Chapter 61: Chapter 61: You Have Too Much Faith in Your "Iron Body"
The two CP agents protecting Charlmos Saint were indeed not from the highest department, CP0, but rather from CP3.
Compared to the more combat-focused CP9, who generally mastered all the Six Powers (Rokushiki), CP3 was more like a reserve unit for them.
While the agents in CP3 also learned the Six Powers, they typically only mastered some of them and hadn't fully grasped all of them like CP9.
A flash of the blade sliced through the night with a precise and deadly angle. One of the CP3 agents, who had been standing on guard with a serious expression, suddenly felt an alarming surge of danger. Instinctively, he used his most trusted technique, the "Iron Body" (Tekkai)!
Almost simultaneously, the blade's glow magnified in his vision, descending from his shoulder and extending all the way down to his chest.
As the blade struck, the CP3 agent initially wore a confident expression. Although he hadn't detected the attacker's presence until the last moment, he believed that the "Iron Body" technique, which hardens the body like steel, would protect him from the sword.
In the world of pirates, one should never be too confident in their "Iron Body." This has become almost as much of a rule as the one in the neighboring world where "Amaterasu" never seems to burn anyone to death.
Unfortunately, this CP3 agent didn't understand this principle, and his initially confident expression quickly froze on his face, transforming into one of shock.
When Wood's long blade slashed into the agent's "Iron Body," the sword unleashed a second wave of impact, sending a crescent-shaped slash outward, which directly sliced through the agent, sending him flying.
A splash of blood arced through the air as the CP3 agent, using his "Iron Body," was blasted dozens of meters away by the force of the attack.
Learning the "Iron Body" doesn't mean invincibility. Even among those who have mastered all six of the Six Powers, the strength of the techniques can vary depending on the individual's physical condition.
In that single strike, Wood's attack exceeded the agent's body's limits, causing the "Iron Body" to fail, leading to the agent's injury. It was as simple as that.
Seeing his comrade sent flying by the slash, the other CP3 agent quickly reacted, extending his index finger and rapidly jabbing towards Wood.
"Finger Pistol: Whip!"
The rapid jabs in the air created the illusion of a whip-like arm.
Given the current level of firearms technology in this world, most of the cannon fodder in the navy still used single-shot flintlock rifles. However, the opponent's Finger Pistol technique was comparable to a machine gun's close-range burst.
If it had been an ordinary person facing this attack, they might have been turned into a human sieve in an instant.
However, what seemed like a rapid barrage of Finger Pistols appeared to be in slow motion to Wood. Every movement of the CP3 agent was broken down into frame-by-frame sequences in Wood's eyes.
"Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding!"
Unsurprisingly, the rapid Finger Pistol barrage was effortlessly blocked by Wood's sword, leaving the CP3 agent shocked.
"Tempest Kick!" (Rankyaku)
But just as Wood was about to counterattack, his Observation Haki (Kenbunshoku Haki) alerted him, prompting a quick backward jump to dodge.
Almost simultaneously, a blue crescent-shaped slash shot across the spot where Wood had just stood, barely grazing the ground.
Because Wood dodged in advance, the Tempest Kick missed him and instead struck a nearby wall, leaving a deep gash in the marble column.
"Paul, are you okay?"
The one who had launched the Tempest Kick was none other than the CP3 agent Wood had initially ambushed.
Although Paul's "Iron Body" had shattered earlier, it had significantly reduced the impact of Wood's attack. As a result, the knife wound on Paul's chest, while terrifying, hadn't entirely incapacitated him.
"He's a swordsman. Our Doriki (power level) is about the same, so avoid direct hits and don't rely too much on the Iron Body."
External slashes and the ability to cut through iron are the hallmarks of a swordsman. The previous attack had confirmed that the opponent was indeed a swordsman, possibly an extraordinary one at that.
"York, my body's injured, so my speed is greatly reduced. I'll focus on covering you while you take the lead in attacking.
This Fish-Man might not be an ordinary opponent. If we underestimate him, we might not be able to win."
As soon as Paul finished speaking, he gritted his teeth against the pain in his chest and unleashed two scythe-like slashes with his legs.
If he could, Paul would have liked to play dead on the ground, but he knew that York alone wouldn't be able to handle Wood.
If anything happened to Charlmos Saint, both Paul and York, who were responsible for his protection, would face severe punishment, potentially even execution!
The two scythe-like slashes from Paul's Tempest Kick formed an "X" shape as they flew towards Wood. With a casual wave of his sword, Wood unleashed a blue slash that shattered the incoming Tempest Kick.
Although the Tempest Kick can create sword-like slashes with a leg, it was no match for the true slash of a swordsman.
Paul clearly understood this as well. He didn't expect his Tempest Kick to easily defeat a swordsman.
All he was doing was creating an opportunity for his comrade.
"Soru!" (Shave)
Taking advantage of Paul's Tempest Kick distraction, the other CP3 agent, York, used the Soru technique to instantly appear behind Wood.
While his "Finger Pistol: Whip" had been easily blocked earlier, York didn't believe that Wood could also defend against an attack from behind.
"Iron Body: Smash!"
York's entire body entered the "Iron Body" state as he delivered a powerful punch aimed directly at the back of Wood's head.
Although the punch was slower than the Finger Pistol, the added power from the Iron Body gave it immense destructive force.
No matter how tough a Fish-Man's body might be, York was confident that a direct hit to the back of the head would finish him off.
"One-Sword Style: Needle Thread!"
The thin blade of Wood's sword suddenly reversed its direction, passing through the gap under his arm and striking towards York's throat, with such speed that it reached its target before York's punch even landed.
York was in his "Iron Body" state, which should have made him invulnerable to ordinary swords.
However, remembering what had happened to Paul earlier, York knew that getting his throat attacked was not something he could survive.
His punch, which had been certain to connect, suddenly lost its momentum as York hesitated, unsure if his "Iron Body" could withstand Wood's blade. As a result, instead of hitting Wood's head, his fist was redirected to meet the incoming sword.
Note: If you are interested, you can read up to chapter 160 at patreon.com/Betek.
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