Chapter 26: VS a Shichibukai

"CP9?"

"Traitors of the World Government, do you intend to interfere with my mission?"

Bartholomew Kuma removed his gloves, then gently patted himself, instantly teleporting to ground level, directly from the ruined castle.

The movement produced almost no sound whatsoever.

Kaku and the others displayed solemn expressions.

This situation differed completely from their expectations.

After all, they had originally anticipated dealing with Gecko Moria, but they hadn't expected to encounter an additional Shichibukai.

"My purpose is also to deliver him to the World Government, but I don't intend to simply execute him here."

"The others don't matter to me, but this particular individual must be handed over to my custody."

Yami continued speaking with unwavering determination. As if he were one of the five elders himself.

Earlier, he had activated his Sharingan the moment he appeared, observing as Bartholomew Kuma used his Devil Fruit ability to move himself.

However, he could only capture afterimages of the movement.

That wasn't true teleportation; it was simply extraordinary speed.

The velocity proved so tremendous it resembled teleportation, but it still couldn't escape the Sharingan's observation capabilities.

Moreover, this ability possessed a crucial pause, the timing required for Kuma to pat himself provided sufficient opportunity for Yami to react.

"Are they going to fight each other?"

"Should we take advantage of this moment to escape?"

Usopp whispered with obvious hope.

Nami and Chopper, beside him, both agreed enthusiastically with this escape plan.

Sanji and Nico Robin sensed that this situation carried more complexity than it appeared.

Only Zoro burned with unwillingness, hating his current inability to fight…

"In that case, I'll simply eliminate a few more troublemakers."

'It won't prove particularly difficult anyway.' Bartholomew Kuma's tone remained characteristically cold, devoid of almost any emotional inflection.

Yami smiled in return.

"I'll leave those individuals to your supervision, just don't interfere with the battlefield."

"I require Straw Hat alive."

Yami addressed the CP9 agents with clear instructions.

He simply needed them to monitor the Straw Hat crew and prevent their escape.

"You don't need our assistance against him?" Kaku asked with obvious confusion.

He had assumed these people intended to use them as expendable cannon fodder.

However, the current situation suggested otherwise.

"You are too weak to be useful."

"Furthermore, you would only create distractions and problems."

"Let's begin."

Yami spoke with deliberate provocation.

This dismissive response caused Kaku and the others' faces to flush red with shame.

Lucci felt particularly humiliated by the casual dismissal.

He had never been treated with such contempt.

Previously, everyone had valued and respected his abilities, but now he stood aside like a meaningless subordinate.

This sense of diminished status proved difficult for him to accept.

"Let's begin, Bartholomew Kuma."

'Zzzzt!'

Yami regarded this towering figure that stood nearly three times his own height.

Yet his eyes showed no trace of intimidation or fear.

Electric arcs began dancing across his body as he activated [Lightning Release] to stimulate cellular activity, dramatically increasing his physical reaction speed and overall strength.

Bartholomew Kuma refrained from immediate action because he found himself contemplating several troubling possibilities.

‘Has the World Government discovered my true identity and deployed this guy to test me?’

Had his cover been completely compromised?

Were there additional ambush forces positioned around the area?

Should he abandon his deception and flee with Dragon's son immediately, or continue maintaining his facade as a Shichibukai member following World Government orders?

"[Fire Release: Great Fireball Technique]!"

Yami unleashed a massive fireball without hesitation.

The CP9 agents immediately rushed toward the Straw Hat crew's position.

The pirates who had been rescued by the Straw Hat crew chose not to abandon their saviors, instead rallying to provide whatever assistance they could offer.

"Another Devil Fruit user?" Bartholomew Kuma wondered aloud.

However, with a casual slap of his right hand, he deflected the three-meter-wide fireball away from his position.

By the time he looked back, Yami had completely vanished from sight.

"Impressive speed," Bartholomew Kuma observed with mild surprise.

But he immediately detected incoming attacks targeting his position.

Three shuriken streaked toward his left side, right side, and rear simultaneously.

Bartholomew Kuma directly patted himself, instantly changing positions to appear atop the ruins, successfully evading the coordinated assault.

From this elevated vantage point, he could observe a much wider area and locate his opponent's hiding place.

"Wall-walking technique?!"

Almost immediately, shock registered in his voice.

He spotted his target already positioned on the wall directly beneath the ruins where he now stood.

Less than two meters separated them, and blood-red eyes stared directly at him with predatory intensity.

Kuma raised his hand to release a Pressure Cannon attack, but Yami's assault proved faster.

"[Chidori Sharp Spear]!"

The [Chidori] formed in Yami's right palm instantly transformed and extended.

Like a crackling lightning spear, it thrust directly toward Bartholomew Kuma's position.

Bartholomew Kuma sensed that his Pressure Cannon wouldn't successfully block the electrical current racing toward him, so he abandoned the attack and chose to use his paw pads defensively instead.

He couldn't understand why someone with fire-based abilities could suddenly switch combat styles to lightning manipulation.

Nevertheless, he couldn't afford to absorb this particular attack.

He positioned his right hand to intercept the incoming electrical spear with his paw pad.

The [Chidori Sharp Spear] struck the paw pad and was immediately redirected, bouncing away at nearly a ninety-degree angle.

"BOOM!"

The deflected [Chidori Sharp Spear] punched a substantial hole through the nearby wall.

"Can it reflect elemental attacks?"

"That's a genuinely powerful ability."

Yami caught sight of his reflected [Chidori Sharp Spear] and immediately withdrew from his current position.

Bartholomew Kuma's patience finally reached its limit.

He had concluded that these individuals weren't agents sent by the World Government to test his revolutionary sympathies.

This guy’s attacks carried genuine lethal intent, and he showed no interest in probing whether he had connections to the Revolutionary Army.

"If you prefer hiding in shadows, let me see where you can retreat to now!"

"[Pressure Cannon Barrage]!"

Bartholomew Kuma lowered his stance slightly, resembling a sumo wrestler preparing for combat.

Then he began rapidly pushing both hands forward, launching pressure cannon attacks shaped like paw prints from his palms.

His target encompassed all the ground beneath his elevated position.

This included the surrounding pirates, the CP9 agents, and the Straw Hat crew members.

He knew that impact-based attacks couldn't seriously harm Luffy due to his rubber constitution, only slashing attacks or techniques enhanced with Armament Haki could prove truly effective.

Therefore, he could unleash pressure cannons without restraint, covering every possible hiding spot and forcing his opponent into the open.

"BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!"

Each pressure cannon struck like artillery fire, exploding immediately upon contact with solid objects.

The castle area resembled a bombardment zone, with craters and holes appearing throughout the landscape.

Numerous pirates who had been imprisoned by Moria found themselves caught in the devastating barrage and began fleeing in panic.

The CP9 agents also scrambled for safety, with Kaku grabbing Lucci and retreating as quickly as possible.

“Heh,”

Rather than continuing to hide, Yami chose his moment to counterattack.

After securing an advantageous position, he opened the hidden scroll attached to his wrist and began launching projectile weapons in rapid succession, targeting Bartholomew Kuma from multiple angles.

Hidden weapons flew toward Kuma like machine-gun fire, approaching from every conceivable direction rather than following a single trajectory.

Blocking such a comprehensive assault with only two hands would prove virtually impossible.

"Found you!"

However, Bartholomew Kuma didn't attempt to block the incoming projectiles.

Instead, he gently patted himself and appeared directly in front of Yami's position.

Then he raised his hand and swiped it directly at Yami.