Two black kunai knives spun through the air.
Everyone turned toward the direction they had come from, and there, standing calmly, was a young man.
It was Kurou.
The moment Veildan saw him, her eyes lit up. The despair that had gripped her heart eased slightly with the hope he brought, though her mind was filled with doubt.
Could he really defeat Anderson?
Farmer, meanwhile, was already choking back tears. "You damned brat... you actually came back. We all thought you ran away..."
Kurou hadn't known Anderson would arrive today. After going up the back mountain, he'd stepped out onto the sea, practicing a new jutsu atop the water, that was why Veildan hadn't found him in the hills earlier.
Kurou now shouted, "Pirates! Listen up! If you value your lives, get back to your side and stop fighting the villagers. I'm the one who killed Anderlin! If you want revenge, I'm right here!"
Of course, no pirate would listen to a kid. The fighting continued.
Seeing this, Kurou pulled out several more kunai and hurled them with precision, each one struck a pirate cleanly, knocking them down.
Only then did the Evil Wolf Pirates finally begin to take him seriously. The chaos paused as both sides fell into a tense standoff once more.
Thankfully, the battle hadn't gone on long. Other than Anderson fighting Miller, most of the pirates hadn't engaged yet, so the villagers hadn't suffered heavy casualties.
In short, Kurou's arrival had been timely.
But so what?
To most, Kurou was still just some strange boy with a few mysterious tricks. No way he could stand against someone like Anderson.
Kurou scratched his head sheepishly. "Sorry I'm late, Mr. Farmer."
Farmer smiled and nodded. He still had faith in the boy.
Veildan, however, couldn't take her eyes off Kurou. Her father's words echoed in her mind: "If he can defeat Anderson, I'll marry you to him."
She immediately shook her head. What was she even thinking at a time like this?! She told herself: I'm not marrying this idiot! Never! Besides, as if he could beat Anderson. Ridiculous.
Just as she was thinking this, Anderson spoke. "So you're the little brat who killed my brother?"
Kurou crossed his arms. "That's right."
Anderson's expression darkened. "You've ruined my plans. When I get my hands on you, I'll make sure you die a slow, painful death!"
Kurou smirked. "That's if you can catch me."
"You arrogant little, !"
Anderson turned to Miller. "You. Go deal with him."
Miller stepped forward hesitantly, shame written all over his face.
The villagers glared at him with eyes full of hate. To them, a traitor was worse than any enemy.
As Miller stepped into view, Kurou gave him a mocking smile. "Captain, sir, so you've joined the Evil Wolf Pirates now?"
The provocation made Miller explode with anger. "You little bastard! Don't get cocky! Lord Anderson doesn't need to get his hands dirty, I'll rip you to pieces myself!"
He really thought of himself as one of them now.
With that, Miller charged.
Kurou didn't even bother to dodge. He took the punch directly, and didn't even flinch. Not a blink. Not a wince.
Then, with a flash of white light in the air...
"White Blade!"
A razor-thin arc of chakra carved deep into Miller's chest. He collapsed instantly, defeated in one strike.
"Pathetic waste of space," Anderson sneered.
At that moment, little Jenny came running in from nowhere. "Kurou-oniichan! You have to beat Anderson! If, if you do, my papa said I could, "
"I get it, I get it!" Kurou quickly cut her off before she could finish. He knew what she was about to say, and he'd absolutely die of embarrassment if she said it in front of everyone.
Still, no one truly believed Kurou could defeat the monstrous Anderson.
But the fight had reached its peak, everyone's attention was locked on the two facing off in the center of the field.
Anderson's hands transformed into jackal claws with long, deadly nails, slashing toward Kurou.
Kurou didn't budge. He raised his right arm to block, and the claws, sharp as razors, couldn't penetrate even a millimeter of his skin.
He had condensed chakra into his arm, forming an invisible armor.
Then Kurou extended his left hand, where a glowing blue sphere of chakra began to form...
A chakra sphere, silent and still on the surface, yet swirling with intense motion within.
Kurou gave a faint smile, and hurled it toward Anderson.
"Rasengan."
Anderson immediately sensed the danger and leapt several meters back.
Still, when the Rasengan struck the ground, it exploded, carving a crater nearly three meters wide. Anderson had dodged, but the shockwave clipped his arm, tearing into it.
"D-Damn it...!"
Clutching his bleeding arm, Anderson gritted his teeth.
Everyone, pirates and villagers alike, gasped in disbelief.
The villagers, especially, had never seen Kurou as anything more than a weird outsider. Only now did they begin to truly acknowledge him.
Veildan instinctively clasped her hands together. Her teeth lightly bit into her lower lip as her gaze locked onto Kurou.
Anderson realized this boy was no ordinary enemy. His body, which had already been in a half-beast state, now fully transformed.
Before everyone's eyes, he became a fully anthropomorphic jackal standing on two legs.
No one had ever seen Anderson like this before.
Zoan-type Devil Fruits already granted overwhelming physical advantages, enhanced strength, recovery, and vitality. This full-beast transformation was undoubtedly the strongest state of the Inu Inu no Mi, Model: Jackal.
Anderson's fanged jaw opened slightly as he growled, "Brat... not many can force me into this form. I guess I underestimated you."
Kurou narrowed his eyes.
Let's show him what I've been working on.
For days, Kurou had done little else but train.
He had actually mastered the Rasengan a week ago. Since then, he'd been developing something even more powerful.
Now, Kurou raised his right hand again.
Another chakra sphere began to form, but this time, it was even larger than before, spinning with far more intense energy...
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150 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter