Boom!
Gamineon was startled, the glow at his fingertips flickering before extinguishing completely.
At the same time, everyone who had been fleeing froze in their tracks at the sudden voice, turning their gazes back toward the battlefield.
There stood a young man in black, hands casually tucked in his pockets, his expression calm and unreadable. His presence exuded an air of profound mystery.
"Who are you?"
Gamineon frowned, glaring at the newcomer with suspicion.
This black-clad man had appeared out of nowhere—no warning, no sound. Such speed was terrifying.
"Chris—!"
Hancock's eyes sparkled as she gazed at the strikingly handsome man, her flawless face blooming into a sweet, enchanting smile.
"How did you know I was here?"
"Did you come just to see me? I'm so happy~"
She pressed a delicate hand to her cheek, her face flushing slightly, radiating pure joy.
Gamineon's lungs nearly exploded with rage.
"Boa Hancock is MINE!" he snarled, his voice dripping with venom. "She belongs to ME!"
His murderous gaze locked onto Chris. "You bastard... I'll make sure you suffer a fate worse than death!"
Whipping his head toward Hancock, his eyes burned with fury. "You bitch! How dare you look at another man like that?!"
"After I kill him, I'll make sure you regret this!"
The Kuja warriors, witnessing the scene, collectively sighed in relief.
Sandersonia nodded excitedly. "Sister said he has Admiral-level strength!"
Chris, however, remained unfazed. He glanced at Hancock and replied flatly, "You're overthinking it."
"Your subordinates called me for help. That's all."
Hancock immediately turned to Marguerite and Sandersonia, her voice sharp with displeasure. "Who told you to call Chris?!"
"You two... Ugh, never mind. But if you do this again, I won't forgive you!"
Marguerite wiped sweat from her brow, grinning nervously. "He's here! Lord Chris is finally here! We're saved!"
"This damned Gamineon is finished—no way he can beat Lord Chris!"
Sweetpea clenched her fists, her face alight with excitement. "Even if he's not strong enough alone, with the Empress fighting alongside him, Gamineon doesn't stand a chance!"
"Our Empress is the luckiest woman in the world!"
"ENOUGH!"
Gamineon's fury reached its peak. Seeing Hancock completely ignore his threats, his right arm suddenly turned molten red, bubbling with intense heat. Thick black smoke billowed from his fist, the air itself distorting from the sheer temperature.
"Chris, be careful! He's a Copy-Copy Fruit user—he can replicate other Devil Fruit abilities!"
Despite her faith in Chris, Hancock couldn't help but worry. Gamineon was monstrously strong, his powers absurdly versatile.
Marguerite and Sandersonia nodded frantically. "Y-Yes! Please be careful, Lord Chris!"
Hancock, however, was lost in her own world, gazing at Chris with starry eyes. "Chris~ Even if you didn't come just to see me, you rushed here the moment you heard I was in danger..."
"I'm so happy! So, so happy!"
Gamineon's rage could have incinerated the entire world.
"BOA HANCOCK, YOU TREACHEROUS WENCH!"
"AFTER I KILL HIM, I'LL BREAK YOU MYSELF!"
He snapped his attention back to Chris, his voice dripping with malice. "I don't know who you are, but it doesn't matter—you're about to die."
Chris didn't even acknowledge Hancock's words. His hands remained in his pockets, his gaze steady and indifferent.
Gamineon's lips curled into a sneer.
"Great Eruption!"
A colossal magma fist erupted in the sky, radiating terrifying heat. The very air warped, black smoke rolling off it in waves as the temperature skyrocketed.
BOOM!
The massive fist exploded, fracturing into countless volcanic bullets—each one searing hot, trailing smoke as they rained down like a meteor shower.
The Kuja warriors screamed in terror.
"This is bad! Gamineon is too strong!"
Marguerite bit her lip. "C-Can Lord Chris really win?"
Sandersonia wiped cold sweat from her brow. "H-He has to... or we're all dead!"
Sweetpea shook her head grimly. "That bastard was toying with us earlier... He wasn't even serious."
"Lord Chris... Please... You have to win!"
Even Hancock paled at the sight, her voice trembling. "Chris! Dodge it—!"
But Chris didn't move.
Instead, as the blazing projectiles closed in—
Whoosh!
—he vanished.
In the next instant, he was above Gamineon.
Before the Copy-Copy user could react—
"Too slow."
A single, devastating strike—
BAM!
(To be continued...)
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T/N:
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