Chapter 138: Surprise
"You guys don't make it difficult to dislike you..." remarked Vahn, casually brushing his left shoulder with the back of his right hand before meeting Robin's gaze, adopting a smile, and asking, "Did you miss me?" in a playful tone.
Recovering from her stunned, wide-eyed surprise, Robin exhaled faintly from her nose, crossed her arms, and hummed, "It looks like I made the right decision, becoming your woman..."
Rising to his feet as Kaku positioned himself behind Vahn, Lucci's eyes and tone were cold as ice as he stated, "I will ask once more...just who are you?"
"I'm your worst nightmare..." responded Vahn, sporting a smile even as Lucci disappeared from his initial position, reappearing before him as he muttered, "Shigan(Finger Pistol)..."
Though it didn't outright break, Lucci's eyes widened when his right index finger, which had been hardened to the extreme, granting it power on par with a high-caliber bullet, stopped against Vahn's throat. He was normally able to pierce steel plating, but Vahn didn't so much as shudder, staring at him with a neutral expression.
Unleashing Touki from his body, Vahn attempted to grab Lucci by the neck, but the 212cm tall man used his movement technique, Soru(Shave), to disappear from view. Curiously, he wasn't actually moving that quickly, but his nigh-instantaneous acceleration from a resting position made him difficult to follow, similar to a fly that seemed to vanish as you were trying to swat it.
Fortunately for Vahn, not so much for Lucci or Kaku, he could keep track of them using his domain. Thus, as Kaku reappeared in his blind spot and attempted to decapitate him using a pressurized blade of air, a technique known as Rankyaku(Sickle Wind), Vahn completely ignored it as he swept his Legendary Spear in a ruthless, sweeping arc at the man's torso.
"Wha—!?" started Kaku, his pupils contracting to the size of pinholes as his brain failed to process what was happening. One moment, Vahn was standing motionless with no weapon in hand, and the next, he was in the midst of swinging an ornate spear that cut cleanly through his gut despite him using Tekkai(Iron Body). He managed to prevent his intestines from spilling out with his contracting muscles, but he immediately crumpled to the ground, unable to continue.
Seeing how easily Vahn had dealt with the second-strongest member of his team, Lucci's expression hardened, the cool and ruthless confidence he typically exuded nowhere to be seen.
"Who—no, what are you...?" asked Lucci, having never seen or heard of anyone like Vahn despite being a member of an intelligence organization. His ability to appear from thin air, tank lethal attacks without so much as budging, and summon weapons had to be the effects of a Devil Fruit, but he couldn't think of a single one that fit the criteria.
"Someone who doesn't like repeating themselves..." responded Vahn, causing Lucci's pupils to briefly contract before he used Soru to dodge under the blade that nearly slit his throat. In truth, Vahn was slower and weaker than him by default, but with a faint golden aura veiling and rising from his body like steam, the physical form of his Touki, his instantaneous speed was comparable to Lucci actively using Soru. That, combined with his spear's enhanced Dexterity, made his attacks swift and exceptionally versatile.