Vergo

"Boom..."

This guy had actually taken the blow head-on. However, the sheer impact forced him back more than ten meters before he managed to steady himself.

Then, he suddenly jerked his head upward.

Moke's slash was knocked straight into the air. It exploded midair, scattering an entire patch of clouds.

At the same time, Loki had already rushed to Moke's left. With a powerful sweeping kick, he lashed out at Moke's abdomen.

Moke casually raised Shusui and blocked it.

However, Loki's combat instincts were fast as well. Borrowing the rebound force, he spun a full 360 degrees and viciously whipped another kick toward the back of Moke's head.

"Whoosh..."

He was fast, but Moke was faster. With a backhanded slash of Shusui, he cut straight at Loki's leg.

"Not good..."

Loki's pupils contracted. At that moment, it was already too late for him to dodge.

"Armament Hardening!"

No matter how arrogant he was, he did not dare use his bare flesh to take a blade head-on. After all, he was not Kaido, the strongest creature.

Armament Haki immediately coated his leg.

"Bang..."

Yet even so, the instant he was struck, he felt an utterly overwhelming force. His balance gave out, and he spun through the air before smashing violently into the ground.

He even blasted a human-shaped crater into the earth.

That showed just how terrifying the power behind Moke's slash had been.

Loki's leg trembled slightly. Then he slapped both hands against the ground and immediately sprang back up. When he looked at Moke again, his gaze had completely changed.

There was no more arrogance in it, only wariness.

He then looked toward his younger brother. In his eyes, only his brother could contend with this guy in terms of strength.

At that moment, Martin looked back at him. Their eyes met, and with perfect understanding, they nodded to each other.

Then, the two moved at the same time.

Loki bent his legs slightly before shooting into the sky, soaring high overhead. He repeatedly kicked toward Moke, sending one Tempest Kick Slash after another flying at him.

"Holy shit..."

Even Moke was stunned. He muttered, "Do you need to know at least two of the Six Powers to be a villain these days?"

The slave-catching crew from before had been the same!

"Roar..."

At the same time, Martin, transformed into a giant boar, opened his mouth as power gathered within it. In the end, an energy ball shot explosively toward Moke.

"Heh..."

Moke could not help sneering. "You really think I'm a soft touch... Fine, today I'll let you experience just how sharp the blade in my hand is!"

Ghost Aura surged from Moke's body. He was getting serious.

"Whoosh..."

He first slashed at the energy ball, sending out an incomparably powerful blade strike. It split the energy ball in two and continued onward without losing momentum, heading straight for Martin.

Then he continuously swung Shusui, weaving a net of sword strikes before him that blocked every Tempest Kick Slash!

"Roar..."

Martin roared again and fearlessly charged toward Moke's slash once more. He intended to block this attack just as he had blocked Moke's previous one.

Unfortunately, he simply did not understand that a serious Moke was far beyond what he could withstand.

The moment he rammed forward, the two tusks protruding from his mouth were sliced clean off.

His entire body was sent flying, crashing down more than ten meters away as he reverted to his original form!

A massive wound now ran across his body.

It stretched from the top of his head all the way to his abdomen. He had nearly been split in half.

"Martin..." Loki cried out in anguish.

When he looked at Moke again, his eyes held nothing but hatred and terror. Since Moke could kill Martin with one slash, he could kill him with one slash as well.

However, Moke frowned slightly at that moment. He did not spare Loki a single glance. Instead, he stared intently at another corner. "I thought you were with those two. Looks like you were planning to reap the rewards after we fought."

"What?"

Loki was greatly shocked. He had never imagined that while they were tracking Moke, someone else had been hiding in the shadows and following them.

"Heh..."

With a cold laugh, a tall figure walked out. "As expected of a Shichibukai. You really are vigilant!"

"What the hell..."

Moke finally got a clear look at the newcomer. It was Doflamingo's trusted right-hand man, Vergo. Suddenly, inspiration struck, and he thought of the silhouette he had seen in the tavern earlier.

Thinking about it now, it must have been this guy.

No wonder he had felt a sense of familiarity!

Of course!

Though he had never met this guy before, having read the original story, Moke was still very familiar with him. After all, Vergo was quite a standout character in One Piece.

But why was this guy here?

Vergo looked at the already dead Martin, then glanced at Loki in the air and added, "I should thank you for completing half my mission for me. You saved me quite a bit of trouble."

"Uh???"

Moke was confused at first, but then he understood immediately. Vergo had come for Loki and Martin.

"Vice Admiral Vergo?"

Loki became even more uneasy.

Vergo merely smiled faintly. "The day you and Rear Admiral Martin deserted, you should have expected this day to come."

Moke's eyes narrowed. So Loki and Martin were Marine traitors. No wonder! The Six Powers were Marine secrets. There was no way every pirate he ran into should know them!

"Boom..."

Vergo moved. The ground beneath his feet shattered under his stomp, and then he shot toward Loki in the air at high speed.

Loki's face changed drastically. Then his expression twisted viciously. "You think I'm afraid of you? Armament Hardening!"

Armament Haki once again coated his leg.

Then he kicked at the charging Vergo.

"You really are as naive as ever. You thought that after eating a Devil Fruit, you and Martin could join forces to kill a Shichibukai and take his place? That you could fight me?"

"I'll tell you right now: trash is trash. No matter what Devil Fruit you eat, you're still trash!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Vergo swept out a kick as well.

Their legs collided fiercely in midair.

"Crack..."

A crisp sound of breaking bone rang out, making Loki grit his teeth in agony. At the same time, his leg could no longer withstand Vergo's attack.

"Bang!"

Loki was violently kicked away.

"Finger Pistol..."

Having landed a hit, how could Vergo possibly let him go so easily? He immediately chased after him and delivered Loki a fatal blow.

Moke, standing on the ground, could not help narrowing his eyes.

Vergo truly deserved to be Doflamingo's number one man. His strength was no joke. Then again, he really did have that kind of strength. In the original story, he had fought Smoker and Law alone and completely overwhelmed them.

If he had not been too careless—or overly confident in his Armament Haki, or underestimated Law's abilities too much—and chosen to take the attack with his body, Law would never have had the slightest chance to kill him.

"Whoosh..."

A blade strike came straight at Moke...