Suddenly—
One of the officers' laughter cut off abruptly, like a duck's quack being strangled mid-call. His eyes bulged in horror, as if he had been struck by something terrifying.
His body slowly collapsed to the ground.
"Hey, hey! What's wrong with you?!"
Someone shouted — but then their body stiffened, and they too fell to the ground.
After that, one by one, more officers dropped.
Their bodies were covered in countless tiny holes, as fine as strands of hair.
The Iron Arm Madman's smile froze on his face.
Looking down, he saw blood continuously seeping out of his own body, which was also riddled with countless pin-sized holes.
He looked up at Creed in terror, staggering backward. "It… it really is… Sword Intent…"
With that, he collapsed to the ground with a thud.
No longer breathing.
And so, the infamous captain of the Giant Shield Pirates — the Iron Arm Madman — along with all his senior officers, were wiped out!!
Creed sheathed the Rinne.
Rinne · Ningendō (Human Realm) — rain in the human realm, endless fine drizzle, soft yet all-penetrating.
Though appearing slow, it incorporated the piercing power of Kyōrai (Frightening Thunder).
This battle had given Creed much insight.
In the distance…
The crowd of spectators had long since been stunned into silence.
Only after a long while did they seem to awaken from a dream.
Seeing the completely annihilated Giant Shield Pirates, their eyes almost popped from their sockets.
They swallowed hard, their hearts surging like a stormy sea.
He…
He killed them!
A pirate from the new generation had slain a 500-million-berry pirate from the New World!
They looked at Creed with deep fear — this man was terrifying.
Nearby, Bunian stared wide-eyed at the fallen Iron Arm Madman and his officers, his gaze toward Creed filled with disbelief.
He turned to Ain. "A-Ain, just who is Creed? This is way too scary."
Ain tilted her chin proudly, as if taking the praise for herself. "Zephyr-sensei's prized disciple. Zephyr-sensei personally admitted that Creed's strength is no less than his own."
Bunian's jaw dropped into a perfect "O", eyes wide. "Z-Zephyr-sensei?"
He had once been Zephyr's student too, so he knew just how terrifying the man was.
Though Zephyr hadn't fought in years and was weaker than in his prime, he was still on the level of a Vice Admiral.
Which meant…
Creed already had Vice Admiral-level strength?
And he was only fifteen?!
A Vice Admiral at fifteen.
"Also, Creed is Vice Admiral Garp's grandson," Ain added.
Bunian instantly understood, his expression saying it all.
So he was Garp's grandson.
No wonder he was such a monster.
Looking at Creed, Bunian's eyes gleamed with excitement — it was as if he were witnessing the rise of a new "legend" and a new "era".
As long as he didn't fall, Creed would surely become one of the Navy's strongest powers in the future.
…
Creed, of course, had no idea what the onlookers or Bunian were thinking.
At that moment, the system's voice sounded in his mind.
"Ding! Successfully extracted Golden Mystery Chest."
Creed glanced at the system interface in a secluded corner: [SSS-level Ability Extraction Requirement — Defeat or kill three enemies with treasure chests and SS-level strength (2/3)]
Thanks to killing the Iron Arm Madman, the count had gone from (1/3) to (2/3).
He only needed to defeat or slay one more SS-level enemy with a treasure chest…
And he could unlock the SSS-level ability extraction condition.
Creed put away the Rinne and glanced at the remaining ordinary Giant Shield Pirates. Seeing their captain and officers dead, they were quietly trying to slip into the crowd.
"If you want to die, take another step forward."
His voice was calm, yet it was like the whisper of Death itself, chilling them to the bone. Their captain and officers lay dead in the distance, eyes open in death.
Their raised feet froze midair, not daring to move.
Compared to freedom, life was far more important!!
"Arrest them all. Kill anyone who resists," Creed ordered.
"Yes, sir!"
The nearby Marines hurried forward to restrain the pirates. The latter looked grief-stricken, but none dared resist.
"This port's damage… I don't have to pay for it, do I?" Creed asked Bunian.
"No, the Navy will handle it."
"Good. I'll head back to rest — you handle the cleanup."
Creed left with Ain.
Bunian stayed to take care of the aftermath.
...…
Back at the Marine base…
"Ah, Creed, you're hurt."
The sleeve from earlier had been shredded from the fierce fight with the Iron Arm Madman.
Through the torn fabric, Ain could clearly see the bruises covering his arm.
Creed glanced at it — likely from the high-intensity exchanges during their battle.
"It's fine, just a scratch. It'll be gone tomorrow."
He didn't think much of it — getting hurt in a fight was normal.
"No way, I'm putting medicine on it."
Ain wrinkled her nose, grabbing Creed and pulling him to the infirmary.
"Take… take off your shirt!" Ain's voice faltered, her cheeks flushing, eyes filled with shyness.
…
(End of Chapter)
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