The Enlivened Legion

"Die, brat! Wugagagaga!"

Baka roared with laughter as he charged forward. Despite his massive size, he moved with shocking agility and speed, barreling straight at Cross.

But just then, the statues lining both sides of the street suddenly sprang to life. Stone knights, warriors, and other humanoid figures raised their weapons high, hurling them at the charging Oli Baka.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh...

A hail of stone spears, swords, and axes flew through the air, smashing into Baka's enormous frame.

Thud, thud, thud—

The sounds were like rocks striking cured leather. The attacks bounced harmlessly off the monstrous muscles that bulged beneath Baka's skin. His body was like a wall of iron. The flying weapons shattered, unable to even scratch him.

But the force behind the barrage, combined with the element of surprise, was enough to break his momentum and bring him to a halt.

Two days earlier, Cross had already explored every inch of Skoggy, the City of Sculptures. He had deliberately touched each statue and carving he saw. Thanks to that foresight, he could now enliven any of them at will.

Landing lightly from above, Cross stood in the center of the street, commanding the newly awakened statues to regroup around him.

"Fight for your master!"

"Kill! Kill! Kill!"

"Rooaarrr!"

"Screeeee!"

Knights, warriors, wild beasts, giant eagles... dozens, even hundreds of stone and metal figures surged to life, moving with uncanny realism.

"My... my artwork moved?!"

"Am I seeing things?"

"Heavens! I've seen ghosts!"

Chaos erupted among the townspeople, caught between terror and awe.

Seeing the rising tide of animated statues, both Oli Baka and Bel von Gero stiffened. Their expressions darkened, as if recalling something unpleasant from the past.

Gero scanned the surroundings grimly and called out in a heavy voice, "We need to retreat. There's no winning this now!"

But Baka's bloodshot eyes blazed with fury. An aura of raw power erupted from his body like a volcano.

"Just give me one more second. I'll crush him!"

BOOM!

In the next instant, the stone pavement beneath Baka's feet cracked and exploded. Spiderweb fractures radiated outward as he launched himself like a cannonball. The air howled with the force of his charge, sending violent gusts in all directions.

"He's so fast!"

Cross barely had time to react. One blink, and Baka was already upon him. The killing intent poured over him like a tidal wave, nearly suffocating.

"Watch out!"

Feli shouted in horror.

"Muscle Bombardment!!!"

With a roar, Oli Baka's right arm suddenly swelled, thick as a war elephant's leg. Muscles and veins bulged like writhing dragons. He threw a punch so powerful, it felt like a fortress cannon being fired point-blank.

"Damn it... I can't dodge!"

Cross's eyes widened as the massive fist filled his vision. The shockwave ahead of it slashed at his face like knives. Even the air around him had been distorted, compressed and warped, slowing his reflexes and making escape impossible.

So instead, he stood his ground.

In one swift motion, he grasped the hilt of his blade, Kagehide, and summoned all his strength.

Three unornamented but deadly slashes carved through the air.

"Ittoryu: Heavenly Fang!!!"

As Kagehide cut through the sky, a white mist, almost like glowing vapor, burst from the blade, compressing the very air into visible shockwaves.

BOOOOM—

Blade and fist collided with a thunderous roar. The entire block seemed to tremble.

A split second later, shockwaves erupted from the clash, ripping a crater into the street. Blinding white gales tore across the battlefield, shredding the sky and battering the earth.

The ground shook violently. Houses on both sides of the street creaked and cracked. Windows shattered. Roof tiles flew like shrapnel.

"O-One blow...?"

"He's only fifteen?!"

"These two are monsters!!"

Screams echoed. CP agents stationed nearby were swept away like leaves by the sheer force of the blast.

Moments later, both Cross and Baka were thrown back from the collision, skidding several steps before regaining balance.

"Impossible!!"

Baka's eyes were wild with disbelief.

"There's no such thing as 'impossible,' you idiot!!"

Cross spat through gritted teeth, his expression savage.

"YOU'RE DEAD!!"

Like a furious beast, Baka roared and stomped forward again, fists raised to crush his opponent.

But Cross didn't meet the charge. Instead, he crouched low, slamming his palm to the ground.

"Enliven: Inorganic Reincarnation!!!"

RUMBLE—

The earth before him exploded, forming massive stone tendrils made from paving stones, rubble, and black-brown soil. The makeshift arms lashed out and smashed Baka straight off his feet.

"What the hell is that?!"

Bel von Gero, who had been watching from the side, stepped back in alarm. "Are those... part of his Devil Fruit ability too?"

Suddenly—ROAR!

A deafening lion's cry rang out.

Gero turned just in time to see a majestic stone lion lunging at him. He leapt aside, a massive surgical scalpel materializing in his hand.

SHNK—

A flash of cold white steel, and the lion's head hit the ground.

Then he noticed. He was surrounded.

Sculptures and statues of all kinds were closing in from all directions.

"Out of my way!"

Nearby, Baka climbed to his feet, snarling with rage. He swung his fists like wrecking balls, smashing several stone knights into rubble.

"Enlivened Legion, forward!!"

Cross roared the command.

Dozens more sculptures rallied, knights and warriors armed to the teeth, majestic beasts and mighty birds, even gargoyles and legendary monsters like gryphons and manticores.

Baka and Gero's eyes widened.

In mere moments, the entire street had become a battlefield, surrounded on all sides by a legion of living statues.

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