At the exact moment Mado thought his blade would pierce through Brian's eyeball—
Brian vanished.
"What—? He disappeared out of thin air?!"
Mado froze mid-thrust, still holding his stance as confusion and disbelief froze his entire body.
A voice came from behind him.
"Tell me, fish-brain," Brian said with a mocking smile, "where'd you get the confidence to think you could touch me?"
"Monster…" Jerak swallowed hard, cold sweat running down his back. He stumbled several steps backward.
He wasn't stupid—this officer was nothing like the other so-called elites of the West Blue. His strength was beyond comprehension.
Then Brian pointed casually toward him.
"You there."
Jerak flinched, eyes widening.
"M-me? What about me?"
"Perfect expression," Brian said, grinning. "In my script, extras like you are supposed to react exactly like that."
A heartbeat later, his body blurred like a flickering sheet of paper—dodging dozens of slashes from two nearby pirates as if they moved in slow motion.
"This move's called Kami-e—'Paper Art.' Cool trick, isn't it? Oh, and you there, aiming that gun at my back—better put it down before I shove your gun and your bullet up your ass. And you, with the throwing knives—want to see me dig a hole in your skull with your own weapon and then stuff your little friend in there afterward?"
"He—he's got eyes on his back?!"
"Impossible! He's a monster!"
Fear spread across the deck like frost. Every pirate except Astona felt their knees go weak.
Brian chuckled softly.
"See? It's ignorance that breeds fear. That's why I say—fools and salted fish aren't all that different."
He shrugged, but before he could continue, Mado, recovering from his shock, roared in fury and charged again.
"Damn you, Marine! Don't get cocky!"
His bloodshot eyes gleamed with hatred as he swung his blades faster than lightning—his speed rivaling, even surpassing, Perod's.
Brian sighed lazily.
"'Ghost Blade' Mado. Bounty—67,500,000 Berries. Not bad. That's enough to cover my bar tab for the month."
They passed each other in a blur.
Swish!
Then a head spun through the air, spraying crimson.
Thud!
Mado's severed head rolled across the deck, coming to rest at Brian's boots.
"Hey, someone bag this for me. Try not to mess up the face—I can't sell it if it's damaged."
"Yes, Sir Brian!"
One of the 243rd's men jogged over with practiced ease, pulling a burlap sack and a pouch of saltpeter from his kit. In front of stunned pirates and marines alike, he calmly preserved the head. Judging by his skill, he'd clearly done this before.
While the soldier worked, Brian began counting.
"Let's see… 28 million, 25 million, 33 million, 31.2 million…"
"He's counting… our bounties?!"
"That bastard's planning to take all our heads!"
Fear flipped into rage. Three more pirates lunged at him, screaming.
"This one's 33 million—bag it."
Before the words finished leaving his mouth, a knife-hand strike flashed—another head fell.
"That one's 28 million… and 26.6…"
Two more blades came from either side—Brian's arms swept like an eagle's wings. Both pirates collapsed before their blades even touched him.
Thud! Thud!
Two more heads rolled.
"You Marine bastard! I'll burn you to ashes!"
Seeing his men fall one after another, Astona's fury exploded. He no longer cared about friendly fire—his body ignited in full blaze, heat waves distorting the air around him.
Brian tilted his head, smiling faintly.
"So you've finally realized how hopeless this is. You're planning to go all in, huh? You're thinking—'Even if I can't kill him, I can blow up the ship, take Karl with me, and escape in the chaos.' Right?"
Astona's eyes widened.
"How—how did you—"
"I didn't read your mind, idiot. You're just predictable."
"Hmph! You're too arrogant! Try and stop me, if you can!"
Flames coiled up Astona's arms as he spun, his whole body turning into a whirling inferno.
Brian vanished again.
Soru!
In an instant, he appeared directly before Astona.
"Burn with the ship, Marine—Explosive Flame—!"
"Finger Gun—Gatling Mode!"
ZING ZING ZING ZING!
Brian's arm blurred, fingers thrusting faster than bullets. The sound was like rapid gunfire.
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
Bones shattered—
Shoulder blades snapped—
Ribs caved in—
Muscles burst—
Each strike landed faster than the last, every impact shaking the ship beneath them.
When he finally stopped, Brian exhaled softly, flicking away a few sparks that still clung to his sleeve.
"In my script, you're supposed to die instantly. But you fought hard enough to make me use Haki. For that effort, I'll give you a quick death."
Astona coughed blood, his upper body full of holes, like a sponge. His voice trembled.
"Just… kill me…"
"Kill you?" Brian smirked. "No, no. You're still useful."
Astona blinked weakly in confusion.
Then—
Crunch!
Brian stomped down between his legs.
Astona's scream tore through the air.
"Relax," Brian said with mock sympathy. "You won't need that anymore. Think of it as me doing you a favor. I'm a nice guy like that."
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