C27 Blocking Fruit Power

"Ge, a ship is heading our way."

Aboard the massive sailboat stood a towering figure, two and a half meters tall, with a fierce countenance, dark skin, and clad in an open black leather coat that revealed his muscular chest. He watched the horizon with a menacing grin.

To the left of their vessel, a black speck was rapidly closing in.

"Perfect, more loot for us."

Beside the giant was a short, grotesque man about 1.5 meters tall, with short limbs and curly red hair, who sneered with malice.

His hands sported two steel claws, gleaming with a chilling light.

The ship was manned by other burly men armed with guns, all with a menacing look about them, clearly up to no good.

The black speck drew near quickly; it was a ship some twenty meters long.

"This doesn't look like your average merchant vessel."

Esaki eyed the crew on the large ship, who were intently watching him, and narrowed his eyes.

"Tsk, two people daring to roam the grand sea lanes." Demonshine revealed a cruel smile as he gazed at Esaki, his eyes brimming with avarice.

"He's quite the looker; should fetch a handsome price." Ge licked his lips, his sinister smile fixed on Esaki.

"Except for the short one, we can keep the rest. Our hold's been empty for too long."

"Agreed."

With the agility of a monkey, Ge suddenly leaped, covering the distance to Esaki's ship in a single bound.

Crash!

He landed, and the deck splintered, leaving a gaping hole.

"Is this... a slave ship?" Esaki asked, his eyes narrowed, calmly facing the gaunt figure.

He held back from attacking.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, quite the knowledgeable one, aren't you, kid!" Ge's laugh was wicked, his eyes slowly reddening as his steel claws began to glow faintly.

"A Devil Fruit Power user, eh..." Esaki glanced at the claws. "Then you must have a log pose, right?"

"Of course, I have one... but I'm not in the mood for games right now!"

Ge, irritated by Esaki's composed demeanor, grated his claws together, producing a grating screech, and then charged at Esaki with incredible speed.

But Esaki was quicker.

Boom!

His foot struck Ge's steel claw with phantom-like speed, echoing a thunderous noise.

Kyros didn't budge an inch.

"Tsk tsk tsk, I'm a wielder of the Fruit Power. Your attacks are useless against me!"

He cackled, suddenly exerting force to flip his steel claws, pushing Esaki back. Then, with a swift motion, his claws sliced through the air towards Esaki.

Just then, a gust of wind swept through.

Clang!

Sparks erupted as a massive hook claw intercepted the steel claws.

"Tsk tsk tsk, I told you, your attacks don't work on me," Kyros sneered with confidence.

Ever since he gained this power, he had never been injured. His speed and agility made him a force to be reckoned with, always the one inflicting pain, never the one to receive it.

But as he taunted, a dark shadow plummeted from above.

A colossal iron-blue tail smacked him squarely.

"Ah..."

Kyros's eyes bulged as he was hurled away like a ragdoll, crashing into the ship's railing and breaking it.

"Pfft..." A gush of blood spilled from his mouth, his chest indented.

"How... How is this possible?"

Kyros murmured, unable to fathom what had happened.

"So your so-called invulnerability was just the steel claw blocking the hit. Unless I'm mistaken, the Fruit of Shielding requires armor to block effectively, right?"

Esaki approached the fallen Kyros, kicked aside his steel claw, then squatted down, smiling at him.