"Who are you people? How did you get here?"
When Baichuan and the others appeared at the entrance of the bandits' stronghold, the gatekeeper immediately noticed them and demanded an answer.
"We're the ones here to kill you."
Now that they had arrived, Baichuan had no intention of wasting words. He was ready to settle things quickly.
"Kill us? Hahaha! You guys must still be dreaming. Coming here spouting nonsense… Since I'm in a good mood today, I'll let you go. Better get lost before you can't even make it back down the mountain."
At that moment, no one took Baichuan's words seriously.
"I think I'm already wide awake. But you, you'll never wake up again."
As soon as Baichuan finished speaking, he appeared right in front of the man, slashed his throat in one move, and before the others could react, he'd already taken them all out, without giving them a chance to say a single word.
"Wow, charging right in? That's so badass," Katherine said, clearly excited as she looked at Baichuan's back.
"Who are you? How did you get in here?" someone else asked as Baichuan stepped into the stronghold.
But Baichuan didn't bother responding. He simply drew his blade and struck.
"Enemy attack! We've got intruders!"
One bandit, smarter than the rest, saw Baichuan holding a blood-soaked blade and immediately shouted out a warning.
"Smart of you. But even if you've figured out who we are, it won't stop you from heading straight to hell."
Baichuan's voice rang in his ear like a devil's whisper.
"No, please don't kill me," the man stammered, trembling without daring to look back.
But that was fated to be the last sentence he ever spoke in this life.
"Damn it! They dare kill our men? Looks like you're tired of living. Brothers, get them! Tear them apart!"
The bandits who came running saw the corpses of their comrades and the only four standing, Baichuan's group, prompting them to roar in anger.
"Let's go. Just make sure you protect yourselves."
"Got it!"
Shanks showed a bloodthirsty grin and charged forward instantly.
"Buggy, stay in the back and protect Katherine. No need to be on the front lines."
"No problem!"
Buggy was very pleased with this assignment; nothing made him happier than avoiding direct combat.
With several dozen bandits suddenly appearing, even Buggy felt a little nervous.
But Baichuan and Shanks charged into the group like wolves into a flock of sheep. No one could withstand more than three moves from them. Amid the chaos, Buggy even managed to steal a gun and began sneaking up from the rear.
"You're so useless."
Katherine smacked the back of Buggy's head in frustration.
"How are you so different from that little brat, Shanks? Look at him, he's helping out and holding his own."
"This is called strategy, okay? You wouldn't understand. When those two are exhausted, I'll still have energy to help them escape."
Buggy justified his cowardice with what sounded like a surprisingly reasonable argument.
"Back in the day, Shanks and I even dared to stand up to Whitebeard. We said we were going to take his head! Do you know who Whitebeard is? The man known as the world's strongest!"
Buggy started bragging about his past, though thinking back to that moment now sent chills down his spine. He must've been hyped up by Shanks back then.
Now, just the sight of Whitebeard made Buggy's legs tremble. Ever since their first encounter, he'd made sure to avoid the Whitebeard Pirates as much as possible.
"Is that so? I didn't expect you to have some brains."
Katherine wasn't sure if she actually believed him or was just humoring him.
"Of course!"
Buggy looked pleased with himself.
Back on the battlefield, Baichuan and Shanks were only getting fiercer; their strength seemed unstoppable.
"You two, that's enough!"
Suddenly, an angry voice rang out in everyone's ears. A massive figure, nearly two meters tall and powerfully built, entered the scene.
"Boss! You're finally here!"
The surviving bandits looked like they were on the verge of tears. They had been completely overwhelmed and feared the next blade might be their last.
"Oh? So you're their boss? You look pretty strong," Baichuan said.
"Why did you come here looking for trouble?"
The bandit leader's expression was grim.
"No real reason. I just don't like you people."
"'Don't like'? Heh. That's the kind of thing I usually say to others. Didn't expect someone to throw it back at me. Good. You've pissed me off now."
With that, the bandit leader raised a spiked club that was half his height and swung it at Baichuan.
"Well, damn."
Baichuan raised his blade to block, but the sheer force of the club sent him flying.
"Baichuan!" Shanks shouted.
Baichuan stabilized himself mid-air and landed steadily on the ground.
"Didn't think you were actually that strong. I let my guard down for a second and almost got knocked out," he said calmly, rotating his arm like it was no big deal.
"Oh? Not bad. You blocked it," the bandit leader said, now clearly interested.
"Let's see if you can block the second one."
He charged again.
Now that Baichuan knew he was outmatched in brute strength, he wasn't going to clash head-on again.
As the spiked club came crashing down, Baichuan leapt back, narrowly dodging it as it brushed past his nose.
"Shanks, don't worry about me, go deal with the small fry first," Baichuan called out when he saw Shanks about to help him.
"I'll be fine. Just clean them up."
"You sure, Baichuan?"
"Relax. He's not taking me down."
Baichuan smiled confidently.
"Cocky, aren't you, kid?"
The bandit leader slammed his club into the ground, creating a massive crater.
"But there's a difference between confidence and arrogance."
"Well, you'll see soon enough which one I am."
"Interesting."
The leader sneered. "I've lived a long time, but I've never seen someone as arrogant as you."
"Well, now you have."
Baichuan charged forward, swinging his blade at the man's head.
But the attack was blocked effortlessly.
Still, Baichuan didn't lose heart; the fight had just begun, and he was only now entering his optimal state.
"Oh? Starting to change things up, are you?"
The leader saw the sharp focus in Baichuan's eyes.
"Well, since you're my opponent, I can't fight the same way I did before."
"Good."
Both moved at once, their weapons clashing, sparks flying from the impact.
The rush of adrenaline surged through Baichuan's entire body, and a smile of exhilaration appeared on his face.