"He flew up with that woman… using a fishing rod?"

"You can do that with a fishing rod?"

The pirates lying on the ground, pretending to be dead, watched in shock as Alex —now limping with one foot injured—still dared to carry a woman in his arms and face off against Kuro. Their voices trembled with caution. If anything, Alex now seemed even more terrifying.

"You're limping and still spouting nonsense. Just like that long-nosed liar, always boasting. No wonder you helped him—you're both pathetic fools clinging to your sad little dreams."

Kuro sneered at Alex's claim that he could still defeat him even with a twisted ankle. With a cold smirk, he zigzagged back a few steps, putting distance between them.

But as Kuro got a closer look at the fishing rod in Alex's hand, recognition struck him. That was the same rod he had seen in Kaya's mansion—it once belonged to her late father, and it wasn't cheap.

As Kaya's butler for three years, Kuro had even polished that rod a few times. Yet now, to see it used as a weapon against him was an irony he hadn't expected—one that stung more than any insult.

Kuro looked completely battered—he had been punched to the ground multiple times by Alex, his face bruised, his suit in tatters, body marked with bruises, and his chest aching from a direct hit. Still, he could fight. In fact, now that Alex had lost his mobility, Kuro arguably had the upper hand.

"Squat down. Don't move a single step away from me, or you'll really die."

Alex ignored Kuro's taunts and gave orders to Nami.

When Alex had used his fishing rod to swing up from the ship with her earlier, Nami had clearly felt the heat of his hand wrapped around her waist—even through her clothes. Her heart skipped.

She stole a glance at him—his face calm, determined, and those deep crimson eyes burning with fighting spirit.

Does he even know what fear is? And what's with those eyes?

A moment ago, she had been worried about his injured leg. But seeing him so composed and resolute made her anxiety fade. She obeyed without question and crouched at his side.

"Be careful. Beat him down fast. My treasure's still down there," she muttered.

Looking at his bleeding right hand—cut while catching that deadly ring blade to protect her—Nami's heart twisted. His hand had already been injured before, and now it was worse.

This is my fault... Should I do something to make it up to him?

"Don't worry. Your treasure will be fine. I'm not going to lose. The Grand Line is still waiting for us—I can't fall here!"

Alex extended his fishing rod again, this time only to two meters, then adjusted the line length to around four meters.

"A cripple like you still thinks he can beat me? Still dreaming of the Grand Line? You're as deluded as that liar who talks big with no strength to back it up. You're both pathetic jokes."

Kuro adjusted the rimless glasses on his face and assumed his "Shakushi" stance—arms dangling, swaying, and stepping forward until—

He vanished.

CLANG! CLANG!

Using "Shakushi," Kuro's bladed claws carved deep gouges into the rocky ground around Alex.

Alex, unable to use his Silent Step technique due to the twisted foot, couldn't reposition quickly to counter with the rod. But that didn't mean he was defenseless.

Nami, crouched beside him with her head down and eyes shut tight, heard the metallic slashes scraping stone around her. The sound alone made her shiver.

Several times, it felt like Kuro had come dangerously close—wind from his blinding speed cutting across her skin. But with Alex nearby, she kept calm.

What she didn't realize was that if not for Alex shielding her, she'd have at least seven or eight slashes across her body.

Having seen Kuro's fighting style during his earlier vision, Alex had also learned the secrets of the "Shakushi" technique. He understood how Kuro moved and attacked.

To an outsider, Kuro's attacks looked like wild, uncontrolled slashes. But Alex knew better—Kuro was targeting specific spots, adjusting his angle bit by bit as he zipped around at breakneck speed.

When Alex saw fresh slash marks near Nami, he knew Kuro was about to strike her. So, even if he couldn't precisely track Kuro's location, he could intercept the attack before it hit.

Sometimes, Alex blocked the blows with his rod. Other times, when there wasn't enough time, he took the hit himself.

Because of Nami, his body was now littered with fresh wounds.

More than once, he nearly grabbed Kuro's coat—but the injury to his foot made turning quickly impossible. Still, he was adapting. With each pass, he was better at predicting Kuro's movements.

Seeing Kuro's attacks shift to a farther distance again, Alex knew the first wave was over—now came the second. But he had no intention of letting it start.

Earlier, Alex had stayed defensive on purpose—to study the patterns of Kuro's "Shakushi" attack. And just as he suspected, the technique followed a loop: from far to near, and back again.

He even managed to estimate Kuro's movement speed, allowing him to determine the optimal counterattack timing.

Kuro's frenzied attacks weren't as chaotic as they seemed. Due to his incredible speed, he couldn't control his direction perfectly, so he'd loop his assaults until he landed a clean hit—then repeat.

Alex had kept Nami by his side for exactly this reason. If she got attacked again, in his current state, he couldn't save her a second time. It was safer for her to stay close—even if it meant taking more hits himself.

He knew this was his last shot at defeating Kuro with a crippled foot. If Kuro targeted Nami again, it could be the end for both of them. So Alex chose the hard path: endure the wounds, protect Nami, and study his enemy until he could end it.

And now… that moment was coming.

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