"Don't even think about running!"
Vlad roared as the glow on his forehead intensified. His right arm shrank back to its original size, though it remained covered in red fur.
This form was undoubtedly more suitable for combat at normal human proportions.
With wind beneath his feet, he gave chase at full speed, ignoring Mr.1 who kept his head down and ran.
Neither of the two sprinting figures noticed the silhouette carrying a little girl entering through the castle gates.
"Take care of that one and then you can rest."
"Okay~"
The Negative Hollows reappeared, passing through Vlad like a bullet before piercing through Mr.1 as well.
Their fleeing figures overlapped as Perona didn't bother controlling the Phantom's trajectory.
She was exhausted—today's activities had already exceeded her limits.
Fortunately, the Negative Hollows' effect wasn't diminished by multiple targets. Both men now lay prostrate on the ground, beginning their humiliating breakdown.
"I can't even control my own arm! How could someone like me ever be King!!
I should just bury myself in the cemetery tomorrow!"
"Such failure!! Couldn't even complete my first bounty, always running from fights...
Might as well become a fruit peeler at the grocery store!"
The Kappa Army members who came running at the commotion were baffled by the sight of the two men weeping facedown on the floor.
"What's wrong with His Highness?"
"Isn't that boy our target?"
"Should we help them?"
"Enough, don't cause more trouble here. Everyone out!"
At Dier's signal, the three Kappa Army captains led the bystanders away.
Only four people remained in the vast castle.
Dier first placed the exhausted Perona on a sofa, then found the washroom to fetch a bucket of water.
When the powerless Mr.1 was thrown into the wooden tub, he lifted his head defiantly:
"Just who the hell are you?"
Dier's face remained hidden behind his mask as he ignored the question.
Compared to Mr.1, he was more concerned about that barrel of ink in the secret chamber.
Vlad had already regained his senses by now, though his right arm remained in its Red-haired Beastification state.
"Are you alright like this?"
The glow from Vlad's forehead suture line faded as he shook his head. Flexing his clawed right fist experimentally, he said happily:
"The strength is much weaker than before, but I can control this form now."
"Then let's not waste time. We're leaving."
Dier picked Perona up again—leaving her alone in the hall was out of the question.
Vlad led the way. Having returned here every New Year to accompany the old King, he knew the castle's layout well.
Activating a hidden mechanism in the master bedroom, the walls parted to reveal a staircase descending underground.
At the bottom stood a stone door that opened into the Treasure vault with a simple push.
The vault contained surprisingly few treasures. Dier casually placed a gem-encrusted crown on Perona's head.
Vlad tapped along the vault walls until he found the secret chamber's entrance.
Using his beastified right arm, he drew a drop of Glabella Blood from his forehead and smeared it on the wall.
RUMBLE!
The wall lifted upward, revealing a massive passageway—three meters wide and six meters tall.
Such dimensions seemed excessive for ordinary human passage.
Dier guessed this was designed for the old King's fully beastified form.
Without lingering, the three continued forward and soon arrived before another stone door.
Dier: "..."
A staircase lay behind the pushed-open bedroom wall, leading to a stone door at its end. Beyond the stone door was the treasure vault, and lifting the vault's wall revealed a passage that terminated at yet another stone door.
"Don't tell me there's just another stone door behind this one?"
"No, no, this is the last one."
Vlad gave an awkward chuckle and once again smeared a drop of Glabella Blood onto the stone door.
With a rumbling sound, the door swung inward.
Light flooded the square stone chamber, revealing nothing but a barrel of ink.
And a massive Bone Sword embedded in the ground.
"So big~"
Dier tilted his head back, his expression one of astonishment.
The Bone Sword was entirely bone-white, half-buried in the earth, yet even the exposed portion reached the ceiling.
Its total length was estimated at twelve meters.
Coincidentally, the minimum height standard for an adult giant was also twelve meters.
"Is this a weapon meant for giants?"
"Probably not."
Vlad scratched his head, equally puzzled.
"It definitely matches the design of Father's sword, but how did it get so big?"
Did it grow after being planted in the ground?
He stepped forward and gently ran his right arm along the blade.
Boom!
The Bone Sword trembled and began to shrink rapidly.
In the blink of an eye, it had reduced to the size of a normal longsword, now held in Vlad's grip, leaving only a large pit in its wake.
Dier watched dumbfounded—this power dynamic felt off.
Was this some kind of family artifact?
He had long suspected that named blades in the Pirate world had the ability to adjust their size freely.
Take Enma, for example—it fit perfectly in the hands of the three-meter-tall Kozuki Oden, yet remained just as suitable for the one-meter-tall Zoro.
But those were minor adjustments, nothing like shrinking from over ten meters down to a normal size.
"Can I take a look?"
He reached out, hoping to examine the Bone Sword, but Vlad shook his head.
"No. I can sense that the moment it leaves my hand, it'll revert to its original size."
To demonstrate, he tossed the sword aside, and it instantly expanded back to its massive form, embedding itself motionless in the pit.
Observing Vlad's red-haired right arm, Dier guessed this might be paired with that barrel of Blood Ink.
"Let's search around first—see if your father left any instructions."
The chamber held only two items: the Bone Sword and the Blood Ink.
And beneath the barrel of Blood Ink, there was indeed a note.
Vlad picked it up and read aloud:
"Blood Ink is used to seal the Devil Bloodline within the Wolf family, aiding them in gradually mastering this power."
By the time he finished the sentence, the smile had frozen on Dier's face.
This wasn't what he had imagined.
Sealing the Wolf family's Devil Bloodline?
A flicker of realization crossed his eyes as he recalled Vlad's transformation.
The glowing suture line on his forehead, his right arm swelling to human size.
If the cause and effect were reversed—
The awakening of the so-called Devil Bloodline caused Vlad's right arm to expand and his suture line to glow, which then sealed the awakened Devil Bloodline.
"The Bone Sword is forged from the spine of a Devil. Once a member of the Wolf family masters the Devil's power, they can freely control the sword's size."
"Alright, stop there."
Dier waved his hand dismissively, feeling somewhat bored. Since mass-producing super soldiers wasn't feasible, this barrel of Blood Ink held minimal value to him.
On the other hand, Vlad's worth had increased slightly. He wasn't suited to lazing around here playing king—he was far better suited for battle.
With the Devil Bloodline combined with the Mythical Zoan, reaching the pinnacle of combat prowess wouldn't be an issue.
"Put that sword away. We're leaving."
"Right away, boss!"
Vlad tucked away the note and once again willed the Bone Sword to shrink back to its normal size before turning to follow Dier's retreating figure.
As they walked, his brow furrowed involuntarily.
Was Dier… floating as he moved?