Chapter 148: Lao G

More than a dozen Warrior Women fiercely besieged the old man, their clashing Haki creating devastating shockwaves across the surrounding beach.

Yet the old man proved exceptionally powerful, using a bizarre martial art to suppress the multitude of Warrior Women. He struck with lethal precision, injuring anyone he touched.

It was clear now that he was the formidable enemy they had been warned about.

A short while later, all the Warrior Women who had besieged him were lying injured on the ground, gravely wounded as cries of agony echoed everywhere.

At this moment, aside from Elder Nyon, there was no combat strength left on the side of Amazon Lily.

Elder Nyon stood before the golden ship, cold sweat pouring down her face. This intruder was simply too powerful; the strength of the Warrior Women alone was no match for him. The invader's objective was crystal clear—he was after this golden ship.

Yet she knew very well that apart from its peculiar exterior, the ship housed an even more precious treasure: the natural-type Rumble-Rumble Fruit. Therefore, she could not surrender it to him under any circumstances; it was the hope for Amazon Lily's future rise.

Judging by the current situation, however, unless the Empress returned in the nick of time, no one would be able to stop him.

"Old hag, your strength is no match for mine. Out of respect for the Empress, I have no desire to take your lives. Hand over the empty ship obediently, and I will leave Kuja Island immediately. But if you try to stop me again, remember—the Young Master gave orders that anyone who stands in our way shall be executed without mercy!"

The old man struck a bizarre martial arts pose and spoke with a sinister grin.

Elder Nyon involuntarily stepped backward. Both of the intruders she had encountered were exceptionally formidable, and dozens of Warrior Women had proven to be no match for them at all.

"Audacious scum! Do you not know that Kuja Island is the territory of the Warlord of the Sea, the Pirate Empress Boa Hancock? How dare you act so insolently here! Are you not afraid of offending the Kuja and facing a worldwide bounty?"

Elder Nyon took a deep breath, leaned on her snake staff, and shouted fiercely. As the former emperor of three generations of Amazon Lily, even in her old age, her majestic presence remained intact. This old man was too powerful and clearly beyond her ability to handle. Yet she could not abandon the Rumble-Rumble Fruit either, leaving her with no choice but to invoke the Empress's name in hopes of frightening him away.

"The Empress's name might fool others, but it is completely useless trying to scare me. Let me say it again: hand over the empty ship, or I will have no choice but to kill you!"

The old man sneered. While the Empress's name was indeed fearsome, he was an executive of the Donquixote Family! Their Young Master, Donquixote Doflamingo, was also a Warlord of the Sea, and in terms of strength and backing, he was not afraid of Boa Hancock in the slightest.

Seeing the disdainful look on his face, Elder Nyon instantly guessed that he likely backed by a massive and powerful faction.

The News Coo had not visited for many days, leaving her completely ignorant of the outside world's situation. But since a powerful faction had made a move to seize the golden ship, something major must have happened—most likely related to the events at Impel Down a few days ago.

"It seems you refuse. Then you shall die."

"Earth-Warping Fist!"

Coating his fists in Armament Haki, the old man leaped forward with astonishing speed, faster than an arrow. His fist shattered the air as he smashed it toward Elder Nyon with all his might.

If that punch landed squarely, Elder Nyon would likely be killed instantly, her blood staining the earth.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Three piercing sounds broke the air as three arrows coated in Armament Haki came flying with formidable power, capable of easily piercing human flesh. They shot toward the old man like bursting meteors.

The old man flicked his arm, his Armament Haki-infused limb deflecting the arrows away with a sweep, before turning his gaze toward the direction from which they had been fired.

Two figures walked slowly out of the forest, both young women with exquisite appearances.

"You shall not harm Elder Nyon!" Marguerite drew her bow and notched an arrow, taking aim at the old man before her.

"They really are coming one by one to throw away their lives. Little girl, since you wish to die, I will grant your wish." He launched into action instantly, swift as lightning. Unfazed by the oncoming barrage of arrows, he waved his hand, shattering them to pieces, and then struck out with a palm toward Marguerite.

Shu Mingyuan rubbed his face and sighed helplessly. The identity he had worked so hard to conceal was probably about to be exposed again.

The moment he laid eyes on this old man, he recognized who he was—the bizarre martial arts postures, occasionally striking the shape of the letter 'G'. This man was none other than Lao G, an executive of the Donquixote Family!

A master of martial arts and Haki, he was an adept in close-quarters combat who would later defeat Chinjao the Drill, leader of the Happosui Army, possessing formidable strength.

From the old man's earlier conversation with Elder Nyon, Shu Mingyuan already understood that this conflict ultimately stemmed from the Flying Dutchman. It appeared that ever since his escape, not only was the World Government hunting him down across the globe, but other pirates were searching for him as well.

It was evident that the Flying Dutchman was a prize coveted by every faction. If the outside world ever discovered that the ship held the Rumble-Rumble Fruit, even the Four Emperors might be stirred into action.

Shu Mingyuan had killed Diamante on Gaja Island and now ran into Diamante's subordinate, Lao G, here. Truly, he seemed destined to cross paths with the Donquixote Family, though such a fate was nothing less than a mortal feud.

Marguerite was his benefactor; naturally, he could not stand by and watch her throw her life away.

Furthermore, the Flying Dutchman was his personal property. For these two sides to fight to the death over his belongings here—had anyone bothered to ask for his permission?

Though his current physical condition prevented him from using ninjutsu or physical techniques, it did not mean he was entirely devoid of self-protection. Do not forget, there was another entity residing within his body.

The One-Tail, Shukaku.

"Little Jiu... come out and play."

A soft voice echoed in Shu Mingyuan's mind. Lao G's palm thrust forward with overwhelming momentum. Marguerite's breath caught; pinned down by a crushing pressure, she was paralyzed and could only watch helplessly as the palm descended to crush her.

Yet, the hand stopped abruptly right before Marguerite's brow. The gust from the palm fluttered her short golden hair, but that dark hand, akin to the Grim Reaper's scythe, could not advance even a fraction of an inch further. Never...

"It... it stopped."

Marguerite's pupils widened instantly. In that single moment, she had felt the breath of death. The exhilarating joy of surviving a narrow escape left a sheen of cold sweat soaking her back.

Focusing her gaze, she saw strips of yellow quicksand wrapping around Lao G's legs, binding his entire body like ropes. Under this restraining force, his thrusting palm was held fast by a mighty pull.

"This is... quicksand?"

Lao G looked on in disbelief. Given his strength, he had failed to notice when he had been bound by the sand. Such power could only belong to a Devil Fruit user. He glanced past Marguerite, and perched on the shoulder of another beautiful girl was a cute, juvenile creature. It resembled a tanuki, adorned with faint purple wind-god markings on its body.

Seemingly harmless to humans and animals alike, an invisible wave of energy was actually radiating continuously from its body. Lao G's expression tightened; the dangerous aura chilling his spine was emanating precisely from this little tanuki.