Chapter 43: Surrounding!

"No... Vegapunk claims to have surpassed human intelligence by 500 years and has developed countless advanced technologies. He must have deduced that the Thunder Fruit can utilize electromagnetic forces, right?" Asa narrowed his eyes, contemplating suspiciously.

He couldn't believe that, with Vegapunk's intellect, he wouldn't have figured out the nature of electromagnetic forces.

"It seems this guy isn't just some research-obsessed scientist... Maybe there's more going on behind the scenes."

Asa's sharp eyes gleamed as he walked, deep in thought. From the corner of his eye, he caught sight of several CP0 agents gradually encircling him.

The masked man with a grin nodded to his fellow agents, all wearing masks, and pulled out a frontal photo of Asa, taken from an unknown source. He compared it and immediately confirmed the match.

Two CP0 agents stayed behind to evacuate the civilians, while he and another agent, wearing a red mask with a sunflower-like hairstyle, strode forward.

"Hibole D. Asa?" The grinning masked man phrased it as a question, but his tone left no room for doubt.

"What do you want from me?" Asa halted, licking his lips, his eyes flashing with excitement. He knew these men weren't here for idle talk.

But rather than feeling threatened, he felt exhilarated. Ever since obtaining the Thunder Fruit, he hadn't had a real fight to let loose. Today, that was going to change.

"The World Government has taken an interest in you. Come with us." The masked agent's tone was commanding, unquestionable.

"Oh? You seem quite confident. Do you really think I'll just follow you?" Asa's body trembled—not with fear, but with excitement. He was pushing himself to his limits, gearing up for battle.

Seeing Asa's trembling, the masked man smirked in satisfaction. "No one refuses the World Government and lives to tell the tale. Joining us is the only logical choice—"

"Hahahahahaha! If no one dares to refuse, then I guess I'll be the first to try!" Asa could no longer contain his desire to fight. His wild laughter cut off the CP0 agent's words, and his iron fist lashed out, eager to strike.

There was no warning, no hesitation—only raw power. The air around his fist compressed into a cannon-like shockwave before even escaping.

The masked man was momentarily startled, but as a top-tier intelligence operative, he reacted instantly. His body twisted unnaturally, morphing like paper. Using "Paper Art" to evade, he effortlessly dodged the blow and, with a light push off the ground, retreated dozens of meters in an instant.

"Hahahaha, this is what I've been waiting for! This is the kind of fight I wanted from the sea!" Asa laughed, unfazed by his missed punch.

If the legendary CP0 couldn't even dodge such an attack, how could they possibly be considered the elite of the World Government?

The silent man with the sunflower mask flinched behind his disguise. He never expected Asa to outright attack an intelligence agency directly under the World Government. Did he have no idea how powerful they were?

But then, he saw it—the unrestrained excitement in Asa's eyes—and he understood.

This madness… It was the same ambition and desire he had once seen in the infamous pirate admiral, Golden Lion Shiki.

However, while the Golden Lion sought to conquer the world, Asa craved nothing but the thrill of battle and the freedom to fight the strongest.

The sunflower-masked agent would never forget the look in Asa's eyes.

"This Hibole D. Asa is too dangerous. Take him down!" the grinning masked agent ordered firmly, adjusting his white robe.

"Navy's Six Powers—Paper Art and Shave?" Asa grinned. This technique was indeed impressive, a stroke of genius in physical combat.

However, once pitted against Observation Haki, which could predict movements, it paled in comparison. Without mastery of Life Return, it was merely a trick to intimidate those who lacked proficiency in Haki.

"This man is dangerous. Attack together!" the grinning masked man ordered, his voice grave.

He never expected Asa to dismiss the name of the World Government so easily. Since diplomacy had failed, they would simply capture him by force. Failure was not an option.

"Understood!" The sunflower-masked agent wasted no time. He kicked off the ground repeatedly, using the immense force to propel himself forward at blinding speed.

"Shave!"

His figure vanished from sight, moving faster than the naked eye could follow.

But to Asa, it was useless.

His Observation Haki allowed him to sense even the slightest shift in wind currents, making it easy to pinpoint his opponent's location.

Moreover, in recent days, Asa had begun experimenting with electromagnetic force. He could now vaguely detect the magnetic field strength of living beings.

If he could fully integrate electromagnetic induction with Observation Haki, his perception would reach unprecedented levels. With the ability to monitor magnetic fields and amplify signals through radio waves, no one would be able to escape his sight.

Perhaps, he would become the first person in history to reach such mastery.

"Not fast enough!"

Asa shut his eyes, abandoning visual perception, and instead focused on the wind's flow. A white silhouette took form in his mind.

The sunflower-masked agent reappeared behind Asa, his index finger extended, its surface gleaming with hardened Haki.

"Finger Pistol—Machine Gun!"

The air screeched as it was torn apart. The deadly Finger Pistol was aimed straight at the back of Asa's head.

With CP0's mastery of martial arts and Haki, a direct hit would pierce Asa's skull.

Even with his body reinforced by electrical currents, he wouldn't be able to completely neutralize the concussive force of the attack.

"Hahahaha! Thunder Teleport!"

Asa suddenly burst into laughter.

In an instant—before anyone could notice—his body flickered.

He had turned.

His iron fist clenched tightly, meeting the agent's attack head-on. He had no intention of dodging. He wanted a direct clash, testing his strength against a CP0 agent.

"Boom!!"

Their attacks collided, sending a shockwave rippling through the air. The impact obliterated the abandoned buildings lining the street.

The ground cracked open, a large crater forming in its wake.

"Hiss..." Asa staggered back two steps, inhaling sharply. His hands trembled slightly, but his eyes burned with excitement.

"Incredible... So Armament Haki can amplify physical strength this much? I need to master it as soon as possible."

He had immense confidence in his reinforced body, yet he had suffered a setback the moment he set foot on the Grand Line. One direct clash, and he was already at a disadvantage.

However, the sunflower-masked agent was even more shocked.

This man had withstood his Armament Haki-imbued attack using nothing but raw physical strength? Was he a monster like Kaido, the rising legend of the New World?

"Tempest Kick—Cross Slash!"

As Asa stood momentarily still after clashing with the sunflower-masked agent, the grinning agent seized the opportunity.

A crisscrossed Tempest Kick tore through the air, aiming to slice Asa apart.

"I've been waiting for this, idiot!"

With Asa's level of Observation Haki, there was no way he'd be caught off guard.

He knew relying solely on raw physical strength without Haki was reckless. In an instant, his body transformed into lightning.

He reappeared beside the grinning masked man at extreme speed, his cells supercharged with electricity, amplifying his movements. Blue sparks crackled around his legs.

And then, with immense force, he launched a devastating kick.

(End Of Chapter)

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