PREPAREDNESS

Luffy grins widely and declares, “THAT'S NOTHING BUT A BOMB ON A STICK!” In the next panel, the massive spear-tip of Don Krieg’s weapon lies broken on the deck. Don Krieg stands in the distance. Luffy continues, “WITH THE SPEAR-TIP BROKEN, I'VE REDUCED ITS POWER BY HALF.” Below, on the Baratie deck, Luffy faces Don Krieg, who grips the broken spear. Luffy asks, “IS THAT WHAT YOU THINKI” Large sound effects “どくん!!” and “くっ!!” emphasize the tension as smoke drifts from the damaged weapon.

Krieg pirates react in shock: “HE DID IT! HE REALLY IS AMAZING!” “THE GREAT WAR SPEAR WOULD BE BROKEN!” “U... UNBELIEVABLE! TO THINK THAT DON KRIEG'S MOST POWERFUL WEAPON...” Don Krieg grips the broken spear and growls, “I'D SAY THAT I STILL HAVE MORE THAN ENOUGH POWER TO WIN! CONSIDERING THAT EVEN A MERE BOMB ON A STICK CAN EASILY BLOW YOU AWAY.” Nearby, the bloodied Sanji sweats heavily, thinking, “WITH THOSE WOUNDS, IF HE TAKES EVEN JUST ONE MORE BLAST FROM THAT SPEAR, HE'LL BE KILLED!...HE'S RIGHT, THAT ERRAND BOY SHOULD BE ON THE VERGE OF COLLAPSING! SEEMS TO ME THAT YOU'RE BLUFFING.” Luffy stands calmly in the background as Sanji mutters “NUH UH!”

Zeff speaks gravely to Sanji: “THEY'RE NO MATCH FOR THAT ‘ONE SPECIAL SPEAR’ THAT COMES FROM YOUR GUTS... BUT YOU KNOW, SANJI... NO MATTER HOW MANY HUNDREDS OF WEAPONS OR ARMOUR ONE IS EQUIPPED WITH, WITH ALL THOSE WEAPONS AND ARMOUR, IT'S ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO BEAT HIM! DAMN IT...” Sanji stands with his back turned, replying with a “I” Zeff continues, “THE ONE WHO FEARS DEATH AND HESITATES FOR EVEN AN INSTANT SHALL FALL TO THEIR DOOM. ON THE PIRATES' BATTLEFIELD WHERE LIFE AND DEATH ARE DECIDED, WITHIN THAT BOY, IF NOTHING ELSE...” Sanji turns sharply and demands, “WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY THATI”

Luffy flashes a wide, toothy grin in extreme close-up, sweat flying as he declares with absolute certainty, "LIES NO HESITATION." He chuckles to himself, "HEE HEE." Below, Sanji and Zeff watch the fight from the restaurant deck. Zeff, arms crossed with his peg leg planted, states, "PERHAPS IT STEMS FROM HIS COMPLETE PREPAREDNESS TO SURVIVE NO MATTER WHAT." Sanji, cigarette in mouth and sweat on his face, finishes the thought, "OR HIS CONVICTION THAT FEARS NO DEATH..." A close-up shows Sanji's shocked expression, eyes wide as he repeats, "CONVICTION...!I" The massive armored figure of Don Krieg swings his weapon with a heavy impact sound "ズチャ...!!" sending debris flying.

Don Krieg looms over Luffy inside the shattered restaurant, cannons and spikes ready, shouting "SAY YOUR PRAYERS! FROM THE MOMENT YOU WENT AGAINST ME, YOUR DEATH WAS SET IN STONE!" Luffy, bruised and determined, glares upward and snaps back, "AS IF!" In the next instant Luffy launches himself skyward with a powerful leap, yelling "JUMP!" as motion lines and impact effects explode around the massive armored body. The fight rages across the broken floor with dramatic speed lines and debris scattering.

Don Krieg growls "DAMN MONKEY...!" while swinging his spiked mace, taunting "HIT ME IF YOU CAN!" Luffy ducks and weaves with wide eyes and an exclamation mark reaction. The armored pirate presses the attack, forcing Luffy into a wild, animalistic frenzy as he yells "OOOH OOOH AH AH!" while grabbing and twisting the massive weapon. Impact effects and motion lines fill the panel as the two clash violently inside the ruined structure.

Luffy is hurled through the air, falling past broken railings as he shouts "FALL" and reaches desperately, "GRIP!" He swings back in with a fierce "HRNGH!" and lands a powerful strike that sends Don Krieg reeling. The armored captain roars in pain "NGHH!" as the mace and chains whip around with heavy impact sounds "ズズッ...!!" and "ズガッ". Luffy clings to the weapon, refusing to let go while the battle tears apart the upper deck of the Baratie.

A close-up shows Don Krieg's armored arm as he declares, "USELESS..." with a metallic "KCHINK!" sound. In the next panel, Krieg violently throws Luffy upward, shouting "THROW" and "HAHH!" as impact lines and motion effects fill the frame. Luffy is sent flying high into the air. The bottom panel reveals Krieg's massive cannon arm firing with a huge "ドン" blast, smoke and debris erupting as Luffy is hurled even farther away, reacting with "!!!".

