"Pacifistas," Kaguya said coldly and with disdain, "just a pile of scrap metal, yet you praise them like they're something grand. Vegapunk is overrated."
"Don't you dare speak of him that way!" Sentomaru's eyes blazed with fury. "His brilliance is far beyond what ignorant people like you could ever comprehend! Get her, Pacifistas! Tear this woman to pieces!"
"Yes."
The Pacifista let out a metallic response, raised its hand, and suddenly its fingers emitted a blinding light. A laser beam burst forth instantly, attacking like lightning.
Several beams fired in rapid succession. Kaguya retreated swiftly, her figure flickering and forming afterimages as she dodged the incoming rays.
Boom boom boom!
A deafening explosion rang out as the beams hit, tearing the ground apart. Rocks shattered, flames erupted into the sky, and thick smoke rolled into the air, casting a haze of dust everywhere.
Yet even under such a dense barrage, Kaguya's instincts guided her gracefully like a dragon swimming or a startled swan in flight. She slipped through the attacks like a ghost, as if she had foreseen them. The beams only brushed past her, not even grazing the hem of her clothes.
"At this level? Are you sure this isn't some counterfeit knockoff?" A mocking smile appeared on Kaguya's delicate face. "If this is all they can do, you'd be better off selling them for scrap."
Just then, the Pacifista suddenly extended both arms. Ten fingers spread wide, and its mouth opened, emitting a radiant light. In an instant, countless beams shot forth like a torrential rain, blanketing the sky as they stormed toward Kaguya.
Boom boom boom!
An even louder explosion echoed out, with dazzling light erupting from the impact. The shockwaves from the blasts roared like hurricanes, and fierce flames shot skyward, sending up clouds of thick, black smoke.
Sentomaru snorted coldly. "You underestimated the Pacifistas. They are the Science Division's greatest masterpiece. If you think you can defeat them, come back in a hundred years."
Suddenly, from within the blazing inferno, a slender figure slowly emerged. Her pale arm waved casually, and a fierce gust of wind howled forth, instantly extinguishing the flames.
Sentomaru's eyes narrowed. Despite that violent attack, she was completely unharmed. Not only that, her clothes didn't even show a single singe mark.
"Just a bunch of toys, and yet you boast so arrogantly. Since you're so confident..." Kaguya's lips curled into a cruel smile. "Let me destroy them for you."
As soon as she finished speaking, Kaguya stepped forward, and her body shot out like an arrow from a bow. In the blink of an eye, she was right in front of the Pacifista.
So fast!
Sentomaru's pupils contracted sharply.
A glint of madness flashed through Kaguya's eyes. With both hands tightly gripping her sword, she swung it down fiercely. A streak of black-red sword light burst from the blade, slashing toward the Pacifista like lightning.
"Die."
Boom!
A violent sound rang out. Sparks flew. The sharp sword light tore a massive gash across the Pacifista's chest. Parts scattered, circuits sparked, and the inner wiring was exposed.
The massive Pacifista staggered, but didn't fall. Instead, it raised its arm, fingers spread wide, and lunged at Kaguya, who was still mid-air.
At the same time, several other Pacifistas had already reached behind her, also extending their hands to grab her.
"Still not broken?" Kaguya said coldly. "Then I'll shatter you into pieces." As soon as she finished speaking, her wrist twisted sharply. The black-red longsword moved with fluid precision and slashed down like lightning.
A flash of cold light streaked through the air.
Clang! Sparks flew.
Several Pacifistas lost their arms, which spun through the air and landed with metallic clatters amidst showers of sparks.
Armless, the Pacifistas staggered for a moment, then regained their balance. Their mouths opened, emitting a blinding glow, aiming once again at Kaguya.
It was the laser beam attack.
But just then, Kaguya let out a cold snort. Her eyes narrowed, and she raised her arm once more. A swirl of black energy surfaced along her sword. Twisting her body, she slashed several times in rapid succession. Multiple arcs of black sword light burst forth, disappearing into the bodies of the Pacifistas.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
In a rapid flurry of slicing sounds, the black-red longsword transformed into a dazzling flurry of slashes, hacking viciously into the Pacifistas and throwing off brilliant bursts of sparks.
Strike after strike rained down like a storm. The Pacifistas trembled violently, their steel frames rattling as parts flew off like shrapnel.
Boom!
Finally, amid a deafening explosion, a mangled Pacifista suddenly erupted into flames. Fire roared into the sky, and thick black smoke billowed out in all directions.
Clang!
With a metallic crash, the Pacifista's head fell from the sky and landed heavily on the ground, rolling a few times before coming to a stop at Kaguya's feet. Sparks crackled around it as a blinding light began to gather in its slowly opening mouth.
But before the laser could fire, the black-red longsword came down with a heavy clang, driving straight into the ruined head.
Sizzle!
Sparks burst everywhere.
The red glow in the Pacifista's eyes gradually faded into darkness.
"How is this possible?" Sentomaru's eyes widened in disbelief as he stared at the scene before him. The Pacifista—the pinnacle of the Navy's scientific advancements—had been utterly destroyed by the enemy without even a chance to fight back.
This was Vegapunk's brilliant creation. Even pirates with bounties in the hundreds of millions struggled against them. They boasted not only powerful offense and defense but also high-speed mobility and advanced computational capabilities. Yet in front of her, they were nothing.
Kaguya pulled the sword from the Pacifista's head and said coldly, "Bringing out toys like these just to embarrass yourself... Do you think this is some kind of childish playhouse?"
"Damn it!" Sentomaru's eyes flared with anger. He gritted his teeth and stomped forward, raising his massive axe and charging at Kaguya.
