Pirate: I have a Hollow living inside me!

Although there was a momentary delay, it did not mean that he could not react.

If it were anyone else, Rocks' speed and Conqueror's Haki might have created openings.

But Zefa won't.

His carelessness led to the murder of his beloved student, leaving him and two other students alive...

From then on, the word "careless" was erased from his dictionary.

No matter who he is facing, Zephyr will always remain absolutely focused and vigilant!

'boom!!'

The next instant, their fists collided violently.

Like a meteorite hitting the earth, the explosion was deafening.

It was as if a high-yield bomb had detonated at the center, and a terrifying shockwave spread outward from the two people's bodies.

The shockwave whipped up boundless winds, and the river roared as it was pushed back.

The warships ahead and the Black Demon behind were all blown backward by the shockwave...

'Snap!'

The sound of bones cracking came from Lockes' right arm, and excruciating pain also assaulted his brain.

Rocks gritted his teeth, enduring the excruciating pain, his eyes revealing a ferocious, beast-like savagery as he desperately withstood the force of Zephyr's punch...

Zephyr is very strong!

His full-force punch was blocked by his opponent, but the opponent's punch broke the bone in his arm.

It made Rocks feel like he couldn't resist...

Unable to stop it?

No, he has to stop it!

'Boom boom boom!!'

Unwavering will is true strength; Rocks has gone all out!

His will and spirit reached their peak at this moment, and his Conqueror's Haki surged forth.

This domineering aura gives off a feeling of ferocity and power.

This makes Lox appear like a "demon," the demon of the Blackwing Archdemon!

This is the burst of Conqueror's Haki and the spiritual pressure of the Black Winged Demon!

"..."

Being so close to Rocks and being struck by his even stronger Conqueror's Haki, even someone as strong as Zephyr was momentarily stunned.

There was no loss of focus or consciousness, just a momentary daze.

It was this momentary lapse in concentration that caused Zephyr's punch to weaken for a split second...

"Get...out of my way!!"

The opportunity was fleeting, and Lox suddenly roared.

The power of the phantom, enhanced by the "energy" within his body, erupted at close range, illuminating the surroundings with a vibrant green light, and momentarily deflected Zephyr's fist...

Then Rocks lashed out with his right leg like a whip, adding a burst of power to his leg and using the power techniques of Duke-style boxing.

He kicked Zefa hard in the waist!

'boom!'

Rocks's whip kick landed squarely on Zephyr's waist.

What came was not the sensation of striking flesh, but something as hard as unshakeable steel.

However, even steel would be sent flying and penetrated by the force of Rocks's powerful whip kick...

"Um!?"

Zefa sensed a penetrating force piercing through his hardened defenses and impacting his internal organs, making him feel quite uncomfortable.

While feeling astonished and amazed, he was also relentless in his pursuit.

Just as he was about to be sent flying by Rocks.

His fist, which had been propelled by the short-range burst of power from the phantom, fell again, slamming heavily into Rocks' chest!

Zephyr's punch was blocked and neutralized, its power greatly reduced, but it was still incredibly strong and terrifying!

A loud 'boom' followed by a 'crack' of bones breaking.

Rocks felt as if a giant hammer had struck his chest, his sternum shattered instantly, and his chest cavity collapsed.

He involuntarily coughed up a mouthful of blood...

'Whoosh! Whoosh!'

Their attacks struck each other simultaneously, followed by two whooshing sounds as they were sent flying in opposite directions...

Rocks' body slammed onto the deck of the Black Demon. The Adam Tree, despite its extremely high toughness, was pierced through in an instant, leaving a large hole in the deck...

Zefa's body crashed diagonally into the river, like a bomb being dropped, creating countless splashes of water that shot skyward before plunging straight into the riverbed...

"Rocks!?"

"Teacher Zephyr!?"

After a second of silence, the people on both ships came to their senses and exclaimed in surprise.

The collision happened so fast that they didn't even see what happened.

All that was heard was a roar, and then the two people were sent flying backward in different directions. It was unclear what their current situation was...

'boom!'

Zefa burst out of the riverbed at such great speed that water splashed everywhere he came out.

He stood in mid-air, using moonwalking techniques, wiping away the blood that had spilled from the corner of his mouth.

His brows furrowed deeply: "Am I really getting old? Or are today's young people just too terrifying?"

His powerful punch was blocked by his opponent, who also had the power to retaliate.

He was also injured by the opponent's whip kick, and his internal organs are still aching.

This black-haired swordsman is very strong; he doesn't seem like a newcomer at all.

But thinking about it, it makes sense. If it were just an ordinary rookie, they wouldn't be able to defeat Crocodile either...

'Wow!'

On the Black Demon.

Rocks leaped out of the crater he had smashed open, the Great White Pig Fruit tucked into his pocket...

At this moment, blood was flowing from the corner of Rocks' mouth, and his chest was caved in, as if the movement had aggravated his injuries, causing him to cough up blood again...

The body's energy accelerates the recovery from injuries.

The previously sunken chest visibly recovered, and the constantly trembling right arm stopped trembling...

However, Lox's face showed no joy; instead, it grew even more serious: "This old guy is so strong!?"

This was the first time in his life he had suffered such a serious injury.

This was just one clash with Zephyr!

This old guy is ridiculously strong!

Moreover, Lox felt a sense of relief.

If the Black Demon hadn't been made from the Adam Tree, a much stronger material, I probably would have pierced the ship and been driven to the bottom of the river.

If he, a user of superpowers, were to fall into the water unprepared, he would lose all ability to resist...

Seeing Lox covered in blood and looking utterly disheveled, Kuina asked worriedly, "Lox, are you alright?"

Nami was also seeing Rocks so badly injured for the first time, and she was equally worried about his condition: "Little Rocks..."

Robin, now also one of Rocks's allies, said gravely, "Captain, don't fight alone, let's break out together!"

"I'm fine!"

Spitting out the blood and foam in his mouth, Locke assessed his physical condition.

He took a deep breath and said to the three women, "I'll hold them off. You all should find a chance to leave. If you stay here, I won't be able to act freely!"

"Kuina, take Nami and Robin and leave!"

"...Okay! Be careful!"

Seeing that Rocks was so determined, Kuina could only nod in agreement.

Despite his worries, he also wanted to fight alongside Rocks.

But they are still too weak right now; they not only can't help, they'll only hold us back...

Just like when they encountered Garp before, they needed to get out of danger as soon as possible so that Rocks could break out more easily...

But next time... she won't let Lox face the enemy alone again.

She needs to become stronger!!

"Rocks!?"

Zefa is not young, but his hearing and eyesight are still sharp, though he suffers from asthma...

Upon hearing the name "Lox," his eyes flickered, and he stared at Lox, his brows furrowing even deeper: "..."

As a veteran, he naturally remembered the name.

The other person actually... has this name!?

"Get your men out of the way, old man. Although we've only clashed once, you should know that your men are no match for me."

Locus had no idea what Zephyr was thinking, and even if he did, he wouldn't care; he didn't have time to think about that right now...

With a single step, he stood at the bow of the ship, facing Zephyr directly. Locus spoke with a threatening tone: "If you don't want your men to die by my hand, you can try!"