Forcibly Taking Nami Aboard, MultiverseLottery

"Colonel Smoker, we've spotted an unknown pirate crew twelve nautical miles ahead."

An unfamiliar pirate flag—immediately, the observing soldier reported the sighting.

"Then capture them and head to the deserted island."

Smoker frowned slightly.

The East Blue had been unusually restless lately—big-name pirates seemed to be popping up one after another.

"But…"

Tashigi hesitated, glancing at the soldiers.

"The scale of the attacks on that island… it's not safe to bring the troops. There's a high chance of unnecessary casualties."

"Then I'll go alone. You stay here."

Without waiting for a reply, Smoker's lower body transformed into smoke, propelling him toward Kaya's ship.

"Colonel!"

Tashigi called after him, but Smoker didn't stop.

As expected—Marine's new generation of "mad dogs."

The previous generation was Garp.

On the Deserted Island

"…"

Hawkeye's movements faltered—the first time his voice wavered with genuine shock.

"You… is this the so-called power from beyond the world?"

"Yeah, pretty powerful, right?"

Bai Yu stood before him, completely unharmed.

The severed leg was intact, as if it had never been cut off.

But even more shocking—

Hawkeye's previous slash had vanished into thin air.

This… stirred Hawkeye's heart like never before.

"It's not just simple erasure—it's as if time itself has been reversed."

Even the Haki he had used seemed to have reverted to before it was activated.

Hawkeye couldn't comprehend this phenomenon.

• Injury recovery!

• Move reversal!

• Haki restoration!

• Status reset!

After losing his leg, Bai Yu had briefly lost focus due to the pain. That moment had allowed Hawkeye to unleash his storm-like assault.

Unfortunately—

It still took time for slashes to travel through the air.

And that short delay was all Bai Yu needed to activate his Restoration Fruit's ability.

"Looks like my combination techniques still have flaws," Bai Yu noted to himself.

"My pain resistance is too weak. But the biggest drawback…"

"…I'm still not strong enough."

Quickly adjusting his stance, Bai Yu added aloud:

"Don't overthink it. I have no intention of explaining my abilities to outsiders."

Wise decision.

After a moment of silence, Hawkeye furrowed his brow.

"If you can revert my Haki and sword techniques… that means you could cut through my body directly, right?"

"Those hundreds of slashes earlier—no matter how weak, dozens of them would've hit me without my Haki defense."

Correct.

Unlike Big Mom or Kaido, Hawkeye didn't have near-invincible durability.

Although physically strong, without Armament Haki, Bai Yu's attacks could definitely wound him.

That was the most terrifying aspect of the Restoration Fruit—it worked even on someone like Hawkeye.

It seemed there was no power capable of resisting Bai Yu's restoration ability.

He could easily force Hawkeye into a state where he couldn't move—turning him into nothing more than a stationary target.

And since Bai Yu could cut iron—

Hawkeye would be nothing more than scrap metal waiting to be sliced.

"Honestly… I thought my ability would only work on weaker opponents. I didn't expect this…"

Hawkeye's eyelids twitched violently.

Should he be proud—or insulted—that he was being used as a test subject?

An Unfair Fight

Fighting Bai Yu felt fundamentally unfair.

It was as if Bai Yu's ability ignored the very rules of battle.

At the moment, Hawkeye couldn't see a path to victory.

"Thinking of giving up? Then just admit defeat."

Bai Yu teleported into mid-air, standing on a white cloud.

"Honestly, even without teaching you higher-level swordsmanship, if you join me, I can still help you grow stronger—quickly."

"Within two years, you'll be at least 20% stronger than you are now."

What?!

Logia?

The Cloud-Cloud Fruit?!

Staring at the white cloud beneath Bai Yu's feet, Hawkeye's understanding of Bai Yu shattered even further.

What happened to the Rumble-Rumble Fruit he'd seen in the newspapers?

Instead, Bai Yu was using an ability similar to his crew member Nami's.

And teleportation…

And restoration…

How could one person have so many abilities?!

"Do you even realize what you're saying?"

Hawkeye's tone turned deadly serious.

"Twenty percent stronger in two years? You must not know… there's a limit to human strength."

"Especially at the peak—improving by even 10% might take half a lifetime."

"No one can grow stronger indefinitely."

• Devil Fruit Awakening? Done.

• Swordsmanship? Reached the pinnacle of the world's greatest swordsmen.

• Haki? Mastered all three colors.

• Physique? Comparable to Kaido.

• Physical Combat? Rivaling Garp.

At this level, most people could only refine their techniques and battle experience—further growth was nearly impossible.

Time itself became the greatest adversary.

Injuries and aging would gradually erode what strength they had left—just like Whitebeard.

"If there existed someone who could surpass the limits of strength in every aspect…"

"…then all the so-called 'powerhouses' of the world would be nothing more than children playing pretend."

Even Hawkeye had never encountered—or even heard of—someone who could break those restrictions.

Marathon battles lasting days were possible only because both sides were evenly matched.

If the difference were too great, there wouldn't be any prolonged fights—only instant defeat.

"Really?"

Bai Yu's expression remained calm.

"First of all, I've never actually met the Golden Lion."

"Secondly… has your Conqueror's Haki truly reached its peak?"

"Is your physique really on par with Kaido's?"

"…"

"And tell me… have you ever heard of what lies beyond the peak of Conqueror's Haki?"

"When a swordsman cuts through wood, then iron, then the very sky itself—"

"Can you split the Red Line with a single slash?"

"…"

"If not, then you still have room to improve."

"Too difficult to improve at your level? Then let me teach you."

"I know an easier way to get stronger."

"…"

Is This Man the Devil?

For the first time, Hawkeye wondered—

Is this man actually a devil?

His words were unsettling not because they were wrong—

But because they made sense.

Hawkeye admitted that Bai Yu was powerful… but not truly "strong" yet.

"Oh, right. I still haven't defeated you yet. No wonder you don't believe me."

Bai Yu teleported again, this time reappearing directly in front of Hawkeye.

"But don't worry—I won't use that ability again."

"Let's have a proper fight. I need the combat experience anyway."

"…!"

That kind of concession—

It was insulting!

Bai Yu might as well have told him to fight with one hand tied behind his back.

Hawkeye's pride burned hot.

He couldn't deny the sheer absurdity of Bai Yu's abilities… but this was too much!

"Frog at the bottom of a well!"

"Let me show you how vast the world at the top truly is!"

BOOOOOM!

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