New chapter have been released on Patreon.
Gion's blade was as swift as a startled swan.
The moment konpira was unsheathed, the air seemed to be split in two, and the sharp blade, carrying the terrifying momentum of steel-cutting force, slashed down at Teach, who had just managed to get back on his feet!
The battle came too suddenly, and too quickly!
From Ian calling out the name, to Gunko making her move, then Lafitte sacrificing himself to save his Captain, and finally Gion's follow-up strike, everything happened in the blink of an eye.
Teach had barely escaped the fear of being pierced by bandages when he was met with a furious strike from a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral.
"Dark Water!"
He roared instinctively, spreading his palm, attempting to devour the slash with the power of the Dark-Dark Fruit.
But he was facing Gion, a battle-hardened Vice Admiral from Marineford!
Moreover, he was injured, and his reaction was more than a beat too slow.
"Pfft--"
The blade struck Teach's broad shoulder squarely, drawing a spray of blood.
"Ah ah ah ah ah--"
A pig-like shriek echoed through the street, and Teach's burly, over-three-meter tall body flew backwards like a knocked-over bowling ball, tumbling and crashing heavily into the wall of a shop.
"It hurts! It hurts so much! It's killing me!"
Teach lay in the brick ruins, clutching his bloodied shoulder, wailing with tears and snot streaming down his face, his legs still flailing in the air.
His doubled pain constitution made him experience double the 'joy' at this moment.
Gion's eyes were cold, without the slightest pause.
When dealing with pirates, there could be no mercy.
She exerted force with her feet, the ground cracked inch by inch, and her entire being transformed into an afterimage, instantly pursuing above the ruins, holding her blade with both hands, aiming at Teach's neck, and slashing down again with ferocity!
Just at this critical moment!
"Bang!"
A dull gunshot came from a distance.
A spinning bullet cut through the sky, carrying an eerie whistle, and accurately struck the side of konpira's blade!
"Clang!"
Sparks flew.
A huge force came from the blade, Gion's slashing trajectory was forcibly deflected, the blade grazed Teach's cheek, and cut a ditch more than ten meters long in the ground.
At the same time, a figure appeared by Teach's side without warning, it was the Blackbeard Pirates' sniper, "Supersonic" Van Auger.
He grabbed Teach, who was still rolling on the ground, and his unique Teleportation Fruit ability activated again.
The next second, they appeared at the other end of the street, a hundred meters away.
"Captain, let's go!" Van Auger dared not linger in battle.
However, they had not yet stood firm.
"Whoosh!"
The sound of air being torn apart rose again!
A black arrow formed from bandages had appeared before them at some point, its chilling sharpness rapidly expanding in their pupils!
It was that woman's attack!
Van Auger's scalp tingled, and without thinking, he activated his Teleportation Fruit ability again, teleporting Teach once more.
This time, he chose the end of the street, where there was a corner; as long as they rounded it, they could temporarily escape the opponent's line of sight.
The two appeared at their anticipated location.
But what greeted them was not a safe corner, but a man as handsome as a demon.
Ian had appeared there at some point, his back to them, examining his fingernails with great interest, as if admiring a perfect work of art.
"Teach, with This Young Master's eyes on you, where can you possibly escape to?"
Ian spoke lazily.
Before his words finished, he suddenly turned around, and in his deep eyes was the playful look of a cat toying with a mouse.
His fists had turned inky black at some point, Armament Haki wrapped around them, emitting a heart-palpitating fluctuation.
Van Auger and Teach's pupils constricted to pinpricks.
Too fast!
How could he be here?!
"Boom! Boom!"
Ian's fists, one left and one right, struck both of their chests squarely.
Amidst dull thuds, the two flew backward like kites with broken strings, at an even faster speed than they had arrived, tracing a perfect parabolic arc, and crashing miserably at Gunko's feet.
Before the two could struggle to their feet from the intense pain, Gunko raised her hand expressionlessly.
Countless bandages surged from her, like living spiritual snakes, instantly binding Teach and Van Auger tightly, then abruptly pulling them upwards, suspending them upside down in mid-air.
"Release the Captain!"
Just then, an angry roar came from the other end of the street.
Jesus Burgess, waving his exaggerated elbows, charged over like a human tank.
Behind him followed a sickly man, lying on an equally sickly horse, it was the ship doctor "Death God" Doc Q.
Burgess's goal was clear: to rescue Teach.
However, he had only charged a few steps.