"To insult the masterpiece of science is unforgivable!"
But just then, a figure suddenly appeared from behind Kaguya, shooting forth like an arrow loosed from a bow, aiming a lightning-fast sneak attack at her.
"Another one?" Kaguya glanced coldly at the approaching figure and said icily.
The attacker was another Pacifista, launching a sneak attack from behind. It raised its arm and spread its fingers—several laser beams burst from its fingertips, streaking toward Kaguya like lightning.
Kaguya's eyes were as sharp as lightning. She turned, let out a cold snort, and said, "Overestimating yourself."
With a swift flick of her wrist, the black-red longsword slashed through the air, creating a flurry of blade shadows.
Clang clang clang!
A series of crisp metallic clashes rang out. Amid the dazzling sparks, the incoming lasers were effortlessly blocked by Kaguya.
A red glint flashed in her eyes, and a cruel smile curled on her lips. "Now then, it's time for you to become scrap metal."
As soon as she spoke, Kaguya leapt forward like a phantom, weaving through the barrage of lasers. In the blink of an eye, she was in front of the Pacifista. She jumped high into the air, gripped her sword in a reverse hold, and brought it crashing down.
The Pacifista raised its arm in defense across its chest.
Clang!
A deafening sound rang out as the sword struck its arm, erupting in brilliant sparks.
Under the force of the blow, the Pacifista was pushed back several steps. But only a pale mark appeared on its arm.
"Oh? Pretty tough," Kaguya said coldly. "Let's see how long you can keep that up."
She brought her sword down again.
Clang!
Sparks flew.
The Pacifista stumbled back a few more steps. A deep dent appeared in its arm.
It wasn't over yet. A crimson gleam lit up in Kaguya's eyes.
The black-red sword struck down again and again, a storm of slashes raining down with clang clang clang. Each hit sparked brilliant flashes as the blade shredded the Pacifista's steel body like tofu. Internal circuits and components flew in all directions, reduced to mangled wreckage.
Sparks and electric arcs burst from the Pacifista's body as it trembled violently, clearly reaching its limit.
Just as Kaguya raised her sword for the final blow, the Pacifista suddenly reached out and grabbed her sword with a massive hand.
Kaguya yanked hard, but the blade was stuck fast, clamped down like it was caught in a vise.
Her brow twitched, and her expression darkened. She growled coldly, "You dare lay hands on my sword?"
Suddenly, a terrifying black aura surged from her body, wrapping around the black-red Sword of Promised Victory. The ground around her was instantly covered in frost.
"That…" Sentomaru's pupils contracted sharply. He had seen this scene before—in confidential Marine intel.
The Pacifista's other massive hand suddenly reached out, but at that moment, Kaguya parted her lips and softly said, "Excalibur."
A dazzling beam of black light ripped through the sky in an instant, tearing the air apart. The violent energy roared like a tsunami and slammed directly into the Pacifista's chest.
Boom!
A deafening explosion rang out. The raging black light pierced through the Pacifista's body and continued onward, crashing into a distant giant tree, instantly blasting apart a trunk over a hundred meters in diameter.
The shockwave swept across the area. Sentomaru's sturdy body was blown away like it had been hit by a speeding train, crashing into a building with a thunderous boom, reducing the thick walls to rubble.
As for the other Marines, they fared even worse. Many were flung into the air, while some were torn apart by the violent shockwave. Severed limbs and bloody remains littered the ground, dyeing it crimson.
As the smoke and dust cleared, the Pacifista's mangled body was revealed. Its chest bore a gaping, grotesque hole, nearly tearing its body in half. Its internal circuits and components were exposed, crackling with electric sparks and groaning with mechanical screeches.
Yet even in that state, it stubbornly clutched Kaguya's sword, refusing to let go as though it were caught in an unbreakable vise.
Annoyance flashed in Kaguya's eyes. She said coldly, "Let go already!"
With that, she delivered a fierce kick to the Pacifista's head.
But just then, its grip suddenly loosened. At the same time, its right palm lashed out and, while Kaguya was pulling her sword, struck the blade with a powerful slap.
Clang!
A sharp sound rang out, and a massive shockwave exploded outward, sending Kaguya flying uncontrollably.
She tried to stabilize herself but quickly realized she couldn't break free from the sudden force. The scenery around her flew past in a blur, too fast for the naked eye to follow. Just how fast was this force?
In the blink of an eye, she had been flung an unimaginable distance. Even the rapidly retreating clouds in the sky bore testament to the speed.
Kaguya froze for a moment as a realization dawned on her. If she hadn't seen wrong, the Pacifista just now had been holding a book. Normally, Pacifistas wouldn't have such a thing. The only one known for always holding a book was Bartholomew Kuma.
That would explain everything—why it could use the Paw-Paw Fruit's ability to repel her.
Because it wasn't a Pacifista.
It was the real Kuma.
But did he really think such a trick could subdue her?
What a joke.
Fury flared on Kaguya's face. She gripped her sword tightly and growled, "Mana Burst."
In an instant, a vast and violent energy erupted from her body. The raging magic surged out as pitch-black light, blanketing the sky and even dimming the sun.
Under the pressure of her wild magic, the shockwave binding her was instantly torn to shreds. At the same time, her momentum vanished, and she began to fall.
Just as she was about to hit the sea, Kaguya's eyes sharpened.
"Barrier of the Wind King."
A whirlwind suddenly enveloped her body, wrapping her in a stream of air. Her falling speed rapidly decreased, and she descended gently.
But as she looked around at her surroundings, she was momentarily stunned.
"Where... is this place?"
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