Dimensional Chat Group: Speed-o'-Light

Chapter 48 - 48: 48: Escape

"So fast! This is the power of a true swordsman!" Zoro watched with uncontainable excitement, so much so that he didn't even catch what Robin's message had said.Though the swordplay of Rayleigh and Kizaru seemed somewhat lacking in power to him, Zoro knew that two masters of their caliber couldn't both be holding back. The issue must have been his inability to fully comprehend their level of skill.

"Stop spacing out! Get ready to run!" Luffy extended his arm from a distance, grabbing Zoro by the shoulder to pull him away from the edges of the battlefield between the two great swordsmen.

While Luffy had never been afraid to face powerful opponents, that didn't mean he was blindly reckless.

Knowing there was still a significant gap between himself and an admiral, it would be foolish to keep fighting. Even an idiot wouldn't make such a dumb decision.

"Ahhh! My swords!" Zoro barely managed to hold onto his three blades. If they had slipped from his grasp for such a ridiculous reason, it would have been a disgrace to any swordsman.

"Hahaha! I thought I was done for, but Usopp's luck is unbeatable!"

"Usopp is amazing!"

"Stop wasting time and run already!"

...

As the Straw Hat crew began their retreat, the remaining pirates also didn't dare linger.

Who knew how long Dark King Rayleigh could hold off Kizaru? If they didn't seize the chance to escape now, what were they waiting for?

"Aren't you going to chase them? They're not even trying to hide it."

Rayleigh, who had been planning to slip away soon himself, found the situation puzzling. He had only stepped in to stall Kizaru for a bit, mainly out of respect for Shanks and to help the Straw Hat kid. He had no intention of clashing with the Navy in earnest.

He figured that once Kizaru pursued the fleeing pirates, he'd use the opportunity to make his exit. Over the years, he and the Navy had developed a mutual understanding: neither side would trouble the other over minor incidents.hat stretched the limits of her understanding.

Bartholomew Kuma!

Two rows of towering, hulking figures—twelve identical Kuma-like bodies—completely blocked the only path to the port. Their sheer size and overwhelming presence were enough to crush any hope of escape.

Could someone explain when the Warlord of the Sea learned how to replicate himself? And why there were a dozen of them now? How could anyone possibly get past this?

"What the heck is that?!"

Usopp scrambled up to a tree branch with his telescope, only to tumble down in terror after seeing what lay ahead. Thankfully, Chopper quickly transformed into his human form to catch him.

Up to now, the Straw Hat crew had already encountered over half of the Seven Warlords of the Sea. They had even defeated more than one.

But whether it was Crocodile or Gecko Moria, each battle had pushed the crew to the brink of destruction.

And now, twelve versions of Bartholomew Kuma appeared at once. Even if they weren't as powerful as the original, the sheer number alone was suffocating.

"Damn it! We'll charge—"

Franky's declaration was abruptly cut off as a laser beam streaked past him, punching holes clean through several unfortunate pirates nearby.

Seeing the carnage, Franky swallowed the rest of his words.

His modified body could shrug off ordinary attacks, but a laser capable of vaporizing flesh and bone? That was well beyond what he could endure.

"Isn't that… the technique used by that Navy admiral?"

Coby stared at the smoldering corpses in horror.

Once upon a time, he had dreamed of becoming a Marine.

But after being saved by Luffy and sticking around to help his reckless savior and Zoro—the perpetual wanderer—Coby had found himself roped into the Straw Hat crew's adventures.

Before he knew it, he was on the Navy's wanted list, serving as the Straw Hats' navigator and bidding farewell to his childhood dream of joining the Marines.

"Fall back for now! It's obvious the Navy has planned for this. If we try to force our way through, who knows what worse dangers lie ahead…"

Sanji lit another cigarette, his face grim. Their only hope now was to gamble that the Navy lacked the manpower to completely eliminate all the pirates in the Sabaody Archipelago.

The pirates' forces had scattered in their attempts to flee, but if they could regroup and launch a coordinated breakthrough, their chances of success would increase significantly.

Of course, this plan hinged on one critical condition: the legendary Dark King Rayleigh had to keep Kizaru occupied.

If Kizaru was free to act, it wouldn't matter how many pirates banded together—they'd all be slaughtered.

"Then we'll fall back!"

Luffy made the call without hesitation. Even though their escape routes were blocked, he showed no hint of despair or fear.

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