95. Seafood Admiral, SpongeBob!

The clash between the two kings began when Al sneered!

As the two conqueror kings clashed, Nami and Vivi went pale and eventually fainted.

Tom and the rest didn't seem affected much, but they felt an odd unease creeping over them.

Merlin shivered as he sensed the intensity of the battle. With droopy eyelids, he glanced at Al in combat, then adjusted his position and drifted back to sleep.

But just as Merlin settled down, Spike cautiously nudged him awake.

Spike pointed towards Al, then gestured towards the peculiar armor he wore, and whispered, "Merlin, can you use your magic to make this armor resemble Captain Al?"

"I'm a wizard, not a magician. Don't disturb my slumber," Merlin murmured, waving his wand lightly. He turned Spike back into a can, found a cozy spot, and drifted back to sleep.

Observing Spike's transformation into a can, the others exchanged puzzled glances.

Tom blinked, then carefully extracted Spike from the can before hastily sealing it shut with glue.

Once done, Tom retrieved a small mallet and a bundle of food from his backpack. He dashed to an open area and resumed watching Al's battle.

In mid-air, Shiki and Al exchanged incredulous glances.

"Are you serious?"

"You're just a brat on the sea!"

"Why wield such formidable Conqueror's Haki?" 

Facing Shiki's inquiry, Al narrowed his eyes slightly, offering little explanation as he unleashed his pressure once more.

Shiki gritted his teeth, refusing to be outmatched. He promptly released his own Conqueror's Haki, colliding with Al's once again.

Suddenly, the world seemed to shift in color. The clash of the two Conqueror's produced several black lightning bolts, relentlessly bombarding the land below.

As the two top Conqueror's clashed, an even more terrifying shockwave erupted from the sky than before!

[Received 9999 EP from Shiki ]

A cold sweat broke out on Al's forehead.

He dared to surmise that Shiki, at this moment, was undoubtedly reaching his peak strength! However, in this state, Shiki clearly couldn't sustain it for long. Victory would be Al's once Shiki grew weary.

"Kid, have you felt my power?!" shouted Shiki. "If you're willing to hand over those creatures to me, I might consider sparing you!"

Shiki sneered, his tone revealing he still had plenty of energy left.

Seeing Al's silence, Shiki frowned slightly, unleashing an even more terrifying Haki from his body.

"ALERT, ALERT!!!" echoed a warning in Al's mind as a blinding red light flickered before his eyes.

Al gritted his teeth, feeling cold sweat trickling down his forehead. Before long, his clothes were soaked through.

As Al struggled to maintain his composure, Shiki slowly raised his hand.

Just then, in the air, a slightly worn red cloth fluttered in the wind.

At the sight of the red cloth, Shiki's pupils abruptly turned scarlet.

"Woo~ woo~" echoed the sound of a train whistle high in the sky.

Two streams of steam emitted from Shiki's ears as he glared furiously at the red cloth.

"Huh~huh~" Shiki grunted, exhaling two streams of hot air from his nose, completely disregarding Al.

Without hesitation, he charged straight towards the red cloth, intent on attacking and eliminating it!

Al took a deep breath, casting a peculiar glance at Shiki.

"It's fortunate I didn't spot the bullfighting red cloth first, or I'd be in trouble," he remarked.

The bullfighting red cloth could only affect one person at a time, a discovery made when dealing with Enel. As long as the red cloth remained within the target's sight for a minute, its control wouldn't lift, nor would it affect others.

[Received 9999 EP from Shiki]

[Received 9999 EP from Shiki]

Observing Shiki being controlled by the bullfighting red cloth, Al noticed his EP steadily refreshing.

Initially, Al had planned to capitalize on this opportunity to defeat Shiki. However, he decided to set that plan aside for now. Even if the control effect of the bullfighting red cloth were to vanish, Shiki wouldn't revert to his previous state after expending so much energy during this time.

Considering Shiki at his peak, Al couldn't help but shiver.

The fact that he could even rival someone using Big Big Wolf's ability, and still stand at the top, was daunting.

"Indeed, my current strength is still leagues behind," Al sighed heavily.

With this realization, Al couldn't help but recall the fitness equipment gathering dust in his system backpack.

Having an idea, he approached Shiki cautiously.

Al lightly patted Shiki's shoulder and inquired, "How are you?"

