Barton, captain of the Sky-Splitting Pirates and known as " Two-Sword Sky-Splitter " with a bounty of 180 million Beli, might be an insignificant figure in the New World, but on this Sky Island, he considered himself the absolute overlord. He looked at the strangely shaped ship before him and the few seemingly arrogant young men, a cruel smile spreading across his face.
"Since you're courting death, then let's celebrate the imminent repair of this God's Ship with your blood!" Barton drew his twin swords, their blades gleaming with a sharp light, clearly indicating he was a master of Armament Haki. "Men, attack! Leave no one alive!"
"Awooo!" Dozens of pirates roared and surged towards the Thousand Sunny, which had just docked, like a tidal wave.
However, they couldn't even get close to the ship's side.
" Three-Sword Style: Ox Needle!"
Zoro's figure flashed like a ghost, his blade as sharp as dense needles, instantly piercing through the leading pirate group. There were no screams, only muffled thuds of blades piercing flesh and the sound of people falling to the ground; more than ten pirates instantly lost consciousness.
" Diable Jambe - Fried Assorted Platter!"
Sanji leaped into the air, his legs transforming into a blazing whirlwind, tracing graceful arcs through the air. Each kick precisely struck a pirate in the neck or chest, sending them flying and crashing into a swarm behind them.
"Ultimate Move: Green Star Smoke Mushroom!"
Usopp stood atop the watchtower, his slingshot fully drawn, and fired a Seed into the center of the enemy ranks. Instantly, a thick, pungent cloud of smoke erupted, causing the pirates to cough uncontrollably and throwing their formation into chaos.
Chopper, in his Arm Point form, charged through the crowd like a tank; Brook's staff sword moved like leaping musical notes, each flash striking a pirate's pressure point and knocking them down; Nami's lightning gun flickered in the smoke, accurately stunning enemies; General Franky didn't even move, merely using the conventional cannons on his arms for intimidating fire.
The battle was almost one-sided from the very first minute. The ordinary crew members of the Sky-Splitting Pirates were as fragile as paper in front of the Straw Hat Pirates ' main force.
Captain Barton's expression finally changed. He realized that this group was no ordinary pirate!
"Damn it... looks like I'll have to take matters into my own hands!" He roared, his twin swords coated in thick Armament Haki, and he leaped into the air, his target Luffy, who looked like the captain! " Sky-Splitting Double Slash!"
Two massive, intersecting slashes shot out, tearing through the ground with terrifying force.
However, Luffy simply picked at his ear and then casually threw a punch.
" Gum-Gum... Elephant Gun."
It was a gigantic punch that didn't activate Gear Fourth or even use Ryuo, but was simply covered with basic Armament Haki.
"Boom!!!"
The moment the fist and the slash collided, the seemingly fierce cross-shaped strike shattered like glass! The massive fist continued its momentum and, to Barton's horrified gaze, slammed heavily into his chest!
"Pfft--!" Barton spat out a mouthful of blood, a clear cracking sound coming from his sternum. He flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing into several huge ancient trees before collapsing to the ground, completely unconscious.
The captain was killed in one hit!
Upon witnessing this, the remaining pirates' fighting spirit instantly collapsed. They scattered and fled in terror, quickly disappearing into the depths of the forest.
From start to finish, it took less than three minutes. The Sky-Splitting Pirates completely wiped out.
"Done!" Luffy retracted his fist and said with a grin, as if he had just swatted away a fly.
Gan Fall and the Sky Island guards were dumbfounded. The powerful pirate crew that had troubled them for two years was so easily defeated by the Straw Hat Pirates! Only then did they truly realize how terrifyingly powerful these people had become.
"Alright, the small fry are all taken care of." Allen lightly leaped off the Thousand Sunny and walked towards the massive Ark Maxim. His gaze swept over the marks left by the violent attempts on the hull, and he frowned slightly.
"These guys have absolutely no idea about the value and principles of this ship." Franky walked over, stroking the hull, his mechanical eyes filled with fanaticism. "This is the culmination of ancient technology! They actually think they can cut it with ordinary tools? SUPER—foolish!"
"Can it be fixed, Franky?" This was Nami's biggest concern.
"Of course! Although the technology is ancient, the basic principles are similar to my technology!" Franky patted his chest to assure them. "The key is energy! Enel is powered by his Rumble-Rumble Fruit, but we don't have such convenient energy sources. We need to modify the energy core... we might need a high-energy alternative."
Just then, Robin and Gan Fall approached. Robin held a rubbing of text they had found at the camp. "These pirates seem to have found some scattered Ancient Script. They tried to decipher it, but obviously failed. However, it mentions the concepts of 'power core' and 'arc reactor,' which seem to require a special energy source to activate."
Allen sensed the internal structure of the Ark Maxim, especially the massive, boiler-like core area. He could feel the faint residual electromagnetic energy within, as well as a deeper, more profound yearning for a specific kind of energy.
"A special energy source..." Allen mused, recalling the near-primal energy contained within his Power of Zhulong, and the various energy forms transformed from the system within his body. "Perhaps... I can try providing the initial energy, or perhaps we can find a suitable alternative during our journey."
In any case, the Ark Maxim has been obtained. The next step is for Franky to race against time to complete the initial repairs and modifications as soon as possible, so that it can at least break through the " Eye of the Storm ".
The Straw Hat Pirates finally got their spaceship!