Buggy looked at Katesu: "For you, life is indeed unpredictable, isn't it?"
"Don't think you've won just because you got here... Don't you want that stone tablet of Jess's?" Katesu said. "Lord Bag has already gone to Sifa Island. That stone tablet that Jess treasures will ultimately be reduced to nothing after enduring Lord Bag's wrath... And you will never get that stone tablet!!"
"I see..." A cunning glint appeared in Buggy's eyes. "That seems interesting. I'm quite curious to see that stone tablet. Although I don't know what that Bag might do, it wouldn't be worth it to let him tamper with it... So that bastard didn't stay here; he went to Sifa Island ..."
" Captain Buggy, if you have anything important to do, go ahead..." Cabaji, though unsure what the stone tablet Katesu was referring to, noticed the fleeting hesitation on Buggy's face and immediately stepped in, "Leave this to me..."
"...Alright, then I'll leave it to you. It's time to settle accounts between Bag and me." Buggy nodded, then looked at Kaya. "You guys be careful."
"Okay!" Kaya responded emphatically. "Don't worry, Uncle Buggy."
Buggy didn't delay any longer, twisting the Flying Dragon Chicken's neck. "Let's go, to Sifa Island."
The Flying Dragon Chicken immediately took a step forward, broke through the crowd, and ran swiftly towards Sifa Island. As the king of chickens, its speed far surpassed that of its kind. Moreover, after being modified by Nilek, it turned into a black dot and disappeared into the distance in the blink of an eye.
Katesu sneered, "... I didn't expect them to actually go to find Lord Bag. It's useless; going there would only be a pointless death. What incredibly foolish Blue Sea People..."
"You're talking way too much nonsense!!" Cabaji's face darkened, and he instantly transformed into a phantom, lunging straight at Katesu.
Bang!
In an instant, Sturdy No. 1 teleported back to Cabaji like a ghost, crossing his arms to block Sakura Blizzard's blade, standing like a solid wall, not yielding an inch.
Cabaji's hands moved swiftly, Sakura Blizzard flashed wildly, turning into countless white lights. Sturdy No. 1 stretched out its strong arms and caught them all. Then, its hands condensed into a ball and blasted towards Cabaji like a siege cannon.
Instead of retreating, Cabaji advanced, shifting his body sideways. With a flick of his wrist, the blade traced the edge of the Sturdy No. 1 cloud.
" Combined Blade Slash!"
In an instant, the blade sliced through the cleavage of the Sturdy No. 1's arm into four or five neat pieces, as if cutting through a stalk.
The next moment, its arms came together again, but this time the whiteness of the arms was lighter and thinner, a change that was almost impossible to discern with the naked eye.
Cabaji took two steps back, narrowed his eyes slightly, and sneered, "I really thought it was invulnerable, but it seems it's not completely ineffective... If we don't deal with this annoying weirdo first, we won't be able to advance..."
Katesu knew what Cabaji meant and what he intended, and said expressionlessly, "I've changed my mind too. Let's take care of you, you damned bastard, before we carry out the plan... otherwise, all the subsequent operations will be disrupted."
"Oh...?" Cabaji said, "It seems we're on the same page on this point; we both want to kill each other..."
Katesu refused to respond to Cabaji's words, simply saying coldly, " Sturdy No. 1, kill him!"
Blue light flashed in the eyes of the Sturdy No. 1. Its clasped hands were pushed open, and a thick white cloud appeared from its palm, instantly forming the shape of a long sword nearly two meters long.
"A sword, huh... That suits me perfectly. Let's have a good fight!" Cabaji gripped his sword and charged forward again, his movements blurring into a blur.
The Sturdy No. 1 remained silent, wielding his cloud sword forward. He wasn't a particularly skilled swordsman, but his instincts told him that using the cloud sword he had conjured would minimize the damage he would suffer and deliver the most effective attack.
Moreover, it possesses a terrifying body that is immune to physical attacks. Of course, this body cannot actually be considered its own; rather, it is formed by the condensation of countless Island Cloud particles. However, it can now be freely controlled, and even if Cabaji manages to strike it, it is difficult to cause any substantial damage. In essence, the ideology of Sturdy No. 1 has transcended that of a robot using metal as its carrier.
From initial clumsiness to later proficiency, Cabaji noticed that the swordsmanship of the Sturdy No. 1 he was sparring with was constantly improving. This improvement was even more noticeable; it... was learning his fencing techniques!
