At the port.
"Honestly, they all run so fast."
Baby 5, whose arms had transford into machine guns, complained as she looked toward the town's interior.
Although the battle here was no longer in doubt and only a few enemies remained...
The departure of Wyper and the other elites left the responsible Baby 5 with no choice but to stay and hold down the port.
She had noticed long ago that the Captain had left.
He was most likely going to find Manlong.
She had originally planned to find the Captain once the battle at the port was over.
But by the ti she realized it, she was already a step behind.
"Chopper, don't be afraid! With your strength, you can easily take them down."
After complaining, Baby 5 turned around and loudly encouraged Chopper, who was not far away.
After Chopper joined, Baby 5 had accompanied Zane to test his strength.
Although he hadn't trained extensively, his reindeer physiology made Chopper no less powerful than a beast-type Zoan user, possessing a naturally strong body.
"I... I know!"
His legs couldn't stop trembling, but hearing Baby 5's encouragent, Chopper responded loudly.
Transforming from his cute Hybrid Form into his muscular Heavy Point, Chopper mustered all his courage and charged toward the enemy with a shout.
It turned out that as long as Chopper found his courage, the low-level mbers of Baroque Works were no match for him.
Within just a few moves, the enemies in front of him were knocked to the ground by Chopper.
"I won!"
Seeing the enemy defeated by his own hands, Chopper cheered excitedly.
*Bang!*
Baby 5 quickly moved in front of Chopper, transforming her right arm into a shield to block the bullet.
"Idiot, you can't let your guard down just because of a montary victory." Her left arm, a machine gun, fired away, riddling the shooter with bullets.
While counterattacking, she didn't forget to scold and guide Chopper, who had shrunk back into his small raccoon form out of fear.
"I... I understand."
Slumped on the ground, Chopper was in tears, looking utterly pitiful.
.......
Hunting Team Elites VS Baroque Works Officers.
"Everyone's so motivated!"
Scanning his subordinates who were busy finding their own opponents, Zane felt quite satisfied.
It wasn't ambition he feared, but a lack of drive.
Regardless of how they were recruited, as long as they t his standards, he believed he provided them with extrely generous treatnt.
This applied to training.
It was the sa for their lifestyle.
The forr went without saying.
As for the latter.
The girls in the Pleasure Districts at the supply points they passed during the voyage could testify to it.
Train hard, and play hard.
If nothing else, while Zane was enjoying the best life had to offer, he wouldn't force his subordinates to live like monks.
They were all vigorous, grown n.
At every supply stop, he would generously provide them with plenty of spending money.
Whether they went to the Pleasure District or sought other entertainnt, he supported them as long as they didn't cause trouble.
Zane only kept a casual eye on the fights involving Wyper and the other elites; his main focus was on Manlong's battle.
Boom, boom, boom!
Sand swirled wildly, and deafening roars echoed through the air.
As they clashed again, the intensity of the fight between Manlong and Crocodile suddenly spiked.
Both sides went all out.
One pushed Fishman Karate and Haki to their limits, while the other displayed the overwhelming power of a Logia type.
The increase in intensity mainly ca from Crocodile.
He was clearly provoked by Zane.
Feeling slighted, he obviously wanted to crush Manlong as quickly as possible to reclaim so dignity from Zane.
However...
'While his Haki isn't completely gone like in the original plot, this level of power is clearly a sign of a decadent will...'
Zane, watching the battle closely, couldn't help but shake his head.
Crocodile was indeed going all out, wanting to defeat Manlong quickly.
But given Manlong's resilience and Crocodile's current state, "quickly" was going to be difficult.
Take Haki, for example.
Within the range of Zane's Observation Haki, he could clearly sense Crocodile using Armant Haki.
This was actually normal.
If Crocodile didn't have Haki, he wouldn't have had the nerve to face Zane.
Nor would he have achieved such illustrious feats as challenging Whitebeard or fighting Douglas Bullet in the past.
But having Haki was one thing.
Zane didn't know what Crocodile's level had been in the past.
But now, the Armant Haki Crocodile displayed felt quite diocre to Zane.
It was so diocre that one could tell at a glance that Crocodile's spirit had faltered.
Considering how he had abandoned the pursuit of strength over the years to sche in Alabasta—searching for Ancient Weapons and attempting to overthrow the governnt...
Zane guessed that his spirit had likely been broken by Whitebeard.
The best evidence was his irrational and intense reaction to Whitebeard during the Summit War in the original tiline.
Haki depended on one's will.
When the spirit wavered, the most direct result was the decline of Haki.
While Crocodile's mastery of the Sand-Sand Fruit was impressive, his lack of Haki undoubtedly ant his strength had regressed compared to his peak.
The result was the battle before him.
Even fighting with everything he had, Crocodile was still unable to secure a victory.
Of course, this was also due to Manlong's performance.
With his relentless training and natural talent, Manlong's growth rate was truly astonishing.
Zane considered himself a genius too.
But even between geniuses, there were gaps.
If he hadn't been using cheats, he might have already been surpassed by Manlong by now.
Seeing Manlong hold his ground through sheer tenacity despite being at a disadvantage against a Warlord like Crocodile...
Zane felt truly gratified and happy.
Ten minutes... half an hour... an hour.
Ti ticked by.
Without realizing it, everyone else's battles had ended.
Only the ongoing duel between Manlong and Crocodile remained.
A full hour passed.
Even though he was covered in wounds and blood flowed uncontrollably, Manlong remained standing, albeit wobbly.
On the other side.
Unable to win the prolonged fight.
Crocodile had long lost his initial composure and looked utterly wretched.
Not only was he gasping for air, but Manlong had also left several scars on his body.
CRACK!
Covered in blood and moving solely on willpower, Manlong swayed as he tried to step forward again, but he was imdiately blocked by Zane, who arrived like a bolt of lightning.
"That's enough. You perford exceptionally well in this fight. Now, get so rest."
Zane spoke softly, looking at Manlong's dazed eyes.
He placed a hand on Manlong, a door appearing in his palm. Using the Munch-Munch Fruit, he sent him into the Munch-Munch Space within his body.
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