"Whoosh!"
Another black arrow came flying towards him.
Burgess roared, attempting to block it with his Armament Haki-covered elbow.
But the arrow's speed and penetrating power far exceeded his imagination.
"Pfft!"
The arrow directly pierced his shoulder, and the huge impact sent him flying backward.
At the same time, Gion moved.
She didn't even look at Burgess, her figure flickered, appearing in front of Doc Q's horse, konpira in her hand, drawing an elegant and deadly arc from bottom to top.
"Ugh!"
Doc Q, both man and horse, were cut down and sent flying, rolling off the horse's back onto the ground.
Seizing this opportunity, Gunko attacked again.
Bandages flew, precisely wrapping around Burgess and Doc Q, who had just landed, and hoisted them up as well.
In a blink of an eye, the four members of the Blackbeard Pirates were neatly hung in mid-air, like cured meat drying in the sun.
Not far away, Lafitte, who had just saved Teach and was severely injured, endured the sharp pain in his chest, leaning on his walking stick, quietly shuffled backward, wanting to slip away amidst the chaos.
But he had only retreated two steps when a cold blade was pressed against his neck.
Gion had appeared behind him at some point, her beautiful eyes flashing with cold light.
"Where do you think you're going, Demon Sheriff?"
At this point, the Blackbeard Pirates, who had just arrived in Mock Town and were ready to make their mark, were completely annihilated.
This street battle, dazzling in its speed, also caused a huge commotion.
Inside the buildings on both sides of the street, countless pairs of eyes peeked through window cracks, fearfully observing everything.
"Oh my god... that... that's Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral, 'Momousagi' Gion!" A pirate hiding in a tavern couldn't help but tremble.
"Who is that woman with the bandages next to her? She's terrifying! She took out an entire pirate crew in one encounter!"
"The key is that man! Did you see him? From beginning to end, Vice Admiral Gion and that bandage woman seemed like his bodyguards! Who exactly is that man? To have a Marine Headquarters Vice Admiral as a bodyguard?"
Ian ignored the prying eyes around him, leisurely walked to Teach, who was hanging upside down, a gentle smile on his face.
"Marshall D. Teach, you've been very busy lately."
He spoke softly, as if reminiscing with an old friend.
"How long has it been since you killed Thatch, the Fourth Division Commander of the Whitebeard Pirates? And you're already so impatient to bring your new companions to Mock Town."
"Let me guess, you're here to capture a pirate with a bounty over 100 million, then hand him over to the World Government as a gesture of allegiance, to exchange for the position of a Seven Warlords of the Sea, right?"
"You... how did you know?!" Teach struggled, trying to break free from the bandage restraints.
"This Young Master knows everything." Ian's smile grew even brighter, "But don't be nervous, This Young Master is in a good mood today, I don't want to kill anyone."
He paused, then changed the subject.
"The reason I captured you all is because I want to make a deal with you."
"A deal?" Teach was stunned.
"If I'm not mistaken, the Whitebeard Pirates should have already sent out their Second Division Commander, 'Fire Fist' Ace; he's currently hunting you all over the world."
"What you need to do is very simple."
Ian's lips curled into a cold arc, "Go find him proactively, then capture him alive and hand him over to Marineford."
"Huh?" Teach's interest was piqued, and he grinned, "What do you want to do?"
Ian smiled slightly and said, "This Young Master wants to use this to prematurely trigger a Marineford War, and make this world... lively!"
At these words, Teach was first shocked, and then, an incomparably fervent light burst forth from his small eyes!
Capture Ace alive and hand him over to the Marine!
Wasn't this one of the links in his plan?
He had originally planned to capture a pirate with a bounty over 100 million to become a Shichibukai, and then slowly scheme further.
Unexpectedly, this distinguished man before him had directly given him a clear path to greatness!
"Zehahahahaha!"
Teach suddenly burst into loud laughter, "That's exactly what I intended! Zehahahaha! I'll take this deal!"
"Very good."
Ian nodded in satisfaction and waved his hand.
Gunko understood, the bandages loosened, and the Blackbeard Pirates members fell heavily to the ground.
Ian didn't even glance at them, turning and leaving with the women.
After walking a few steps, he seemed to suddenly remember something, paused, and said without looking back:
"Oh, I forgot to introduce myself."
"My name is Neirona Ian Saint, the Young Master of the Saint Ian Family."
"Remember this name."
"Because in the near future, this name will become your lingering nightmare."
---