One Piece: Yujiro Hanma

Tiberion roared with such fury that his entire face became distorted, contorting into a savage expression that seemed to belong more to an animal than to a human being.

His eyes, which just moments ago had been shining pure white, were now stained red.

He released a killing intent that, at that instant, was not merely violent: it was so dense that the very space around his figure distorted.

!

Rayleigh, several meters away, felt the full impact of his presence.

His heart began to pound violently as an involuntary shiver ran down his spine.

This was a killing instinct so pure that it was almost tangible, as if Tiberion's invisible hands were reaching out to crush him.

And in that moment, Tiberion threw a direct punch toward him.

Rayleigh's pupils contracted, his scalp tingled, and following pure reflex, he leapt to the side, narrowly dodging the blow.

But even though he barely avoided the direct impact, the punch did not stop.

It struck the ground squarely, causing such a tremendous explosion that dozens of meters of terrain were destroyed in an instant.

Observing the devastation caused by a single punch, Rayleigh felt a fear take root in his chest.

It was not an ordinary fear.

It was the acknowledgment that if he had received that punch directly, even with his entire body covered by his best Armament Haki, his organs would have exploded inside his body.

Controlling his breathing, he struggled to remain calm, focusing his mind.

He knew that this kind of opponent was not only physically unstoppable.

He was also unpredictable, and he also knew they were not alone.

Other hidden figures were lurking in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to intervene and take advantage.

Seeing all of this clearly, he made an immediate decision... It was time to retreat.

So without hesitation, he turned on his heels and sprinted toward the place where he knew Kizaru was hiding.

This was not an act of cowardice; it was simply pragmatism.

!

However, Tiberion's reaction to that retreat was anything but reasonable.

Seeing Rayleigh flee after pushing him to the limit of his self-control, he clenched his teeth with such ferocity that the sound of his grinding teeth echoed, stunning more than one nearby.

And with a roar that once again shook Grove 13, he charged after Rayleigh, like a rampaging rhinoceros, obliterating everything that stood in his path.

Each step of his agile and powerful body was not a mere impact against the ground.

Every time his foot descended, the ground shattered into pieces, forming craters.

Such was the magnitude of his explosiveness that, in that state of total fury, he could probably have run over the open sea, his footsteps so violent and rapid that even the water would not have had time to sink under his weight.

"..."

Rayleigh, running with all his strength, could clearly feel the deadly threat closing in more and more behind him, giving him not even a second to catch his breath.

It wasn't simply that he could hear the thundering footsteps behind him.

It was something deeper.

In his mind, that thing behind him had already ceased to be a human by any reasonable definition.

And for that reason, he couldn't help but feel a shiver run down his spine.

Aware that he needed immediate support, he shouted loudly.

"Kizaru-kun, aren't you planning to come out and stop him?!!"

"If you let this guy keep unleashing his massacre in Sabaody, the Marines are definitely going to have a huge headache!"

However, what happened next left him completely stunned.

From his hiding spot, Borsalino shot forward at full speed.

Not to confront the monster charging toward them, but to flee.

And as he moved away, his body stretching into flashes of light, he spoke to Rayleigh.

"How troublesome…!"

"Silvers Rayleigh, why the hell are you bringing him over to me?!"

?

For a second, Rayleigh simply stopped, unable to process what he had just witnessed.

His mind could not find any reasonable explanation for what he was seeing.

How was it possible...?

An admiral fleeing?

Nothing made sense, and in the silence, a bitter realization bloomed inside him.

The Marines were not interested in protecting Grove No. 13.

The Marines had decided to abandon it.

And not only that, they had probably already calculated in advance that this disaster could serve as the perfect excuse to "clean up" the Grove.

'Truly, they are capable of anything to maintain their order…'

Grumbling inwardly, he clicked his tongue in frustration and had no choice but to gather himself and also dash forward, chasing after Borsalino while cursing his luck.

...

Meanwhile, in the distance, the elite Marines stationed in more remote areas watched with expressions of absolute bewilderment.

"Eh? Isn't that Admiral Kizaru?!"

"…"

The shock was so great that for a few seconds everyone forgot everything and simply stared at each other.

"I didn't expect to see someone of such high rank here! But... why is he running? Is he scared too?"

"Are you an idiot?! If he's already been spotted and doesn't run, he could get caught in the middle of a combined attack!"

