Rumble—!
The unprecedented impact was deafening, smashing the ground into a crater deeper than any before it, as though it reached the very core of the island.
The ground around the impact point rolled and heaved like waves, while the massive spring mechanism creaked under unbearable strain.
At the bottom of the crater, Lucci barely maintained his dragon form, but the light around him flickered, making it clear he could no longer sustain it. He struggled to wriggle once before ultimately reverting to human form.
In human form, he merely looked dirty and somewhat disheveled on the outside, but internally, he had suffered severe shock damage. It felt as though his organs had all shifted out of place, and he was only barely holding on through the tenacious vitality granted by the Zoan Mythical Zoan Devil Fruit, avoiding immediate unconsciousness.
Adams drifted lightly down like a feather, landing at the edge of the crater. He casually pulled up Azure Heaven and Yellow Springs, which had been stuck in the ground earlier, and rested it on his shoulder.
Lucci clenched his teeth, enduring the overwhelming agony churning through his body and the tearing pain everywhere. With several leaps, he barely managed to jump out from the bottom of the crater. His legs gave way, and he nearly dropped to his knees, but he forcibly steadied himself and remained standing, glaring stubbornly at Adams.
Seeing him in such a sorry state without losing his backbone, Adams raised an eyebrow and said,
"Lucci, I'll give you a chance. If you're willing to put aside that pointless pride of yours and sincerely call me Captain just once, then this sparring match ends here. What do you say?"
Ever since Lucci had joined him, the man had never once called him "Captain."
That left Adams