Diamante's expression froze. If he had been stopped by a monster like Bullet, he might have accepted it, but this brat who looked barely grown dared order him around like this?
"Don't get too cocky, brat!" Rage surged within Diamante. As Donquixote's top officer, his pride would not allow him to endure such contempt.
He abruptly drew the rapier at his side and activated his ability. The blade instantly became as light and soft as silk, then rapidly twisted and reshaped itself into a glaive with a vicious bull-horn blade at its tip.
"Bull-Horn Glaive!"
Gripping the hilt, he thrust forward fiercely, the hard horn-like tip tearing through the air.
Lucci's expression did not change in the slightest. He simply threw a direct punch, his fist covered in Armament Haki Hardening.
"Clang—!"
Fist and glaive collided with the ring of metal. Diamante felt an overwhelming force travel up through the hilt. The web between his thumb and forefinger split open, and the rapier flew from his hand before crashing onto the ground.
The immense force sent him rolling across the ground like a barrel, and he only barely came to a stop after several miserable tumbles.
"Tap... tap... tap..."
The crisp sound of high heels striking the ground drew closer. Robin walked over at an unhurried pace and stopped ten meters in front of Diamante. With a light flick of her heeled foot, she kicked the restored rapier to his side.
"Your opponent is me," she said calmly. "Though even if you beat me, you still wouldn't escape."
Although she did not understand why Adams had specifically assigned her to fight this unfamiliar, towering man before the battle, she had long since grown accustomed to her captain's occasionally whimsical orders.
Diamante grabbed the rapier beside his arm, his face flushing