'Look closely! The one coming behind is the great pirate Silvers Rayleigh! And even though we don't know who the hell the other guy is, if he can chase after Silvers Rayleigh like that, his strength must be simply monstrous!'

"…!"

The reality was undeniable, and they all understood it within seconds.

"Tsk, tsk… Looks like it's best if we stay put, as if we didn't see anything. If we get in the middle of that confrontation, we'll end up at the very least dead."

Despite his words, no one dared to contradict him.

And in a silent synchronization, the group came to an agreement without the need for further words.

They quickly formed a united front for survival.

They ran toward one of the gigantic bushes and, as if they were part of the foliage, hid under its shadow, shamelessly opting for prudence over charging toward certain death.

Although they had become Marines, although they had sworn to hunt pirates, none of them was stupid enough to face two monsters when survival was still an option.

…

With the disturbances intensifying in Grove 13, and the noise echoing farther and farther, news of the chaos had already spread to the neighboring Groves.

If it weren't for the military cordons sealing all the bridges connecting to Grove 13, countless curious people would have already rushed there en masse.

But, as expected, very soon one of the World Nobles arrived, driven not by a sense of responsibility or concern, but by greed.

A caravan of slaves, chained to each other, was clearing a path through the crowd, escorted by a dozen uniformed intelligence officers.

The common people, upon seeing this, immediately stepped aside, and the Marines stationed there had no choice but to kneel the moment they saw the figure at the center of the procession appear.

A being who did not inspire true respect, but rather a contained hatred that even fear could not completely erase.

The World Noble leading the march was ugly.

Saint Charlos, a member of the divine lineage, wore the typical attire of the Tenryūbito.

His body was so obese that he appeared deformed, with a double chin spilling over his neck and, as a final touch, a long strand of mucus dangling from his nose, swinging side to side as he advanced with heavy steps.

And his small eyes, almost lost among the swelling of his cheeks, looked at the crowd as if he were contemplating garbage.

"Miserable worms," he grunted in a nasal and irritating voice, "Are you sure there's a giant mermaid here?"

He was addressing a merchant, a poor trembling wretch who had been randomly seized to answer his demands.

The man, sweating, bowed deeply while stammering his reply, "Y-yes, my lord... this humble servant has seen her with his own eyes... however, beside her there is a very powerful person—"

However, before he could finish speaking, Charlos lifted his leg and kicked the merchant squarely in the chest, sending him flying backward to the ground with a choking cry.

And he didn't even bother to look at him.

"Come, kill this miserable worm! Throw him to the dogs!" he ordered, waving his green-gloved hand as if swatting away insects.

And then, with a sneer, he added disdainfully:

"How could a God like me care about a mere mortal?"

The scene unfolded under the powerless gaze of everyone present, and no one dared to contradict him.

Even the Marines, who would normally have intervened at such abuse, lowered their heads even further, clenching their teeth in frustration.

"Listen well!" Charlos bellowed, "All of you will follow me and capture that giant mermaid! Muufufuuunnn…!"

"And you, useless Marines, hurry up and find her! Otherwise, I will bless you all with death!"

The Marines, barely containing their indignation, swallowed their pride and began to move reluctantly, silently praying for the day to end quickly.

"If I had known today would be like this... I would have checked the horoscope before getting out of bed…"

Meanwhile, the slaves of the procession, their faces empty of hope, obediently dispersed to search for the giant mermaid, accompanied by the intelligence agents who scoured every corner.

It didn't take long before one of the agents came back panting with news that made Charlos's eyes light up.

"My lord! We have found her! The mermaid is nearby!"

Charlos's lips curved into a sickly ecstatic grin.

...

"…"

Finally, once brought to the place, Charlos saw Shirahoshi.

And the very instant his tiny eyes beheld her, the figure of the World Noble became utterly entranced.

In front of him was a mermaid so colossal, so absurdly beautiful, that his mind simply could not resist.

Drooling shamelessly, he raised both hands as if wanting to embrace her, his tongue hanging out as he ordered:

"Ooohh yes~❤️! Quickly, put chains on her and capture her!"

Drool dripped from his lips as he murmured in whispers:

"Ehehehe~... slurp… you will be my pet, my little toy, and I will enjoy you thoroughly right now!"

________

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