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DanMachi: Is It Wrong for a Mafia Boss to Go to the Dungeon?
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Chapter 368: The Strongest Man on Earth!
Z-City, Commercial Street Ruins.
Dust was slowly drifting down like snowflakes. That Vaccine Man, capable of destroying half the city, had now turned into two steaming halves of a corpse. The cuts were smooth as mirrors. Even that indestructible traffic light club had been neatly sliced down the middle.
Beside that bottomless gully, Red-Haired Shanks was looking at the mess around him with a constipated expression.
"Um..." He scratched his conspicuous red hair, looking somewhat guilty at the delinquent youth who had turned to stone in front of him. "Say... Hero Brother? According to your rules here, this level of battle damage, I shouldn't... have to pay for it, right?"
After all, in the New World, everyone fought however they pleased. No one had ever heard of having to pay money for breaking an island. But he had just glanced at the prices in this world. If he really had to pay, selling his famous sword "Gryphon" probably wouldn't be enough.
Gulp.
Bone Cracking Bat swallowed hard. That swallowing sound was exceptionally clear on the silent street. He stared blankly at the uncle in front of him who had "I'm poor, don't look at me" written all over his face, then looked at the split sky behind him. His brain had completely crashed.
Pay? Are you kidding! For a powerhouse of this level, even if he dismantled the entire Z-City, the higher-ups of the Association would probably have to kneel and serve him tea!
"Um..." Bone Cracking Bat's voice trembled a bit, an aftereffect of the adrenaline fading. "Who... who exactly are you, Sir S-Class? Although your face is unfamiliar, I know many strong people like to live in seclusion."
"You saved me just now! Destruction of this level is a necessary sacrifice made to eliminate the monster! Not only will the Association not ask you to compensate, they'll give you a bonus instead!"
Hearing the word "Bonus", Shanks' dull eyes lit up instantly. Like two searchlights. Even more blinding than the slash just now.
"Really?! There's money to be had?!"
Shanks grabbed Bone Cracking Bat's shoulder. Although that single arm looked empty, the strength was terrifying, nearly crushing the B-Class hero's bones.
"Hahaha! I knew it! People in this place are quite reasonable! If it were that old guy Sengoku, he would definitely deduct from my bounty again!"
Beside him, Benn Beckman held his forehead helplessly. His captain's money-grubbing appearance was simply disgracing the face of the Yonko. However, he also keenly captured the key information in the other party's words.
S-Class. It seemed the combat power grading in this world indeed had a strict pyramid structure. That green-skinned monster just now, although insta-killed by his Boss, was definitely not weak. Placed in the Pirate World, it was at least a disaster-level combatant equivalent to the All-Stars. If it were in its complete form, it might be even stronger. And in this world, there seemed to be even stronger existences.
"Say, Brother." Shanks was in a great mood, pulling out a bottle of cheap wine from who-knows-where in his coat and taking a swig. Then he asked in a chitchat tone:
"Heard you mention S-Class just now. Is that the most powerful group of people here?"
Bone Cracking Bat nodded vigorously, his eyes filled with fanaticism and worship.
"That's right! The Hero Association is the supreme organization maintaining peace in this world! And S-Class heroes are monsters standing at the apex of humanity! Every one of them has the ability to single-handedly eliminate Demon-Level, or even Dragon-Level disasters! Terrible Tornado, Silver Fang, Atomic Samurai... They are god-like existences!"
Shanks thoughtfully rubbed the stubble on his chin, his eyes flickering slightly. Sounds like... These so-called S-Class heroes are roughly equivalent to the "Seven Warlords of the Sea", or even the "Four Emperors"? Interesting. Really too interesting!
The militant factors in his body began to stir. That instinctual desire to clash with the strong made his Haki spill out somewhat uncontrollably.
"Then..." Shanks tossed the empty wine bottle aside casually, staring burningly at Bone Cracking Bat. He asked the question he cared about most.
"Among this group of monsters, who is the strongest?"
Since he came to this dungeon, since the goal was to pursue ultimate power, then he, Shanks, naturally had to fight the strongest one! Only the scenery standing at the peak was worthy of his status as a Yonko!
Hearing this question, Bone Cracking Bat's expression suddenly became serious, even carrying a trace of holiness. He took a deep breath, as if about to recite a taboo true name.
"If strictly discussing ranking, S-Class Rank 1 is the mysterious 'Blast'. But..." Changing the subject, Bone Cracking Bat's eyes became somewhat complicated. It was awe, fear, and deep yearning.
"Lord Blast's whereabouts are erratic; he hasn't appeared for many years. And in the hearts of all us heroes, and even all monsters, the one who truly stands at the apex of this planet, representing the absolute ceiling of human martial force... Is only that man!"
Benn Beckman also stubbed out his cigarette, pricking up his ears. To make a local native show such an expression, that so-called "Strongest" must have high gold content!
"Who is it?" Shanks pressed.
Bone Cracking Bat straightened his back, saying word by word:
"S-Class Rank 7. The Strongest Man on Earth—King!"
"King?" Shanks repeated the name, the corners of his mouth hooking into a playful arc. Daring to use "King" as a name. This guy is arrogant. Sounds even more domineering than Kaido who calls himself "King of the Beasts".
"Is he very strong?" Shanks asked, knowing the answer.
"Strong?" Bone Cracking Bat gave a bitter smile, seeming to feel that word couldn't describe that man at all.
"Uncle, you might not know. Mr. King... that is a God walking among men! Legend says he once used the moon as a punching bag! He once traveled back to the past and crushed a meteor that would destroy the world with his bare hands! Any monster that appears in front of him doesn't even need him to lift a finger. Just hearing his heartbeat will scare them out of their wits, causing them to drop dead on the spot!"
Heartbeat?
Shanks and Beckman looked at each other. Both their pupils shrank simultaneously. Both being experienced veterans, they instantly understood what this meant.
"Intimidating enemies with a heartbeat?" Beckman analyzed in a low voice. "This sounds... like some extremely high-level application of Conqueror's Haki. Possibly even beyond the scope of Conqueror's Coating. Merging one's own will into the rhythm of life, forming a substantive mental shock."
"Boss." Beckman's expression was unprecedentedly grave. "This guy called King is definitely big trouble."
Shanks nodded. The smile on his face grew wider and wider. That was the ecstasy of meeting a worthy opponent.
"Interesting! Really too interesting! Can he kill people just with a heartbeat?"
Roaming the Pirate World for so many years, although he could also knock out fodder with Haki, to say he could scare a powerhouse of the same level to death just with a heartbeat... he really couldn't do that.
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