"System, raise [Steel Skin], [Super Regeneration], [Heaven-Shaking Starfall], and [Conqueror's Haki] all to Nation-Destroying level."
Adrian spoke to the system calmly in his mind.
"Ding! Spent 100,000 Reputation. Ability [Steel Skin] upgraded to: Nation-Destroying level!"
"..."
"Ding! Spent 100,000 Reputation. Ability [Super Regeneration] upgraded to: Nation-Destroying level!"
"..."
"Ding! Spent 100,000 Reputation. Ability [Heaven-Shaking Starfall] upgraded to: Nation-Destroying level!"
"..."
"Ding! Spent 100,000 Reputation. Ability [Conqueror's Haki] upgraded to: Nation-Destroying level!"
"..."
All four abilities skyrocketed in power.
For Adrian, his overall strength surged once again.
But raising four City-Shattering abilities to Nation-Destroying cost him 400,000 Reputation.
Plus the 1,000,000 he spent upgrading [Thunder Spear] earlier…
He'd burned through 1.4 million in the blink of an eye.
He hadn't held onto his 2 million Reputation for very long.
And now?
Poof.
1.4 million gone. Only 600,000 left.
Not much—
But enough to upgrade several abilities to Nation-Destroying.
And if he earned another 400,000, he could push one all the way up to Calamity-Level.
Of course, that kind of Reputation wouldn't be easy to come by.
Still… Adrian was already prepared.
Usopp, who was on his ship, would be a massive source of Reputation for him soon enough.
But right now, he had more immediate matters to settle.
...
In the plaza, Lucci and Garp were locked in a fierce battle.
Both were enveloped in terrifying Armament Haki. Every clash of fist and claw shook the earth and tore the plaza apart with the force of their blows.
At this rate…
It felt like they were trying to demolish Loguetown entirely.
When the townspeople eventually returned, many would probably find their homes reduced to rubble.
"Roku Shigan: Pistols!!!"
Lucci was already in his Zoan transformation—
Not the basic form, but the Awakened Leopard Form of the Cat-Cat Fruit: Model Leopard.
Facing Garp, he had no choice but to unleash his full power.
Otherwise, he'd be flattened instantly.
Armament Haki coated his razor-sharp claws as he slashed at Garp, each thrust of Shigan carrying enough force to make even the Hero of the Marines feel pressure.
"This is… a Six Powers extension technique?"
"Who the hell is this guy? Why does he understand the Six Powers so well—and use them even better?!"
With Garp's eye for battle, he immediately recognized the roots of Lucci's moves.
And after fighting for several minutes, he'd seen enough—
Every technique Lucci displayed was connected to the Marine Six Powers.
This made Garp increasingly suspicious.
The Six Powers weren't secret, but regular people couldn't just learn them.
And even if some strong fighters managed to obtain the training methods, they would usually learn only one or two to supplement their own style.
But Lucci…
His entire combat style revolved around the Six Powers.
It was the foundation, the core, the basis for every move he made.
Someone who fought like that had to have been trained in the Six Powers from a very young age.
Which meant…
World Government.
The man before him was overwhelmingly likely to be a product of the Government.
But if he was from the World Government—
Why was he fighting against them?
If he wasn't…
How could he be so "pure-blooded" in fighting style?
The more Garp fought, the more he wondered whether he was trading blows with a Government insider, secretly embedded in Adrian's group.
But with the intensity of the battle, he had no time to think further.
"Fist Bone: Heavy Impact!!!"
Garp's Armament-coated punch tore through the air.
"Rokuōgan: Heavy Sniper!!!"
Lucci countered, unleashing a strike fortified by Armament Haki and outward emission. It was one of his strongest techniques.
BOOOOM!!!
The plaza cracked even further, buildings around them collapsing under the shockwaves.
Even the execution platform once used to execute Pirate King Roger…
Now swayed as if it wouldn't survive the day.
...
As the battle on the plaza intensified—
Suddenly—
"Great Eruption!!!"
A massive magma fist descended near Adrian.
Its target—
Was him.
But instantly, a surge of blue chakra erupted beside him.
A massive skeletal frame formed, wrapped in tendons and muscle, then armored in a tengu-like carapace.
Susanoo — Third Form.
Madara's Susanoo materialized in an instant, shielding Adrian completely.
The magma fist slammed onto the Susanoo, producing a loud sizzle like red-hot iron plunged into water.
"So you finally made your move."
"I thought you might keep watching."
Adrian looked calmly toward Akainu, who had exposed himself by attacking.
He had sensed Akainu long before he attacked.
