Crisis! Desperate Struggle!

Looking at that treasure map, Lu Zhuo's pupils constricted as he said, "You have this kind of intelligence? You know a bit too much, don't you!"

As he spoke, a powerful sword aura swept outward, and Lu Zhuo made no effort to hide his killing intent.

Kuma remained as calm as ever, saying indifferently, "I naturally have my own channels of information. According to reports, you are a swordsman, so you do not place much value on a Devil Fruit. We can make an exchange."

Hearing Kuma's words, Lu Zhuo suddenly chuckled and said, "Even if I don't use it, I can give it to my crew. A treasure map for the Nidai Kitetsu in exchange for a Logia Devil Fruit? That trade is far too unfair."

"Besides, as long as I have time, I can naturally find all the Kitetsu blades one by one. Your intelligence network shouldn't be aware that the Kitetsu in my possession can sense the location of the others, right?"

Kuma fell silent, put away the treasure map, and stood there quietly, showing no signs of leaving.

Lu Zhuo did not move either, standing his ground and staring at him coldly.

Suddenly, Lu Zhuo spoke in a chilling tone: "With strength comparable to an Admiral, I am indeed no match for you, but if you want to kill me, you must be prepared to be buried with me. Although a person like you doesn't care much for your own life, your status as a Shichibukai must still be very important right now, right?"

Once these words were out, Kuma's expression finally changed, and he said in a deep voice, "What do you know?"

Lu Zhuo gave a disdainful smile and said, "I know too much—more than you could ever imagine. Although you have already begun undergoing modifications, they won't be completed for at least three years, at which point you will lose your sense of self."

A sharp, piercing aura seemed to emanate from Kuma's eyes, attempting to suppress Lu Zhuo, but Lu Zhuo ignored it completely and continued on his own: "It isn't easy for the Revolutionary Army to plant a piece on the World Government's board."

Swish!

As soon as the words fell, Kuma's figure vanished.

Following that, within a few seconds, a series of earth-shattering roars erupted around Lu Zhuo. The sword in Lu Zhuo's hand danced like an eternal flower, moving with extreme stillness and extreme speed!

Boom!

As the two separated once more, both had sustained further injuries, though Lu Zhuo's wounds were significantly heavier. Yet, even so, there was no fear in his eyes.

To kill a true swordsman—even if you can defeat him, it is very difficult to walk away unscathed!

Calming down once more, as if nothing had happened, Kuma spoke in a flat tone: "How did you get your information!"

"That is something you don't need to know. You only need to know that your leverage is in my hands!" Lu Zhuo sneered.

Kuma fell silent again. After a long while, he took out the parchment and gave it a light tap.

With a pat, the parchment fell into Lu Zhuo's hand.

"Take this. It should save you some time. Since you know so many things, I cannot force your hand. What is it that you want?"

Hearing Kuma's words, Lu Zhuo's heart stirred slightly.

It seemed that the position of Shichibukai was extremely important to the Revolutionary Army within these three years. Although Kuma would lose his consciousness after three years, he must have already obtained what the Revolutionary Army wanted during this time!

Thinking of this, Lu Zhuo suddenly sheathed his sword.

"I don't want anything; I am just a swordsman. If I must say, I have only one request."

"Please speak."

"Before I become the Pirate King, the Revolutionary Army is not to interfere in matters on the sea!" A fierce glint flashed in Lu Zhuo's eyes, and a powerful sword aura surged out, further ravaging the already chaotic scene around them.

Hearing this, Kuma finally revealed a look of astonishment.

Those eyes stared fixedly at Lu Zhuo, as if trying to see through him, trying to understand why Lu Zhuo dared to say such a thing.

After a long time, Kuma regained his composure. He gave Lu Zhuo a deep look and said, "Very well! The Revolutionary Army never intended to interfere in the affairs of the sea anyway."

"That's good then!" Lu Zhuo nodded, withdrawing his aura.

