One Piece: A Warlord's Path

Chapter 870: Chapter 870: Unexpected Intervention

"This shorty..."

Carlo’s teeth were clenched as he strained against the downward pressure of the warhammer. The sheer force was so immense that the ground beneath his boots shattered, spider-webbing into a series of jagged cracks.

BOOM—!

Realizing he couldn’t hold the stalemate forever, Carlo decisively pulled back. The metal warhammer crashed into the ring, cratering the floor once again.

Swish—!

Taking advantage of the opening, Carlo delivered a horizontal slash directly across Bara’s back.

Clang—!

The sound of metal clashing against metal rang out, sparks flying into the air. Despite the force, Bara was only knocked back several meters, seemingly unfazed.

"He can even use Armament Haki? Is it battle instinct?!" Carlo’s brow furrowed as he noted the metallic, jet-black sheen coating the dwarf’s back.

Bara climbed to his feet without a hint of emotion. His gaze remained ferocious as he raised his warhammer and charged again, moving like a tireless, pain-numbed puppet soldier.

Seeing this, Carlo stepped forward, leaping into the air. His longsword danced, blooming into an arc of white light that resembled a spill of moonlight in the dead of night. It was a sight of ethereal beauty that hid a lethal edge, the kind of light that reaps men like straw.

Moon Sword: Pale Moonlight!

The sword-light soared across the sky, so dazzling that it drew the eyes of everyone in the arena.

Puchi—!

The brilliant flash forced Bara to squint, slowing his reactions by a fraction of a second. It was only when the blade bit into his flesh and blood sprayed across the floor that he let out a muffled groan, staggering back several steps.

A long, diagonal gash now marred Bara’s chest, the flesh torn open and bleeding profusely.

"How can this be?!"

Pubert’s expression twisted as he cried out in shock.

"Got him!"

Carlo’s eyes lit up. Capitalizing on Bara’s stumble, he lunged forward the moment his feet touched the ground, his sword thrusting with a piercing shriek as it tore through the air.

Moon Sword: Shattered Moon Strike!

However, even while hypnotized, Bara possessed the raw instincts of a wild beast. Sensing the lethal danger, he swung his hammer forward in a desperate arc. The air ahead was compressed by the force, forming a powerful gale.

Clang—!

Another thunderous metallic explosion echoed. Carlo felt a surge of overwhelming power travel up his sword, vibrating with such intensity that it nearly tore his grip apart.

A violent shockwave rippled outward, kicking up a wall of dust. The force sent Carlo sliding back, his feet carving deep grooves into the stone floor.

Seeing this, Pubert’s face lit up with joy. He pumped a fist in the air and cheered, "Beautifully done!"

"What an unexpectedly powerful force," Carlo muttered, his right arm slightly numb, his gaze turning icy.

He glanced toward Pubert, thinking to himself: Bara is a troublesome opponent. It’ll take too long to settle things with him. But if I take out the hypnotist, the situation might break.

Having made up his mind, Carlo pivoted as Bara charged again. He swerved around the dwarf and sprinted straight for Pubert.

"Nani?! He’s coming for me!"

"I won’t let you! Bara, stop him!"

Pubert paled, immediately realizing Carlo’s intent. He screamed for his puppet to intervene. Hearing the command, Bara increased his pace, but compared to Carlo’s agility, he was still a step too slow.

"Damn it! Block him!"

As Carlo drew near, Pubert desperately hypnotized several nearby gladiators, forcing them to act as cannon fodder to buy time for Bara to arrive.

"These guys won’t stop me! Moon Sword: Void Moon!"

Knowing Pubert’s strategy, Carlo let out a low growl and swung his sword, unleashing a crescent of white energy into the air.

Squelch! Squelch! Squelch!

The sword energy slashed through the hypnotized gladiators, cutting them down instantly.

"Oh no!"

Seeing his shields fall in a single move, Pubert’s nerves began to fray. He frantically tried to find another pawn to hypnotize.

However, having seen the "Evil Hypnotist" in action, the other contestants were already terrified. They kept their heads down, refusing to look at him or his trinkets. While he could still use vocal hypnosis, it required time, especially in such a noisy environment. Time he didn’t have.

Suddenly, just as Carlo was closing in, Pubert’s eyes landed on Lucy, the man who had defeated a 200-million-Berry pirate with a single punch. More importantly, Lucy was staring at him with wide, curious eyes.

Pubert felt a surge of joy. Another strong puppet!

Without wasting a second, Pubert reached out toward Lucy, swinging the ruby necklace in that unique, hypnotic rhythm.

"This..."

Lucy froze, his gaze snared by the swinging ruby. His mind began to cloud, his eyes losing their focus.

Pubert’s heart leaped, thinking he had succeeded.

Suddenly, Luffy’s instincts screamed. He gave himself a sharp mental shake, forcing his consciousness back to the surface. "Wait! I almost got hypnotized!"

"Nani?! He broke free?!" Pubert was aghast. He had never seen someone snap out of it right at the point of completion.

"Bastard! Trying to hypnotize me again!" Lucy fumed, a bad memory from his past flashing through his mind.

"Gear 2!!!"

Lucy shouted. His blood flow accelerated, his skin flushing red as steam billowed from his body.

Shua—!

With a heavy stomp, Lucy vanished. Only a faint gust of wind and a swirl of dust remained where he had stood.

BAM—!

In the blink of an eye, Lucy appeared like a ghost directly in front of Pubert. He buried a fist into the hypnotist’s face. The impact sent a visible shockwave through the air, shattering Pubert’s nose and sending teeth flying.

CRASH—!

Pubert turned into a black blur as he was sent flying across the arena. He slammed into the wall below the spectator stands with enough force to crack the masonry before sliding down into the surrounding water.

"...!"

Pubert’s eyes rolled back, his face a mask of blood. He floated motionless in the water.

"Uh... it worked?"

Carlo stopped in his tracks, his eye twitching slightly. He hadn’t expected the target he was working so hard to reach would be swatted away by someone else.

"I’LL KILL YOU!"

A familiar roar erupted from behind. Carlo’s pupils shrank as he spun around.

He saw Bara, still in a murderous frenzy, charging at him with the metal warhammer. Carlo felt a massive headache coming on. "The hypnosis hasn’t worn off yet?!"

"I guess I really do have to beat this guy myself, or he’ll never stop chasing me!"