MTLNOVEL Chapter 153: Utter Defeat
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--xLOVEx--
The crew had barely stepped out of the bar, eager to split up and explore, when they were interrupted by a familiar face—or at least, what looked like one.
A towering figure loomed ahead, resembling Bartholomew Kuma, but something was off. His mechanical movements, the eerie red glow of his eyes—it wasn't the real deal.
Luffy, Sanji, and Zoro tensed up immediately. The last time they faced Kuma, it had nearly killed them. The memory of Thriller Bark still haunted them, but Coby quickly stepped forward.
"He's not Kuma," Coby said, pointing to the mechanical details. "It's a Pacifista! Look at the hands—no paws."
The crew let out a collective sigh of relief, but the tension remained. The Pacifista raised its arm, a mechanical whirring filling the street as it prepared to fire a laser. Before it could unleash its attack, Coby acted.
Without a word, he moved fast, raising his hand and channeling his power. "Long-Distance Breath Fire Nuke!" Coby shouted, his voice carrying across the battlefield. He summoned a massive amount of explosive breath, isolating Mr. 5's breath bomb with Wind Control, charging it up to dangerous levels. As the Pacifista opened its mouth to fire its beam, Coby guided his attack straight to the target, combining the explosive breath with Hiken's flame.
The charged breath exploded inside the Pacifista's mouth, the blast tearing through its internal mechanisms. The force of the explosion was immediate—parts of the Pacifista's face and chest erupted in a fiery explosion, its metallic frame shuddering under the impact.
The crew, now emboldened, sprang into action.
"Good shot, Coby!" Zoro called, already moving forward with his swords drawn. He slashed at the weakened Pacifista, aiming for its exposed circuits. The blades sparked as they met the metal, but Zoro's strikes were relentless, chipping away at the Pacifista's armor.
Sanji leapt into the air, spinning his body with a fiery kick. "Diable Jambe!" His leg ignited as he aimed a powerful strike at the Pacifista's head. The impact sent the machine stumbling backward, smoke pouring from the damaged area.
Luffy wasn't far behind, launching himself forward with his signature move. "Gomu Gomu no Jet Pistol!" His fist shot forward, smashing into the Pacifista's chest with a loud crunch. The machine staggered again, barely holding itself together.
Despite the heavy damage, the Pacifista wasn't down yet. Its mechanical body whirred back to life, firing off a barrage of laser beams. The crew scattered, dodging the blasts as they zig-zagged through the battlefield.
Coby called out quickly, "Robin, close his mouth when he's about to fire! Nami, Brook, get a combo lightning attack ready. Brook, use Nami's clouds as a conduit for your sword, fry his circuits! Usopp, toss explosives inside once it's open. The rest of you, distract him!"
Robin responded immediately, activating her powers. "Cien Fleur!" Ten arms sprouted from the Pacifista's neck, clamping its mouth shut just as it began to charge its laser. The mechanism inside whirred and sputtered, momentarily disabled.
Nami and Brook sprang into action next. Nami formed a dark storm cloud above the battlefield with her Clima-Tact. "Let's fry this tin can!" she shouted, sending a charged bolt of lightning into Brook's waiting blade. The skeleton swordsman grinned, his hollow eyes gleaming.
"Yohohoho! I am struck!" Brook dashed forward, using his sword to direct the bolt of lightning. With rapid piercing dash, he sliced through the air, channeling the electricity into the Pacifista's exposed joints and circuits. The metal sparked and crackled under the surge of power.
Usopp, already set up nearby, took aim. "Eat this, you oversized toaster!" He hurled several explosives straight at the Pacifista's now-disabled mouth. The explosives rolled inside
"Take cover!" Coby shouted as the explosives detonated inside the Pacifista's mouth, sending a violent shockwave through its mechanical frame. Smoke billowed from the inside, and sparks shot out from its joints.
Zoro and Sanji moved in next, with Luffy right behind them. "Let's finish this!" Zoro yelled, drawing his swords for a final strike.
Sanji spun into action, his leg igniting in flames. "Diable Jambe: Concassé!" His flaming kick slammed into the Pacifista's damaged chest, denting the metal further and sending it staggering back.
Zoro followed up with a swift, powerful slash. "Santoryu Ogi: Sanzen Sekai!" His swords whirled in a flurry, cutting deep into the Pacifista's already weakened armor, leaving deep gashes across its torso.
Luffy's fist extended, charged up. "Gomu Gomu no Gigant Bazooka!" His palms rocketed into the Pacifista's chest, driving the machine backward with such force that it collapsed, crumbling into a heap of sparking, broken metal.
The crew regrouped, catching their breath as the smoke cleared. Coby stood at the back, observing the wreckage. "Good job, everyone," he said with a nod, wiping some sweat off his brow. "Let's move out before more of these things show up."
