One Piece: SSS-Rank Haki at Age Seventeen

A complicated look of helplessness flashed across Sanji's face.

At the very beginning, he had been able to suppress Luffy with ease even by himself while Luffy was restrained by Seastone cuffs. But as the battle dragged on, Luffy's adaptability had risen at an inhuman pace.

Now, aside from barely suppressing his Devil Fruit powers, the Seastone shackles were practically useless.

"ROOM!"

Law's low shout cut through the heavy atmosphere as he raised his left hand.

A translucent blue hemispherical field expanded instantly.

His figure vanished from within the space, leaving behind only trembling spatial ripples.

Luffy's crimson pupils narrowed slightly, scarlet Observation Haki flickering within his eyes like ripples across a deep lake.

—CLANG!

Law's cursed blade Kikoku descended with a freezing slash of steel, yet it only struck the Seastone chain, sending bright sparks flying.

Almost simultaneously, Luffy's right leg tore through the air like dark-red lightning. Black-and-red bolts of Conqueror's Haki crackled violently around it as he swept the kick toward Law's head with ear-splitting speed.

However—

SHING!

At the last possible moment, Law teleported away again.

Before the spatial ripples at his former location had even faded, Yamato burst forward through the opening.

Gripping her kanabo Hassaikai with both hands, she swung downward with mountain-splitting force. Dense black-purple lightning of Conqueror's Haki Infusion wrapped around the weapon as it crashed toward Luffy's head.

BOOOOM—!!!

The collision of supreme Haki erupted into a devastating shockwave that crushed the surrounding air.

Luffy was blasted backward by the impact, dirt exploding everywhere—yet a blazing grin spread across his face.

"So you guys are finally using teamwork? Nice! But—"

"But what?"

A cold voice suddenly whispered beside his ear.

Indigo lightning bloomed outward as Sanji materialized from within the electric sparks.

The fury buried deep in his eyes finally erupted completely. Without hesitation, his right leg became a blazing afterimage as he kicked toward Luffy.

"Did you forget?"

Luffy turned his crimson eyes toward him, a teasing gleam flashing within them.

"I can see the future."

The moment the words fell, alarm bells exploded inside Sanji's head.

His perfectly aimed kick struck nothing but empty air.

And in almost the same instant, the atmosphere behind him was ripped apart by overwhelming force.

Luffy's leg—wrapped in black-and-red lightning—was already waiting there.

BOOOOM—!!!!

The kick struck squarely into Sanji's back like a tidal wave.

He didn't even have time to groan before his entire body became a cannonball, blasting through layer after layer of air pressure and hurtling toward the distant ruins, leaving only a blurred trail of pain in the sky.

…

"Tch… that hurts like hell…"

A moment later, Sanji staggered out from the rubble, limping slightly.

Veins bulged on his forehead as he glared at Luffy.

"Why do I feel like you're specifically targeting me?!"

"And another thing—"

He pointed accusingly at Luffy's bizarre movements, frustration dripping from his voice.

"That ridiculous movement technique of yours… there's no way Soru can do THAT, right?!"

He had been holding that question in for a long time.

Using Soru like instant teleportation, completely without warning and seemingly ignoring inertia altogether—

Wasn't that outright cheating?!

"Don't sweat the details~"

Luffy simply narrowed his eyes and grinned brightly, as if they were discussing the weather.

"Come on—let's fight seriously!!!"

Before his words even finished, dark-red Conqueror's Haki lightning erupted wildly from his body like an enraged dragon.

Then, through terrifying control, he compressed it tightly against his body, forming a flowing armor of destruction.

BOOM—!!!

The ground beneath his feet exploded apart.

Shockwaves blasted outward in all directions.

And Luffy himself shot forward like an out-of-control crimson locomotive, carrying enough force to crush everything in his path as he charged toward the three of them.

"This guy seriously doesn't understand the meaning of 'holding back' at all…!"

Sanji felt his stomach ache from stress, yet the fighting spirit in his eyes only burned brighter.

Violent blue lightning surged into his legs without restraint as muscles tightened and hummed beneath the current.

Half his expression was seriousness.

The other half was exhilaration at facing a powerful enemy.

Law's expression had become incomparably grave. His Observation Haki spread outward like a massive net, desperately searching for even the smallest opening within that berserk crimson force.

Kikoku trembled softly in his hand, as if yearning to unleash a decisive strike.

Yamato had already transformed into her Human-Beast Form. Frost-like breath escaped her lips as she tightly gripped Hassaikai, black-purple lightning dancing wildly around the kanabo.

There wasn't even a trace of fear on her face.

Only excitement.

Bring it on.

In an instant—

Four figures.

Four overwhelming powers.

They collided head-on without any tricks or hesitation.

BOOM! BANG! CLAAANG—!!!

The explosions no longer came as isolated sounds, but merged into one continuous roar of destruction.

Every Haki clash detonated like explosives in the sky. Shockwaves spread outward in rings, pulverizing rocks and tearing trees apart.

The entire island seemed to cry out in agony beneath the battle.

Within a radius of one kilometer from the battlefield, the landscape transformed into a genuine hellscape.

The earth split open into bottomless scars.

The atmosphere twisted and burned from the violent friction of overwhelming energy.

Even the clouds in the heavens were ripped apart and scattered, revealing the trembling sky beyond.

——————————

Night quietly descended, gently covering the scars left behind by the day's battle.

At the center of the island, a bright campfire danced in the darkness, driving away the chill while illuminating the relaxed faces gathered around it.

Warmth and lively chatter filled the air, as though the savage battle from earlier had been nothing more than a distant dream.

