One Piece: A Warlord's Path

Chapter 794: Sanji, Chopper, and Franky vs. Otto and Cavendish

The four Straw Hats couldn’t help but gasp at the sight before them.

"That’s... SUPER powerful!" Franky was internally shaken. An attack like that... he likely couldn’t withstand it without piloting the General Franky.

"Wahhh—so scary! The New World is terrifying!" Chopper wailed, tears streaming from his eyes like twin fountains.

"Is that guy... a monster?" Nami trembled, and this time it wasn’t from the freezing cold, but sheer terror.

Arriving on this island for no reason, appearing here for no reason, and now being attacked by a freak for no reason, it had been a completely nonsensical day!

"Since you’ve decided to attack us, don’t blame me for fighting back! Fooo.." Sanji exhaled a ring of smoke from his cigarette. The ring drifted through the frigid air, slowly dissipating.

In the next instant, Sanji’s foot kicked off the ground. He blurred forward, closing the distance to Otto in a heartbeat. He leaped into the air, his leg carrying a whistling gale as it swept toward Otto’s neck.

THUD!

A heavy, powerful whip-kick slammed into Otto’s neck, snapping his head to the side. A dull thud echoed as the air vibrated, sending a shockwave that kicked up a flurry of snow.

"Haha! His neck must be broken! That’ll teach him!"

"Yeah! Great job, Sanji!"

"Super stylish!"

Seeing Sanji’s attack connect squarely with the freak’s neck, Nami and the others immediately cheered. Knowing their chef’s strength, capable of snapping the steel necks of Marine Pacifistas, could this guy’s neck really be harder than solid steel?

However, unlike the cheering trio, Sanji felt a surge of unease. It felt as though he had kicked something far more unyielding than steel; even a solid steel pillar of the same thickness would have bent or snapped under that blow.

But this man...

Otto slowly leaned against the force of Sanji’s leg, forcing his neck back to an upright position. His golden-brown bestial pupils flickered with surprise. "Black Leg Sanji, huh... When did the Marines become so arrogant? To think a man with this level of strength only has a bounty of 77 million Berries."

This level of kicking power was not a bit weaker than Smoker’s attacks; in terms of raw strength, it might even be a step above. How could he not even have a 100 million bounty? The gap between his strength and his bounty was far too vast!

"Uh..." Nami and the others suddenly felt as if they were being choked, their cheers dying in their throats.

"Tch... what a stiff neck!" Sanji gritted his teeth, flipping back to land on the snow, staring grimly at Otto.

"Be careful! That man is Orc Otto, the 5th Division Commander of the Chris Pirates!" Smoker shouted out Otto’s identity, warning Sanji for reasons even he might not fully understand. "He’s a bio-engineered combatant possessing superhuman strength, transformation, berserk states, and regeneration. He is one of the peak masterpieces of the Chris Pirates’ biotechnology!"

"The Chris Pirates! A bio-engineered soldier?!" Sanji was startled. The name ’Chris Pirates’ brought to mind a man as powerful as a god; if this guy was a subordinate of that monster, it made sense that he was a freak himself.

Learning that Otto wasn’t a Devil Fruit user but a product of bio-tech sent a jolt through Sanji, even unearthing a distant, buried memory. Strictly speaking, he himself was a product of genetic engineering.

"A bio-engineered soldier!!! SO COOL!!!"

Suddenly, Chopper and Franky’s eyes transformed into sparkling stars as they stared at Otto in awe.

"That look in their eyes..." Faced with such a gaze for the first time, Otto felt incredibly awkward, and his menacing aura actually faltered slightly.

Perhaps because Smoker had shared the Alabasta incident with the Straw Hats, he knew they weren’t like ordinary pirates, leading him to actually trust Sanji and the others in this moment. It was ironic, a Marine Vice Admiral trusting a pack of pirates, but such was the charismatic pull of the Straw Hat crew.

"The man with the sword, ’White Horse’ Cavendish, is also an executive of the Chris Pirates!" Smoker glanced at Law before continuing his warning. "He has a dual personality. He’s the rumored ’Kamaitachi of Rommel.’ His inner persona, Hakuba, possesses swordsmanship twice as powerful as the already genius Cavendish!"

"Oh?" Cavendish smirked, not bothering to deny it. He actually enjoyed the fame that ’Hakuba’ brought him.

Sanji cast a surprised look at Smoker, not quite understanding why the Marine was being so helpful. But he didn’t dwell on it, focusing instead on Cavendish. Another troublesome fellow, he thought. Though they hadn’t traded blows yet, the title of ’Chris Pirates Executive’ was enough to make him go all out.

"Really now, in this frozen wasteland, to see two such beautiful ladies is truly a delightful surprise!" Cavendish held a rose, sniffing it with narcissistic grace. "However, what a pity. Just like this rose in the cold wind, you must wither on this island!"

His expression shifted instantly as he crushed the rose in his hand, his voice laced with mock regret.

Sanji’s face darkened. He shouted, "Chopper! Franky! Watch the swordsman—"

Before Sanji could finish, Cavendish gripped Durandal and blurred forward like a gust of wind. "Die, Straw Hats!"

"Biken: Blue Bird!!!"

Fwoosh—

The brilliant blade lunged forward with blinding speed, a piercing whistle trailing in its wake as the surrounding air spiraled into a turbulent vortex.

"I’m the target, huh... I’m SUUUPER excited now!" Sensing the incoming gale, Franky roared: "Franky Fireball!!!"

WHOOSH—

Franky opened his mouth wide and unleashed a massive torrent of flame, forming a giant, high-temperature fireball. The surrounding temperature spiked instantly, causing the snow beneath them to hiss and melt.

BOOM!

A violent explosion rocked the area as the fireball collapsed. Intense heat and wind scattered in all directions, vaporizing the snow.

"A decent attack, but useless against me!"

Through the dissipating flames, Cavendish charged forward, appearing right in front of Franky. Durandal flashed with a brilliant light as it slashed out like a bolt of lightning.

CLANG—

The ear-piercing screech of metal on metal rang out. Franky’s forearms acted like shields, blocking Cavendish’s blade head-on. A shockwave rippled out, and Franky was forced back several steps. A deep gouge appeared on his thick, square mechanical arms, revealing the circuitry within.

"Franky!"

"Dammit! Heavy Point!!!" Seeing Franky pushed back, Chopper cried out. His body swelled instantly, transforming from a small mascot into a blue-nosed titan over two meters tall, covered in thick brown fur. He swung a massive fist at Cavendish.

"What?!" Cavendish was caught off guard by Chopper’s sudden growth and barely managed to dodge the blow.

BOOM!

The ground shook as Chopper’s fist cratered the snow.