One Piece: Fist of the World
Chapter 96: Nia vs. Tanaka

Chapter 96: Nia vs. Tanaka

"Don’t try to escape." As Nia moved Baccarat away from the golden ocean, a voice echoed. A man in golden armor with an oversized head, Tanaka, appeared beside them.

Swoosh! Nia put Baccarat down and instantly appeared before Tanaka, delivering a powerful kick. Boom! Her attack missed, hitting the ground and leaving a cracked footprint.

"Swoosh, cluck—" Tanaka’s body emerged from the ground in another spot, his pistol pointed at them. "It’s useless, it’s useless. I’m Tanaka, the one who ate the Piercing Fruit. I can pass through anything at will. Your attacks can’t hit me." He fired continuously, the bullets narrowly missing Nia and Baccarat.

"Is this also your ability?" Nia asked Baccarat, recalling the Lucky-Lucky Fruit power Baccarat had revealed earlier. Nia now understood why Rhodes was so determined to get her—she could directly improve luck, a perfect complement to Rhodes’s method of acquiring Devil Fruits by consuming bad luck.

"Probably not," Baccarat replied, explaining that luck was an illusory concept, and she couldn’t quantify or consciously control her "good luck." She did, however, know something about Tanaka. "This big-headed man is the kind of person who likes to deliberately miss his target and then torture his enemies."

"It’s really bad!" Nia exclaimed.

"This is the grand show I carefully prepared! Let me torture you two to my heart’s content first, and then I’ll send you off." Tanaka’s words, coupled with his continuous taunting and unpredictable movements, infuriated Nia. "You can also try to catch me and see."

Shave! Nia utilized the Six Powers technique, flashing around, attempting to land a blow, but Tanaka was too fast, always just out of reach.

"Swoosh, woosh, woosh— you work hard, so funny!" Tanaka’s taunts grew louder, his joy increasing with Nia’s frustrated attempts.

Neru vs. Dice

Meanwhile, another confrontation began. "You are also an enemy, right?" A tall, strong man named Dice stood before Neru, looking down at him. "Let me, Dice, be your opponent!"

"Are you a sniper?" Dice noticed the black gun in Neru’s hand and showed a hint of regret. "Not enough! I’m afraid your attacks aren’t enough to please me!" Dice stretched out his hand, and the flowing gold nearby instantly formed a massive golden battleaxe in his grip. Tesoro, despite battling Rhodes, was still directing his gold to arm his subordinates.

Neru remained calm, assessing the situation. Swoosh— A golden light flashed as Neru swiftly moved, appearing some distance away. He raised his black gun, aiming at Dice. He looks very strong and like a powerful opponent. But he is very agile.

"Not bad, your speed." Dice tilted his head, a smile spreading across his face. "You are a sniper, come on, shoot me first." He pointed his thumb at his head. "Just shoot right here!"

"So he’s a pervert," Neru thought, his expression unchanged. His hands remained steady on the black gun. "But since you asked." The black gun in Neru’s hand vibrated rapidly, and several bullets, infused with a layer of Armament Haki, shot towards Dice almost simultaneously. An enemy revealing a flaw should never be ignored.

Bang, bang, bang— The specially made, Haki-infused bullets struck Dice’s head. Bang!! Dice’s head snapped back, and a stream of bright red blood spurted out.

"So comfortable!" Dice lowered his head, revealing a scalp heavily coated in Armament Haki. A deep wound marked his forehead, blood slowly trickling down his cheek. "Give me more!"

He is indeed a pervert! Neru sighed internally. While his own Armament Haki wasn’t particularly powerful, the combined force of the Haki-infused bullets from his black gun had proven effective against Brigadier General-level Navy officers in the past. Here, five precisely aimed bullets, all hitting the same spot thanks to his powerful Observation Haki, only made this strong man named Dice bleed slightly. Physically and psychologically, this guy was an absolute pervert.

"What? You can’t do it anymore?" Dice’s face showed a trace of disappointment as he gripped his golden battleaxe. "Then let me give it to you!" Despite his massive frame, Dice was incredibly fast. He instantly appeared before Neru, raising the golden battleaxe high, and brought it down.

Boom!! The moment the axe blade struck the ground, a violent impact shattered the floor, sending gravel flying.

"Don’t mess around, kid," Dice said, lifting his head slightly to look at Neru, who had appeared a short distance away. "Come face to face with me!"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As Rhodes battles Tesoro, the casino’s other powerhouses engage the remaining Rhodes Pirates. Nia and Baccarat are confronted by Tanaka, the Piercing Fruit user, who uses his intangibility to taunt and evade Nia’s attacks, demonstrating a sadistic delight in tormenting his opponents. Simultaneously, Neru faces off against Dice, a formidable, Haki-infused opponent who welcomes Neru’s direct bullet attacks, revealing his own "perverted" desire for more punishment. Despite Neru’s powerful and precise shots, Dice’s incredible durability and speed make him a challenging foe, as he seeks a head-on confrontation.

With Tanaka’s elusive tactics frustrating Nia and Dice’s brute force and unusual masochism challenging Neru, how will these individual battles progress within the chaotic, gold-covered casino? Will the Rhodes Pirates be able to overcome Tesoro’s elite subordinates, and how might this affect the main confrontation between Rhodes and Tesoro himself?