Full Firepower

Before Kane and Black Maria could exchange more than a few words, two figures crashed down onto Black Maria's ship.

"Kid, since you were stupid enough to come here alone, die here!"

Sasaki drew the broad, heavy blade at his waist and approached Kane with a savage grin.

Kane ignored him and looked at Black Maria with a smile.

"Little miss, can you promise me something?"

Black Maria smiled curiously. "If it's too unreasonable a request, I can't agree to it, you know~"

"It's a very simple little thing."

Kane slowly drew the sword at his waist, tilting his head as he smiled at them, his eyes gleaming sharply.

"Could you stay out of this until I've taken them down?"

"Arrogant!"

Sasaki bellowed as his body suddenly expanded, transforming into a massive triceratops-human hybrid. His blade came slashing down at Kane's head!

Blessed with Giant Strength, Kane showed no fear and swung his sword upward to meet the attack.

Clang!

Sasaki felt as though his blade had struck steel. The enormous recoil numbed his wrist and knocked his weapon high into the air, filling him with shock.

This is bad!

The thought had barely formed when Kane vanished from beside his feet. The next instant, a figure appeared in midair before him, a cold gleam flashing from the sword aimed straight at his neck!

"Sasaki, watch out!"

At the critical moment, a scythe flew sideways through the air and struck Kane's blade directly.

Amid the explosive clash of metal, Kane was knocked sideways, while Hanafusa tugged the chain and reeled the scythe back in.

Sasaki, having narrowly escaped death, broke out in a cold sweat. He watched Kane warily, only to see him flip through the air and land lightly, casually twirling his sword as if he had not been affected in the slightest.

"This kid is hard to deal with. Be careful!"

Hanafusa came to Sasaki's side, already transformed into his hybrid form. Sharp fangs filled his blood-red maw; he was a tyrannosaurus.

He swung the meteor hammer in his hand, producing a strange whistling sound. Glancing at Black Maria and seeing that she was merely standing aside, he said with some dissatisfaction,

"Black Maria, aren't you going to make a move?"

"Ah... I promised Mr. Kane, after all~"

Black Maria had been shocked that Kane could suppress Sasaki from the very first exchange. At Hanafusa's words, she revealed a reluctant expression and waved her hand lightly.

In an instant, countless spiderwebs spread out from behind her, weaving into an enormous Spiderweb Space in the blink of an eye, enclosing all four of them.

"Mr. Kane, I only want you to stay a little longer. That doesn't count as interfering, does it~?"

"Thank you. You're such a thoughtful little girl."

Kane surveyed the airtight Spiderweb Space with satisfaction, his eyes growing brighter and brighter.

Because he could clearly sense that his Observation Haki could not penetrate the webs!

That meant even if he used one hundred percent of his strength, no one outside would notice!

"What a great place!"

Kane praised it sincerely, feeling that this trip had truly been worthwhile. Even the hand gripping his sword trembled slightly with excitement.

Sasaki and Hanafusa exchanged confused looks, because they could clearly sense Kane becoming exhilarated.

Did he know he was trapped?

Did this guy have some kind of strange fetish?

The same question surfaced in Sasaki and Hanafusa's minds, but before they could think further, Kane tilted his head back, took a deep breath, and pointed his sword at them.

"Thank you for giving me this opportunity."

"...What are you talking about?" Sasaki sensed that something was wrong.

The smile on Kane's face deepened. Armament Haki activated, and the sword in his hand suddenly turned pitch-black.

"To show my gratitude, I'll go all out."

The moment he spoke, a pair of enormous bat wings unfurled behind him!

Hanafusa's pupils shrank sharply. He whipped the chain in his hand wildly, and the meteor hammer and massive scythe tore through the air with terrifying force!

"Watch out! He's a Zoan Devil Fruit user!"

Before Hanafusa could finish, Kane beat his wings and vanished from the spot in an instant!

Whoosh!

An afterimage suddenly appeared behind Sasaki. He spun around in horror, only then hearing the sound of Kane cutting through the air beside his ear!

And along with that sound came a cold, razor-sharp streak of black sword light!

In shock, Sasaki hastily raised his weapon. His blade barely managed to block the sword light.

Clang!

A crisp sound rang in everyone's ears. Sasaki's blade snapped in two at the middle, and the sword light continued straight toward his face!

"You damn bastard!"

Sasaki roared and lowered his head, ramming forward with his horns!

But the black sword light carried a sharpness that could cut through anything, passing through the horn without a sound!

Thud...

Sasaki's horn, harder than steel, fell to the ground. A bone-deep wound had also appeared across his face.