Nami twirled her Clima-Tact, still sparking from the electricity. "Let's hope they don't. That was a pain."
"Yohohoho, quite an electrifying experience!" Brook laughed, though no one seemed to appreciate his joke. Usopp groaned, wiping some soot from his face.
Before the crew could catch their breath, another Pacifista landed heavily in front of them, its mechanical body gleaming under the light. A large man with a giant battle axe followed, his rough voice booming across the battlefield. "So, you're the Straw Hat Pirates. I'm Sentomaru, the Marines' combat force leader."
Luffy clenched his fists, eyes narrowing at the newcomer. "We don't have time for this."
Sentomaru smirked, gripping his massive axe tightly. "Don't think you can run away so easily. You've caused a lot of trouble this time." He raised the axe, aiming directly at Luffy. "I have no grudge, this is just business."
Luffy shot a quick glance at his crew. "Split up and run! We'll meet in three days!"
The crew scattered instantly, knowing Luffy's orders were final. Nami and Usopp bolted to the left, while Sanji, Franky, and Robin took the right. Zoro, Brook, and Chopper darted straight down the middle, to disappear into the chaos of the island. Coby stood at his place, knowing it was all for naught.
Sentomaru barely gave them a second glance. "You think running will help?" He charged at Luffy, swinging his axe with surprising speed. Luffy barely managed to dodge the strike, the ground beneath him cracking under the force of the blow. Sentomaru didn't stop, his movements quick and strong. He closed the distance in a blink, his fist slamming into Luffy's chest.
Luffy gasped as he flew backward, the impact knocking the wind out of him. "What the hell?" He gritted his teeth, trying to stand, but Sentomaru was already in front of him, a grin on his face.
"You don't stand a chance against Haki, Straw Hat."
Luffy tried to throw a punch, but Sentomaru easily dodged, slamming him to the ground with another Haki-infused strike. The force of the blow left Luffy coughing, struggling to get up.
Meanwhile, Zoro was sprinting through opposite direction, trying to put as much distance between himself and the battlefield as possible. "Damn it, where the hell is everyone?" he grumbled. Just as he turned a corner, a powerful kick connected with his side, sending him flying back into battlefield. He hit the ground hard, groaning as he pushed himself up.
Standing in front of him was a tall man with light-colored sunglasses and a lazy expression. His yellow jacket flared slightly as he tilted his head. "Maa maa, you're moving a bit too fast, aren't you?"
The battle at Sabaody continued to spiral out of control. Luffy, Zoro, Sanji, and the rest of the crew found themselves cornered by Sentomaru, Kizaru, and a new wave of Pacifista, with no real escape in sight. Sentomaru thrashed Luffy over and over again, while Kizaru's light-speed attacks targeted Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp. The rest of the crew struggled against the relentless Pacifista, their bodies slowly wearing down from the overwhelming force.
Sentomaru smashed his palm into Luffy's chest, sending him skidding across the ground. "You're no match for me, Straw Hat, just sit still" he stated, his face calm despite the devastation he was causing. Luffy, struggling to stand, wiped blood from his mouth and charged again, only to be met with another crushing blow.
Meanwhile, Kizaru toyed with Zoro, Sanji, and Usopp, his body flashing in and out of sight as he moved at the speed of light. Zoro barely managed to dodge one of Kizaru's light-infused kicks, his body trembling under the pressure. "You're quite the strong one," Kizaru commented lazily, his foot smashing into Zoro's shoulder. Sanji came in from the side with a flaming kick, but Kizaru sidestepped it easily, countering with a light-speed kick again that sent Sanji crashing into a nearby tree.
"Where do you think you're going?" Kizaru said in his usual carefree tone as he aimed a light beam directly at Zoro's head, ready to end it. Just as he was about to strike, a blur of a person appeared between them, and for the first time since he appeared, someone was able to touch Kizaru. Silvers Rayleigh had arrived, intercepting Kizaru's attack with his kick.
Kizaru raised an eyebrow, his tone still light. "Dark King Rayleigh, I didn't expect to see you here."
Rayleigh grinned. "You're a little too old to be bullying kids, don't you think?" He raised his sword against Kizaru's light blade he just created.
Luffy saw his opportunity. "RUN!" he yelled at the crew, knowing they had no chance against these monsters. "Just get out of here! Don't look back!"
But it was no use. Sentomaru was too strong, his attacks relentless, and the Pacifista continued to rain down lasers on the rest of the crew. Blood was everywhere, bodies hitting the ground as the crew was overwhelmed. Franky's arms sparked as he tried to block another beam, Nami gasped in pain as she barely dodged an explosion, and Robin struggled to use her powers to hold off the onslaught. Even Usopp, who was usually quick to retreat, was cornered, his body bruised and bleeding.
