Aqua Ring—A rather rare recovery-type move, but it has nothing to do with Tiger’s Aqua Ring.
The proper phrasing of his move is Aqua: Ring Fist. The water ring encircling his arm was actually Aqua Tail move—only, instead of using a tail, he was using his arm to launch his attack.
Its ability to draw in water surpasses even Fish-Man Karate. It doesn’t require physical contact; it can manipulate the seawater below out of thin air.
Water from Water-type Pokémon can be categorized into two types: one generated from internal energy and one sourced from the external environment. While there is no fundamental difference between the two, the latter has a profound impact on Devil Fruit Users.
Unless one’s ability originates from Arceus, they can never escape the sea’s loathing.
Under the influence of PYROBROIN particles, a Devil Fruit User submerged in seawater won’t lose their ability, but their entire body will fall into a state of powerlessness.
While Devil Fruit abilities can significantly enhance one’s combat strength, in Tiger’s eyes, Lucci’s ability is nothing more than a debuff.
Regardless of whether or not he takes his leopard form, Tiger’s physique is far stronger. Although Lucci has mastered Rokushiki, there remains a disparity between Rokushiki and Haki.
Tekkai and Kami-e are more like simplified versions of Armament Haki and Observation Haki—easier to train in but slightly weaker in power. However, more people can master these techniques.
Even if Lucci is someone who would eventually achieve Awakening within two years and become a member of CP0, that is a matter for the future.
Thanks to the great chief Spandam, Lucci’s growth was delayed by several years. He may be a genius, but a genius who hasn’t grown is nothing.
As the column of water came surging toward him, Lucci instinctively attempted to dodge—but his body suddenly tilted. The muscles in his left leg inexplicably caved in, throwing his entire balance off.
The same thing happened to Kaku next to him, even though he wasn’t in the direct path of Tiger’s punch, his body also caved in out of nowhere.
Tiger’s punch was a fusion of a modified Aqua Tail and Fish-Man Karate. In addition to the water stream, it incorporated the distinct striking technique of Fish-Man Karate.
Both Lucci and Kaku had large amounts of water in their bodies, and their attention was drawn to the water stream Tiger shot out. Against Tiger’s experienced attack, they failed to mount an effective defense.
At the moment they lost their balance, they were caught in the sea currents drawn in by Tiger’s power.
In the dim sea current, Kaku endured the pain and mustered all his strength to grab Lucci before he sank to the bottom. No matter how powerful a Devil Fruit User may be, once they fall into the sea, they are utterly helpless—only their comrades can save them.
Even among the official members of CP9, there existed bonds between them. In the original timeline, this same group once raised money for Lucci’s medical expenses by performing street acts.
That’s why Kaku took the risk to retrieve Lucci again from the sea in this kind of weather.
“Lucci, that Fish-Man is suspicious.”
After pushing Lucci onto the Sea Train tracks, Kaku also struggled to climb up. His body had expanded several times before returning to normal, using Seimei Kikan to temporarily suppress his internal injuries.
“I know. Head to Kalifa’s carriage. These guys are after Franky—we absolutely cannot let them take him.”
Lucci recalled an event from years ago. Almost at this very spot, a Sea Train transporting Tom was ambushed by Fish-Men, and after that, Tom disappeared without a trace.
Now, on the Sea Train once again, facing another Fish-Man attack, Lucci instinctively linked the two incidents together. He became certain of one thing—Pluton’s blueprints must be with Franky.
He believed that the Fish-Men who rescued Tom back then likely did so for Pluton. So many years had passed—perhaps their preparations were complete, and all they needed now was the blueprint to construct Pluton. That must be why they had returned to Water 7 in search of Franky.
Otherwise, there’s no explanation for the appearance of these Fish-Men. Arresting Franky was their impromptu action; by all reasoning, it shouldn’t have been exposed.
“Use Blueno’s ability to transfer him somewhere safe. If that’s not possible, kill him. The power of the Ancient Weapons must never fall into the hands of outsiders.”
Lucci stood up, ready to move to the rear carriages, but a large hand suddenly pressed down on his shoulder.
“Unfortunately, you’ve made the wrong choice.”
Although Tiger’s mindset had changed, he still rarely killed anyone. If Kaku and Lucci chose to leave now, he wouldn’t pursue them.
However, CP9 were nothing more than loyal hounds of the World Government. Due to the indoctrination from childhood by the World Government, they only consider the World Government as their “master.”
Even when the World Government once considered eliminating them, the moment it changed its mind, they still chose to accept recruitment and rejoin the Cipher Pol without hesitation.
Tiger had already assessed the strength of the escort team. Aside from Lucci and Kaku, the others posed no real threat. Tom might not be skilled in combat, but as a veteran shipwright, his raw strength was astonishing—he could easily lift a medium-sized pirate ship.
With Feraligatr’s assistance, they were more than capable of completing the rescue mission. That was why, after defeating Lucci and Kaku, Tiger didn’t leave immediately. Instead, he chose to observe their next moves before making a decision.
“What—! … Glug glug…”
Lucci and Kaku didn’t even realize how Tiger had gotten so close. Before they could utter a word, the tsunami that arrived alongside Tiger swallowed them into the depths of the sea.
At that moment, Tiger adopted a tactic similar to Jack’s—sinking to the bottom.
For the Fish-Men, deep sea was the best battlefield. Their ability to breathe underwater granted them an overwhelming natural advantage.
Seawater filled their lungs, drowning out their voices.
Surf was a move that almost all Water-type Pokémon could learn. The number of Water-types incapable of learning Surf was extremely small. Compared to the naturally occurring waves from before, the waves controlled by Tiger were far more threatening—every ounce of their force crashed against Kaku and Lucci’s bodies.
At the same time, Tiger’s monstrous strength was also wreaking havoc on their bodies.
In the sea, Lucci had long since lost the strength to resist, and Kaku never even got the chance.
With the physique of a Fish-Man, further enhanced by Palafin’s Hero Form, Tiger swiftly and decisively snapped their necks.
Tiger had no interest in torturing people. Even when killing, he ensured his enemies didn’t suffer unnecessarily.
Seconds later, Tiger resurfaced. The lifeless bodies of Kaku and Lucci were swept away by the raging waves, drifting toward an unknown part of the sea.
Thus, Rob Lucci, hailed as the most prodigious talent in CP9 in eight hundred years, met his end in the middle of his mission, thereby averting the possibility of him inexplicably awakening due to version buff and diminishing the prestige of the Four Emperors.
Meanwhile, Tom and Feraligatr had also located the carriage transporting Franky, only to find that it had already been reduced to complete chaos.
Chapter 931 Death of a Genius
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