One Piece Thundergod Marine

On the 'Straw Hat' ship, the remaining crew members were momentarily stunned by the sudden turn of events. Although Zoro wasn't the Captain, being labeled a "Pirate Hunter" spoke volumes about his strength.

Yet, even someone as strong as Zoro hadn't managed to block a single strike! 

"Asshole!!!" Sanji's eyes burned with rage, almost bleeding from frustration. If not for him, even if Zoro wasn't a match for the enemy, he wouldn't have been defeated in one move.

It was because Sanji couldn't see through the enemy's attack that Zoro had taken the blow to protect him.

"Wh-why?" Nami stood frozen in place, staring in shock at the scene before her. Then she lowered her head and asked herself, "I am a traitor."

"You guys are insane!" 

'Why would they protect a traitor like her?' 

'No pirate would ever do that!' 

'Even Arlong, who prioritized his Fish-Man race, would never forgive betrayal.'

"What nonsense are you talking about, Nami?" 

Suddenly, something was placed on her head, blocking the sunlight.

As Luffy walked past her, he casually put his cherished straw hat on her head, answering her question.

"You're our navigator. Zoro and Sanji were just protecting their crewmate, that's all."

'Bang!' 

Like a bolt of lightning tearing through the night sky, Nami looked up in shock, staring at Luffy in disbelief.

"Luffy…"

"He's right... Nami, you're our crewmate. Leave the rest to us!"

Chopper popped a Rumble Ball into his mouth, transforming into his muscle-bound form as he followed Luffy past Nami.

"A brave warrior of the sea would never abandon a comrade!" 

Usopp, with trembling hands, readied his slingshot, standing behind Nami as he yelled at the surrounding Marines: "If you're not afraid of death, come at me! I'm the Sea Captain Usopp, with 8,000 subordinates!"

"I don't know how you deceived Nami, but…" 

Luffy stood at the forefront, his fist clenching tightly. "If you dare to hurt my friends, you'd better be ready for what's coming, asshole!!"

'Boom!' 

A powerful force exploded from Luffy, and the already shattered deck of the ship buckled and caved under the pressure.

"Haoshoku Haki?!"

Dante's heart sank.

He had encountered several people with Haoshoku Haki before, but to see someone who had mastered it in the 'First Half' of the Grand Line was extremely rare.

"I can see why the Fleet Admiral treats you like such a big threat, kid from the Monkey family." 

Thinking to himself, Dante slowly angled his sword, a slight smile forming on his lips.

"In that case, a bit of rough treatment is understandable, isn't it?"

"Chopper, take Zoro and tend to his wounds!"

Sensing the hostility emanating from Dante, Luffy tensed. After giving the command, he didn't wait for Chopper's response and charged forward.

"You think you can hold me off to buy time for your crew?" 

Dante's eyes flickered.

"Too bad, I have no such intention." 

'Moonlike Stream Murdering Sword · Full Moon!' 

'Clang!' 

A crisp sword ring echoed, accompanied by a terrifying surge of killing intent. The deadly threat invaded Luffy's mind.

"So fast! Faster than Zoro!"

In shock, Luffy barely managed to twist his body in time, narrowly avoiding the deadly slash. However, as a consequence, a deep wound opened on his right side, running from his ribs to his shoulder, exposing the bone beneath.

"It's because you're too weak!" 

Weak enough that even if he ignored them, they wouldn't stand a chance. 

After missing his mark, Dante spun like a top, using the momentum to slash back around.

'Moonlike Stream Murdering Sword · Bright Moon Returns to the Peak!' 

This sword strike, if it hit, would either kill or maim Luffy! 

Unlike Rowen, who had a connection to the Straw Hats due to his circumstances, Dante felt no such attachment. Moreover, his mastery of the 'Moonlike Stream Murdering Sword' drove his attacks directly toward his opponents' vital points, showing no mercy.

'Whoosh!' 

Just then, a shadow cut through the air. If Dante insisted on finishing his strike, the attack would land on his own head.

Without hesitation, he abandoned the strike, spinning further to block with his sword.

'Boom…!!' 

A dull thud rang out. As the defender, Dante appeared relaxed, but Sanji, the attacker, felt his right leg go numb, sensing that the bones in his foot were close to fracturing under the impact.

"Gunpowder Star!" 

Suddenly, as the string of a slingshot twanged, a bullet shot out, hitting Dante squarely in the face as he paused momentarily.

'Boom…'

'Shuā!!' 

A sudden explosion of flames erupted at the scene, the scorching heat licking the air. Sanji took the chance to pull back his leg, enduring the excruciating pain as he hopped away to create some distance.

