All Flash, No Substance

"No wonder he was the Navy's strongest fighter. The Ice-Ice Fruit was truly troublesome."

Crow's expression turned grave. He used Haki to shatter the ice fragments on his hands, then warily kept his guard up.

"Aokiji, where have you hidden Luffy?"

Dragon withdrew his gaze from the distance and looked at Aokiji without hostility, his emotions instead somewhat complicated.

"You'll never be able to save Straw Hat."

Aokiji opened his mouth and exhaled cold air. Ice fragments also crept over half his body.

As he answered Dragon, whether intentionally or not, he glanced at Sumer, who had been frozen into an ice statue.

Dragon keenly noticed this and immediately rushed toward Sumer.

Earlier.

He had already received intelligence that the World Noble appearing in Water 7 was not only Saint Marcus Mars, but also someone named Saint Germain Sumer.

No matter where they had hidden Luffy, as long as he captured one Celestial Dragon, he could bargain with the World Government afterward.

"Don't even think about getting past me."

Seeing Dragon rush toward Sumer, terrifying cold air erupted from Aokiji's body. He spread his arms and lunged forward, trying to stop Dragon.

But his charge was somewhat slow.

Just then.

Crow happened to block him once again.

"Saint Germain Sumer!!!"

Dragon's right hand was coated in Conqueror's Haki and Armament Haki. He quickly shattered the ice imprisoning Sumer, then grabbed Sumer by the neck and lifted him into the air.

At that moment.

Sumer was still unconscious. His entire body had been frostbitten by the cold, his skin turning purplish-red and swelling with blisters.

These were signs of severe frostbite.

Many of his cells had even died.

But soon, his immortal body took effect, rapidly regenerating the dead cells as the purplish-red skin across his body gradually returned to its normal color.

"Lord Saint Sumer!"

Inside the alternate space.

Bruno was frantic. Several times, he wanted to open a spatial door, but every time he remembered Sumer's repeated instructions, he hesitated.

Behind Bruno.

The Straw Hat crew, Franky, and Enel, all shackled with Seastone, watched the scene outside with immense satisfaction.

That old Celestial Dragon had been killed.

And that damned Saint Germain Sumer had also been grabbed by the throat by this fierce-looking man.

With just a little force, he could be strangled to death.

"Robin, this is a good opportunity."

Seeing that Bruno's attention was entirely on the outside, Nami cautiously moved over to Robin's side.

Neither she nor Robin wore Seastone handcuffs. They only had slave collars on, which meant Robin could still use the Flower-Flower Fruit's abilities.

And Nami had not lost her strength either.

Besides.

Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, and that pervert in black briefs, who seemed to be named Franky, were not Devil Fruit users.

The Seastone handcuffs merely restrained their hands. They still had their strength, their mouths, and their feet.

"I understand."

Robin immediately understood what Nami meant and activated her Devil Fruit ability.

"Thirty-Fold Bloom: Fortification."

In an instant.

Thirty arms suddenly grew from Bruno's body as he stood with his back to everyone.

Those arms swiftly grabbed his neck, arms, and legs, exerting all their strength to twist Bruno's body into a C-shape.

They tried to completely snap his spine.

Crack, crack, crack—

A series of chilling bone-cracking sounds rang out.

"What?"

Bruno was utterly shocked. He had never expected to be attacked at a time like this.

"Zoro, Sanji, Usopp, come help! Franky too!"

Nami was the first to rush forward, tightly wrapping her arms around Bruno's head and continuously exerting force alongside Robin.

Zoro, Usopp, Franky, and Sanji were briefly stunned, but disregarding their heavily injured bodies, they immediately joined in.

"Damn it—"

"Iron Body: Steel!!!"

Bruno reacted quickly as well. He immediately entered Iron Body mode, tensing his entire body until it was like steel.

Zoro and Usopp's kicks landed on Bruno's body with an incredibly heavy metallic clang.

"Damn it, this guy's body has turned as hard as steel!"

Usopp collapsed to the ground. His right foot had bent at an angle and quickly swelled red, clearly broken.

The piercing pain made him cry out miserably as he rolled back and forth across the ground. His already pale face became even whiter.

He had just given it everything he had.

Zoro was not much better off, but he was tough enough not to make a sound.

"Diable Jambe: Premier Haché."

"Power Forehead."

Sanji and Franky, who were already seriously injured, gave it their all as well.

Ignoring the warnings from their bodies, they resolutely unleashed their strongest attacks.

"Argh—"

Sanji, who specialized in kicks, let out a scream and followed in Usopp and Zoro's footsteps, collapsing to the ground with cold sweat pouring down his face.

Franky slammed his forehead into Bruno's, only to suffer a concussion and pass out on the spot.

"Zoro, Sanji, Usopp—"

Luffy and Chopper wore miserable expressions as they wriggled like maggots, trying to get close enough to bite Bruno to death.

Only Enel watched coldly.

Because he knew the Straw Hat crew was merely wasting their effort.

"They were injured too badly before this!"

Cold sweat seeped from Robin's forehead, causing her bangs to stick to her skin.

She pushed her Devil Fruit ability with all her strength, but Bruno's body was too hard. She could not bend him at all.

"Dammit, why is he so hard?"

Nami bared her teeth and kept pounding Bruno with her little fists. They had finally found an opportunity—how could she give up now?

"Iron Body: Wheel."

Suddenly.

Bruno gathered his strength, seized the opportunity, and spun vertically at high speed as he rammed into Robin.

Caught off guard.

Robin was sent flying, blood spraying from her mouth. Many of her ribs had broken, and she could not get back up for a while after landing on the ground.

"Robin—"

Nami stumbled and fell onto the ground, her pretty face instantly turning pale. Before she could get up, Bruno's towering body appeared before her.

A mouthful of blood sprayed from Nami's lips as Bruno kicked her away like a ball.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

After kicking Nami away, Bruno did not stop. Instead, he used Soru to appear behind Zoro, Sanji, and the others in succession.

"Revolving Door."

The Door-Door Fruit ability activated. Everyone Bruno touched had their heads and limbs begin to rotate.

He did not even spare Enel.

Bruno intended to make them completely incapable of resisting.

Outside.

Dragon gripped Sumer by the neck and frowned as he looked around. For some reason, he had felt watched ever since earlier.

Suddenly.

Dragon raised his head and looked toward the shattered iceberg in the distance. Saint Marcus Mars shot into the sky, spreading his wings and spewing black flames.

The chest Dragon had pierced earlier had already regenerated and recovered.

"No wonder it was a Mythical Zoan with an awakened Devil Fruit."

Dragon's heart sank.

He believed Saint Marcus Mars's astonishing recovery was because he had eaten a Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit and awakened it.

"Let go of Sumer!"

Saint Marcus Mars flew over. Seeing Sumer being held by the throat, his expression changed slightly.

"You seem rather nervous."

Dragon glanced at Sumer in his hand, then raised his head to stare at Saint Marcus Mars.

The other man had clearly panicked just now. Though he had concealed it well, Dragon had still noticed.

Why?

Wasn't this guy just an ordinary Celestial Dragon?

Given Saint Marcus Mars's status as one of the Five Elders, there should have been no need for him to worry over an ordinary Celestial Dragon's life.