Luffy stretches his body with "GOMU GOMU..." while breathing heavily, "BREATHE IN". Sanji watches in shock from the side, exclaiming, "A FLAME-THROWER!I HOW MANY WEAPONS DOES THIS GUY HAVE ON HIM!I". The lower half of the page shows Don Krieg unleashing a massive barrage labeled "GATTLING GUN!" as countless fists and bullets rain down toward Luffy amid heavy impact lines and debris.

Don Krieg laughs triumphantly, "KUHAHA HAHA!" while declaring, "ALL ATTACKS ARE FUTILE BEFORE MY WOOTZ STEEL ARMOUR!" and "FUTILE!". He swings his massive armored fist. In smaller panels, Luffy is shown being struck and sent flying with "LAND" visible. The bottom sequence depicts Luffy recoiling from a powerful blow with "!!" as Krieg's punch connects, followed by Luffy looking up and saying "AND...".

A massive close-up shows Don Krieg's spiked gauntlet smashing into Luffy with a huge "BULLET!" impact and motion lines. Luffy is struck hard. The bottom row of panels shows the aftermath: Luffy's face covered in blood with "SPLATTER!", Don Krieg's intense glare, a close-up of Luffy's shocked expression with "DON!", and Krieg's hand gripping his weapon as he exhales "SSSN...".

Luffy is sent flying by a massive armored kick, the impact marked by huge SFX as the armored man roars, "YOU INSOLENT BRAT!" Luffy crashes down with a pained "AGH!" In the next panels Luffy pushes himself up from the rubble, bloodied but defiant, muttering "I'd say I'm just about there..." The towering armored pirate Pearl looms over him, face twisted in rage as he bellows, "AS IF THE GREATEST ARMOUR WOULD BREAK FROM HUNDREDS OF PUNCHES FROM A MERE MONKEY! ABSOLUTELY, COMPLETELY, UTTERLY FUTILE!" Pearl's massive spiked gauntlet swings down with a heavy "ゴン!! ドテッ...!"

Pearl continues his tirade, sneering "AND THOSE WHO DEFY THE STRONG ARE DOOMED TO DIE," while declaring his title "HAMMER BRAT." From the shattered upper deck of the Baratie, Pearl towers above Luffy and shouts, "EQUATES TO THE GREATEST MIGHT!I CAN'T YOU SEE THAT THE GREATEST ARMOUR AND WEAPONRY..." Luffy stands small against the ruined restaurant structure. Pearl's final blow sends the entire platform collapsing in a massive explosion of debris and smoke, the armored man tumbling downward with a startled "!!!I" as the structure gives way beneath him.

Onlookers panic as the platform crumbles, shouting "ONLY THE STRONG SURVIVE! IT'S OVER! FUHAHA HAHA! BOMBS!I AHH! HE'S GOING TO THROW THOSE BOMBS DOWN TO DESTROY THAT WHOLE PLATFORM! RUN AWAY, ERRAND BOY!" Luffy stares upward, then grins fiercely and declares "MEANING ME, OF COURSE." He stretches his arm skyward with a "GOMU GOMU..." while a crewmate yells "YOU IDIOT, DON'T RUN TOWARDS HIM! GET AWAY! IT'S A TRAP!" Luffy launches himself upward in a powerful leap toward the falling Pearl.

Luffy's stretched fist slams into Pearl's armored chest with tremendous force, the impact creating a massive "バキン" SFX. Pearl recoils in shock, shouting "HOW USELESS... BECAUSE THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT I THOUGHT YOU'D DO!" Nearby crew react with horror "!!!I" Pearl smirks confidently, "THERE ARE SOME THINGS YOU CAN'T OVERCOME WITH WILLPOWER ALONE..." Luffy's determined glare meets him as Pearl is blasted backward in a huge explosion labeled "BAZOOKA!" sending the armored man flying through the air amid debris.

The armored giant reels from the impact, a massive crack forming across his chest plate as he is hurled backward through the air. "BUT I'LL COMPLIMENT YOU FOR MANAGING TO PUT A SMALL CRACK IN MY ARMOUR!" he roars. In a close-up, his eyes bulge with manic glee beneath his spiked helmet. "KUHAHAHA! YOUR ATTACK WAS USELESS AGAIN! THIS IS THE EXTENT OF YOUR STRENGTH!" he laughs. The next instant he launches a devastating counter, his massive fist smashing downward amid a colossal explosion of smoke and debris. "NOW YOU CAN DIE HAPPILY!" he bellows as the blast engulfs the area. Below, Sanji watches with narrowed eyes while Luffy's face twists in shock. "OR HIS CONVICTION THAT FEARS NO DEATH... ERRAND BOY!" the armored man growls. Sanji's eyes widen in alarm as he shouts, "PERHAPS IT STEMS FROM HIS COMPLETE PREPAREDNESS TO SURVIVE NO MATTER WHAT,"

Luffy's arm stretches impossibly far, twisting and coiling as he shouts "GOMU GOMU..." before unleashing a thunderous double-fisted strike. "BAZOOKA!" The colossal impact shatters the armored man's chest plate into flying fragments, sending him flying backward with a spray of debris and broken spikes. The warrior's eyes bulge in disbelief, his helmet cracking as the force hurls him through the air. "!!!!I" he gasps. In the final panel Luffy's face appears, teeth gritted and eyes blazing with determination as the dust settles around the ruined armor.

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