Chapter 18.

"What the hell is that?" Valentine exclaimed, as his eyes grew wider and wider, seeing Kuma's robotic features. After getting hit by Cero, Kuma had lost it all skin, revealing its robot body which was completely new to Valentine.

But Valentine wasn't the only one who was confused. The pirates who were currently running away noticed the large explosion and got curious. Thus they too looked at the location, seeing Kuma's, one of the 7 Warlords of the Sea, robot features.

"Luffy do you see what I'm seeing?!!!" A teenager with a long nose asked as he stared at Kuma.

"Um." A teenager wearing a straw hat who is called Luffy replied.

"Forget that. We need to get out of here first." A blonde man wearing a black suit shouted.

Others of the group nodded in agreement and run towards their ship. But unfortunately for them, another Kuma appeared.

As Kuma appears, a teenager wearing a straw hat attacked him instantly since he knew Kuma was the enemy. As Luffy attacks, the other two, one with green hair carrying 3 swords and one with blonde hair and a black suit attacked after him.

***

Though Valentine was surprised by Kuma, he didn't waste any time and fired another enormous Cero.

Suddenly, a silhouette appeared next to Valentine, attacking Valentine using his massive battle axe. The man swung his battle axe as hard as he could.

But when the blade of an axe about came in contact with Valentine, he disappeared and appeared behind the man, pointing his finger to the man's head, firing Cero.

"PX-4!!!"

Valentine heard shouting when he turned his back against the man. As the man shouts before Valentine another Kuma appeared shocking Valentine even further.

"Twins?" Valentine exclaimed as he used Shunpo to appear about 50 meters from Kuma. After Valentine used Shunpo, he summoned Modified Emperor and fired a wave of Cero.

The fight between newly arrived another Kuma and Valentine was an overwhelming victory for Valentine because he knew about Kuma's attack, defense, and speed.

After defeating Kuma, Valentine noticed he didn't gain any EXP from Kuma.

"Why didn't I get EXP after defeating that man?"

[The thing you have been fighting is artificial intelligence. Thus it doesn't have any Spiritual Energy to determine the EXP. So it will not give you any EXP no matter how many the host killed]

"Artificial Intelligence?"

[Artificial Intelligence is intelligence usually demonstrated by machines, unlike natural intelligence displayed by humans and animals which involves emotion as well as consciousness]

"Machine? Are you saying these guys are not humans?"

[Yes. They seemed to be a higher form of robots with artificial intelligence installed in them]

After learning a little bit about Kumas, Valentine proceeded to finish off the man who called the last one 'PX'.

Just as Valentine was about to kill the man, he suddenly felt someone arrive next to him.

"Have you ever been kicked at the speed of light?" As a chill voice echoed through Valentine's ear, Valentine instinctively used Shunpo to the kick.

"Hoh, pretty fast, ne." A man wearing a yellow tuxedo and a formal marine admiral cloak.

[A danger has appeared. The host better be ready to run or fight back]

"Cero" Valentine noticed the message, concluding the man in front of him is a very strong man as he almost never experienced any danger after killing the fake God.

"Hoh. What is that?" The marine asked as the Cero straight went through him.

"Another Logia?" Valentine exclaimed and he proceeded to unsummon Modified Emperor and summoned his Zanpakuto.

"What is that strange energy?" The marine asked again in a somewhat slow tone.

Valentine didn't bother to replay the question and straight went to kill as he used Shunpo to close the distance between them, appearing in front of the marine, slashed his Zanpakuto from down to up.

Unfortunately for Valentine, the marine turned into yellow particles that moved backward at high speed, dodging the attack. After dodging the attack, the yellow particles were restored into the marine.

After assembling, the marine pointed his right index finger, firing a yellow beam which is very similar to that of Kuma used.

"Bakudo 81. Danku." Valentine knew about the attack and was confused as the marine and Kuma used an almost identical attack. But the marine's yellow beam was stronger than Kuma's beam.

"Hoh. Another interesting technique." The marine exclaimed as he looked at the translucent rectangular barrier.

Valentine used Shunpo again to get near the marine, attacked in the same fashion as the last attack. But unlike the last attack, Valentine was ready to use Shunpo and get closer to him once the marine reassembles from the yellow particles. However, when Valentine appeared before him, the marine didn't run away. Suddenly Valentine felt a sharp pain around his stomach and due to this Valentine used Shunpo retreat.

'He is fast.' Valentine placed his hands on the wound, secretly using Gold Experience to heal him in the meantime the marine didn't attack.

Suddenly, the marine appeared in front of Valentine, kicking him in the face. As the marine kicks, the shock of his kick was strong enough to destroy the root behind Valentine.

"Pretty fast, huh." The marine exclaimed as Valentine used Shunpo to dodge.

"Awaken, Benihime." Valentine didn't waste any time and released his Zanpakuto.

"What a bunch of weird abilities you have there?" The marine exclaimed as red energy enveloped the sword Valentine was holding and dissipated revealing a real form of his sword.

"Razor, Benihime." As Valentine swung his Zanpakuto, crimson energy escaped from it, hurling towards the marine, prompting the marine to dodge by turning into particles as he felt something different about the crescent projectile.

Right after reassembling, Valentine appeared behind him, slashing his sword in descending motion, prompting the marine to turn into particles once again to escape the attack.

"Tch." Valentine clicked his tongue as his plan failed.

"Very scary. If I don't use my full power I might actually be defeated." The marine said which Valentine find hard to believe as his slow tone was somewhat sarcastic.

"Ama no Murakumo Sword." As the marine used his technique, a sword made from the same yellow particle appeared in his hands.

"Here I come."

As the marine stated, Valentine, clenched his fist ready to attack. But the marine appeared in front of him, pointing his index and middle finger of his left hand, creating a bright light, prompting Valentine to close his eyes. As Valentine was forced to close his eyes, the marine used the sword in his right hand to slash around Valentine's neck. The attack was successful as it came to direct contact with Valentine's neck.

But fortunately, Valentine's Hierro when enforced by Spiritual Energy was enough to completely nullify the attack.

"Didn't expect you to be this durable too? Is that Tekkai?" The marine was curious about the nature of Valentine's abilities as he almost has perfectly balanced in all departments as he has a strange beam of energy for a ranged attack, a strange translucent wall for defense from projectiles, ability to close large distance within a few seconds very similar to Soru, ability to change the appearance of his sword that grant sword ability and lastly defensive ability similar to Tekkai.

After defending the attack thanks to Hierro, Valentine used Shunpo to retreat.

But

"You are fast. But light is faster." The marine appeared right behind him, kicking Valentine with the support of his power.

As the marine's leg came in contact with Valentine, a noise somewhat resembling a metal crack could be heard as Hierro wasn't able to endure the attack.

After the attack ended, the marine stared at Valentine who collapsed on the ground, concluding his job here was done.