Chapter Ninety-Nine: General Snow Colt vs. Shameless Buffon (Please Subscribe, Recommend, and Vote!)

“You are remarkable. Since I donned this mask, no one has been able to shatter it—until you!” The moment these words left her lips, the entire crowd erupted in astonishment.

Especially Stussy, the mysterious CP0 operative who had once declined promotion to admiral and was later assigned directly to CP0 by the World Government. She served as the exclusive bodyguard for the Celestial Dragons during their outings outside the Holy Land.

Throughout her years in CP0, Stussy had only heard of this figure’s name but had never seen her true face. And now, Buffon’s single remark had shattered the mask upon the woman’s visage. Such power under the banner of the Seven Warlords? The implications were staggering...

Yet it no longer mattered. Killing a Celestial Dragon meant only one inevitable fate: capture followed by public execution.

Stussy had no doubt about this. No matter how highly Buffon was regarded by Sengoku, Garp, or Tsuru, crossing this red line rendered all outcomes irreversible.

As for Buffon escaping? That was never a consideration. Even holding his own against Mihawk was impressive, but in the face of Admiral Yukikura’s strength, it was simply insufficient.

It was said that during the Navy Academy’s martial competitions, Yukikura was nearly a match for Kizaru himself—and she was a pure swordswoman, possessing no Devil Fruit abilities.

“That ugly mask—let it break if it must,” Buffon responded calmly, catching Stussy completely off guard. To mock an opponent of admiral caliber so brazenly—surely this man was mad.

Yukikura shook her head and said to Stussy, “Go do what you must. I will handle things here.”

Then, addressing everyone in the plaza, she declared, “If you don’t want to die, step back now!”

No sooner had she spoken than Stussy departed, likely to seek Vivi’s whereabouts.

Those gathered, having witnessed the tremendous force of the two warriors’ clashing, heeded Yukikura’s command and dispersed towards the plaza’s outskirts. Only those confident in their strength remained at the edges to watch.

Meanwhile, atop the clock tower, Mr. 7 and Miss Father's Day found themselves unsure of their next move. According to the plan, either of the two below could easily dispatch them in an instant. But deviating from the plan risked dire consequences.

At that moment, a cold voice resonated behind them: “When those two are too occupied to notice, we make our move!”

Back in the center of the plaza, at the instant Yukikura drew her sword, the scene transformed entirely from before.

Previously, only the blade’s edge glowed with a crimson light. Now, the entire length of the blade was enveloped by swirling "cherry blossom petals."

Chopper, watching with awe, whispered, “Those cherry blossoms are beautiful. If Dr. Hiluluk saw this, he’d surely be delighted!”

But the other seasoned fighters perceived differently. They cared little for the beauty of the moment; instead, they were stunned by the ability to manifest energy into tangible form.

“That’s ‘Flowing Cherry Blossoms’—she truly is extraordinary!” Even though his face was hidden, One Smile’s Observation Haki far surpassed that of ordinary men.

Zoro, curious, asked, “What exactly is Flowing Cherry Blossoms? Is it a technique unique to swordsmen?”

One Smile leaned on his cane-sword and replied seriously, “It’s a whole other level. You’ll understand when you reach that stage.”

Yukikura pointed Senbonzakura directly at Buffon, her wrist deftly rotating clockwise. As the blade stirred, the rain-laced petals formed a swirling vortex.

Buffon did not stand idly by. He cloaked his entire left foot in Armament Haki, then raised it high. A black crescent-shaped slashing wave burst forth, spinning rapidly while contracting—unlike before, when it expanded.

He had realized from his ability to compress air with the Rumble-Rumble Fruit that the tighter the compression, the greater the force. In a one-on-one fight, only by compressing power to its utmost could he maximize effectiveness.

If he had used the same approach as when blocking the rebel forces earlier, Yukikura might have easily evaded the slashing wave.

But Yukikura seemed to counter this, growing the petal-laden whirlwind until its diameter nearly matched her height. At peak speed, it broke free from Senbonzakura’s blade and surged toward Buffon.

The stony ground beneath was cut into countless grooves by the seemingly delicate petals.

Yukikura named this strike: “One-Character Thousand Flower Blade!”

Buffon, meanwhile, forcefully kicked out the compressed slash on his left foot, now reduced to the size of a meter’s diameter.

Silently chanting, “Goalkeeper’s Secret Technique—Clearing Kick—Golden Left Foot!”

The black slashing wave spun swiftly toward Yukikura.

Though small, the cyclone it generated carved a smooth groove into the stone slabs it passed over.

At the moment these two forces collided, everyone present witnessed a scene destined to be unforgettable.

The clockwise-rotating cherry blossom whirlwind and the counterclockwise-spinning black slashing wave met and began to cancel each other out.

For every inch the slashing wave advanced toward the whirlwind’s center, the petals at the outer edge vanished by an inch.