In the next moment, Shiki swatted Al's hand away and roared, "Don't interfere!"

With those words, Shiki suddenly ascended into the air, performing a 720-degree rotation before unleashing two sword slashes!

BANG!

A deafening explosion echoed as a mushroom cloud slowly rose. The Sky Island beneath their feet was cleaved into pieces by the force of Shiki's two sword auras.

The cross slash sliced through the island, sending it hurtling southwards with unstoppable momentum, heading straight towards the White Sea.

After narrowly avoiding Shiki's attack, Al cast a meaningful glance at the bullfighting red cloth fluttering in the wind. With a grin, he remarked, "Come on, the next move is all up to you!"

Al extended his index and middle fingers, running them across his forehead in anticipation.

Just as he was about to take off, a notification chimed in his mind.

"The crew has been successfully matched and is being summoned."

As the voice echoed, a golden light flashed, revealing a yellow sponge wearing a Marine cloak with a very forlorn expression before Al's eyes.

Gazing at the sponge adorned with Kizaru's face, Al was left speechless, experiencing an indescribably strange sensation in his heart.

Though he had been mentally prepared early on, it seemed his preparation was still lacking... just a bit.

"You're Captain Al. Pleasure to meet you. I'm Admiral Yellow from Bikini Bottom," said the sponge with Kizaru's voice.

Al smiled awkwardly, finding the similarity in voice uncanny. Yet, here was SpongeBob SquarePants... with a code attached. It was just too bizarre.

Suppressing the odd sensation in his heart, after conversing with SpongeBob for a while, Al finally confessed with a serious expression:

"Keep an eye on that fellow with the gasping nose. If he stops targeting the red cloth, take him down!" Al instructed, pointing in the direction of his finger.

Observing Shiki's seemingly frenzied state, emitting puffs of hot air from his nose as he wildly slashed at the bullfighting red cloth in the air, SpongeBob merely glanced at it. Sensing the immense power contained within the sword energy, he immediately shook his head and remarked, "That guy is terrifying. I may not be able to defeat him!"

Knowing SpongeBob's character well, Al promptly offered, "I'll give you a raise!"

SpongeBob's eyes brightened at the offer. However, instead of agreeing right away, he asked with a serious expression, "By how much does it increase?"

This question caught Al off guard. He had only intended to placate SpongeBob with a promise.

Al realized he didn't even know the currency of Bikini Bottom, let alone have the means to pay wages. However, since he had already made the promise, he couldn't back out now.

After pondering for a moment, Al gazed at SpongeBob's hopeful expression and spoke slowly, "If you refuse, I'll deduct your salary!"

Upon hearing this, SpongeBob's reaction was swift. He immediately extended four fingers, his tone resolute.

"I'll accept a 40% increase!" SpongeBob exclaimed.

"No, if you refuse, I'll deduct your entire salary for the rest of your life!" Al countered firmly.

SpongeBob hesitated, intimidated by Shiki's formidable presence. But before he could voice his concerns, Al upped the stakes, threatening to deduct his salary in this life if he didn't comply.

After much negotiation, albeit at the cost of deducting three years' wages, SpongeBob approached Shiki with determination.

Yasakani no Magatama (Comma Jewel of Eight Shaku)

As his command echoed, hundreds of golden lights descended from the sky!

Watching the golden lights illuminate the island, Al stood frozen in disbelief.

With this unexpected encounter, how should they tackle the boss?

"SpongeBob, keep an eye on him, but don't engage!" Al instructed.

After a moment, SpongeBob's lazy yet reassuring voice drifted from the island:

"Next time..."

Al trailed off, dismissing any further concern regarding SpongeBob.

He then approached Nami and the others, setting down the training equipment from the system backpack.

"Captain Al, are you certain about using this?" Nami asked, hesitating for a moment as she glanced at the training equipment on the ground.

Nami and Carina were well aware of the side effects of this substance.

Al nodded decisively. In the past few battles, it had become evident that everyone's strength was no longer sufficient for the upcoming voyage. Without improvement, facing the next enemy would prove exceedingly challenging!

After listening to Al's words, Nami and the others gritted their teeth and agreed after some contemplation.

Al took the lead in using the exercise equipment.

Then, he flew to an uninhabited island, intending to use it as a training ground!

Vivi and Robin didn't use the training equipment and didn't take it to heart...

