One Piece: The Avengers

Originally, Shanter had no intention of killing Rob Lucci. He only wanted to teach him a lesson. After all, Rob Lucci was a special envoy of the World Government, and killing him would have dire consequences. Shanter didn't want to attract unnecessary trouble.

But when Lucci mentioned his plans for Robin, a murderous intent erupted in Shanter's heart.

For Rob Lucci, Shanter had no choice but to kill.

"Robin did nothing wrong! I didn't see any fault in her! The one at fault is this world!"

"If this world is wrong, then I'll correct it!"

In his previous life, Shanter, back in the Central World, had countless times drawn his blade to aid someone and ended up opposing forces a thousand times stronger than himself. He had done so for an abused and battered slave, a displaced girl from an alien race, a desolate and broken gunslinger, and even for an elven girl whose homeland was destroyed. Time and time again, he fought to defend them—always for the sake of the Dao.

Again and again, he defended, fought, and rose until the nameless man stood at the peak of the universe. Until the black longsword in his hand commanded such awe that no one dared challenge it. Until the comical black half-frame glasses he wore became a timeless legend. Until his grand and majestic wish resonated across the Central World. Until that radiant and awe-inspiring epic finally came to an end.

At first, Shanter had no killing intent, didn't use his sword, and was only fighting at 60-70% of his full power. That's why, although Lucci was battered, he was still holding his own.

But now, with his blade drawn, Shanter dominated. Of every ten moves, nine and a half were offensive, while the remaining half was spent adjusting his blade for the next wave of attacks. Lucci was left in utter disarray.

"Today, you must die," Shanter said, his face contorting into a terrifying expression shaped like an "S."

The attack range of Huangtian far exceeded Lucci's Finger Gun, and its overwhelming power made Lucci wary of using Iron Body to defend. If he chose to counter with Tempest Kick, his speed would decrease, hindering his use of Shave and Moonwalk. As a result, Shanter's superior speed relentlessly pushed Lucci into a corner. His defeat was only a matter of time.

"Lotus Bloom!"

Huangtian spun gracefully in the air, releasing twelve silver-white arcs of blade energy. They intertwined and formed a massive, snow-white lotus.

The lotus unfurled slowly, its pristine radiance bursting forth as it flew toward Lucci.

Though it appeared to be moving slowly, it was deceptively fast. No matter how Lucci used the Six Powers, the snow-white lotus steadily closed in on him, inch by inch.

Lucci could sense the terrifying power contained within the lotus, but he was helpless against it. Despair crept into his heart. This attack might not kill him outright, but with "Shura" standing nearby, ready to strike, survival was impossible.

"Am I going to die? No! I haven't upheld my justice yet!" Lucci roared internally, struggling with all his might.

In a flash, the snow-white lotus was upon him.

"Ah—!"

Against all odds, Lucci broke through at the last second, narrowly escaping the lotus's deadly grip. However, he didn't emerge unscathed. The lotus partially struck him, leaving his chest and abdomen a bloody mess despite his Iron Body defense.

He was fortunate—it was only a flesh wound. Severe as it seemed, it wasn't life-threatening.

While Lucci gasped for breath, Shanter remained composed.

"A breakthrough in the heat of battle? Seems like you have quite the talent," Shanter remarked with faint admiration. Yet, his hand showed no hesitation as he slashed again.

Lucci felt no pride from the compliment. Instead, he seethed with humiliation. With a roar, he launched into the air using Moonwalk to evade the attack.

"Ah—!"

As he howled, his body began to swell, sprouting sharp claws, fangs, and striped fur.

Finally, a powerful, ferocious leopard stood where Lucci had been.

"You're a Devil Fruit user? That makes you the fourth I've fought. An animal-type user, huh? Interesting, I haven't faced one of those before," Shanter said, his eyes lighting up with excitement. His War God Fruit's side effect made him grow increasingly eager to fight strong opponents.

Excluding Robin's Flower-Flower Fruit and his own War God Fruit, Shanter's previous opponents included the ice-man Aokiji (a Logia user) and two Paramecia users—Twist Man Twister and Blade Man Daz Bones. But never an animal-type user.

"This is the Leopard Form of the Cat-Cat Fruit. Among the three types of Devil Fruits, animal-types provide the greatest physical enhancement. In this form, my power is leagues above what it was before. Prepare yourself!" Lucci snarled, his tone now filled with frenzy.

"Armament Haki doesn't seem to negate the abilities of animal-type users, but it should still enhance my attacks." Ignoring Lucci's taunts, Shanter calmly activated his well-honed Armament Haki and charged forward. The War God Fruit, though a Paramecia, provided unparalleled boosts to physical abilities over time.

Even in his leopard form, Lucci's increased speed and power weren't enough to match Shanter. At best, he forced Shanter to fight more seriously, but the gap between them remained vast.

"Sunset Sonata!"

Shanter deflected Lucci's Tempest Kick, leaping high into the air. Huangtian rose, pointing skyward, before slicing downward like the setting sun sinking into the endless sea.

Although Lucci managed to evade the killing blow, Shanter seized the moment to land several more strikes, opening fresh wounds on Lucci.

"You dodged that too? Impressive. Let's see how you handle this!"

Shanter swung Huangtian four times, releasing countless arcs of blade energy. Nine snow-white lotuses blossomed in the air, their beauty hiding a deadly intent.

"Lotus: Blossoms of Death!"

The lotuses radiated an ethereal beauty, but they carried nothing but death.

The technique drained Shanter as he gasped for breath. Meanwhile, Lucci, now back in his leopard-human hybrid form, faced utter despair. One lotus had nearly killed him—how could he survive nine?

"Am I truly going to die?" Lucci struggled relentlessly but saw no way out.

Unable to evade, Lucci resorted to Iron Body.

The nine lotuses struck in quick succession, their razor-sharp energy overwhelming Lucci. When the dust settled, he lay on the ground, barely alive.

"Not dead yet? You're as tenacious as a protagonist with plot armor. But let's see if you can make a comeback."

Panting heavily from his own exertion, Shanter raised his blade and strolled toward the fallen Lucci, his voice casual but cold.

"Now, die."

Huangtian descended, bringing with it a gust of lethal wind.

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