Seeing Lucci gasping for breath and still trying to act tough, Caelan was slightly speechless.
The next moment, Caelan casually threw a punch, landing it directly on Lucci.
There was no fancy technique, just a straightforward jab.
Boom!
Empowered by sheer strength, the punch broke the sound barrier and caused a sonic boom.
Facing this terrifying punch, Lucci stood still without dodging.
"Iron Body!"
Lucci roared as his muscles tensed and hardened.
After years of mastering Iron Body, he believed it gave him enough defense to withstand the attack.
Bang!
The forceful punch struck Lucci's body with a loud thud.
Puff!
Iron Body might as well have been nonexistent. Lucci was blown away, slammed to the ground, and spat out a mouthful of blood.
With great difficulty, Lucci raised his head and stared at Caelan in shock. All the confidence he had before was now gone.
That devastating punch had shown him what overwhelming power truly was.
The moment the blow landed, his internal organs were crushed, his bones shattered, and he could no longer stand.
In a daze, he seemed to glimpse his grandmother in the afterlife.
His mind was flooded with memories, flashing by like a revolving lantern.
"See? Iron Body can get you killed too."
Caelan retracted his fist and turned to the girls beside him.
That was Iron Body, and he didn't even say a word before using it.
"That's right. That's right."
Seeing Lucci's miserable condition, the girls nodded in agreement.
Originally, they had considered using Iron Body to find sparring partners for training.
But with such a clear example before them, they immediately gave up on that idea.
"I think we're doomed."
The CP9 agents felt like they'd lost their last hope.
Normally, Lucci's Doriki was over 4000, nearly double that of Kaku and Jabra. Once he transformed into his leopard form, his power doubled again.
Lucci alone could overpower the entire CP9 unit.
Yet now, such a powerful Lucci was like a cat toy in Caelan's hands, swatted away with one punch.
The sheer gap between them left them in despair.
"All of you, go together and hold him off! I'll go get reinforcements!"
Spandam shoved Kaku and Jabra forward while riling up the other agents.
After witnessing Caelan's terrifying strength, he had lost all ambition to capture him. His only thought now was to escape.
If Jabra and the others could buy time, he could flee back to the World Government.
Once there, he could push all the blame onto them.
With his father Spandine's help, he could still get out unscathed.
"Huh!?"
Jabra and Kaku looked at Spandam with expressions full of disbelief.
Was this guy brain-dead?
If they were capable, they would've grabbed Lucci and run already.
"Tsk. What a nice fantasy."
Caelan sneered and looked at Spandam like he was garbage.
"Go. Get rid of them. This is a good chance to test your skills."
Caelan smiled as he spoke to Nami, Robin, and the others.
Among all the CP9 members, only Lucci had been interesting to him. The rest were just good practice targets.
"Okay!"
Nami responded without hesitation.
Robin, Vivi, Tashigi, and Perona were all ready to fight.
Gecko Moria stood nearby, ready to assist if needed.
"You don't need to go."
Caelan calmly placed an arm around Kalifa's shoulder.
After all, they used to be close comrades. It would be awkward to have her step in now.
"Alright."
Kalifa, who had been prepared to join the fight, quietly stood beside Caelan.
Kaku and Jabra looked at the excited women on the other side, along with Moria and Caelan eyeing them coldly, and their hearts sank.
With that lineup, there was zero chance of winning.
"Don't be scared, hurry up!"
"I'll make sure to report your great deeds when I get back!"
Spandam's face had gone pale as he kept urging the CP9 agents.
After hearing his words, the agents were thoroughly disheartened.
This guy had already decided they were dead.
Spandam had always been the type to take all the credit while shifting blame to his subordinates.
He constantly acted superior, strutting around in front of them every day.
Now, thinking about risking their lives to protect this man, all their fighting spirit vanished.
They looked at Caelan, who had shown kindness to Kalifa, and the contrast was stark.
They were both leaders—but how was the difference so vast?
Kaku and Jabra exchanged a glance, as if reaching a decision.
"Finger Pistol!" ×2
Two simultaneous Finger Pistols pierced through Spandam's chest, shattering his heart and ribcage.
"Aaagh! Ahhh! You bastards—how dare you kill me?!"
Spandam screamed in agony, staring at them in disbelief.
"What are you waiting for?! Finish him off already!"
Kaku ignored his cries and shouted to the others.
"Got it, got it!"
Blueno, Fukurou, and the rest responded, each launching Finger Pistols that riddled Spandam with bloody holes.
"Aaagh! Stay back!"
Spandam looked at his former subordinates, shrieking in fear.
"Hehe."
The CP9 agents closed in with grim smiles, attacking him one by one.
If not for this idiot, they wouldn't be in this mess to begin with.
After just one round, Spandam was dead.
"Please take us in! We are willing to surrender!"
Kaku and Jabra led the remaining CP9 members in kneeling before Caelan, speaking sincerely.
"Caelan, what should we do?"
The girls, who had been eager to fight, were shocked by CP9's actions and looked to Caelan.
"Moria, take their shadows. They're yours now."
Caelan smiled, intrigued.
He had originally planned to cripple them and let Moria take their shadows.
But now that they'd shown such good judgment, he'd simply hand them over to Moria for training.
"Yes, Caelan-sama!"
Moria licked his lips in excitement.
All the pirates whose shadows he'd taken before had been traded for bounties by Caelan.
Compared to those past pirates, the quality of these guys was much higher—perfect for reinforcement.
"Ah..."
The CP9 agents sighed and let Moria extract their shadows, even Lucci, who lay there with shattered bones.
Keeping their lives was already the best possible outcome.
They had once served as dogs for the World Government. Now they had simply changed masters.
"Hahahaha!"
Moria led the CP9 agents back to his ship.
...
A new day began. In the dark, sunless cabin of Moria's ship, the CP9 agents whose shadows had been taken were hard at work cleaning.
They couldn't go outside, so they stayed trapped inside the underworld-like chamber.
Just as Caelan had said, Moria's powers were truly ideal for imprisoning captives.
"Ah, I wonder how Lucci will take this when he wakes up."
Kaku glanced at Jabra scrubbing the toilet beside him, a little worried that Lucci would be upset.
"Don't worry. That guy will come around."
"And damn, this toilet stinks!"
Jabra grumbled as he scrubbed, looking annoyed.
"Remember what Lucci said—someone like a Yonko is worth taking down."
Thinking of Lucci lying half-dead, Kaku recalled his bold words from before they set out.
"What a joke. Now we're cleaning a Yonko's toilet. That's gotta be worth something!"
Jabra pouted and grumbled without mercy.
(To be continued.)
***
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