Adrian's spiritual pressure perception wasn't blind—
If he couldn't sense someone that close, he might as well smash his head into tofu.
But he didn't care.
A Marine Admiral?
So what?
The rank didn't directly reflect power.
But those who could become admirals usually possessed Nation-Destroying strength.
Still, none of the current admirals were anywhere near Calamity Level.
If they were, Akainu wouldn't have struggled so pathetically against an old and sick Whitebeard during Marineford.
"Yoyoyoyo~ You actually blocked Sakazuki's Great Eruption. How frightening."
A flash of light appeared overhead.
Kizaru arrived, forming a hand seal as countless beams of light rained downward.
The light bullets fell precisely onto Madara's Susanoo, as if they were guided.
In an instant, the building beneath Adrian and Madara collapsed into rubble.
Then—
BOOM!!!
From the ruins, a massive armored figure rose to its full height.
Susanoo — Fourth Form.
"Only cowards strike from behind."
"You insects dared interrupt the boss. I, Uchiha Madara, will send you to the afterlife."
Madara's Eternal Mangekyō Sharingan glowed coldly as he locked onto Akainu and Kizaru.
He wasn't angry because they attacked him—
He was angry because they disturbed Adrian.
Such insolence deserved death.
"Against evil pirates like you, we don't need honor."
Akainu said coldly.
To him, anything outside his definition of justice was evil.
Dirty tactics, poison, ambush—
All were justified if used against pirates.
But—
"We're bandits, you idiot!"
"You Marines ever go to school?"
"I said we're bandits, and you still lump us with pirates? Are you trying to insult us?!"
Adrian had to speak up.
These fools clearly weren't listening.
"Doesn't matter. Evil must be purged by justice. You're no exception."
Akainu replied.
"Justice?"
"Justice belongs to the victor."
"You haven't won yet. Isn't preaching justice now a bit premature?"
"What is it? Garp plus you two Admirals?"
"Oh—should I expect Aokiji too, since two of the three Admirals are already here?"
Adrian laughed.
He knew the "justice" of the Marines better than anyone—it was little more than a joke.
But Akainu didn't respond with words.
"Hellhound!!!"
A magma-fist shot out with blinding speed, stretching across the battlefield toward Adrian.
But Madara's Susanoo was faster.
The armored titan blocked the blow, its swords crashing down, shattering the magma attack and sending molten fragments scattering across the plaza.
"These two are yours."
Adrian said casually.
The next moment, he vanished from Madara's side, reappearing atop another building.
Clearly, he intended to continue spectating.
With a subordinate like Madara, he hardly needed to lift a finger.
But the Marines weren't going to let him quietly "eat melons" as a spectator.
A bright flash—
And in less than a heartbeat—
Kizaru appeared in front of him.
"If I let you just sit back and watch, even I would feel bad."
"Have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?"
Kizaru's long leg rose, aiming to strike.
"I just want to watch in peace…"
"Why force me to make a move?"
"I've never been kicked by light—and I don't plan to start."
Adrian sighed.
He raised a hand.
A small Time Sphere appeared between them.
If Kizaru kicked, he'd have to pass through it.
But the moment the sphere formed—
Kizaru's Observation Haki screamed danger.
Extreme danger.
If he continued the kick, the consequences would be dire.
Instantly, he turned into light and tried to retreat.
But—
The Time Sphere suddenly expanded.
Even as light, part of Kizaru's leg brushed against it.
When he reappeared at a distance—
A chunk of his pant leg had rotted away.
Revealing skin that had turned dry, aged—
Like weathered wood.
Even elementalization didn't fully protect him.
"Ahh… how terrifying."
Kizaru muttered.
Unlike his usual lazy mockery, this time his words carried genuine sincerity.
Just a brief touch—
And the effect was like instant decay.
If he hadn't reacted immediately, he might have lost an entire leg.
"Your reaction speed is impressive."
"Worthy of the Glint-Glint Fruit."
"But you've seen my power now. How about this? You stop attacking me, and let's sit down, eat some melon, and watch the others fight."
Adrian spread his hands.
"Afraid that won't work."
Kizaru glanced toward the rooftops.
"Livestreaming, is it?"
"You Marines really are confident—starting a broadcast before you've even won."
"Trying to kill the chicken to scare the monkeys, huh?"
Adrian noticed the Den Den Mushi positioned atop several tall buildings.
Live-broadcasting the Marine siege.
The uproar must have been too big.
So they wanted to show the world the price of challenging Marine authority.
"To deter criminals, we have no choice."
Kizaru said.
"But who said I'm the chicken?"
Adrian chuckled.
...
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