Luffy's Conqueror's Haki began to tremble after holding out for three seconds. Mu Chen's Conqueror's Haki surged back like a tide, gradually compressing that initial burst of Haki until it finally devoured it completely.
Luffy let out a pained grunt as his Conqueror's Haki instantly collapsed. He was sent flying as though struck by a heavy hammer, crashing hard into a large tree. The tree creaked in agony as he slid down to the ground, gasping for breath while his vision darkened in waves.
Luffy!
Sanji immediately tried to rush toward Luffy, his knees scraping two bloody trails into the sand.
Bastard!
Sanji tremblingly lifted Luffy by the shoulders and found that cold sweat had soaked through Luffy's Straw Hat, which hung crookedly to one side.
Fortunately, Luffy was still conscious, though only barely.
Zoro stared fixedly in Mu Chen's direction, his knuckles turning white from the force of his grip. The aftershocks of that Conqueror's Haki clash still lingered, but what he cared about more was what had just happened to Luffy. That had not been an evenly matched collision at all. It was more like an adult casually swatting away a charging young beast.
Such an enormous range... Zoro murmured, recalling how, back in the East Blue, he had once believed he could defeat any opponent.
He had witnessed the strength of the Shichibukai, and only now did he understand the weight carried by the words "Marine Admiral."
Mu Chen had not even moved his feet. He had defeated them with Haki alone. That utterly crushing strength sent a chill down Zoro's spine.
Looking at Luffy lying on the beach, Mu Chen showed him no mercy at all as he coolly mocked, "Three seconds. A little longer than I expected."
The next second, he withdrew his Conqueror's Haki,