Chapter 31 - 31 – Ripley and Rocks’ First Battle!

As CP0 elites, Rokk and his two subordinates weren't just masters of Rokushiki (Six Powers), but also skilled in both Busoshoku no Haki (Armament Haki) and Kenbunshoku no Haki (Observation Haki). However— Even their Kenbunshoku wasn't sharp enough to detect a "tiny ant" on the deck. By the time Ripley had returned to her giant form and hurled her fist at them— It was already too late to dodge. "Tekkai (Iron Body)!" Rokk was the first to react, activating Tekkai to take the hit head-on. The other two CP0 followed his lead. "Idiots." High above, watching alongside Rocks, Magnus commented bluntly: "Tekkai works well against wide-area, low-power attacks. But against something that far exceeds your limit? It turns your body into a stationary target." "Out of the three, only the one in the white round hat might have withstood Ripley's punch. The other two should've used that moment to evade and counterattack." "And now? What could've been one critically injured agent... is three seriously injured ones." Even at CP0's level of durability, serious injuries still drastically affect combat performance. "Ripley-nee!" From the deck, tied up and lying down, Gerz's eyes went red at the sight of Ripley suddenly appearing and knocking all three CP0 away with a single punch. "Ehehe~ Crying comes later! Let me finish mopping up these bastards first!" She turned briefly— "And that goes for you too, Hairdin." "I–I'm not crying!" Hairdin flushed instantly but shut up after muttering back. He was ashamed. As the son of Giant King Harald, to be kidnapped in his sleep without a fight— It was humiliating. "Father must be so disappointed in me..." the young giant thought bitterly. But Ripley wasn't worried about what the kids felt. The moment she appeared, the plan was to end this fast. With the initiative seized— She gave chase from bow to stern, her colossal size closing the distance in just three or four steps. And then— "Giant's Stomp!" BOOM!! The sturdy deck shattered beneath Ripley's foot. Rokk and the others had to scramble, dragging their wounded bodies to find a way to fight back. "Shigan (Finger Gun)!" Rokk, with one arm already crushed, blood dripping from his face, forced a breath and covered his finger in Busoshoku no Haki, thrusting it toward Ripley's right foot. But before he could land the hit— Ripley shrunk on the spot. 'A Devil Fruit user?!' Rokk's mind clicked—but too late. The first punch had scrambled his senses, and now he'd made the wrong call. "Take this!!" Ripley's fist enlarged before his eyes. He raised his only usable arm in desperation— CRACK!! The sound of shattering bone echoed through the air. All Rokk could feel was bitterness. If not for the sneak attack, how could he have ended up like this? But then again... Who the hell expects a giant to pop out from underfoot? "Rokk!" "Boss Rokk!" With Rokk down, the remaining two CP0 were little threat. Magnus had his giant eagle descend, and with Rocks beside him, boarded the vessel. At first, the two CP0 agents still hoped to escape, but when they saw Magnus land— Their hope turned into pure despair. "White Wolf Magnus!? Why is he here?!" "What about Shakuhibi Taishou!? Don't tell me she lost? No way!!" "..." They rambled in shock, refusing to believe what they were seeing. "No—maybe it was Giant King Harald who interfered!" "Damn it! A mere giant nation dares to side with pirates against a Marine Admiral?! You've just declared war on the World Government!!" "..." They had clearly realized they weren't getting away. So they resorted to barking threats. "Wrong," Ripley snorted. "You're underestimating our captain way too much. That Marine Admiral? Was driven off by our captain—alone. So what if she's an Admiral? She still lost to our captain!" "WHAT?!" "Impossible!!" Their pupils contracted. But... when they thought about it... Magnus was a legendary pirate— They'd failed to capture him even with Admirals involved before. And Shakuhibi Taishou was still young... Maybe... he did beat her? And with that realization, the last trace of hope in their eyes died. "I'll give you both one chance," Magnus suddenly said. "If you can beat him—" he pointed at Rocks— "—I'll let you go." Two wounded CP0 agents against Rocks? That was doable. Against Magnus or Ripley? Not a chance. "Sound fair?" "Yes!!" Rocks nodded fiercely, flames of determination blazing in his eyes. He was a genius! If he couldn't beat two wounded opponents, what kind of genius would he be? Seeing the still-young face of Rocks, the two CP0 exchanged glances. And felt the same bitter humiliation as before. They were CP0—top agents in the strongest intelligence network in the world. Since when were they pushed around by rookies fresh off their first voyage? But with Magnus nearby— Forget him, they couldn't even handle the giant girl. Not to mention the eagle still circling above... They had no choice. Just as they steeled themselves— Rocks vanished from Magnus' side. "Soru!" In the blink of an eye, he reappeared in front of the two CP0. No "three-two-one" countdown. Because Magnus had already told him: This sea shows no mercy. "Rankyaku (Tempest Kick)!" His leg swept like a blade, slashing toward one CP0 agent, who could even feel the wind pressure still clinging to the kick. "Are you kidding me?!" The agent cursed, furious. Even in CP, Rocks would still be a trainee. And now, one was coming at him? "Shigan!" "Tekkai: Break!" The two wounded CP0 launched a counterattack. But their injuries had slowed them—more than they realized. "Geppō (Moonwalk)!" Rocks leapt gracefully into the air, out of range. "Rankyaku: Kaibo (Wave Cutter)!" It was Rocks' first time facing enemies stronger than him. Even injured, they were CP0 agents. But Rocks didn't dare be reckless. He knew getting close could lead to a pincer attack. So he opted for continuous long-range slashes—attrition warfare. Already wounded, surrounded by ocean, under Magnus' watchful eye... The CP0 agents couldn't even flee. So they braced— And tanked the hits. "Such a shameless tactic... I love it!" Magnus chuckled. He had expected Rocks to take the direct route—and suffer for it. But this? This was smart. He was grinding them down, bit by bit. "Amazing!" In the corner, Hairdin, now untied, watched Rocks wide-eyed. Half a year ago, they had sparred— Back then, Rocks had only managed to beat him with a sneak attack. But now? Hairdin knew—even in a straight fight, he'd lose. A bitter sense of defeat filled his chest. Where had he gone wrong? Meanwhile, Gerz— was nothing but excited. Ripley-nee is so strong! Rocks-nii is amazing! And Magnus-ojisan is the strongest of all! "If I join the White Wolf Pirates... Can I become strong too?!" Her eyes sparkled. (Gerz and Linlin) (End of Chapter) [Check Out My P@treon For +20 Extra Chapters On All My Fanfics!!][[email protected]/euridome] [Thank You For Your Support!]