After giving Lu Zhuo one last deep look, Kuma moved his palm slightly and vanished from before him, teleporting to parts unknown.

Watching Kuma disappear in an instant, Lu Zhuo let out a sigh of relief. His body swayed slightly; once the tension left him, he felt a sharp, unbearable pain in his internal organs.

Although he could have risked his life to bring Kuma to the brink of death, he would have certainly died as well. Despite his arrogant words, Lu Zhuo had no certainty that he could actually force Kuma to be buried with him.

If he could only manage to critically wound Kuma, Kuma would surely be willing to trade a severe injury for his life. Unfortunately, Kuma couldn't afford to gamble either...

This was the first time Lu Zhuo had encountered a situation he couldn't control.

His strength was still too low.

Above the Intermediate Swordsman level were the Advanced Swordsmen, and above them, the Top-tier Swordsmen.

Only a Top-tier Swordsman could barely fight an Admiral. While he had managed to possess the strength of a Vice Admiral through various techniques and his knowledge of this world, he was still lacking when faced with an Admiral.

Only by becoming an Advanced Swordsman would Lu Zhuo have the confidence to face an Admiral head-on. After all, Kuma's strength was only comparable to an Admiral's.

Thinking of this, Lu Zhuo felt a tightness in his chest, and a mouthful of blood sprayed out. Unable to hold on any longer, he slowly slumped to the ground.

"Sir... are, are you alright!" Conis noticed the lack of movement and ran over quickly, only to find Lu Zhuo sitting on the ground, pale and looking completely drained.

"Cough, don't call me Sir, call me Captain, or just Lu Zhuo is fine. How many times do I have to say it..." Looking at the worry on Conis's small face, Lu Zhuo managed a weak smile and said, "Come here, help me back."

"Yes." Conis hurried over and helped Lu Zhuo up, and the two figures disappeared into the jungle.

"Lu Zhuo! You..." Seeing Conis return with a pale-faced Lu Zhuo, Nami was immediately shocked and hurriedly helped him onto the ship.

"What happened?" Robin watched the scene, her expression slightly tense.

Lu Zhuo had gone out and returned with severe injuries. Could there really be someone on Skypiea stronger than Enel?

Lu Zhuo slowly opened his eyes, looked at everyone, gave a wry smile, and said, "It's nothing... don't worry, I'm not going to die."

As he spoke, Lu Zhuo gently took the Devil Fruit from his bosom and handed it to Nami, smiling, "A gift for you."

Looking at the item in Lu Zhuo's hand, Nami felt a pang of heartache, yet her expression turned indignant as she slapped the precious Devil Fruit away.

"You bastard, why did you go off to do something so dangerous without telling me!"

"Nami, you?!" Robin was startled. She looked at Nami and hurriedly sprouted several arms to catch the falling Devil Fruit.

At this moment, tears suddenly streamed from Nami's eyes as she threw herself onto Lu Zhuo, sobbing, "I don't want any gift! Why would you get yourself into this state for me? Do you have any idea how worried everyone was? What if you—mmph."

A pair of somewhat dry lips pressed against hers, cutting off the rest of her words. Seeing this, Robin and Conis consciously stepped aside.

"Nami... remember, there is no 'what if' when it comes to me; everything is under my control. Besides, what is a little danger if it's for you?" Lu Zhuo looked tenderly at the soft body in his arms and smiled.

In truth, he hadn't gone out specifically to find a Devil Fruit for Nami, but rather to search for another Kitetsu. However, he had indeed taken a great risk and fought a battle against Kuma for the sake of that Logia-type Devil Fruit.

Nami lifted her head, her eyes misted over, and she whispered to Lu Zhuo, "Don't ever do something like this again..."

"For you, this once is enough..." Lu Zhuo smiled faintly, wrapped his arms around Nami, and managed to pull her into an embrace before his body went limp and he lost consciousness.

"Lu Zhuo... Lu Zhuo!"