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"This speed... it's absolutely ridiculous..."
As Geoffrey watched the crimson figure sprinting across the water with impossible velocity, a chill ran down his spine. Unlike his subordinates, who were either shocked, astonished, or frozen in place, Geoffrey felt an icy dread creeping up from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
Having fought against Marine Vice Admirals before, he recognized the technique known as *Geppo*—one of the Six Styles. But never in his life had he seen anyone, let alone a Vice Admiral, cover such an immense distance over water at this kind of speed. The audacity of the approach was enough to send shivers through even the most hardened pirate.
"Lord Iji is being far too reckless..."
On the massive war fortress above, Isabel gazed at the crimson figure that had already surged hundreds of meters ahead. Her eyes shimmered with a mixture of exasperation, admiration, and fervent pride.
This was her lord—powerful, domineering, and utterly fearless.
"G-Gulp! Is that… *Geppo*?"
The intelligence operative from CP7 assigned to guide them stood there completely dumbfounded, his mouth agape and eyes wide as he stared at the figure dashing across the water.
He knew the Six Styles well—though he hadn't mastered all of them, and certainly not *Geppo*, one of the more advanced techniques, he had at least learned two or three of the basics. Yet, no instructor he'd ever trained under could perform something like this—charging kilometers across open water at such an alarming pace!
"Captain, when will I be able to do that?"
Bepo, his bear-like eyes filled with awe and envy, turned to Law with a somewhat naive yet earnest question.
"At your current rate of effort? Give it another twenty or thirty years…" Law shrugged casually, delivering a blunt blow to his underling's ego.
"I-I'm sorry…"
The poor little bear bowed deeply, his fragile heart taking yet another hit—a sight everyone around him had long grown accustomed to.
"It seems Lord Iji really wants that fruit…" Rou tightened his grip on the wild blade *Guiku*, chuckling softly. "He's being rather impatient, isn't he?"
Easy for him to say—he didn't have to deal with the hunger pangs of ambition. If Iji had been handed the Ope Ope no Mi directly, Rou was confident he'd have fully developed its powers by now.
The colossal sea slug continued its frenzied charge forward, closing the distance to Bridge Island rapidly.
"They're coming…"
"Is this some kind of Devil Fruit ability?"
"Captain, should we attack?"
"Gulp… I think we should figure out their intentions first…"
Some pirates broke into cold sweats; they couldn't fathom how someone could run across water at such speeds, let alone on land. Others, unfamiliar with the Six Styles, assumed the intruder must possess some sort of Devil Fruit power to achieve such feats.
But reputation precedes action.
Though not pirates themselves, the name "Germa" carried weight in the New World. While many feared the infamous "Evil Army," others looked down on them with disdain. After all, in ordinary mercenary battles, they might pass as formidable opponents—but against pirates, Germa wouldn't hesitate to deploy chemical weapons or other tools of war.
To low-ranking pirates eking out a living in the New World, facing Germa was akin to confronting an enemy even more ruthless than pirates themselves. Unless absolutely necessary, most would avoid tangling with them entirely.
"Hold your fire!"
Stopping his men from raising their guns and cannons toward the approaching figure, "Bloody Butcher" Geoffrey took a deep breath as he waited for Iji to reach the ship. He had recognized the man immediately—it was none other than Vinsmoke Iji, the recently infamous "Demon of Germa," whose clash with Doflamingo had left the world buzzing.
Rumors claimed that just days ago, Iji single-handedly crushed tens of thousands of soldiers within an hour, ending a six-month rebellion in West Blue. The mere display of *Geppo* confirmed that this young man possessed terrifying skills far beyond his years.
"A truly fearsome monster…" Geoffrey thought grimly. No wonder Doflamingo, rumored to have suffered losses in North Blue, hadn't sought revenge yet. If possible, Geoffrey wanted nothing to do with such a dangerous opponent.
Slap!
Iji landed forcefully on the pirate ship, perching atop the towering mast. The sudden impact nearly sent the lookout tumbling off his post. An overwhelming aura swept over the unruly pirates, causing cold sweat to pour down their faces as they struggled to breathe under the suffocating pressure.
"Lord of Germa, what business brings you here?"
Geoffrey called out, staring up at the crimson figure radiating menace from atop the mast. His voice carried both defiance and unease. "We've had no dealings with Germa, have we?"
Whoosh!
In the blink of an eye, Iji leapt from the ship to the shore, moving faster than anyone could react. Geoffrey's pupils contracted sharply, and the pirates around him broke into nervous sweats once again.
"I'm here for something," Iji declared coldly, fixing his gaze on Geoffrey. "But I doubt you'll hand it over willingly…"
His entire body became enveloped in a pitch-black coating of *Busoshoku Haki*, gleaming metallically under the sunlight. The air grew heavy with murderous intent.
"So…"
Before Geoffrey could finish speaking—
"What?!"
A streak of black and red lightning tore through the air, closing the distance between them in an instant. Before Geoffrey could even form a response, Iji was upon him: "*Shigan Barrage!*"
Countless finger strikes locked onto Geoffrey's vital points, each blast tearing through the atmosphere with deafening force. The sheer intensity made everyone's scalps tingle.
"*Busoshoku!*"
Caught completely off guard, Geoffrey's face twisted in shock and fear. He hastily coated himself in *Armament Haki*, frantically retreating backward while trying to block the barrage. He could vividly imagine the catastrophic damage those attacks would inflict if they landed cleanly—his body riddled with gaping holes.
"Let's settle this… *the pirate way!*"
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