"Such a powerful learning ability... what a terrifying monster..." Cabaji thought to himself, then focused all his attention on the exchange, not daring to be distracted or careless for even a moment.
" Rewind Slash!"
The moment Cabaji swung his sword, time seemed to slow down several times. Ripples on the Sakura Blizzard could be clearly seen flowing like water. The next instant, the water surged, like a waterfall cascading down with immense force, pressing down on Sturdy No. 1's chest.
The Sturdy No. 1 longsword slung downwards, its blade suddenly extending a meter in length, and before Cabaji could even reach it, it pierced towards Cabaji's chest.
Cabaji quickly dodged to the side, but a 30-centimeter-long gash was still scraped across his chest. He groaned, flipped his hand, and Sakura Blizzard continued forward, piercing into Sturdy No. 1's chest. Then, like an electric drill, it quickly churned a large hole in the opponent's chest, and jumped away before Sturdy No. 1 could react.
And all of this happened in the blink of Lightning Flash eye.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the battlefield, Kaya didn't sit idly by. Although she didn't know any martial arts, her Devil Fruit had given her increasing strength and physique day by day. Compared to the country girl from the East Blue she once was, she could now stand alone in battle. However, her fighting style was different from others. She could only rely on the resin bubbles that she could emit from her palms, each as tall as a person. These bubbles were very flexible and reliable. Once they spread out, they could trap ordinary enemies inside. Even if the enemy struggled with all their might, it would take several minutes for them to break out of the resin bubble. It was also somewhat effective against mass-produced mecha.
Although she lacked offensive capabilities, as a support staff member, she was able to provide considerable assistance in the battle, which exceeded her job duties.
In this way, the warriors of Sifa Island and Hundred Fierce Island can free up their hands to deal with some of the mechs first, and then turn around to deal with the mechs trapped in the resin bubbles.
Furthermore, Kaya's ability to create healing Sap Bubble and exhilarating frenzy bubbles, which expand and burst into countless droplets scattered around, further enhanced the warriors' combat power, making their attacks even more courageous and decisive.
The arrival of Kaya and Cabaji slightly brightened the situation in this tense war.
Let's return to the battlefield where Cabaji and Sturdy No. 1 are locked in a standoff.
The fierce competition between the two sides had lasted for nearly half an hour. Sturdy No. 1's fencing skills could now be considered those of a qualified swordsman. Utilizing the characteristics of its body, it remained unscathed. However, unlike ordinary robots, it could not be equipped with powerful firearms because of this body; otherwise, it would be considered a perfect form.
Cabaji looked rather disheveled; his blue and white checkered scarf was torn in two, and his body was covered with wounds ranging from a small hole to nearly thirty centimeters in length.
This was the price he paid for constantly testing the other party.
"You pirate from the Blue Sea, you're no match for Sturdy No. 1. Why are you still struggling in your death throes? Why are you still using your tiny, fragile, and easily defeated body to block my path..." Katesu, who had been watching coldly, sneered, "Just lie down obediently, and I'll give you a quick death!"
"Oh..." Cabaji's hair was disheveled, and his face was as gloomy as ever. "So you've always thought I was making a last-ditch effort? Well then, I can tell you an undeniable fact now, how about that?"
Katesu frowned. "What are you trying to say?"
"Heh..." Cabaji gripped the sword in a reverse grip, holding it horizontally in front of his chest, slightly turning it to the side. A bright light flowed from the hilt of Sakura Blizzard's sword all the way to the tip. "After my next move, this annoying monster will be completely dead."
Katesu's face twitched involuntarily. "Stop bluffing. You're no match for me. Even if you took a hundred moves, what difference would it make? You'd only bleed more and die faster!!"
"Then let's wait and see." Cabaji lowered his body slightly, his body capable of forming grass rings, a hundred feathers, and a thousand snowless nights—a divine concealment. Snowflakes falling under the moon!
His body shot out like lightning, and the Sakura Blizzard he was holding in his hand trembled slightly.
One flake, two flakes, three flakes... fluttering down like the cool moonlight, the intricate snowflakes seem to appear out of thin air, creating a dreamlike and beautiful scene. All the snowflakes swirled around him, even obscuring the sharp blade in his hand. The cold glint of the snowflakes approached silently, then suddenly poured down like fireflies.
