But Body Flicker Shisui wasn't one to be taken lightly, either.
At close range, Shisui's Body Flicker Technique ranked among the top three in the Shinobi World.
It was a Body Flicker Technique on par with the genjutsu he excelled at most.
Rob Lucci lunged straight past him.
He was stunned. He'd planned to end the fight in an instant and avoid wasting time.
That was why he'd gone straight into Hybrid Form, his strongest mode.
Yet he couldn't even touch the man's clothes?
"Tekkai!"
Rob Lucci heard something break through the air.
It sounded like bullets. He hadn't heard any gunshots, but the threat didn't seem too great.
Besides, he was in the brief pause after using Soru. He felt that if he tried to use Soru again to get away, he might still get hit, so he stood his ground and used Tekkai.
The Shuriken tore through the air and clattered against Rob Lucci, making a crisp sound.
Rob Lucci lunged in the direction the Shuriken had come from, but once again, he came up empty.
The two of them competed in speed, their afterimages filling the rooftops and alleyways.
What kind of monsters are these?!
Kaku's expression was grave.
The others also felt they were in a real bind.
Still, they were relieved that their opponents weren't from the World Government. Otherwise, they'd really be in trouble this time.
"Is running away all you can do?!"
Coward!
Rob Lucci was getting furious.
He couldn't catch his opponent. He hadn't even managed to touch him.
He couldn't accept it!
What kind of fighting style was this? Was the man trying to wear him down?
Shisui stopped and tossed a smoke bomb. Smoke instantly filled the narrow alley.
Rob Lucci frowned and swept his right hand through the air, easily dispersing the smoke.
"Done running?"
Rob Lucci looked at Shisui, standing in the corner of a dead-end alley, and smiled.
He was still wrapped in bandages, but he felt he could tear the man's heart out with a single swipe.
Shisui said nothing and drew his short blade.
"Boom!"
Red flames burst across the blade.
"Sword Leap Flame!"
Shisui used Body Flicker and charged at Rob Lucci.
Halfway there, he slashed out a wave of flame at Rob Lucci.
Rob Lucci looked excited. He used Tekkai on the claws of his right hand, then tore the flames apart.
But Shisui had already appeared to his left and slashed out another wave of flame. Almost at the same time, an identical wave of flame came from his right.
A Triangle Kill!
"Got you!"
But Rob Lucci smiled.
Ignoring the two waves of flame, he thrust his right hand straight into Shisui's abdomen.
Just as he'd expected, his right hand passed right through his enemy's abdomen. He was very pleased.
But a moment later, he froze.
"Poof!"
The man had turned into smoke right before his eyes.
Rob Lucci's pupils contracted as he remembered how that man had brought Kalifa over earlier.
He'd been tricked!
"Click!"
But he wasn't given a chance to try again.
Seastone Handcuffs snapped around his wrists.
Shisui had used the Transformation Technique to turn himself into a blade, then had a Shadow Clone wield it, fooling Rob Lucci with a feint.
It was the safest way to get close to Rob Lucci.
As the Shadow Clone disappeared, Shisui dispelled the Transformation Technique as well and snapped the Seastone Handcuffs around his wrists.
"Dirty trick!"
Rob Lucci glared at him, eyes bulging.
He felt his strength drain away. He couldn't fight back at all.
Fury filled him, and his Hybrid Form quickly faded until he was back in human form.
If he'd lost to his opponent in a fair fight, he would have accepted it.
Just as he'd accepted losing to Monkey D. Luffy!
But this—
He wouldn't accept it!
But that didn't change anything.
Shisui took out some wire, tied him up, and dragged him out of the alley.
Kaku and the others stared in shock. This wasn't the outcome they'd wanted.
"How are your injuries?"
Uchiha Tamaharu asked.
He wasn't surprised by the outcome.
Ninjas had far too many tricks. Unless they couldn't get through an opponent's defenses, they could always try something.
That was especially true against a Devil Fruit User, with such a glaring weakness to Seastone and seawater.
"I'm bleeding a little, but it's nothing serious."
Shisui replied.
Rob Lucci looked at Shisui in disbelief. He clearly hadn't expected his opponent to be a wounded man.
"What do we do now? Kalifa and Lucci are both in their hands!"
Fukuro asked in a very quiet voice.
With Rob Lucci out of the picture, Kaku was in charge.
"Let's negotiate. They don't seem to be with the World Government, either."
Kaku's brow furrowed.
"We've done what you asked. Can you let them go now?"
Kaku spoke up at once.
Rob Lucci didn't say anything. He waited to see how things turned out.
If the answer was no, he'd speak up right away and tell Kaku and the others to run.
"The World Government has put you on its wanted list, but you're just members of an intelligence agency. I don't really want to deal with you,"
Uchiha Tamaharu replied.
"But that guy just tried to kill my companion. He was going to rip out his guts, so I can't just let you go."
Uchiha Tamaharu spoke with an air of hesitation.
Kaku wanted to walk up and punch him.
The Uchiha Clan naturally followed Uchiha Tamaharu's lead.
"We can offer something in return. What do you want?"
Kaku couldn't simply give up. He held back his anger and continued.
"Killing you would be easy, but I happen to have a dangerous job to do, and I need people."
"Your leader will be my hostage. Help me finish this job, and I'll let you go."
Uchiha Tamaharu didn't waste time and stated his demand plainly.
Kaku still looked unhappy, but he felt relieved.
At least everyone would make it out alive.
He was also surprised that the man knew their exact identities.
The World Government had put them on its wanted list, but it certainly wouldn't reveal who they were!
Kaku didn't answer. Instead, he looked at Rob Lucci.
"What do you need us to do?"
Rob Lucci asked.
"Capture Monkey D. Luffy."
Uchiha Tamaharu replied succinctly.
"Deal!"
At the name, Rob Lucci agreed without hesitation.
The other CP9 members looked surprised, too. They hadn't expected this to be the mission.
"Clean up here. Once you're done, come find us at the port."
Uchiha Tamaharu said.
Then he called over Yashiro and the others, and they took Rob Lucci and Kalifa away.
Kaku and the others were left to deal with the scene.
Though they were reluctant, Kaku and the others could only watch as this group of strangers led Rob Lucci and Kalifa away, until they disappeared from sight.
"Get moving. See if Jabra and Blueno can still fight."
Kaku sighed and gave the order.
Thanks to readers Jia Sansui and Ye Tianxiang Xiaoye for their 100-book-coin tips, and to reader 20190929194050001 for the 300-book-coin tip.
Thanks, everyone, for the recommendation tickets and monthly tickets!
The image of the protagonist's Mangekyo has been posted in the comments of Chapter 3, where the Mangekyo first appeared.
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