They found Nami's reaction overly dramatic. Despite Nami and Carina's repeated emphasis on the side effects, Vivi and Robin not only remained unperturbed but showed excitement on their faces.

Can merely exercising really enhance strength?

If word of such a beneficial method spread to the underground world, why wouldn't everyone be fighting tooth and nail to obtain it?

Robin didn't hesitate at all. As he prepared to utilize all the training equipment, he scrutinized his body suspiciously.

Observing this, Vivi chuckled, remarking that Nami and the others were overreacting. She then questioned Robin about his physical reaction.

Nami and Carina exchanged glances, avoiding eye contact and appearing somewhat apprehensive.

To Nami and the others' surprise, Robin and Vivi showed no response after using the training equipment whatsoever!

This was a stark contrast to their previous transformations into muscle-bound figures and their affected demeanor!

Nami and Carina exchanged puzzled glances, a strange idea forming in their minds.

Could Captain Al be lying?

With this suspicion in mind, Nami and Carina cautiously decided to try out the training equipment themselves.

The test results confirmed exactly what Vivi had claimed. Apart from a warm sensation coursing through their bodies, there were no other abnormalities!

Observing Nami and the others using the training equipment without any apparent enhancement, Tom couldn't remain idle.

Before long, he approached Nami and the rest, scrutinizing each of them carefully.

"Tom, what are you up to?" Nami asked, curious about his sudden attention.

Observing Tom's peculiar gaze, Vivi couldn't resist asking.

However, Tom remained silent, merely tentatively uttering, "Ora?"

As soon as Tom spoke, it seemed to trigger something strange.

Suddenly, everyone's eyes glazed over collectively, freezing them in place as they responded in unison: "Muda..."

In the next instant, four King Kong Barbies with devilish muscles suddenly appeared before Tom's eyes.

"Meow?" Tom exclaimed in surprise.

With a wide smile on his face, Tom proudly pointed his thumb at everyone, as if to say, "I did it, huh?"

Observing the collective transformation of the "upgraded" group, Tom could no longer contain the excitement bubbling within him.

Immediately after, to Tom's horror, a devilishly muscular mouse with a physique comparable to his own emerged.

Seeing Muscles, Tom didn't dare linger for a moment, fearing he might become a punching bag!

However, Tom was surprised when Muscles didn't pursue him. Instead, Muscles joined Nami and the others, heading towards the Sky Island above.

"Hey, you must be the new crew Captain Al mentioned," Muscles declared as they made their way onward.

"Just why... you guys..." SpongeBob's voice trembled as he looked at the few individuals before him, unable to suppress his shivering.

However, none of the others responded to SpongeBob. Instead, they fixed their cold gazes upon Shiki.

A silent exchange passed between them, devoid of even the slightest communication.

The cooperation was incredibly tacit, and Shiki was pummeled like a sandbag!

"Ora Ora Ora~"

"Muda Muda Muda~"

Accompanied by two distinct voices, Nami and the others split into two groups, each standing on opposite sides. They unleashed a relentless barrage of attacks towards Shiki, with the force of their blows even creating phantom images in the air!

Witnessing the ferociousness of Nami and the others, SpongeBob couldn't help but tremble, his mind filled with perplexing question marks.

"Could it be that they were also underpaid by Al?" Huang Mian muttered under his breath.

Soon after, he vanished from his spot, reappearing by a tree where he observed Shiki being beaten with a leisurely demeanor.

Meanwhile, on a Sky Island just beneath Al, a member of the CP organization peered through a telescope, monitoring an individual who appeared to be contemplating suicide.

"Reporting to the World Government, the target's eyes have been located, and initial speculation suggests he intends to commit suicide."

"I don't care what his intentions are, just keep him under surveillance. This is a critical moment, we can't let him disrupt the situation!"

As the CP organization member prepared to end the call, another Den Den Mushi rang urgently.

"Report! We've spotted the Cowboy Pirates above Sky Island. They appear to be engaged in a battle, and their opponent..."

On the other end of the line, the Five Elders' tone turned serious as they inquired, "What is it? Tell me quickly!"

"They're battling the legendary pirate Golden Lion Shiki!"

"... that's..." the speaker began, but before they could finish, a shrill scream pierced through the Den Den Mushi!

"Moshi, Moshi, what's happening?!" The sudden interruption filled the CP member with a sense of dread in his heart!

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