In the instant that Cabaji and Sturdy No. 1 crossed paths, the air turned deathly white, and a black light flashed across the forehead of Sturdy No. 1, who stood rooted to the spot with his cloud sword in hand.
Sturdy No. 1, holding the Cloud Sword, moved slowly, turning towards Cabaji behind him.
The next moment, its body began to shed white ash as if melting, and in the blink of an eye, it turned into a pile of white powder, just like a cremated corpse.
"You, you, how could you..." A look of astonishment finally appeared on Katesu's face.
Cabaji looked at Katesu: "This monster is indeed very strong, but it must have its weaknesses, such as the control core in its head. I've been testing it just now—its hands, feet, abdomen, and chest—and finally discovered that it blocks attacks most frequently when attacking its head... That's why I was able to determine that its head has a 'critical organ' similar to a human heart. Once hit, it will lose its current form... In gambling, one side of a coin is always right... I'm sorry, I won the bet."
Katesu's eyes began to dart away, and he took a step back, growling in a low voice. "You damned Blue Sea People, don't think you've won just like that! Its body is coated with C20 Powder Bomb, enough to destroy half of this island!"
Cabaji stared coldly at his opponent, knife in hand, and approached step by step. "That was truly terrifying."
"Huff... Since... the mission has failed." Katesu gasped for breath, his face suddenly turning crazed. "Then let's all perish together... Lord Bag will handle the rest!"
With that, he reached into his pocket, seemingly pressing something, and then began to laugh maniacally. "How about we count down together? There are only seven seconds left. In the end, everyone will die!"
"Has this guy really gone mad...?" A sense of foreboding washed over Cabaji, and he quickly stepped forward, grabbing the other man's white coat by the collar. "What did you do?!"
wωw ⊕тTkan ⊕￠ ○
"... Three, two, one, explode!!" Katesu continued to laugh maniacally.
However... the horrific explosion that was expected did not occur at the scene.
Katesu's smile froze on his face. "..."
"What... you really acted like it was real. Your acting skills are almost on par with one of the women on our ship..." Cabaji threw Katesu's body away and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
"No... impossible!" Katesu, who had fallen to the ground, incredulously pulled a small black square box from his pocket and frantically pressed the buttons on it.
"It's no use, I've already shielded it with electromagnetic signals."
Nilek descended from the sky riding Skyfoot Chicken, with Skyfoot Chicken on top of him, his body wrapped in Bander.
" Nilek ..." Katesu clenched his fists. "Damn it, I should have dissected your body and removed your AI back then, so you would be dead!"
Nilek sat on the Skyfoot Chicken. "I should be the one saying that. How could I have let you become my assistant? My flawless self was ruined by you in the end."
"Brother Katesu, why did you do this?" Bander, dragging his badly injured body, jumped off the Skyfoot Chicken, his face full of sorrow. "I still can't understand why you've become like this..."
"My foolish brother, what do you know? You're just like these shallow and ignorant fools, nothing more than frogs in a well, seeing only the tip of the Iceburg of this world. It's people like you who think it's your glory to make precious sacrifices for my exploration of the unknown. My goal is the Endless Vearth of origin! Originally, if the plan succeeded, Lord Bag would use his power to send me to the Endless Vearth! You don't understand my grand ideals at all!!" Katesu stood up and laughed maniacally, "Die, all of you! You should all die!"
" Endless Vearth ..." Klock muttered, "How utterly foolish..."
"Stop talking, Katesu!" Bander roared, his anger finally reaching its peak. "It is because of what you have done that thousands of soldiers have fallen mercilessly in pools of blood, and that this war has dragged on until now. Don't you understand the enormity of your crimes?!"
Katesu: "My little brother, you've grown up. You dare to yell at me now..."
Bander gritted his teeth, drew the dagger from his waist, and said palely, "Rather than let you die at someone else's hands, I'd rather kill you. As your younger brother, I also bear an undeniable responsibility for how you've become like this."
"Are you going to kill me? Are you going to kill your own brother? Hah...!"
Katesu's laughter abruptly stopped halfway through. He looked down at the blade piercing his heart, his right hand gripping it, instantly drawing blood. His voice became broken and intermittent, "You really have grown up..."
With a heavy heart, Bander pulled out the dagger, while Katesu fell backward, his eyes vacant as he stared at the sky.
"You just talked to yourself and stole my credit...?" Cabaji sheathed Sakura Blizzard. "Never mind, this is boring."