90: Chapter 86, Fourth Gear, Bouncing Man

An excited shout exploded from the smoke and dust.

Luffy's arm suddenly shot out from the smoke and dust, grabbing a stone pillar on the other side of the ring. His rubber arm retracted sharply, and his entire body catapulted out of the rubble like a slingshot.

In mid-air, Luffy did a somersault and landed steadily.

The edges of his vest were scorched by White Flames, a red mark from a pipe strike remained on his waist, and a little blood seeped from the corner of his mouth.

Yet his smile was even brighter than before.

"Hahahaha!"

"Ace! Sabo! You guys really are strong!"

Ace raised his hand to wipe away the blood from the corner of his mouth, caused by the wind of Luffy's punch.

"Know fear now?"

"Not at all!"

Luffy answered loudly.

Sabo shouldered his pipe again, his chest heaving slightly.

"Luffy, both your speed and strength have become much stronger than two years ago. However, relying only on Gear Second and Armament Haki isn't enough."

"Yeah."

Luffy nodded.

His expression suddenly became serious.

"So, I'm going to use a new move."

Ace frowned slightly.

Sabo's eyes also grew solemn.

In the stands, Carl took his cigar out of his mouth and sat up slightly.

He knew what Luffy wanted to do.

For the past two years on Rusukaina Island, besides Gear Second, Third Gear, and the three types of Haki, Luffy had been trying to develop a new combat form.

By blowing air into his muscles to make his body gigantic, and then using Armament Haki to strengthen his skin and muscle tension.

The initial attempts were miserable.

When Luffy first transformed, he flew around the island like a leaking balloon, eventually crashing headfirst into Carl's lunch, and was chased across half the island by Carl, who held him by his belt.

The second time, he finally managed to control his body, but because of the excessive Haki consumption, he collapsed on the ground five minutes later, unable to even chew meat.

The third time, fourth time, fifth time...

Each time was more stable than the last.

Until now.

Carl blew a smoke ring, the corners of his mouth curling up.

"Finally willing to bring it out, huh."

Toy Soldier looked at him in confusion.

"What?"

Carl didn't answer.

On the ring, Luffy bit his left thumb, but didn't blow air into his bones like he did for Third Gear.

He raised his left arm, covered in Armament Haki, to his mouth and took a deep breath.

"Armament Haki, Hardening!"

Black Haki quickly covered his arms.

"Gum-Gum"

Luffy blew air violently into his arm muscles.

"Whoosh!!"

His arms inflated instantly.

Air flowed along his muscles; his chest, shoulders, waist, abdomen, and legs changed in succession. Luffy's body expanded and grew larger at a rate visible to the naked eye, his muscle contours bulging exaggeratedly, and the surface of his skin covered with black and red patterns formed by Armament Haki.

White steam swirled around his shoulders like ribbons.

His feet kept bouncing, but his massive body wasn't clumsy at all; instead, it was like a rubber ball full of power, causing the ring to vibrate slightly with every landing.

"This is..."

Ace's eyes became completely serious.

Sabo gripped his pipe tightly, shock flashing in his blue eyes.

The audience seats exploded completely.

"Straw Hat Luffy got bigger?!"

"What kind of form is that?!"

"Such strong Armament Haki!"

"Why is his body constantly bouncing?!"

Luffy bounced in mid-air, black and red Haki lightning crackling around his right fist.

He looked down at Ace and Sabo and grinned.

"Gear 4"

"Bounceman!"

The moment his voice fell, Luffy's figure vanished suddenly.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Every time he launched himself, he left a ring of exploding air waves in his wake.

Ace and Sabo's Observation Haki sounded frantic alarms simultaneously.

"So fast!"

Sabo turned around abruptly.

Luffy had already appeared above his head.

His massive right fist compressed into his arm like a heavy cannon charged to its limit.

Armament Haki covered his fist, with black and red lightning dancing around it.

"Ace! Sabo!"

Luffy's voice was full of excitement.

"Take this punch!!"

The right fist, compressed to its limit, shot out with a boom.

The air exploded in layers in front of his fist.

Ace's White Flames shot into the sky.

Sabo gripped the metal pipe with both hands, his Armament Haki covering his entire body without reservation.

Both looked up at the same time.

At this moment, there was no fear on their faces.

Only a smile exactly like Luffy's.

Inside the Coliseum, Carl held his cigar, his eyes reflecting the massive black fist descending from the sky.

Carl's smile deepened.

"That's more like it."

"When brothers fight, they should show their real skills."

The next instant.

Luffy's giant fist collided with the soaring White Flames and the metal pipe wrapped in Armament Haki!

Boom!!

Luffy's giant fist, descending from the sky, collided violently with Ace's soaring White Flames and Sabo's metal pipe wrapped in Armament Haki above the central ring.

At that instant, the entire Corrida Colosseum seemed to have been put on mute.

There were no cheers, no screams, and even the sound of the wind disappeared.

Everyone only saw a blinding white light suddenly bloom in the center of the ring, like a small sun forced into the Coliseum.

The next second.

"Rumble—!!"

The delayed explosion finally tore through the air frantically.

The shockwave swept across the area with the three of them at the center, and the surface of the central ring crumbled layer by layer. Thick black stone slabs were lifted like pieces of paper, exploding into dust in mid-air. The protective railing near the ring emitted sounds of unbearable twisting, front-row spectators were blown off balance by the air waves, and countless hats, cups, and popcorn buckets flew into the sky simultaneously.

Bartolomeo hugged a pillar, his face distorted by the gale, yet he still stared wide-eyed.

"Luffy-senpai!! So cool, ahhhh!!"

The medical staff member lay on the ground, shouting in despair: "Sir! If you keep yelling, your wounds will reopen!"

"Let them reopen!!"

High in the stands, Carl sat steadily in his seat, the ash in front of him not even blown away in the slightest.

He squinted at the center of the ring.

White Flames, Haki, and impact were tangled there into a chaotic storm.

Luffy's massive Bounceman form was bounced into the air by the recoil, and then returned like a cannonball. White Flames spread out under Ace's feet, and he stood firmly on the crumbling ground. Sabo knelt on one knee, his metal pipe bracing against the ground, his fingers dug into the rubble, but the corners of his mouth were curled in a smile.

"Hahahaha!"

Luffy laughed in mid-air, his voice full of excitement.

"Ace! Sabo! Come again!!"

"You guy, your stamina is still like a monster." Ace raised his hand to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth, White Flames spreading from his shoulders down to his arms.

Sabo stood up and flexed his numb wrists.

"If we hadn't both taken that last punch together, we probably would have been blasted out of the ring by you."

"That's why you two should come at me together!"

Luffy grinned, his body bouncing constantly in the air.

"That's the only way it's fun!"

As his voice fell, he compressed his arms violently into his body, his fists retracting like cannonballs being shoved into a cannon barrel.

"Gum-Gum"

Ace and Sabo looked up almost simultaneously.