He's in One Piece, but he's also part of the Phantom Troupe.

Chapter 173 The Ultimate Combination Technique!

This time, the lava dog's head is more solid, with ferocious fangs and concentrated penetrating power to the extreme, aiming straight for Kuroro's heart!

Kuroro activated his lightning teleportation, but Akainu seemed to have anticipated it, slightly deflecting his attack trajectory while still relentlessly pursuing him!

Kuroro had no choice but to use lightning to accelerate his sideways movement again, while simultaneously crossing his arms to defend himself!

"boom--!!"

The lava dog's head slammed into Kuroro's crossed defensive arms!

The terrifying impact sent him flying like a cannonball, crashing heavily into a mangrove trunk that hadn't completely collapsed yet!

The tree trunk instantly exploded and burst into flames!

"cough----!"

Kuroro struggled to his feet from the ruins, blood finally spilling from the corner of his mouth. The Armament Haki on his arms was almost completely destroyed, his sleeves were charred and torn, revealing the swollen and even somewhat carbonized skin underneath.

He was panting, but his eyes remained sharp, though a clear sense of seriousness and a hint of being at a disadvantage could be seen in them.

Akainu slowly descended from the sky, stepping onto the lava-flowing ground, like a demon god emerging from flames.

He coldly looked at the slightly disheveled Kuroro and slowly said, "The Rumble-Rumble Fruit—it's indeed a remarkable ability. Speed, destructive power, and sensory perception—you've developed them all quite well."

O

His tone carried a condescending tone.

"But, Kuroro Lucilfer—"

Akainu raised his fist, dripping with lava, and pointed it at Chrollo, his voice like a final pronouncement: "Your understanding of power is still too shallow."

True strength lies not only in the quantity and uniqueness of one's abilities, but also in honing a power to its ultimate limit and perfectly integrating it with one's will, domineering spirit, and physique!

"Your lightning is fast, but my lava—is enough to incinerate everything, including your speed!"

The lava surrounding Akainu began to boil and contract again, emanating an even more terrifying and despair-inducing pressure than before. "Your fancy abilities might be able to deal with ordinary people."

But faced with an absolute disparity in power—it's all in vain!

"That was just an appetizer." Akainu's eyes were like those of someone looking at struggling prey. "Now—let me use this molten lava 'justice' to put an end to your erroneous and arrogant life."

"Awakening - Lava Hell - Scorched Earth Descends!"

Centered on Akainu, a dark red lava field suddenly unfolded!

This time, the earth turned into a boiling lava lake, the sky was reflected in a dark red, and every speck of dust in the air seemed to be burning!

Terrifying high temperatures, gravitational suppression, and the corrosive power of the Lava Law instantly enveloped Kuroro!

Kuroro felt the surrounding lightning elements become sluggish, his movements were unintentionally restricted, his skin felt a tearing, burning pain, and even breathing became extremely difficult!

Akainu's Devil Fruit awakened, turning this area into his absolute domain!

Kuroro's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and his eyes finally revealed an unprecedented seriousness.

"Is this... the true strength of an admiral?!"

Akainu's "Scorched Earth" domain was like a lava inferno, with high temperature, heavy pressure, and the erosion of laws crushing down from all sides.

Kuroro's Thunder Elementalization became sluggish due to the interference of his Awakened Lava Domain, and his Armament Haki was rapidly depleted.

A tearing pain shot through my skin, and my breath was filled with the scorching sulfur and the smell of death.

"We can't keep pushing through this any longer—"

Kuroro's eyes were sharp as knives, his mind racing.

The book "The Ultimate Thief" floated beside him, its pages moving without wind, shimmering with different kinds of light.

"Ability—'Tranquil, Dust-Free Land'!"

Kuroro chanted softly, making a sweeping motion in the air with his left hand.

In an instant, within a space of about three meters in radius centered on his body, all the noisy, restless, and chaotic energy and material movement seemed to be smoothed out, stilled, and isolated by an invisible hand!

Within the domain, there is a near-rule-level "forced stillness" effect!

The terrifying high temperature, invisible pressure, and the erosion of the Lava Law that kept trying to invade Akainu's Lava Domain were completely neutralized, deflected, and repelled when they reached the edge of this "Tranquil Domain," just like hitting an absolutely smooth wall that could not be attached to!

Within the domain, the air was cool, the dust had settled, and even sound seemed to be absorbed, leaving only Kuroro's steady heartbeat and breathing.

The burning sensation on his body quickly subsided, and the sluggish feeling of being transformed into lightning elemental was also greatly relieved.

"Huh?" Akainu showed obvious surprise for the first time.

His awakened realm was cleverly isolated by some kind of "non-power confrontation" method? What kind of bizarre ability is this?

"It's not over yet!" Chrollo seized on Akainu's brief moment of surprise, pointed his right index finger at Akainu, and slashed it sharply!

"Ability activated—'Shining Dominator Bink'!"

Without any warning, Akainu's vision, and even the core area of ​​the entire lava field, was instantly filled with indescribable, extremely pure "light"!

"!!!" Even though Akainu closed his eyes in time, the light seemed to pierce through his eyelids and go straight to his soul!

His Observation Haki was also severely interfered with, and his lock on Chrollo's location instantly became blurry!

"Now!" Kuroro's eyes flashed with a cold light! He knew that this kind of disruptive ability had limited effect on a strong person like Akainu, and he had to seize this fleeting opportunity!

Turn the page again in "The Ultimate Thief"!

"Ability - Quick-Slash Fruit, Dual Sword Style!"

Kuroro's arms instantly turned metal from the elbows down, extending and transforming into two jet-black longswords that gleamed with a cold, sharp light!

The blade is not made of ordinary metal, but is a special alloy structure containing the cutting properties of the "Quick Cut Fruit". At this moment, it has been infused with the remaining Armament Haki and the violent electric arcs that are still surging in his body by Chrollo!

On the jet-black blade, azure lightning bolts crackled wildly, emitting a hissing sound of death!

"Lightning Slash - Double Flash!"

Kuroro's figure burst out from the "Tranquil Realm," the extreme sharpness and slashing speed granted by the Quick-Slash Fruit combined with the extreme rushing speed of the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, transforming him into a deadly lightning bolt wrapped in black and blue light. He instantly pierced through the space interfered with by the "Bink" light, and stabbed straight at Akainu's chest and abdomen vitals, which were slightly weakened by the light interference!

The two swords crossed, one thrusting and one slashing, their trajectories cunning and ruthless, aiming to tear Akainu's molten body apart!

This series of combinations—domain isolation, blinding interference, extreme surprise attack, and sharp slash—is exquisite, bringing the characteristics of multiple abilities to their fullest potential!

However-

"A mere trifle of skill, yet you dare to show off your amateurish abilities before an expert!"

Just as the twin blades were about to strike, Akainu's Observation Haki, which was slightly blurred by the strong light, was still able to detect, thanks to his honed combat instincts and extreme sensitivity to danger, a barely perceptible trace of killing intent hidden in the light and lightning at the last moment!