to do?

Was he planning to use his own life and death to provoke Luffy into standing again?

"Kid, you're done talking, right?" Rob Lucci looked coldly at Usopp, intending to kill this guy who did not know his place.

The massive water sphere in the distance had surprised him as well, but killing a Long Nose would not be a problem.

"Hey, stop!"

"Usopp, don't say anything else! He'll kill you!"

"Bastard, it's not your place to say that when you can't even stand!" Usopp roared.

"Shut up! I'll defeat this guy!"

"Then stop looking half-dead and get up to defeat him!!"

"We've gotten all the keys, Robin has been rescued, and Xi Yan has successfully stopped the Buster Call..."

"This isn't hell, so get up!"

"Finished talking, pirate?" Rob Lucci looked coldly at Usopp. "You've made your resolve, haven't you?"

Yet before he could make a move, he noticed the kid's expression change in the distance. Then a voice came from behind him, causing him to stop at once.

"You still refuse to stay down?" Rob Lucci turned back to look at Luffy, who had risen to his feet again, his expression turning twisted.

"Defeat him, Luffy!!" Usopp shouted. "Let's all go back alive together!"

"Isn't that obvious!!!" Luffy roared.

"Why won't you just lie there obediently..."

"I never said I surrendered." Luffy stared fixedly at Rob Lucci. "Until I defeat you, I will never fall again!"

"Then let's see who dies in the end!" Rob Lucci roared.

"Shave!"

"Boom!!"

"Looks like there's no problem now..."

Seeing the two resume their battle, Xi Yan withdrew his gaze and turned his attention toward the side of Judicial Island.

"The real main course... is still to come..."

In his line of sight, a figure was riding a bicycle across the distant sea toward them!