Yet Sasaki did not dare relax for even a moment, because Kane's figure vanished from his sight once again like a ghost!

"Watch out! He's by your feet!"

Hanafusa's warning rang out suddenly. Sasaki looked down to see Kane swinging his sword at his legs!

Sasaki's soul nearly left his body. Fortunately, Hanafusa arrived in time and blocked Kane's sword with his scythe once again.

Kane looked at the scythe holding back his sword. His gaze rose and settled on Hanafusa's furious, ferocious face, and he suddenly smiled.

"It seems my sword won't reach him unless I cut you down first."

"That's right!"

Hanafusa roared, and the meteor hammer in his hand smashed down at Kane like a real falling star.

Boom!

A huge hole appeared in the deck, but Kane had already disappeared.

However, Hanafusa possessed strength on the level of a Shichibukai. His Observation Haki found Kane before his eyes did, and he slashed the scythe behind him, colliding directly with Kane's sword.

The immense recoil from the scythe left Hanafusa horrified. Kane's strength actually did not lose to his own hybrid form!

Just as Hanafusa rejoiced that he could keep up with Kane's speed, he suddenly saw another pair of wings sprout from Kane's back.

"You're a Mythical Zoan!"

Hanafusa cried out in alarm and was about to retreat and widen the distance when he suddenly felt as if someone had grabbed his ankle. He staggered and nearly fell.

Damn...

Though Hanafusa lost his balance, his reaction was incredibly fast. His body expanded violently in an instant, and his hybrid form immediately shifted into full beast form, transforming into a tyrannosaurus nearly ten meters tall!

Kane flashed behind Hanafusa and had just raised his sword when a massive tail swept toward him. He hurriedly ducked beneath it.

Bang!

The huge tail struck the pirate ship's mast. The thick, sturdy mast snapped instantly and crashed onto the deck with a thunderous boom.

"What an exaggerated size."

Kane looked up at Hanafusa. The other's scarlet eyes stared down at him with killing intent, wishing he could tear Kane apart.

On the other side, Sasaki had also fully transformed into a triceratops, glaring viciously at Kane. One of the horns on his head had been cut off by Kane, and his face was covered in blood, making him look rather miserable.

"In that case, I'll return the favor a little."

As Kane spoke, he raised a hand. White snowflakes carrying a frigid chill gathered from thin air in his palm.

Hanafusa and Sasaki's hearts tightened at once. Ancient Zoan users feared low temperatures most, and the ability Kane displayed happened to counter them perfectly!

The two exchanged a look and immediately understood that they had to end this quickly. They charged Kane together at once.

But the moment they moved, Kane transformed into a massive ice-and-snow giant. A huge ice-and-snow sword swept out from his hand, and a sword radiance wrapped in a blizzard surged toward them like an avalanche!

In an instant, Hanafusa and Sasaki were swallowed by wave-like snowflakes!

For a time, icy winds howled and waves of snow surged through the Spiderweb Space. Two enormous dinosaur figures charged fiercely through the snowstorm, battling the giant ice-and-snow giant in a frenzied struggle.

Black Maria hid in fear high above within the Spiderweb Space. The seductive charm had vanished from her face, and she did not dare approach the three men's battlefield at all.

She had grown up in Wano Country and had only become a Headliner a few days ago through her Devil Fruit ability. This was her first time going to sea. How could she possibly have seen a scene like this?

Whether it was due to the cold brought by the ice and snow or the fear growing within her heart, she began trembling uncontrollably.

If I can return to Wano Country, I'll never come out again.

At the same time, the battle below swiftly reached its conclusion.

A massive dinosaur head shot into the sky, then crashed to the ground with a boom, gradually reverting to Sasaki's appearance.

Meanwhile, Hanafusa, in tyrannosaurus form, lay sprawled on the ground with all four limbs severed. Blood continuously sprayed from his fang-filled maw.

Kane, having returned to normal, strolled over to Hanafusa's side and sighed, breathing slightly heavily.

"The stamina consumption is greater than I expected. Should I say that's to be expected of a Shichibukai-level powerhouse?"

"You... who exactly... are you?"

Hanafusa stared at Kane. Even among the Marines, where powerful fighters were as common as clouds, someone this strong should never have been unknown.

"Sorry, I don't have a habit of introducing myself to the dead."

With that, Kane decisively drew his sword and cut through Hanafusa's throat in a single strike.

Then he slowly raised his head, his gaze falling upon Black Maria, who was cowering high within the Spiderweb Space.

"Pretty little girl, don't be afraid. It's time for us to have a proper talk."

"Ah—!!!"