Utter domination

The atmosphere suddenly grew heavy and tense.

Though Rob Lucci had not said it aloud, his meaning was unmistakable.

What did it mean when CP9 was deployed?

A mission, and the elimination of every obstacle and problem standing in its way!

At this moment, River was undoubtedly that obstacle.

"Is that so?"

River slowly raised his head, a smile on his face but an icy chill in his eyes.

Whoosh!

The sea breeze suddenly quickened, and a terrifying aura surged upward. Every member of the CP9 team led by Lucci felt a shiver of dread.

"Move!"

Rob Lucci abruptly shouted.

In an instant, all seven figures sprang into action. Jabra charged first, reaching River in just a few leaps.

"Shave!"

The air shook. Fierce winds churned in front of River as an intensely oppressive presence rushed toward him.

"Ha ha!"

River suddenly grinned, a hint of madness creeping across his face.

"Little eaglets who've only just spread your wings and leaped off the cliff-let me see if you've learned to fly!"

Jabra's expression was icy. Suspended in midair, he brought his right leg slashing down.

"Tempest Kick!"

Vmmm!

A razor-sharp slash swept down toward River's head.

River looked up and raised his right arm over his head.

Bang!

A dull impact rang out, leaving a crack in the warship's deck and sending dust swirling into the air.

But River was completely unscathed!

At the sight, Jabra's pupils contracted, and the other CP9 members reeled in shock.

Their opponent had blocked the powerful Tempest Kick with his bare body.

"You don't have time to be shocked, kid!"

River grinned.

"I'd already taken the Six Powers to their peak twenty years ago!"

The moment he finished speaking, his figure abruptly distorted and vanished.

"What?"

Jabra was alarmed. River had disappeared from his sight.

"Behind you!"

Kalifa shouted, shaken to her core. Her right calf still burned with pain. Looking down, she saw a clear handprint that had already turned black and blue.

This man had nearly crushed her shinbone with a casual grab. Just how strong was he?

Jabra whipped his head around and saw a huge palm sweeping toward him.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Wind roared past his ears. The pressure made his cheeks ripple, and his tied-back black braid stretched straight out to one side.

Was this a joke? He was actually going to slap me?

Smack!

A second later, a resounding slap shattered the stillness of the night.

In another room, Foxy, who had been snoring away, jolted awake.

The CP9 members' faces darkened, their eyes deadly serious.

That single slap sent Jabra flying off the warship like a cannonball. He plunged into the sea with a splash.

Whether he was alive or dead was unknown!

But the teeth that had shot through the air were plain to see, embedded in the ship's rail or mast. They had struck with the tremendous force of bullets fired from a gun.

That alone showed how terrifying the force behind that slap had been.

"Now it's your turn!"

River bared his teeth in a savage grin.

"Be careful. One little mistake, and you'll die!"

One moment, his voice sounded indistinct; the next, it was right beside their ears. At the same time, that savage, domineering aura swept over them, making their entire bodies tremble.

"Blueno!"

Kalifa shouted a warning, instinctively covering her mouth.

She no longer wanted to watch what would happen next!

The battle had lasted barely a few minutes, yet they were already facing utter despair.

Who exactly was this man before them?

Blueno shuddered. He did not turn around, because his opponent was charging straight at him from the front. His pupils contracted, and he roared.

"Iron Body!"

Every muscle and every inch of skin vibrated, becoming as hard as steel, his whole body solidifying into a single unit.

This was the strongest defensive technique among the Six Powers, capable of withstanding even bullets and cannon fire.

Yet when he looked up, he saw mockery and utter indifference in his opponent's smiling eyes.

"Iron Body?"

"My strength can tear even steel apart!"

Those words sent a tremor through Blueno's heart. A huge hand had already clamped over his face, its five fingers like steel bands, instantly pressing five deep grooves into his flesh.

Then that savage power erupted.

Blueno's entire body jolted. His eyes rolled back, and blood poured from his nose and mouth.

Boom!

River thrust his hand forward, driving Blueno flat onto the deck behind him.

Crack!

The deck shattered. Blueno lay embedded in the ship, already unconscious.

"Hey, hey, hey, hey! You've got to be kidding!"

Kaku's pupils contracted, his heart shaking. As he stared at the man before him, his terror reached its peak.

Anyone who could join CP9 had endured unbelievably brutal training and countless battles, forged through blood into an exceptionally powerful individual fighter!

Yet before this man, they were as flimsy as paper. His movements looked simple, but he had taken their companions down in an instant, effortlessly.

"Who the hell is this guy, Lucci?"

Kalifa's voice trembled.

A mission target like this was beyond anything they could handle right now. They were being utterly crushed.

Rob Lucci's lips moved, but he still said nothing.

"Attack together. Against someone like him, charging in alone will only let him pick us off one by one!"

Taking a deep breath, he moved, leading the charge.

Kaku and the others gritted their teeth and darted forward as well.

"Shave!"

At that moment, all five remaining members moved, surrounding River and attacking from every direction.

"Ha ha ha ha! Come on, all of you!"

"Let me teach you misguided fools a proper lesson in just how far out of your depth you are!"

River laughed.

He turned and suddenly kicked his right foot out to one side.

Fukurou, who had appeared in that exact spot, froze. Then he said, "Chapapa, I'm done for!"

Bang!

The kick struck him squarely in the abdomen. Fukurou flew away like a ball and splashed into the sea.

At the same time, Kaku's Tempest Kick slashed down fiercely.

River twisted at the waist, laughed, and met it with a Tempest Kick of his own.

Bang!

Kaku's slash shattered outright. His whole body convulsed, and he flew backward, coughing up mouthfuls of blood.

Seeing two more of their companions fall almost instantly, the others were shaken to the core, overwhelmed by despair.

"Rob Lucci!"

Just then, River suddenly spoke.

He raised his hand to block Kalifa's incoming left leg, even feeling the smooth softness of her skin.

"I admire you all."

"Perhaps you could consider a different path."

Rob Lucci froze at those words. A moment later, he lunged forward, thrusting a finger of his right hand straight at River.

"Finger Pistol! Yellow Lotus!"