Boa Hancock wore a gorgeous deep-purple qipao, the silk flowing around her body like liquid moonlight.

Under the glow of the fire, her already flawless beauty became even softer and more enchanting.

Her clear eyes shimmered with watery tenderness, and whenever her lashes lowered slightly, seductive charm spilled out effortlessly.

Her snow-white neck curved elegantly downward toward the slender waist accentuated perfectly by the qipao—

And beneath it, her long, fair legs appeared faintly beneath the fabric as she sat beside Luffy.

Every contour of her body was breathtakingly beautiful, almost unreal.

Her jade-like arms wrapped possessively around one of Luffy's, her body nearly leaning entirely against him.

A rosy blush colored her cheeks as affection overflowed from her eyes.

It was the radiance of someone completely immersed in love.

At that moment, she shone brighter than the campfire itself.

Nearby, Uta quietly turned her face aside and puffed her cheeks slightly.

This scene wasn't new anymore.

The Pirate Empress who had successfully "stolen the lead" had become increasingly shameless day after day, constantly showering everyone with public displays of affection.

That attitude of acting like the "official wife" irritated Uta endlessly.

Clearly, SHE was the childhood friend who had shared music and memories with Luffy for the longest time!

Yet because of Hancock's constant pressure, Uta now felt strangely self-conscious whenever she tried to interact naturally with Luffy.

As for Yamato—

Her thoughts were as straightforward and pure as moonlight itself.

She remained completely oblivious to the subtle emotional battlefield around her.

Whenever she got excited, she casually threw an arm around Luffy's shoulders and laughed loudly without caring about appearances.

But at this moment, her attention had already been utterly captured by another temptation—

Sanji's cooking.

Dish after dish of fragrant masterpieces emerged endlessly from his hands.

Yamato's eyes sparkled as she stuffed her cheeks full of food, sighing happily between bites.

Everything else had long since been forgotten.

Meanwhile, the campfire's glow illuminated Sanji's face—

But it could not dispel the bleak shadow in his heart.

His kitchen knife moved mechanically as he prepared ingredients, yet his gaze constantly drifted toward the heartbreaking sight across from him.

Boa Hancock—

The "Most Beautiful Woman in the World," the woman rumored to despise men—

Was currently snuggling against Luffy like an obedient cat, her eyes overflowing with tenderness that could melt steel.

And all of it was directed solely at that rubber idiot.

Meanwhile, Uta—the world-famous diva worshipped by countless fans—

Though pretending to remain calm, occasionally glanced toward Luffy with complicated affection and annoyance mixed together.

How could such feelings escape the keen eyes of a "gentleman of love" like Sanji?

Her emotions were written clearly in the slight pout of her lips and the way her eyes unconsciously followed Luffy's movements.

Yamato was enthusiastic toward him too—

But Sanji knew perfectly well that she was only interested in his cooking.

He felt his heart crack apart piece by piece.

Why?

HOW?

So many unbelievably beautiful women with completely different personalities surrounded Luffy…

Yet every single one of them focused only on that dense captain whose brain contained nothing but meat and adventure.

Meanwhile he, Sanji—

A refined gentleman with perfect manners and world-class cooking skills—

Could only continue wandering alone on the shores of love.

Was there truly no justice left in this world?!

His hand trembled slightly as he held a tomato, his soul silently screaming.

Elsewhere, the Dark King Silvers Rayleigh quietly sipped his drink while observing everything.

His eyes narrowed with amusement, deep wrinkles carrying both wisdom and helpless admiration.

Even someone like him, who had witnessed countless storms throughout his life, couldn't help but marvel at Luffy's absurd luck with women.

He suddenly recalled something Shakky once said half-jokingly:

"Rayleigh… if I'd met little Luffy a few decades earlier at some harbor out at sea, then there probably wouldn't have been any place left for you, old man."

Though spoken as a joke, it still poked slightly at the former right-hand man of the Pirate King.

Rayleigh had clearly noticed the fleeting admiration in Shakky's eyes whenever she looked at Luffy.

Still—

He had to admit it.

Luffy possessed a charm that was difficult to describe.

Like a rising sun, he radiated warmth and light without restraint, forcefully dispelling all darkness and coldness around him.

His very existence attracted people instinctively.

He never sought love—

Yet love naturally gathered around him.

He understood nothing about romance—

Yet he effortlessly touched the softest parts of people's hearts.

It was a kind of attraction that transcended appearance, status, or even gender.

A yearning for pure vitality itself.

By his side, people couldn't help but become infected by that completely genuine sincerity.

Like moths instinctively flying toward the brightest light.

The warm glow of the campfire also brushed across Law's face, though it failed to soften the cold sharpness between his brows.

Without expression, he silently wrapped fresh bandages around himself over and over again.

His movements were skilled and precise, like a surgeon performing a quiet operation.

Beneath the bandages were the unmistakable traces left behind by the day's brutal battle.

Compared to the inhuman monsters around him, his recovery process looked painfully… normal.

Sanji's genetically enhanced Germa body had probably already healed most of his broken bones through sheer regeneration.

Yamato, as a Mythical Zoan user, possessed monstrous vitality—her injuries had likely recovered naturally long ago.

And their captain…

That guy was simply an incomprehensible rubber monster whose durability and recovery had long surpassed human understanding.

Only Trafalgar Law—

The "Surgeon of Death."

The man who wielded the ultimate Ope Ope no Mi, capable in theory of even performing the forbidden Eternal Youth Surgery—

Had spent the entire day of "friendly sparring" serving as the one person who most accurately fit the definition of a normal human punching bag.

Law expressionlessly tied off another bandage and silently concluded:

'Out of everyone here… I'm the only one actually getting injured.'

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