"Watch out, he's not—" 

Before Sanji could finish his warning, a transparent 'Air Bullet' shot out from the flames.

''Shigan!''

"Ahh!" 

In the distance, Usopp had no way of blocking an attack from someone as powerful as Dante, who used 'Rokushiki'. The bullet pierced his chest, causing him to cough up blood and collapse.

"Usopp!"

''Rankyaku!'' 

In the moment Sanji's mind faltered, another attack came his way.

Noticing the approaching slash, Sanji barely managed to raise his leg in an attempt to block the attack.

'Sshhh...!' 

The slash hit, sending Sanji flying alongside a pale blue blade of energy. He crashed into the second-floor cabin of the 'Merry', leaving a long horizontal crack across the structure. Sanji was lodged within, his condition unclear.

''Gomu-Gomu No… Rocket!'' 

Everything had happened so quickly that by the time Luffy realized his crewmates had been sent flying, his own attack had only just finished charging.

Because his moves depended on the elasticity of his rubber body, there was an obvious delay in the wind-up.

Taking advantage of this, Dante effortlessly knocked two of the crew members aside before casually turning back around, his body now glowing with a faint black light.

''Busoshoku Haki (Armament Haki), Hardening!''

'Clang!' 

Despite the clash of flesh, the sound that echoed in the air was as sharp as iron striking iron.

A cloud of dust obscured the scene, and all that could be seen was Luffy gritting his teeth, blood seeping from the corner of his mouth, maintaining his outstretched fist.

"Not bad. A regular Rear Admiral would have been defeated instantly by an attack like that."

Suddenly, a light and casual voice emerged from the dust.

Waving his sword, Dante dispersed the dust cloud, revealing his body, covered entirely in black, like a statue forged from molten iron.

"But unfortunately, I'm not a 'regular Rear Admiral.'"

After all, across the entire Marine ranks, there wasn't another Rear Admiral who had mastered 'Busoshoku Haki' to this extent.

Dante's original title had been simply "Ghost Sword," representing his elusive and dreamlike swordsmanship. Later, he earned the name "Marine Ghost Sword," and those additional words symbolized his fame within the entire Marine force.

Anyone with a title like "Marine [X]" could not be viewed through the lens of an ordinary person.

This was similar to how the name "Marine Admiral" alone could suppress an entire sea.

''Gomu-Gomu... Gatteling Gun!''

Luffy's knuckles screamed in pain, but he ignored it, swinging his rubber arms wildly to unleash a storm of rapid punches.

However, Dante's evaluation of this move was simple.

"Too slow! Too messy!"

"Messy" meant Luffy couldn't precisely control the trajectory and target of each punch, relying instead on sheer volume to overpower his opponent.

"Slow" referred to the vast difference in perception between the two fighters.

With his 'Kenbunshoku Haki (Observation Haki)' activated, Dante's body seemed to turn into a mirage, effortlessly weaving through the rain of punches as he walked straight toward Luffy.

The sound of fists tearing through the air echoed, but none of them landed.

"You bastard!!!"

Luffy roared in frustration, speeding up his attack. The explosive sound effects sent waves of fear through the surrounding Marine soldiers, who then cast even more admiring glances at Dante.

No matter how fast Luffy moved, Dante's figure remained calm and unshaken, advancing steadily toward him with an unhurried rhythm.

Even though he was right in front of them, it felt like there was a fog between them, making it impossible to see him clearly.

Finally, Dante arrived right in front of Luffy.

'Smack!' 

'Smack!' 

Luffy's arms snapped back from their extension, leaving him bent over, hands on his knees, panting heavily, his eyes wide with disbelief.

"How... how is this possible?"

"There's nothing impossible about it, Straw Hat kid."

'Zzzt... Zzzt...' 

The sound of metal scraping against its sheath filled the air as Dante slowly drew his sword.

"You just don't have a proper understanding of what it means to be truly strong."

'Slash!' 

Luffy hit the ground, defeated.

"Let me go! What are you doing?!"

'Wham!' 

With the hilt of his sword, Dante struck Chopper in the stomach, causing his eyes to roll back as he lost consciousness.

"Hmph! It's just a mere raccoon!" Henry, who had a bruise on his right cheek from capturing Chopper, shot an unfriendly glance at the small reindeer.

Sweeping his gaze over the fallen Straw Hat crew members, Dante sheathed his sword and waved his hand. "Take them all away. Lock them up!"

"Yes, sir!"

(End Of Chapter)

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