Chapter 96 : Never Fall!

["I didn't expect you to hold your own against me!"]

"But... I've discovered your weakness!"

"How long can a special state like yours last?"

Lucci looked at Luffy with a mocking expression. He had already noticed that Luffy's strength today was vastly different from the day before.

"It's because of the white steam emitting from your body and the reddening of your skin."

"With my combat experience, I can instantly discern that this is Luffy using the unique properties of his rubber body to compress air, granting him a power that exceeds his limits in a short time."

"However, this state won't last long."

"At that point, not only will his strength decrease, but the strain will leave him extremely weakened."

Luffy listened without expression and launched a direct attack. He understands his condition better than anyone and is determined to defeat Lucci as quickly as possible.

"Yet, after a few exchanges..."

Luffy was shocked as his body exited Gear Second ]; he could no longer sustain it.

Lucci remarked, "As expected, your method of sacrificing your own life is not a lasting solution."

Luffy retorted, "Whether it's my life or something else, it's better than losing a partner!"

Lucci sneered. Is Luffy ignorant? Partnerships don't compare to one's own life. To prove his point, Lucci shattered the wall, allowing seawater to flood the underground passage of the Justice Tower.

"The Buster Call is about to commence. If your comrades wish to escape, they'll have to use the underground passage."

"Even if they escape the Buster Call, the sea will kill them."

Unfazed, Luffy stared at Lucci. "You'll never understand how important a partner is. I believe they'll survive."

"Now, my only goal is to take you down!"

Lucci laughed, finding Luffy's determination amusing. Without hesitation, he attacked again, engaging Luffy in a swift battle.

Yet, Luffy, no longer in Gear Second, struggled. In a short span, he was overwhelmed by Lucci and began to fall into a 

disadvantageous position. 

In the Navy Headquarters...

Garp, observing the scene, was astonished. His grandson had grown up.

Every word Luffy uttered reflected his responsibility as a captain.

Despite defeating the enemy, he showed no intention of retreat for the safety of his crew.

What could be more heartening than witnessing one's grandchildren grow? 

Garp felt proud.

Touched by the moment, his eyes welled up, and he wiped away his tears.

Sengoku noticed and, understanding the emotions, patted Garp on the shoulder for comfort.

However...

Those standing behind remained oblivious.

Several people across the world discussed the likelihood of Luffy winning against Lucci among which the most excited were the three Shichibukai.

The consensus leaned heavily toward Lucci's victory.

"Lucci, as CP9's most perfected assassin in centuries, hasn't even unleashed his true strength. The straw hat kid stands no chance!"

"His body can't endure Gear Second anymore. Without it, what does he have left to fight with?"

"My estimate is that he'll be defeated soundly, and if he's not careful, his life may be in jeopardy."

"Why bother estimating? The outcome is clear—the straw hat will be defeated. Can he really take on CP9?"

"I agree with your observation. I'm a bit curious about the Straw Hat kid being beaten; he..."

Crocodile, Doflamingo, and Moria burst into laughter, the atmosphere lightening.

At that moment, Vice-Admiral Garp turned around...

The grins on the faces of the three quickly faded.

Damn, they forgot that the Straw Hat kid's grandfather was still present. Did they think they could say such things without consequences?

As they observed Garp's expression, which seemed to promise violence, Moria and his companions felt as uneasy as someone swallowing a bitter pill.

Not daring to utter a word...

Even Admiral Akainu cast a stern glance, his expression subtly complex.

But their attention shifted when Garp made a move.

Even at this moment, no one dared to provoke his anger. You three... what guts!

[Gradually, the tide of the battle turned in favor of Lucci.]

[This is because Luffy, without access to Gear Second, is no match for the current Lucci in terms of combat effectiveness.]

[Although the two continued their fierce exchange, it became apparent that Luffy was taking more hits.]

[Suddenly, Lucci's tail entwined around Luffy from behind.]

[This immobilized him.]

[About to be struck by Lucci's hammer, Luffy had a sudden inspiration and spun his body multiple times.]

[Using the elasticity of his rubber body, he delivered a powerful punch to Lucci's head.]

["Gomu Gomu no Pistol!"]

[Luffy's fist seemed to strike metal, causing not only no damage but also injuring himself.]

[Subsequently, Luffy was forcefully thrown and crashed heavily into the wall...]

["I admire your courage in challenging the World Government, but you're still not qualified to face me!"]

["There's only one outcome for you: to be crushed beneath my feet!"]

[Following this, Lucci unleashed his Flying Finger Pistol!]

[This was another technique cultivated through his Finger Pistol, resulting in a more potent and long-range attack by shooting out his nails!]

[What made it even more fearsome was its incredible speed and minuscule size, making it impossible to dodge!]

[Just a dozen flying finger gun shots made Luffy scream in agony!]

[Luffy endured each attack without dodging, seemingly helpless.]

[Throughout, Lucci maintained a mocking smile.]

["This is the final blow; can you still stand?"]

[Lucci's nails gradually turned red, resembling flames.]

[Violently ejected, this tremendous force carried a blaze straight towards Luffy!]

[With several consecutive attacks endured, Luffy, who had no strength left to dodge, succumbed to the bombardment of the ultimate flying finger gun, letting out another scream.]

[Covered in flames, he collapsed to the ground...]

[Smoke and dust veiled Luffy's figure, marking the first time he had fallen since the beginning of the intense battle.]

[Lucci showed no surprise at this outcome.]

["I've told you, your fate is no different from my former adversary. You will only be trampled under my feet..."]

"Water 7!"

Lucci and Kalifa were still observing the live broadcast.

However, Kalifa's expression wasn't very pleasant now, and her earlier composure was long gone. She never anticipated that, as a member of CP9, she... actually lost!

Furthermore, she was defeated by Nami, a girl without Devil Fruit abilities and lacking strong physical skills!

Lucci's expression remained unchanged, but upon closer inspection, a subtle relaxation could be noticed deep beneath his eyes as Luffy fell.

"Even though the battle has dragged on for a long time, the outcome hasn't changed!"

"Straw Hat Kid... isn't qualified to be my opponent!"

"The despair I inflicted upon him was something the first two adversaries couldn't achieve."

"He will always remember this feeling, living in the shadows..."

As Lucci was pretentiously delivering his victory speech, the next moment, the continuing sky projection left him stunned.

[Just when Luffy thought he had defeated Lucci and the battle was over...]

[In the smoke, Luffy stood up once again!]

[Though covered in scars and weary, his eyes were still extremely bright!]

Luffy looked at Lucci with extreme seriousness and said word by word:

"For the sake of my nakama, I will never fall!"

"I'll knock you down in the next move!"

As soon as these words were spoken, Lucci smiled, but it was a grotesque smile.

"Straw hat boy, what nonsense are you talking about?"

"It seems that... you're more resilient than I thought!"

"But the outcome will still change nothing, and you will be even more severely injured in the next attack..."

Lucci unleashed wild power once again and charged towards Luffy!

This time, his sharp claws carried a cold glint, and his eyes gleamed with an extremely rich intent to kill!

As if he intended to completely finish off Luffy in this strike...

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