Want to read ahead? Join my Patreon for just $7 to get early access to all upcoming chapters!
> Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations
________________________________________
Chapter 367: The King Engine, Red Hair Says It's Too Strong
Click.
The sound of a lighter came from the side. Benn Beckman lit a cigarette, looked up at the sky, his shoulders shaking. Obviously, he was holding back laughter.
"Boss, it seems your 'Face Fruit' has expired in this world."
"Shut up! Beckman!" Shanks roared grumpily. Then he looked at the B-Class hero blocking his front—legs shaking a bit, but still stubbornly protecting him. His gaze became somewhat strange.
"Hey, kid. You're alone? That guy doesn't look easy to deal with. You'll die if you block the way here."
Bone Cracking Bat gripped the weapon in his hand tightly and said through gritted teeth: "Nonsense! Of course I know I'll die! Just this guy's aura makes me unable to breathe! But I am a Hero! If even we run away, who will protect the citizens?!"
"Stop yapping! While it's dazed, get lost quickly! If you don't go now, I won't be able to save you either!"
These words were spoken with awe-inspiring righteousness, even carrying a bit of tragic heroism. If it were an ordinary citizen, they would probably have been moved to tears and scrambled away by now.
But unfortunately, standing behind him was a great pirate who had lived with his head tied to his belt for over thirty years.
Shanks paused. Looking at this back that was clearly scared to death yet refused to take a single step back, he suddenly started laughing. In that smile, the previous depression and annoyance were gone. Instead, there was a hint of appreciation.
"Hero, huh... Although the hierarchy ranking in this world is quite annoying, the backbone of you guys really suits my taste."
Just then, Vaccine Man, who had been bewildered by this series of events, finally snapped out of it. It looked at the ant that suddenly popped up in front of it, then looked at the red-haired man who hadn't moved, but whose killing intent seemed to have converged a bit. The courage that had been scared out of it suddenly returned, swelling its confidence.
That redhead was terrifying, true. But this guy holding a bat... was weak as a chicken!
"Roar—!!!"
"Where did this bug come from, daring to block my path?! Since you want to die, I'll start with you!"
An anger from being humiliated welled up in its heart. Vaccine Man raised the traffic light club in its hand once again. This time, it no longer hesitated. Muscles all over its body bulged, veins protruding under the purple skin. Terrifying power erupted instantly! Even the surrounding air was squeezed by this strike until it emitted a sonic boom!
"It's over!" Bone Cracking Bat watched the shadow pressing down like a mountain. He closed his eyes in despair. This power... was simply not something a B-Class hero could contend with! This was definitely a monster only A-Class, or even S-Class heroes could handle!
Was he... going to die? Sorry, Mom. I probably won't make it to tonight's discount supermarket sale.
However, just the moment he closed his eyes to wait for death, a voice, slightly magnetic but filled with supreme majesty, sounded softly in his ear.
"Thanks for your hard work, Hero Brother. Next... leave it to me, this 'Ordinary Citizen'."
Clang—!!!
A clear and high-pitched sword resonance suddenly resounded through the entire street.
Bone Cracking Bat snapped his eyes open. Immediately after, he saw a scene he would never forget in his life. He saw that one-armed red-haired uncle he had considered a burden had already stood in front of him.
That somewhat tattered black cape fluttered in the wind like a flag. He merely held that famous sword named "Gryphon" with one hand. He didn't even coat it with Haki. Just casually... swung upwards!
"Divine Departure."
A slash, pitch-black as ink yet mixed with dark red lightning, like the dawn tearing through the night, instantly soared into the sky!
The speed of that slash was too fast. Fast enough that even light seemed to be distorted. Without the slightest hindrance, like a hot knife cutting through butter. That traffic light club weighing thousands of tons. That indestructible chitinous shell. That massive green body like a mountain.
In front of that single slash, it was as fragile as a sheet of paper!
Squelch—!!!
A line of blood extended from Vaccine Man's brow all the way to its crotch. Its ferocious expression was still frozen on its face. The raised arm hadn't even had time to fall. The entire person had already been... split in two!
Rumble—
Two halves of the giant corpse collapsed to the sides, smashing onto the ground and kicking up dust all over the sky.
But it wasn't over! That black-red slash didn't dissipate after cutting open Vaccine Man. Instead, it continued to fly towards the sky. Tearing the atmosphere. Slicing the clouds. Finally, above ten thousand meters in the sky, it left a... Sky Fissure spanning several kilometers!
The originally somewhat gloomy sky was forcibly pried open like by an invisible giant hand, revealing the azure firmament behind it. Sunlight poured down through the crack, shining perfectly on Shanks' back as he sheathed his sword.
At this moment, the entire street was deathly silent. Only the blaring of car alarms in the distance seemed exceptionally piercing.
The weapon in Bone Cracking Bat's hand fell to the ground with a clang. His mouth was wide open. His chin was almost dislocated. His eyes stared like bronze bells, fixed deadly on this "Cosplayer Uncle". His brain was blank.
This... what is this?! A casual slash... split the clouds?! Cut a Demon-Level monster like cutting a watermelon?! What kind of Ordinary Citizen is this?! This is definitely S-Class... No! Even those monsters in S-Class might not be able to achieve this level, right?!
"Phew..." Shanks gently exhaled a breath, hanging Gryphon back on his waist. Then he turned around and grinned at the B-Class hero who was scared silly, revealing a mouthful of pearly white teeth.
"This time... should be considered... giving enough face, right?"
Before Bone Cracking Bat could recover from the shock, Benn Beckman had already walked up, skillfully pulling out a cigarette and handing it to Shanks, lighting it for him in passing.
"Boss. Although that slash was cool, but..." Beckman pointed to the glass of several buildings around them that had shattered even more thoroughly due to the shockwave of the slash just now, and the bottomless gully on the ground. He said in a ghostly tone:
"According to the rules of this world, destruction of this level... our meager bounty probably won't be enough to pay for it."
The smile on Shanks' face froze again. The cigarette in his mouth almost fell out.
"Hah?! I have to pay?! I did it to save people! And I'm a pirate! Since when do pirates have to pay for breaking things?!"
Just as Shanks was freaking out over the impending massive debt, in the Z-City Hero Association Branch monitoring hall, the piercing alarm suddenly upgraded again.
Red lights flashed frantically. All staff members were sweating profusely, staring at the energy value suddenly spiking on the screen.
"Report! The high-energy response in Z-City commercial district has disappeared! Demon-Level monster confirmed dead! But..." The operator swallowed a mouthful of saliva, reporting with a trembling voice:
"Just now, an unprecedented energy fluctuation was detected in that area! That energy level... even exceeds the psychokinetic peak of S-Class Rank 2, Terrible Tornado!"
The Branch Manager's face instantly turned pale. He stared deadly at the red-haired, one-armed figure being magnified on the screen, asking with a dry voice: "Who is that?! Is it some retired S-Class hero?!"
The operator typed rapidly on the keyboard, pulling up the comparison results from the database. The next second, looking at the crude avatar popping up on the screen and that string of suffocating data, the entire monitoring hall fell into dead silence.
[Name: Shanks]
[Codename: Red Hair]
[Rank: C-Class Rank 388]
[Note: Newcomer]
The Branch Manager rubbed his eyes. Rubbed his eyes again. Finally, letting out a roar doubting life itself:
"C-Class?! You're telling me this is C-Class?! Putting this kind of monster in C-Class..."
________________________________________
Support this fanfict by leaving Positive Review, Comments, and Power Stones.
For Advance Chapters:
> Patreon.com/NegativeTranslations