Chapter 93 The taste of defeat?

Author: Xiao Yifeng

Translator: PapaSmurf0700

Vivi's encounter with Pell, the adjutant of the Alabasta kingdom's guards, marked a significant moment. As she called out his name, "Adjutant Pell!" Pell, recognized as the strongest fighter in the kingdom and known as the Falcon for his Devil Fruit powers, showed a dramatic change in expression. "Princess Vivi!!" he exclaimed, his voice reflecting both surprise and relief.

Pell, a tall man with distinctive features resembling a falcon, especially with the purple lines running down from under each eye, stood out with his unique appearance. He was fairly muscular, evident even under his long white robe adorned with brown star-like motifs. His attire also included a matching hat, a large orange necklace, striped socks, and regular shoes. Notably, he carried his sword on his right hip, suggesting he might be left-handed or ambidextrous.

As Pell's eyes met Vivi's, they were filled with a mixture of excitement and concern. Ten days prior, Igaram had returned to the kingdom and reported the situation regarding Princess Vivi's disappearance. Despite the report, Pell had been filled with worry until seeing Vivi with his own eyes.

"It's okay, Princess Vivi, we will take you back to the palace right away," Pell assured her, seeing her eagerness and noting Karoo, who appeared exhausted and on the verge of collapsing. He offered words of comfort to both of them.

However, Vivi was quick to shake her head and express her urgency. "Pell, we have to go back quickly, if we are late, Luffy and the others will be in danger," she said anxiously, her concern for her friends evident. She began to pull Pell, indicating her readiness to move immediately. Karoo, equally determined, turned around, ready to launch into action.

As Pell and Vivi tried to make sense of the situation, an unexpected voice caught their attention. "Excuse me, did this lady just say the name Luffy?" someone asked from nearby. The moment Pell heard this, he instinctively went on high alert, calling out, "Protect Princess Vivi!!" He realized that it was no small feat for someone to approach so close to them, especially in a place guarded by a hundred-man guard, without being detected.

Turning towards the source of the voice, Pell and Vivi saw a man standing there. He was a tall, muscular young man with curly black hair and noticeable freckles. One striking feature was the tattoo on his back, a symbol of the Whitebeard Pirates: purple bones forming a cross behind a purple skull with a white mustache. Additionally, he had another tattoo on his upper left bicep that spelled "ASCE" vertically. He was bare-chested, wearing black boots, knee-length shorts with an eyelet-studded orange belt, and a blue pouch belted around his left leg. He also wore an orange cowboy hat.

The man looked at them with a friendly smile. "I'm sorry to scare you, but I can't help it. I really care about Luffy," he said, his smile bright and disarming, like the sun breaking through a haze. His demeanor and presence gave Vivi the fleeting impression that Luffy was right there with them.

The young man then lowered his cowboy hat slightly and asked with genuine concern, "And, did you just say that Luffy is in danger?" 

-----

In the midst of a heated battle, Luffy unleashed his Gomu Gomu no Whip attack, shouting with fierce determination. His right foot, covered in Armament Haki, stretched out with the force of a whip, lashing towards Stainless with a clear intent: "Don't hurt my friends!!"

Stainless, ever so calm, responded with Rokushiki - Paper Art. His hands remained casually in his pockets as his body transformed, becoming as thin and flexible as paper. This skill allowed him to effortlessly dodge Luffy's powerful strike.

Suddenly, there was a loud boom, and a cloud of smoke and dust erupted. Stainless vanished from his spot, reappearing beside Luffy. Luffy's right leg, having struck a nearby house, was still retracting from the force of his attack. Stainless, seizing the moment, moved his right foot to attack. "It's over, Straw Hat!" he declared.

As Luffy braced himself to counter the attack, Bai Ye, positioned on a roof, executed his technique, Xun Gua - Wind Blade. Multiple wind blades, sharp enough to cut through iron and stone, appeared silently, rapidly approaching Stainless from behind, targeting his neck.

Stainless, unfazed, commented on the attack with a hint of amusement, "Not a bad move? Unfortunately, it's too slow." He then employed Rokushiki - Iron Body. The technique transformed his previously soft body into one as hard as steel, his neck covered in Armament Haki to bolster his defense.

CLANG! The wind blades made contact with Stainless's body, emitting a crisp sound upon impact. Bai Ye, observing the effectiveness of his attack, felt his eyelids twitch in frustration. 'Is he that strong?' he wondered, realizing the challenge they faced.