In a desperate move, Chopper transformed into his Monster Point. The massive reindeer roared, charging at the Pacifista, slamming into it with full force. For a moment, it looked like Chopper might turn the tide, his monstrous strength pushing the Pacifista back. But then, another figure appeared—Bartholomew Kuma, the real one this time.
Kuma stood on the battlefield, his expression unreadable as he watched the chaos unfold. With a single, calm motion, he raised his hand toward Chopper.
"No!" Luffy screamed, his eyes wide with horror. Although he didn't know what was going to happen, he knew it wasn't good. But before he could move, Kuma sent Chopper flying with a single touch, one second he was there, next second he was gone.
"CHOPPER!" Luffy's voice cracked with pain, his heart breaking as he watched his crewmate vanish. The battlefield was in complete disarray now.
Kuma turned his gaze toward Coby, his stoic expression unchanging as he spoke. "So, you are still alive, Copy Ninja." Without any further warning, Kuma raised his massive hand, aiming to send Coby away as well.
But in an instant, Coby vanished, using Shadow Step to evade Kuma's attack. Kuma blinked in mild surprise, but instead of pursuing Coby, he shifted his attention to Zoro. With another swipe of his hand, Kuma sent Zoro flying into the sky, disappearing in the blink of an eye.
"ZORO!" Luffy's desperate scream filled the battlefield, his voice cracking with grief and disbelief. His fist pounded the ground, but he couldn't stop what was happening.
Kuma's mechanical frame continued its systematic onslaught. Just as a Pacifista aimed a laser at Sanji, Brook, and Usopp—who had been standing near Zoro moments before—Kuma stepped in front of them, his cold voice cutting through the chaos. "Don't get in my way." With a single, swift motion, he sent the Pacifista flying, disappearing just like the others.
Then, one by one, the Straw Hats began to vanish.
"NO!" Luffy cried out, punching the ground again as he watched Sanji, Usopp, and Brook disappear, swallowed by Kuma's ability. His body shook with rage and sorrow, unable to stop the inevitable.
"Stop!" Luffy pleaded, but the battles around him halted as even Sentomaru and Kizaru paused to watch. Sentomaru's voice was gruff with frustration. "What the hell do you think you're doing, Kuma?"
Ignoring Sentomaru's question, Kuma passed by Rayleigh, who stood in Kizaru's way. As Kuma walked past, he whispered something to Rayleigh. Though Rayleigh's expression was skeptical, he nodded, delaying Kizaru as requested.
The rest of the crew desperately tried to fight back, but every attempt was useless. One by one, they were taken out of the battle. Franky was the next to fall, vanishing with a single touch.
Nami, her eyes wide and desperate, looked toward Coby, silently begging for a save. But it was futile. Kuma sent her away in an instant, leaving Luffy, Robin, and Coby as the last ones standing.
Kuma didn't pause. He moved swiftly to Robin, his massive frame looming over her. With a final touch, she, too, was gone.
Luffy collapsed to the ground, tears streaming down his face as his entire crew vanished, one by one. His body trembled, powerless to stop the nightmare unfolding before him. "They're all gone…" he whispered, his voice barely audible as sobs wracked his frame.
Kuma appeared next to Luffy, towering over the broken captain. But before Kuma could make his next move, another Luffy appeared, seemingly out of nowhere, shoving the original Luffy out of the way. The real Luffy, still stunned, looked up in shock at his doppelgänger.
It was Coby. Using Mr. 2's powers, he had transformed into Luffy. He glared at Kuma and whispered something, making the giant's man's eyes open wide in surprise. "Trust me," Coby said, his voice clear, yet firm. Kuma's eyes widened slightly, caught off guard by the sudden shift in events. But Coby had no time to explain.
With a single touch from Kuma's massive hand, Coby vanished, leaving only the real Luffy behind.
Luffy stared in shock as his friend disappeared before him. "Coby…?" he muttered, but there was no time to process. Kuma turned his attention back to Luffy, his hand raised again.
Before Luffy could react, Kuma's palm touched him, and in an instant, Luffy was gone too, vanishing into thin air.
This was the day, Straw Hat Pirates were completely crushed.
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Oh, how much I waited for a Kyubi, a Hollow, a demon, a god to appear at that moment when Luffy was at his lowest. He could only watch helplessly as his crew was scattered. He had no idea whether Kuma killed them, sent them somewhere dangerous, or if they were safe. He was utterly powerless. When I watched for the first time, I remember hoping that something inside of him would come out to save the day, but nothing did. Whew, writing this scene brought back memories of that time.
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