Simultaneously, the slashing wave’s power diminished.

When the two forces finally dissipated, there was no earth-shaking roar nor cataclysmic destruction.

Yet throughout the clash, the scattered petals rained down, pockmarking the plaza’s ground and surrounding structures with countless scars.

At that moment, Zoro asked the opposing faction’s swordsman, Daz Bones, “What’s the strength of that female swordsman?”

The now sword-obsessed Daz Bones, seemingly forgetting their enmity, instinctively replied, “Admiral.”

His words immediately set those nearby on alert. They had known two strong fighters were dueling but never expected this level of power.

Luffy and Usopp of the Straw Hat crew dropped their jaws in shock. “Admiral! Incredible!”

On the city wall, Cobra silently thought, “I was right about her—but killing a Celestial Dragon? That’s truly unexpected.”

Yukikura did not launch a follow-up strike but shook her head and seriously asked Buffon, “Are you sure you won’t surrender? That way, Moria might not get implicated.”

Buffon laughed upon hearing this. He hadn’t expected this CP0 agent to be not only formidable but also adept at psychological warfare.

But Buffon wasn’t considering this. He knew Moria’s character well: no matter how dire things became, Moria would never abandon him. At worst, if they lost, they’d run together.

Still, Buffon wanted to publicly sever ties with Moria, to buy time should Moria take further action.

“From this day forward, I, Castille Buffon, renounce the Moria Pirates. Whatever I have done is no longer connected to Moria!”

Since he could no longer bear the privileged class’s tyranny, he would resist to the end.

As he spoke, fierce flames erupted in his hand. Yukikura’s face showed a hint of surprise—not just at the fire but because Buffon had countered her previous attack.

She had not held back then, believing that even if she couldn’t fell Buffon, she could at least inflict damage.

Yet Buffon had neutralized her strike.

In her prior understanding, only a few could do such a thing; now Buffon joined their ranks.

She was less surprised by his mastery of fire—Stussy had briefed her that Buffon’s flame ability might stem from genetic modifications linked to the Vinsmoke lineage.

“No wonder he cares so much for Reiju—it seems he owes her a great debt. Looks like I’ll have to use my ultimate move to take down this newcomer…”

Thinking this, Yukikura drew Senbonzakura again. With a graceful flourish of her right hand, cherry blossom petals enveloped her body.

Surrounded by petals, she advanced toward Buffon.

This was the first time she had officially used this technique in battle since creating it.

Buffon’s flames surged once more before contracting into a fiery orb about twenty centimeters wide.

As Yukikura approached, the petal radius expanded.

When they clashed, their figures were completely enveloped, vanishing into the ethereal “cherry blossom rain.”

At that moment, Crocodile atop the clock tower ordered, “Now! They’re too occupied to notice—ignite the bombs!”

Before disappearing beside Mr. 7 and his partner, Crocodile’s figure flickered.

Mr. 7 wasted no time, lighting the fuse instantly.

The clock tower’s dial opened, revealing the barrel of a massive cannon aimed at the royal palace’s southern gate—the area most crowded with troops.

It was a plan for indiscriminate destruction, meant to annihilate all three factions simultaneously.

As the cannon fired, a figure burst from the cherry blossom rain, dashing toward the massive, speeding projectile.

Seconds later, a scornful female voice echoed across the plaza: “Castille Buffon, you shameless scoundrel! If I don’t capture you and tear you limb from limb, I’ll never return to Mariejois in this lifetime!”

Buffon caught up with the giant cannonball mid-flight and unleashed his Goalkeeper’s Secret Technique—Golden Left Foot—kicking the cannonball high into the sky.

The explosion blasted a hole in the cloud cover, allowing sunlight to stream down and gradually halt the rain.

Crocodile, dragging the captured Cobra, cursed under his breath as he swept toward the burial hall.

Suddenly, Luffy appeared from nowhere, carrying a bucket on his back, blocking Crocodile’s path.

Meanwhile, the cherry blossom rain contracted but did not vanish entirely, revealing Yukikura’s proud face still wrapped in petals.

Buffon returned to the ground, took the still-unconscious Reiju from Lili, and vanished from everyone’s sight.

Before disappearing, he instructed Lili, “Find Vivi. Have her come with you. Head straight for the Saint Dora Canal. We’ll regroup aboard the Juventus.”

Watching Buffon’s retreat, Yukikura raised Senbonzakura once more, her fury burning fiercely.

Just as she prepared to leave the plaza in pursuit, an unexpected voice interrupted: “This time, let me be your opponent. Don’t worry—I’m just a blind man…”

At that, Yukikura’s anger flared even higher. Ignoring reason, she swung her sword at One Smile without hesitation.

The red slashing wave adorned with cherry blossom petals poured mercilessly toward One Smile.

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Chapter 99: Admiral Yukikura vs. Shameless Buffon—Free Reading.