Although Bai Ye's attack didn't succeed, it provided Luffy with a chance to escape from Stainless's attack range. Stainless, seeing Luffy retreat, stopped his assault but wore a peculiar frown, suggesting a mix of surprise and contemplation at the turn of events.

In a sudden and swift move, Sanji burst onto the scene, his right leg engulfed in flames from bottom to top, enhanced by Armament Haki. He launched into his attack, Black Leg Style - Flambage Shot, aiming directly at Stainless's face. This aggressive move momentarily contorted Stainless's expression into one of displeasure.

"What do you want to do, little one!!" Stainless exclaimed, clearly unamused by Sanji's audacious attempt. Using Rokushiki – Shave, Stainless effortlessly dodged Sanji's fiery kick. With a mocking tone, he retorted, "I have to teach you some manners not to try to kick somebody's face."

But before Stainless could react further, he suddenly had to look up. Zoro, with his swords imbued with Haki, leaped from the side roof, chanting a powerful incantation. "The nine mountains and eight seas constitute one world! A thousand of them form a small chiliocosm! And when I gather and cube that chiliocosm, there's nothing I can't cut! Three Sword Style Secret Technique! The Billion-fold World Trichiliocosm!!"

With one sword in his mouth and the other two in his hands, Zoro's swords spun rapidly, descending upon Stainless with immense force. BOOM! The impact was so intense that it cracked the ground, creating large pits in an instant. Zoro, half-kneeling in the pit, realized with a slight shrink of his pupils, 'I missed?!'

Above them, Stainless used Rokushiki – Moonwalk to step on the air, effortlessly avoiding Zoro's attack. He even had the leisure to light a cigarette mid-air, his demeanor relaxed yet scornful. His wretched temperament was on full display as he taunted them, "Oi, you almost killed this old man."

Nami, with a soft sigh, expertly wielded her weather stick. "Wind and Thunder - Attack!!" she commanded. A gust of wind swept fiercely over Stainless's head, followed by a resounding rumble of thunder. A fierce thunderbolt, like a warrior from the heavens, struck down towards Stainless.

Usopp, standing beside Nami, confidently pulled the triggers of two magnums in his hands. "Magnum – Fire Tornado!!!" he announced. The bullets, imbued with the powers of fire and wind elements, were fired rapidly. BANG! BANG! The hurricane of roaring flames spiraled up from Stainless's feet, encapsulating him in a vortex of elemental fury.

For the first time, Stainless's expression shifted, sensing the threat from both above and below. "Elemental attack? Are they Devil's Fruit users? I think not," he mused, quickly dismissing the idea. He then noted the weapons in Nami and Usopp's hands and recalled the information he had about the Straw Hats. His attention turned to Bai Ye. "Priest Bai Ye, is this another method of your so-called Daoism?" he inquired, a hint of surprise in his tone. He hadn't expected that someone other than Bai Ye could control multiple elemental powers.

Stainless, usually nonchalant with his hands in his pockets, now took a more serious stance. He withdrew his right hand to his waist and unsheathed a katana. His expression became more focused as he prepared to engage. With two swift chops of his sword, Stainless effortlessly countered the combined attack of Nami and Usopp, which they had meticulously prepared.

"Straw Hat Pirates, you really gave me a good warm-up," Stainless commented, his tone casual. He landed on the ground, looking at the regrouped Straw Hats with a relaxed and composed demeanor.

Stainless, observing the Straw Hat Pirates with a discerning eye, slowly began to speak, his voice carrying a tone of both surprise and analysis. "You are obviously pirates who just came to the Grand Line. Not only have you learned Haki, but you even have such strong attacking moves," he remarked, his words acknowledging the skills and capabilities of the Straw Hat crew.

As he spoke, Stainless's gaze moved across each member of the Straw Hat Pirates, eventually settling on Luffy and Bai Ye. "It's really quite surprising," he noted, a hint of genuine intrigue in his voice.

The Straw Hat Pirates, upon hearing Stainless's assessment, felt the weight of the situation. They were facing an adversary who recognized their strengths yet remained unfazed by their abilities. Even Luffy, known for his often carefree and confident demeanor, appeared unusually tense and serious.

The confrontation between the Straw Hat Pirates (except for Raccoon) and the Navy Vice Admiral - Complete Defeat.

P.S Earlier, I made a mistake and mistranslated the guy in the yellow suit. But now I've corrected it and it should be fine.