Kuroto was rushing towards them at an alarming speed.
Ah Hua and Ah Tao, on his left and right respectively, shattered the ground beneath their feet as they launched themselves towards Kuroto.
Meanwhile, A Luo stood up, turned, and retreated with Robin and Indigo.
They were all long-range fighters, and keeping the enemy at bay was their primary tactic.
"Trying to escape."
The remaining three CP0 agents following Kuroto, seeing A Luo and the others retreat, snapped back to attention. They quickly suppressed their emotional fluctuations; they were weapons forged by the World Government, trained to remain calm against any enemy.
Fixing their gaze on A Luo and the pair, and mirroring Kuroto’s choice, they didn't rush to aid him but instead charged towards A Luo.
On one hand, they were acutely aware of Kuroto's strength. On the other, they wanted to quickly eliminate A Luo, the one who made them feel the most danger.
*Bang—!*
*Clang—!*
The clash of fists against fists, and fists against blades, sounded first.
Feeling the force transmitted through his fist, Kuroto let out a ferocious grin, his eyes glinting with ferocity. He stared at Ah Tao and Ah Hua and roared, "Is that all the strength you have?"
As he spoke, the veins on his arms swelled like serpents, and his entire arms increased in circumference.
"If this is all the strength you possess, then die early!"
The moment the words left his mouth, an immense power surged from his fist into Ah Tao and Ah Luo.
With a "boom," their bodies were involuntarily forced backward.
The two exerted all their strength, their feet digging into the ground, plowing a long furrow before they finally stopped, nearly thirty meters back.
There was no time for hesitation, no words exchanged. Though they knew neither of them was a match for the person before them, they showed no fear.
As long as this guy couldn't instantly kill them, they could outlast him.
Shaking their slightly aching arms, they spat out thick, blood-tinged phlegm, then simultaneously looked up, bent their knees, and pushed off the ground.
*Bang—!*
The ground caved in, and using the ground's reaction force, they shot into the sky. Reaching their apex, they plummeted towards Kuroto.
"Going all out?"
Feeling the sharpness descending from above, Kuroto looked up, squinting, his pupils reflecting a blood-red killing intent.
He, as the chief of CP0, was well aware of Ah Hua's ability to replenish stamina. He knew that if he couldn't incapacitate these two quickly, they would eventually wear him down. This was not something he desired.
So…
Looking at Ah Tao and Ah Hua in the sky, Kuroto's expression turned exceptionally brutal, as if he had transformed from a human into a beast.
Simultaneously, his body rapidly expanded. In the blink of an eye, he transformed into a werewolf, covered in gray fur and walking upright.
"You think only you have Devil Fruits?"
Kuroto's ice-blue eyes, now changed in color, flashed with extreme cold light.
He raised his right claw and swiped forcefully at Ah Hua and Ah Tao in the sky.
"Wolf — Gale Dance!"
Five massive wind blades, defying the wind, shot upwards from below, rapidly slicing towards the two in the air.
Knowing these wind blades wouldn't be enough to harm the pair in the sky, he then pushed off the ground with both feet.
With a "bang," he shot upwards like a cannonball, following the wind blades.
His claws now were nothing like his fists!
A blunt strike like a fist couldn't quickly incapacitate Ah Tao and Ah Hua. But if they were caught by his massive claws, even with their stamina-replenishing fruits, they would die.
After all, fruits could only recover stamina, not injuries, couldn't they?
"Hmm?"
Facing the five wind blades, Ah Hua threw two punches, while Ah Tao swung his blade three times.
As Kuroto expected, these wind blades couldn't do much to them.
But the real killing blow was yet to come.
As Ah Hua and Ah Tao batted away the wind blades, losing their momentum in the air, Kuroto, now in the form of a giant gray wolf, emerged from behind them.
His eyes glowed red, and he bared his fangs, letting out a roar at the two. Then, spreading his arms, which were now engulfed in black Armament Haki, his claws glinted blindingly in the setting sun's afterglow. He then swept his open hands inward towards Ah Tao and Ah Hua's chests.
If this strike landed, Ah Tao and Ah Hua would be severely injured, if not killed.
After all, Kuroto's Haki was something they couldn't match. They wouldn't be able to defend against it.
In that moment of crisis, Ah Hua's eyes widened, his orange pupils meeting Kuroto's cold gaze.
"Huh?"
"Wasn't I on the battlefield?"
"Why am I back in Mary Geoise?"
In Mary Geoise, the Holy Land, in his residence, Kuroto jolted awake from his desk. Staring at the distorted sky outside his window, his eyes narrowed.
"No, it's a similar ability to Saint Charlos."
Ah Hua wasn't Charlos. Although his ability was similar to Charlos', one was an Ancient Zoan, and the other was a regular Zoan. There was no comparison.
Furthermore, Charlos had likely possessed his fruit for over a century.
After so long, his fruit had awakened. The awakened illusions could not only materialize but also trap even top-tier fighters in his illusions without them realizing it.
Ah Hua would likely never reach that level of power in his lifetime.
Even if his fruit awakened, he wouldn't reach that point.
After all, the two fruits were incomparable.
The saying "there are no useless fruits, only useless users" was true to some extent, but most of the time, it was pure nonsense.
How could a regular Zoan fruit compare to an Ancient Zoan?
Of course, there were also Logia types.
Maximizing his Observation Haki, he instantly broke through the illusion Ah Hua had woven with his eyes.
This allowed Kuroto to instantly regain his senses.
However, even though he was only in Ah Hua's illusion for a split second, it caused his claws, which were about to strike Ah Hua and Ah Tao, to pause in mid-air.
This brief pause was enough to grant Ah Hua and Ah Tao a chance to live and retaliate.
Looking at the blades approaching their chests and the black fist,
Kuroto was forced to halt his claw attack. His Armament Haki quickly retreated from his hands, forming a defense at his chest.
However, this hastily formed defense could block Ah Hua's fist, but it couldn't stop Ah Hua's blade.
Therefore.
With a "swoosh," the blade pierced directly through Kuroto's chest.
Ah Hua's fist also sent tremors through Kuroto's internal organs.
*Bang—!*
His chest caved in, and Kuroto, still in the air, could no longer hold back, spitting out a mouthful of blood.
Seeing the heavily injured Kuroto, Ah Hua and Ah Tao wouldn't let this opportunity slip by.
On the battlefield, opportunities were fleeting. Without hesitation.
They didn't retract their fists and swords. Their already bent bodies became imbued with Armament Haki on their legs, and they quickly stomped down towards Kuroto, who was falling below.
"Trying to kill me."
As his body plummeted rapidly, Kuroto looked up, his eyes glowing red, veins spreading through his pupils. He stared at the four giant feet rapidly descending, his gaze hardening into the fierce look of a lone wolf.
He ignored Ah Tao and Ah Hua's feet, and he ignored his own falling body.
He knew he couldn't dodge.
Even though his strength was indeed greater than theirs, at this close range, with his body heavily injured, he wouldn't be able to dodge even if he were twice as strong.