"Ah! Is that... a ghost?!"
"Help! Help! Guards! Guards!"
"I saw a flash! It's so fast!"
"Run! You'll die!"
"Damn it! Where are the Chris Pirates?!"
The residential area of the Palace Entertainment City was in utter chaos. Hundreds, if not thousands, of people panicked. Over a dozen still-warm bodies lay on the cold ground, their crimson blood a jarring sight.
Slice!
A strange gust of wind swept by, and a screaming noblewoman who was frantically trying to escape suddenly had a deep gash appear across her body, nearly splitting her in two.
"Hurry! Over there!"
"Which bastard is it?! They must have a death wish!"
"Charge! How dare they cause trouble here! Are they trying to die?!"
"Those cuts... it's a master swordsman! Who would dare to commit murder here?!"
Nearby patrols and a small security detail quickly reacted, rushing to the scene. The leader of the security detail saw the slashes on the ground and walls and his face immediately fell.
"Jie, jie, jie... I'll shred your arms, your legs, your entire body! I'll slice everything into pieces!"
A cruel, bone-chilling voice echoed through the air. A strange wind blew in all directions, leaving nothing but a trail of crisscrossing, narrow gashes.
Slice!
Suddenly, the bizarre wind swept through the patrol team. In an instant, blood spattered. Six of the twelve patrol members had a deep sword cut, almost gutting them. They died on the spot.
"Bastard!"
The leader of the security detail roared and lunged, throwing a punch at a fleeting shadow.
BOOM!
His fist hit nothing but air, shattering a large rock garden several meters tall. Countless small pieces of stone flew in all directions.
Slice!
A sharp flash of a blade streaked by, and a deep, narrow wound appeared on the leader's chest. If he hadn't instinctively stepped back, he would have been gutted as well.
"Cough, cough... This is... the Kamaitachi of Rommel!" The heavily injured leader said, clutching his chest as he fell to the ground.
"What?! The legendary 'Kamaitachi of Rommel'?!" The hundred-plus guards were all shocked.
"That... that guy is Cavendish the White Horse!" The leader was dragged away by his subordinates, but he managed to force out the identity of the bizarre wind.
Whoosh!
Standing on a rooftop under the moonlight, Hakuba, holding Durandal, grinned down at the crowd below, his eyes filled with a crazed malevolence.
"Jie, jie, jie... I'll shred you all!"
"Cavendish, the Kamaitachi of Rommel... a dual personality, huh?" A tall figure appeared behind the security guards.
"Captain Gorbo!"
"Thank goodness! Gorbo-san is here!" The guards were overjoyed to see the burly figure of Gorbo walking towards them.
Whoosh!
CLANG!
A gust of wind suddenly appeared out of nowhere, accompanied by the sound of metal clashing. A powerful shockwave erupted, sending the surrounding guards reeling.
"So fast!"
Gorbo's eyes narrowed in surprise as his hardened black arm blocked the sharp blade. He stared at "Cavendish." Even if he could defeat this level of speed, there was no way he could capture him.
"You're worthy of the title 'Kamaitachi of Rommel.' The phantom slashes are no joke!" Gorbo glared at "Cavendish," his voice low and threatening. "Cavendish, are you trying to die here?"
"I'll shred you!"
Hakuba was unfazed by Gorbo's threat. He drew his sword and, in a flash, disappeared from everyone's sight.
CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG, CLANG...
A series of metallic clashes rang out as sparks flew. Hakuba moved at an incredible speed around Gorbo, his sharp Durandal constantly attacking him. While Gorbo was not as fast as Hakuba, his excellent Observation Haki and extensive combat experience easily blocked every single sword strike.
"Get out of my way!"
Suddenly, Gorbo roared and threw a punch like a thunderclap. The air in front of him rippled like water.
BOOM!
The terrifying shockwave shattered a house dozens of meters away, sending a huge cloud of dust into the air.
"That was close! I almost got hit!"
Not far away, a newly awakened Cavendish suppressed Hakuba, regained control of his body, and patted his chest in disbelief. "That power would have killed me!"
"Hm? You're back?" Gorbo was about to continue his attack when he noticed that Cavendish's expression had returned to normal.
"Hey! You bastard! Are you trying to kill me?!" Cavendish yelled, stamping his foot angrily at Gorbo.
BOOM!
A bolt of lightning crashed down, illuminating the area with a blinding flash.
"Yawn... This is so noisy. Why isn't it over yet?"
As the lightning faded, Enel walked towards them, dragging his golden staff behind him.
Pop!
Another figure appeared out of thin air. It was Aeridar, wearing a robe and standing on a rooftop. His face was filled with anger. "Waking people up in the middle of the night... are you trying to die?"
"Enel! Captain!" Gorbo exclaimed, surprised by their sudden appearance.
"Enel-dono! His Majesty the King!" The guards also cried out in relief.
"'God' Enel! 'Golden Ring' Aeridar!"
Cavendish's body tensed, and a cold sweat broke out on his forehead as he instantly recognized the two newcomers.
"White Horse Cavendish, if you don't give me a satisfactory explanation..." Aeridar said, leaning forward. He stared at the bodies and the chaotic scene with cold fury. "Believe me, your body will be hanging at the harbor by tomorrow morning!"
Damn it, he thought. I was just getting to the good part when this commotion woke me up. Of course I'm angry.
Cavendish looked at the scene, large beads of sweat dripping from his forehead. "I... I didn't do this. Do you believe me?"
"Okay, fine! I admit it!" Cavendish saw the disbelieving look on everyone's faces and sighed in frustration. "It's also my fault. I have a dual personality, and my inner self, 'Hakuba' loves to kill. I usually suppress him, but when I fall asleep at night, he comes out to cause havoc and murder people."
Cavendish gritted his teeth, his face full of resentment. He couldn't believe Hakuba's antics might get him killed.
"An interesting guy... a dual personality," Enel said with a smirk, looking at Cavendish with amusement.
Aeridar was silent for a moment, looking down at the bodies. Then he stared directly at Cavendish, his voice cold. "I'll give you two choices: Join the Chris Pirates, or fight your way out!"
"Uh... Heh heh heh..."
Cavendish saw the sinister looks on Aeridar's, Enel's, and Gorbo's faces, and his confidence immediately wavered.
Fight my way out? What if I can't?