One Piece: I will become stronger by checking in

On the other side, Kizaru, who had just taken down Doflamingo, sensed Luffy's Conqueror's Haki and puckered his lips.

"Ohhh~ so scary! The Straw Hat Pirates… Not only do they have a monster like the Demon King Kai, but the rest of the crew aren't pushovers either."

He let out a sigh, though his face remained as indifferent as ever.

"Looks like things are only going to get messier from here~"

Despite his words, Kizaru wasn't actually concerned. His brief clash with Kai earlier had already given him a clear understanding of his strength. In just three words:

He. Can't. Win.

The guy was a total menace. Not only was Kai physically stronger, but he had that absurd ability—just locking eyes with him was dangerous. For Kizaru, who relied on light-speed movement, that was a direct counter.

Yeah, he wasn't planning on fighting Kai again in this war. Not for justice, not for pride. He was just here to collect a paycheck, not throw himself into a suicide mission.

Now, if someone wanted to add a little bonus to his salary, then maybe he'd consider it…

Aokiji, watching from a distance, chuckled to himself.

"As expected of Garp's grandson… That pirate crew is really something."

Akainu, however, was far from amused. He sat beneath the execution platform, his gaze locked onto Luffy with a dark expression.

"This brat… He has to be wiped out now before he becomes even more of a problem!"

The killing intent in his eyes was unmistakable. If an opportunity presented itself, he wouldn't hesitate to reduce Luffy to ashes.

But Luffy didn't care about any of that. Right now, his full focus was on absolutely pummeling Rob Lucci.

The fight had been going on for barely a minute, yet Lucci had already coughed up an alarming amount of blood. He could barely follow Luffy's movements, let alone react in time. His arms had been up in a desperate guard the entire time, and now, they felt completely numb. His pride as a speedster? Crushed. His advantage in combat? Gone.

Luffy, on the other hand, was starting to get a little impatient.

Why is this cat guy still standing?

If he took too long here, Zoro and the others were definitely going to roast him for it. He could already picture their smug grins.

Absolutely not. No way was he letting that happen.

Luffy abruptly stopped his barrage of punches and leaped into the air. Biting down on his thumb, he took a deep breath.

"Gear Third!"

His arm swelled to an enormous size, coated in Armament Haki, gleaming with a deep, obsidian shine.

"Oi! Cat-man! I don't have time to play with you anymore, or those guys are gonna laugh at me!"

Lucci, who was struggling to stand, twitched.

"Laozi is a leopard, not a cat!"

(T/N: Laozi is peak so it stays)

Luffy ignored him.

"Alright, cat-man, take this!"

"GIANT ELEPHANT GUN!"

Lucci's instincts screamed at him to dodge. He kicked off the air with Moonwalk, hoping to escape the attack range.

But it was useless.

Luffy's enormous, Haki-infused fist crashed into him like a meteor. Lucci's vision blurred as he was sent rocketing backward at terrifying speed, slamming into a thick wall with an earth-shaking BOOM.

The battlefield was chaotic, so most people hadn't been paying attention to the fight. But those who had… their faces turned grim.

Especially the Marines and the World Government agents.

Rob Lucci—one of the most gifted assassins they had seen in centuries—was defeated. Just like that.

Was he weak? No.

Luffy was just that strong.

Lucci wasn't a pushover by any means. He was the top fighter of CP9, and in the future, he would rise to CP0, even managing to trade blows with Luffy in Gear Five. But today, he stood no chance. Luffy had already surpassed the strength he originally had at this point in the timeline.

His mastery of all three types of Haki, combined with a much tougher physique, was largely thanks to his training with Kai.

Luffy didn't spare another glance at the unconscious Lucci. He had more important things to do.

But before he could take another step toward the execution platform, someone else appeared in his path.

Another government agent. This one wore a white suit instead of black.

Luffy groaned.

"Seriously?! How many of you guys are there?!"

The man smirked.

"I am the Purple Rat of CP0."

"...Huh?"

Luffy blinked, genuinely confused.

"What the hell does that even mean?"

"If you don't understand, why are you asking?"

Luffy: "..."

"...So are you here to stop me too, like that cat guy just now?"

The Purple Rat grinned.

"No, no. I'm here to kill you."

Luffy sighed dramatically.

"That's what Cat-man said too. Now he's over there, sleeping."

His voice was calm, completely unfazed. It wasn't arrogance—he simply knew he was stronger. This battlefield was different from what he was used to. Back in the day, there was always some ridiculously strong opponent waiting to stomp him. But here? He felt like an apex predator surrounded by prey.

The Purple Rat's smile widened.

"You talk big, but I'll make you regret everything the Demon King Kai did to me!"

Then—he disappeared.

Luffy's pupils shrank.

Fast!

Before he could react, a powerful blow slammed into his gut. His body shot backward, skidding across the ice.

For a brief moment, the battlefield was silent. Then, slowly, Luffy pushed himself up, shaking off the impact.

A grin stretched across his face.

"Not bad, little guy."