Jack the Drought was proving to be even tougher than Lance had anticipated.

His enhanced version of the 20 Divine Killer Bullets, both in number and in power, had far surpassed anything Doflamingo had been capable of in his prime—yet when they struck Jack, the damage was far less than expected.

But that wasn't entirely surprising.

In the original One Piece, Doflamingo's Sixteen Divine Killer Bullets couldn't even overpower Luffy's King Kong Gun. The gap between Luffy and Jack was immense, so it was only natural that this move wouldn't be overly effective against him.

Just then, Lance felt a familiar yet strange sensation in his mind—two messages ringing in quick succession.

"Life energy has reached its limit, breaking through boundaries. Congratulations! You have gained 1 new IBM. You can now summon 7 IBMs!"

"Life energy has reached its limit, breaking through boundaries. Congratulations! You have gained 1 new IBM. You can now summon 8 IBMs!"

The system's notification made his heart race. Two larger, more imposing IBMs appeared—proof that his power had just reached a new peak.

"Even if I couldn't take much from Jack himself, his men served as the perfect nourishment… As expected from Awakened users—devouring just a few of them has brought me such massive gains… If I could devour Jack, I bet my strength could skyrocket past even the Super Yama King level."

Lance's eyes flashed with determination.

He'd been targeting Jack for a long time now. The moment Jack had become a nuisance, Lance had already decided—once he brought him down, he would consume him whole. And when that happened, his power would soar like a rocket.

"Still looking around, brat?"

"Better start worrying about your own life!"

Suddenly, a voice came from above. Lance looked up to see Jack, now in human form, leaping high into the air before dropping down at incredible speed—two massive war scythes in his hands, slashing down at Lance's head.

"This time… I'll make you wish you were dead!"

[War Scythe: Slash]

Jack roared, pouring terrifying force into both weapons. Anything caught by the strike—steel or flesh—would be split clean in two.

"Wish I was dead? If you'd said that a second ago, maybe you'd have had a sliver of a chance to make it happen… But now, Jack, the real thing you should be thinking about is how to beg me to let you live."

Lance's cold smile cut through the air as he clenched his fist. A sharp, explosive crack resounded as an invisible shockwave seemed to form in his grasp.

[String-String Giant Fist: Pulse]

In an instant, countless threads infused with high-density Armament Haki shot toward him, wrapping tightly around his right arm. Layer upon layer, coil upon coil—until, in moments, his arm had transformed into a colossal giant's arm, much like Luffy's Gear Third, but forged entirely from hardened threads.

The giant arm pulsed with a strange rhythm, like a heartbeat—a borrowed ability from one of the Zoan Awakened he had devoured. He didn't know exactly what creature it came from, but it undeniably amplified raw power to terrifying levels.

"That last punch failed because my hand shook…"

"This punch… is to return the favor. Let me show you what real power feels like!"

[Inch Punch]

Lance threw his colossal fist forward, aiming straight for Jack's war scythes.

"What is this!? Why… Why do I feel such a dangerous pressure from that strike!?"

For the first time, Cracker felt his breath catch, as if someone had gripped his heart in an iron vice. Even Jack's eyes widened slightly, a flicker of panic in their bloodshot depths—before rage drowned it out.

"No matter what it is, I'm still taking your life!"

Jack roared, gathering all his strength into the scythes and slamming them toward the center of Lance's giant arm.

The moment they collided—

—Silence.

Time itself seemed to freeze for a heartbeat.

Then, Jack's expression twisted into sheer horror.

BOOOOOOOM!!!

The explosion of force was like an atomic blast detonating in the middle of the battlefield. Jack's war scythes shattered like paper before the overwhelming blow. The massive fist crashed directly into his chest, launching his towering frame like a cannonball into the sky.

"Ugh!"

Blood spewed from Jack's mouth mid-air, his organs feeling as though they'd been pulverized. The agony was indescribable. His body reached its peak height before gravity reclaimed him, slamming him back down like a meteor—

BOOM!

A massive crater formed where he landed, dust and debris erupting into the air.

(End of Chapter)

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