Chapter 210: Decapitation by a Single Sword-Stroke
"Captain Hina!"
Two Marines stood ramrod straight, their right hands raised in a crisp salute. The ones guarding the prisoners were almost all branch Marines; the HQ elites were eating.
Even within the Navy, there was a significant difference in treatment between HQ and the branches, between ranks, and even between different branches.
In the end, this vast world was ruled by pure violence.
A man's romance, a warlord's ambition, the Navy's justice, the World Government's greed... all of it, at its core, was rooted in pure violence.
Only the strong could conquer the Grand Line. Only the strong could defeat all opponents. Only the strong could make their voices heard.
This was the underlying logic of this world.
Therefore, these branch Marines, including Hina, would not argue. Their weakness was the reason for their treatment.
Kaito Shirogane followed Hina, watching the woman maintain her cold, aloof facade. She waved her hand.
"You two go eat. I'll interrogate them for some intel."
The two had no objections. This was Mock Town. The HQ Vice Admirals were still nearby. And the two captives were both in Sea-Stone Handcuffs. Their job was really just to watch.
After they left, Hina took a deep breath and led Kaito into the massive warehouse.
Because the infected monsters were so large, they could only be held in this abandoned shipyard.
As they entered, they saw a mountain-sized gray wolf lying on the ground. Much of its fur was gone, revealing large patches of flesh. On those wounds, tiny tendrils of flesh were constantly writhing.
Jabra, after being fully corrupted, had also gained an abnormal level of bodily activity.
This activity allowed his flesh to constantly regenerate, far faster than a normal Zoan user, but it was a pathological activity, like cancer, madly draining his body's nutrients, completely uncontrolled.
On the other side, the three-meter-tall humanoid monster, with long limbs and covered in blue-black scales, was Moon Fiend. She was chained to a steel pillar, also in Sea-Stone Handcuffs.
Kaito looked at her twisted joints and the two blades stuck in her shoulders. Gion and the others must have done that to restrict her movement.
The Vice Admirals had likely discovered that, unlike Jabra, Moon Fiend was not the type to be weakened to helplessness by Sea-Stone.
In fact, the Sea-Stone Handcuffs had no effect on her at all.
Hina's breathing quickened as she saw the two monsters. She could feel the pressure radiating from them. These things weren't just big; they held terrifying power.
One pounce, and she'd be dead.
"You can go. Just be ready to act later."
Kaito Shirogane waved his hand, just as casually as Hina had dismissed her own men.
Hina didn't feel it was wrong. Their relationship was not one that rank could define. She was completely cowed by this man's dangerous personality and violent methods. She didn't dare resist. Besides, he held her dark history—her collusion with that "god" that led to the deaths of so many Marines.
Hina lowered her head and walked out. She didn't go far, stopping nearby to keep watch for him.
After Hina left, Kaito lightly clapped his hands.
"Hey, Jabra, Moon Fiend. You're both still conscious, right?"
His [Transparent World] had clearly detected that both monsters' heart rates had changed when the two of them entered.
Jabra struggled to lift his eyelids. His eyes were so large that it was an effort. He was clearly affected by the Sea-Stone, his body weak.
Hooo...
A foul stench came from the giant wolf's mouth. The red in his eyes had faded, either because Roland was dead and the corruption was weakening, or because his body was so weak that his reason was returning.
But Jabra didn't speak.
Kaito Shirogane walked over to Moon Fiend. He smiled, looking at the unresponsive monster, and tapped her scaled thigh.
Pok, pok, pok...
The sound was slow, but Moon Fiend, who was trying to maintain her sanity by feigning sleep, felt her heart grow heavy. A thick sense of mortal danger returned.
She opened her eyes and met Mercenary Tao's cruel smile.
Boom!
In an instant, that terrifying hatred and bloodlust returned. She opened her mouth, revealing sharp fangs.
"Mercenary Tao... I'll kill... urk!"
A sharp force jabbed her collarbone, cutting off her voice. Kaito had, at some point, leaped onto her shoulder. His left hand, fingers formed into a sword, was pointed at her neck.
"Jabra, Moon Fiend. Relax. I'm here to save you."
Kaito's form was light as he leaped off her.
Shk! Shk!
He pulled the blades from her joints. The next second, he floated like a crane to Jabra's feet. He tore off the Sea-Stone Handcuffs and, seeing they were not "redeemed" items and couldn't be taken from this world, tossed them aside in disappointment.
Outside, Hina shivered. A strong, foul stench hit her. Her body tingled—her instincts screaming at her.
With the Sea-Stone gone, Jabra's power returned. The writhing flesh instantly repaired his skin, and his fur grew back at a visible rate.
Jabra's eyes flashed with a savage light. His reason vanished. He lifted his giant paw.
Boom!
The ground shattered. Jabra smashed through the main door and fled.
Vmmm!
A sword's hum howled through the air.
Kaito's body twisted, flashing. A jade-green sword-light passed over his body and shot toward the warehouse door.
Pff! Pff! Pff!
Awooo!
Amidst the werewolf's pained howls, Moon Fiend's form blurred, leaping out of the warehouse and vanishing.
The struggle in Moon Fiend's eyes faded. She knew this was Kaito's trick. He had let them escape. Only then would he have a "justifiable reason" to kill her in front of the Marines.
But her mind was in chaos. She was being driven mad by the corruption, her emotions uncontrollable.
Slashing the werewolf as she escaped was the most she could manage. Now, she could only hope Kaito would kill that troublesome werewolf first, letting her get away.
Pff!
A dull slice. As Moon Fiend ran, she looked back, only to see the terrifying arc of a massive, pitch-black greatsword, followed by the werewolf's giant head tumbling from the sky.
"A monster's escaped!"
Hina shouted, firing her pistol in the air as a warning. Her face was cold. She watched Kaito, who had just decapitated the wolf, stomp on the air dozens of times, instantly taking off after the other monster.
She knew he had let that monster escape. Whether it had attacked the werewolf or not, Kaito would have killed the werewolf first.
Despite their short acquaintance, Hina knew Kaito was a man loyal only to his objective. If he wanted to kill someone, he would never leave an opening for them to fight back and escape.
The only explanation was that he was pressuring her.
That sword-wielding monster... that was Kaito's real prey. It had something he wanted...
[You have killed Native Character: Mutated Jabra.]
[You obtained 1500 Dimensional Points.]
(End of Chapter)